Had a delicious lunch of roasted tofu and plantain in a wrap! I sliced the tofu and coated it lightly in olive oil and chipotle sauce, then sliced a very ripe plantain lengthwise and coated it in the same manner. Then I salted and peppered it all, and baked in for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. So good!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Restaurant Review: Loving Hut
Believe it or not, I had never been to a vegetarian restaurant before today!
I had the Spicy Cha-Cha which was like breaded shrimp over lettuce and red/green bell peppers. It had a spicy-sweet dipping sauce. It was very tasty--very much like shrimp except milder. (I appreciated that it had less of that strong seafood flavor like shrimp has--some of the "imitation meats" are too similar to meat for my taste.)
I had a refreshing glass of hibiscus iced tea. This is destined to become my new favorite drink. It has a tangy flavor like cranberry, which contrasts nicely with its sweetness.
My non-vegetarian dining partner had a sweet and sour stir fry with cubed, battered soy protein. He said it was good, even though he was really resistant to eating at a vegan place. He mentioned he does not like tofu but ordered this instead of going for one of the "beefy" dishes. Afterwards, he told me he did not realize he was ordering something that might be similar to tofu. Again, he said he liked it but he wasn't gaga over it either, only because of the protein. We plan to head back so he can try one of the beef-alikes.
It is extremely clean and a peaceful place to eat a casual meal. The staff is quite friendly.
Here is their website. Give it a try!
Verdict: Excellent!
I had the Spicy Cha-Cha which was like breaded shrimp over lettuce and red/green bell peppers. It had a spicy-sweet dipping sauce. It was very tasty--very much like shrimp except milder. (I appreciated that it had less of that strong seafood flavor like shrimp has--some of the "imitation meats" are too similar to meat for my taste.)
I had a refreshing glass of hibiscus iced tea. This is destined to become my new favorite drink. It has a tangy flavor like cranberry, which contrasts nicely with its sweetness.
My non-vegetarian dining partner had a sweet and sour stir fry with cubed, battered soy protein. He said it was good, even though he was really resistant to eating at a vegan place. He mentioned he does not like tofu but ordered this instead of going for one of the "beefy" dishes. Afterwards, he told me he did not realize he was ordering something that might be similar to tofu. Again, he said he liked it but he wasn't gaga over it either, only because of the protein. We plan to head back so he can try one of the beef-alikes.
It is extremely clean and a peaceful place to eat a casual meal. The staff is quite friendly.
Here is their website. Give it a try!
Verdict: Excellent!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Healthy summer drinks
I'm trying to cut down on sugar intake and increase liquids*, and I'm getting really sick of water. Sooo...I've been experimenting and here's a few successes:
_______
*Why, you ask? Well besides the fact that it's summer....I moved to the low desert and I'm not feeling as thirsty as I should be. Apparently humidity makes you feel thirstier. I'm trying to push myself to drink more until I adjust. This also explains why I'm into horchata all of a sudden. :D
- 1 slice of lemon, 1 slice of lime, ice and club soda (refreshing but not sicky sweet)
- 1 slice of orange, a few slices of cucumber, ice and water
- a few shots of espresso (decaf works too), creamer, and crushed ice blended (frozen coffee drink!)
- dash of vanilla extract, club soda and ice (less sweet version of cream soda)
- Zevia ginger root beer
_______
*Why, you ask? Well besides the fact that it's summer....I moved to the low desert and I'm not feeling as thirsty as I should be. Apparently humidity makes you feel thirstier. I'm trying to push myself to drink more until I adjust. This also explains why I'm into horchata all of a sudden. :D
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Restaurant Review: Cantina Laredo
Here's my quick take on this restaurant, as it pertains to vegetarians.
Homemade chips and salsa were complimentary and were very good. We were given both a mild and a medium salsa to try. I liked the latter. Both did contain cilantro.
For around $8 we got an order of guacamole made at the table. The menu said it served 2-4, but with 2 avocados that would mean very large serving sizes of the calorie-rich dip. We were asked if we wanted tomatoes and onions. I don't remember being asked if we wanted cilantro--which would have been preferable, since I don't care for it. It was very noisy so I may have just missed the question. The guac was delicious and we had to bring the rest home with us. We were given an extra bag full of warm, homemade tortilla chips to bring home with it.
On the dinner menu, I found 2 choices clearly marked vegetarian on the menu. One was a spinach enchilada with Jack cheese (vegetarian); the other was an avocado and artichoke enchilada over a bed of spinach (which sounded vegan).
I was wondering how the avocado/artichoke enchilada could be served over spinach--doesn't "enchilada" mean "in chile"--in other words, dipped in chile sauce? That entree did sound better to me, but I didn't want to have more avocado, so I chose the spinach enchilada.
hmmm. It was ok. The filling was rather bland. There seemed to be no chile in sight; it was covered in a sauce that I'd liken to a thinned out version of sour cream--way too much for my liking. The menu said there were mushrooms in the filling but I couldn't find any.
It was served with some flavorful rice and black beans on the side, kind of standard-tasting. I do appreciate the menu marking what was vegetarian, and for making the effort to include 2 meat-free options on the menu. I would suggest, perhaps, the restaurant offer a more standard Mexican item on the menu that's meat-free, to widen the choices for those of us who love spicy stuff.
The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was fun, and the restaurant was spotless.
Homemade chips and salsa were complimentary and were very good. We were given both a mild and a medium salsa to try. I liked the latter. Both did contain cilantro.
For around $8 we got an order of guacamole made at the table. The menu said it served 2-4, but with 2 avocados that would mean very large serving sizes of the calorie-rich dip. We were asked if we wanted tomatoes and onions. I don't remember being asked if we wanted cilantro--which would have been preferable, since I don't care for it. It was very noisy so I may have just missed the question. The guac was delicious and we had to bring the rest home with us. We were given an extra bag full of warm, homemade tortilla chips to bring home with it.
On the dinner menu, I found 2 choices clearly marked vegetarian on the menu. One was a spinach enchilada with Jack cheese (vegetarian); the other was an avocado and artichoke enchilada over a bed of spinach (which sounded vegan).
I was wondering how the avocado/artichoke enchilada could be served over spinach--doesn't "enchilada" mean "in chile"--in other words, dipped in chile sauce? That entree did sound better to me, but I didn't want to have more avocado, so I chose the spinach enchilada.
hmmm. It was ok. The filling was rather bland. There seemed to be no chile in sight; it was covered in a sauce that I'd liken to a thinned out version of sour cream--way too much for my liking. The menu said there were mushrooms in the filling but I couldn't find any.
It was served with some flavorful rice and black beans on the side, kind of standard-tasting. I do appreciate the menu marking what was vegetarian, and for making the effort to include 2 meat-free options on the menu. I would suggest, perhaps, the restaurant offer a more standard Mexican item on the menu that's meat-free, to widen the choices for those of us who love spicy stuff.
The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was fun, and the restaurant was spotless.
Quorn Chik'n Cutlets
As you may remember, I've had mixed experiences with "fake meat" products.
Today I tried a Quorn brand product for the first time: "Chik'n Cutlets".
I'm pleased to report they met all my criteria:
VERDICT: Good comfort food for a subzero day!
I'm pleased to report they met all my criteria:
- Reasonably priced
- Doesn't taste too much like meat
- Doesn't have a weird taste or texture
- Not too difficult to make
VERDICT: Good comfort food for a subzero day!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
My Xmas Eve Menu
Here it is! This year I knew I had to make most things ahead or at the last minute, because I didn't have the afternoon free to do my usual cooking marathon.
Several days before, I made the marinated mushrooms.
The day before, I made deviled eggs, crudites, tomato sauce and allrecipes.com's Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake. I used Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cake & Cookie Mix and a small can of pumpkin puree. I have a personal tradition of making gingerbread cookies and I didn't want to go without them just because I couldn't take the afternoon off...so I came up with this instead. I am so glad I did. While the cake doesn't have the cute factor the decorated gingerbread people do, it's hardly a sacrifice taste-wise. Maybe this will become my new tradition.
Before you make this, I highly recommend you read the comments posted below the recipe. I followed the recommendation to add 2 eggs and a little sugar. I also added my usual extra spices, and a splash of bourbon. I topped it with one of the poster's recipe for a simple glaze made from confectioner's sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk. I baked it in 4 small, gift-sized loaf pans. It is the moistest cake ever. I'm telling you, it is unbelievable!
The hour before, I made everything else. For me, I made Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs. These are fully cooked, so all you have to do is heat them up. I don't know why, but I don't think I've ever tried these in spaghetti--what a treat!
For the cheese course, I followed Pillsbury's recipe for Baked Brie with Raspberry Preserves, except I added chopped pecans and almonds. I omitted the cinnamon stick.
I cut the brie recipe in half so I had extra crescent rolls. I used a rolling pin to flatten them a bit and sealed the perforations. Then I spread margarine in them and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Sliced into coins, they were little buttery pinwheels that went nicely with the cold appetizers.
Anyway, back to the brie. Warm, melty, slightly sweet, creamy, with a flaky crust. What more could you ask for? Very good, and different. Lots of compliments! I am sure puff pastry would be tasty too, but I didn't have time to fuss with that. The crescents were very tasty and quick.
Then it was on to the Nutella Chess Pie. I created a recipe involving one of my favorite ingredients--Nutella--into a nice pie reminiscent of warm brownies that aren't quite cooked all the way yet...and you eat them anyway because they are so gooey, fudgy and good.
Well...I'm off to have leftovers of brie and spice cake. Leftovers that are more HO HO HO than HO HUM! (OK, I know that was really cheesy! Ha, cheesy! See what I did there?)
Buon Natale!
Several days before, I made the marinated mushrooms.
The day before, I made deviled eggs, crudites, tomato sauce and allrecipes.com's Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake. I used Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cake & Cookie Mix and a small can of pumpkin puree. I have a personal tradition of making gingerbread cookies and I didn't want to go without them just because I couldn't take the afternoon off...so I came up with this instead. I am so glad I did. While the cake doesn't have the cute factor the decorated gingerbread people do, it's hardly a sacrifice taste-wise. Maybe this will become my new tradition.
Before you make this, I highly recommend you read the comments posted below the recipe. I followed the recommendation to add 2 eggs and a little sugar. I also added my usual extra spices, and a splash of bourbon. I topped it with one of the poster's recipe for a simple glaze made from confectioner's sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk. I baked it in 4 small, gift-sized loaf pans. It is the moistest cake ever. I'm telling you, it is unbelievable!
The hour before, I made everything else. For me, I made Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs. These are fully cooked, so all you have to do is heat them up. I don't know why, but I don't think I've ever tried these in spaghetti--what a treat!
For the cheese course, I followed Pillsbury's recipe for Baked Brie with Raspberry Preserves, except I added chopped pecans and almonds. I omitted the cinnamon stick.
I cut the brie recipe in half so I had extra crescent rolls. I used a rolling pin to flatten them a bit and sealed the perforations. Then I spread margarine in them and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Sliced into coins, they were little buttery pinwheels that went nicely with the cold appetizers.
Anyway, back to the brie. Warm, melty, slightly sweet, creamy, with a flaky crust. What more could you ask for? Very good, and different. Lots of compliments! I am sure puff pastry would be tasty too, but I didn't have time to fuss with that. The crescents were very tasty and quick.
Then it was on to the Nutella Chess Pie. I created a recipe involving one of my favorite ingredients--Nutella--into a nice pie reminiscent of warm brownies that aren't quite cooked all the way yet...and you eat them anyway because they are so gooey, fudgy and good.
Well...I'm off to have leftovers of brie and spice cake. Leftovers that are more HO HO HO than HO HUM! (OK, I know that was really cheesy! Ha, cheesy! See what I did there?)
Buon Natale!
Bevande
Cocktails
Antipasti
Marinated Mushrooms ∞ Red & Green Deviled Eggs
Crudités ∞ Basil Pinwheels
Primi
Pasta & Meatballs ∞ Italian Bread with Olive Oil Dip
Secondi
Broiled Shrimp ∞ Broiled Garlic Eggplant
Formaggio
Brie En Croute
Dolce
Nutella Chess Pie ∞ Cookies
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Restaurant review: Z' tejas
This restaurant has a cool vibe, good music and a fun atmosphere. We were greeted by friendly, professionally dressed staff and sat in the bar while we waited for a table.
I asked the bartender to suggest a cocktail. He suggested an award-winning frozen margarita swirled with raspberry liquor ("Chambord Margarita"). Lime and raspberry are two of my favorite flavors, and I wasn't disappointed. The drink was very pretty, full of tartness and refreshing.
While waiting for our dinner, we were surprised by a hot loaf of skillet corn bread. I am a lover of corn bread but most of it ends up being dry. This was perfect. Tender, not greasy, just the right balance of sweetness. I took the leftovers home and ate it for breakfast.
I had the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas. Delicious!
We liked it so much, we went back the next night.
Verdict: A great place to blow off some steam and have a tasty dinner.
I asked the bartender to suggest a cocktail. He suggested an award-winning frozen margarita swirled with raspberry liquor ("Chambord Margarita"). Lime and raspberry are two of my favorite flavors, and I wasn't disappointed. The drink was very pretty, full of tartness and refreshing.
While waiting for our dinner, we were surprised by a hot loaf of skillet corn bread. I am a lover of corn bread but most of it ends up being dry. This was perfect. Tender, not greasy, just the right balance of sweetness. I took the leftovers home and ate it for breakfast.
I had the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas. Delicious!
We liked it so much, we went back the next night.
Verdict: A great place to blow off some steam and have a tasty dinner.
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