simple weekend recap: edition 19

Friday kicked off the weekend with some guacamole in my Christmas molcajete. My favorite & easiest guacamole is just 2 avocados, 1/2 lime's worth of juice, 1 small tomato, 1 tbs cilantro, sprinkling of salt & pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp onion powder all mashed together.

 

Saturday Erin had a date with one of her boyfriends, Mickey, at the dog park...

 

...before the pup-parents headed out to dinner at 80 Thoreau.

 

I started with the crisp gnocchi with bacon, oysters, and cauliflower...

 

..before having the outstanding roasted & braised chicken with potato gratin, brussel sprouts, and almonds. I can never pass up their chicken...it's always so moist!

This weekend we also ended up at the Tip Tap room for some snacks. Started with the mashed sampler, a tasting of horseradish, goat cheese, creamed corn & olive tapenade mashed potatoes. Sadly the only one I enjoyed (but really enjoyed) was the creamed corn version.

 

The dessert saved the visit though...I will definitely return if not just for the perfected bread pudding dessert. Mmmmm.

 

Weekend home-cooked dinner was a chicken lasagna roll-up, a new recipe I thought up while craving both lasagna and chicken cacciatore.  Tender shredded chicken simmered in a tomato sauce rolled up with cheddar inside pieces of lasagna. T almost ate the whole batch himself, as these are delicious (recipe will be posted Tuesday)!

 

 

 

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healthier mac n cheese

I've been having a secret love affair with cheese for probably 10 years now. I love cheese, but sadly it's not a mutual love. Cheese doesn't love me as much as I love cheese. I've been known to have a few cheese overdoses, so I decided to make a healthier version of mac n cheese so I could moderate how much cheese I was really having!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
1/2 lb whole wheat organic rotini
1 egg white
1/3 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1/3 cup lowfat cream cheese
1 tsp mustard
1/3 cup shredded cheese(s) of choice
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
salt & pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbs panko
1/3 cup nonfat milk *optional for a creamier dish*  

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter baking dish. Cook pasta until al dente.

2. Mix egg white, greek yogurt, cream cheese, mustard, cheeses, sprinkle of salt & pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper (and milk if using). Stir until fully mixed.   

 

3. Combine pasta with the other ingredients and mix to coat, making sure each noodle is covered. Pour into prepared dish and push down to  evenly spread.
 

 

4. Top with sprinkles of leftover cheeses and the panko.
  

 

5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until bubbly and crisp on top.
 

 

Ooey gooey mac n cheese without the chance of over cheesiness and added calories! Make a veggie for the side, and you've made yourself a well-rounded meal!

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brasstacks dairy cow pop-up

You may already know how big of a fan I am of Brasstacks, if not, check here and here.  Last night they had an open-to-all dinner focused on an 8-year-old dairy cow that has been being prepared since October at Washington Square Tavern in Brookline! Tickets were not dependent on their usual lottery, rather they were made available to anyone and everyone (a nice chance for some people to be introduced to Brasstacks, and a nice chance for others to try another of their dinners). This dinner revolved around all parts of the cow, and was prepared by both Marc Sheehan and Chris Cronin (of Washington Square Tavern). 

Assigned seats had us at a table of pharma men and 12-year self-made wine distributors, resulting in a whole evening of wine-talk. While we enjoyed our inventive long meal (by candlelight- apologies for terrible pictures, but I had to share), we learned of all different types of wine, pairings, and regions (Oregon merlots what?!--delicious that's what). We started with charcuterie of blood sausage (my favorite), pâté en croûte, wild game terrine, black truffle crépinette, and coppa along with delicious bread with house made cow's milk butter.

The first course was the raw beef shoulder & cured heart with persimmon, egg yolk, and bitter greens (one of T's favorites).

Second was my and T's favorite course, hands-down. Unbelievably delicious, perfectly executed, and precisely balanced...the Fisherman's Brewis. Cod head, cow's milk, dried beef and a few small potatoes strewn about...all served on my favorite black plates. Mmmm.

Next, was the 3rd shared course. A massive cabbage brought out on a large platter stuffed to the brim with tongue served with a sugar beet chutney, mushroom ketchup (please serve me this everyday of my life), and an anchovy jam.

Already feeling a bit full, we pushed on. Next was T's other favorite, the bone marrow bratwurst with brown bread, fermented turnip & a cider must (squint and you may be able to see the dish in the picture below). This dish had the deepest richest flavor, and I could have finished it, if I wasn't saving room for the next two courses. This dish was also served with my new FAVORITE beer: Kölsch! Light but flavorful served chilly in a small little glass, perfect for small hands!

 

The final savory course was the heavy-hitter: a 90-day dry aged ribeye and corned brisket with wild oyster, stout, and crispy kale (again, squint and guess in this picture). I can honestly say that the corned brisket was one of the top 5 best things I have ever tasted in my life. The ribeye was also delicious, but I'm a baby when it comes to rare meat, and it was a touch too rare for my liking. But do not fret, I was already more than full at this point. 

Already stuffed, we took a few breaths and prepared ourselves for dessert.  We were greeted with a house-made hard cider along with our dessert (which I won't even lie and I say I remember what it was). Something along the lines of apple, caramel, and a pudding of some sort, the texture was that of mascarpone.

 

With each of the dishes being paired with a wine or beer, we rolled ourselves home, stuffed full, giddy, and happy once again. It seems like every Brasstacks event ends in this combination, so as always I would highly recommend Brasstacks to any and everyone. I will reluctantly provide you with the tip of being invited (your chances go up of being invited, while mine goes down with you liking them...but I guess I'll share...just this once): like their facebook page, located here. Welcome to the team of 1,632 people trying to nudge their way into the next Brasstacks dinner.

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lentil soup

I think I could eat soup every day. I really love soup, it's so easy to make, so easy to tweak, it's overall perfect. Lentil soup is one of my favorites; lentils are chock-full of fiber, minerals, and tons of protein! Filling and healthy at the same time, this soup is made within an hour and a half!

Ingredients (for 6 servings):
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices bacon *optional*
1 potato
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 lb lentils
Salt & pepper
1 tsp vinegar
1 lb pasta of choice *optional*

Directions:
1. In a large pot, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add diced onion, carrots, celery and stir for 7 minutes. 
   

2. Add garlic, bacon, potato, and herbs. Mix to coat.
 

 

3. Add lentils, tomatoes, 28 oz of water, and chicken stock.

4. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

5. Add a quick splash of vinegar, salt & pepper and serve warm!

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healthy granola bars

Granola bars may seem like the healthy option for breakfasts and snacks, but they are usually sugar-laden and can be filled with random substitutions. Homemade snacks are under your control, you can tweak to be whatever you want and you actually know what's going into them (these are around 215 calories each, 9% of healthy fat intake, with some bonus protein and fiber thrown in). Granola bars in particular can be whipped up and scarfed down within 45 minutes. Just a warning: I prefer my granola bars denser and crisper than large chunky chewy bars...so if you're a chewy person, sit this one out!

Ingredients (for 10 hunky bars):
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup steel cut oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried currants
1 egg white
1 tbs honey
2 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs peanut butter
pinch of cinnamon
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fat-free milk
*option to add 1 mushed banana or 1 tbs unsweetened coconut flakes for flavor bonus*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oats, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and currants in a large bowl. Stir to mix.
 

2. In a small bowl whisk together the egg white, honey, chia seeds, peanut butter, a pinch of cinnamon, cocoa powder, canola oil, and milk.

 

3. Make a hole in the dry mix...
 

4. Pour wet mixture into the hole of the dry ingredients.
 

 

5. Mix with hands and fully get in there, getting every nook and cranny of your hands and fingers stuck with goop.

6. Scoop out onto greased baking sheet, place wax paper over mixture and press down to evenly smush.
 

 

7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned and crisped at the edges.
 

8. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into bars.
 

 

Store in air-tight container for up to a week!

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lasagna soup

This soup will confuse you for days...looking just like any other normal tomato-based soup this one actually tastes exactly like LASAGNA! What?! Truth. Try it, you'll see.

Ingredients (for 6 servings based on this recipe):
4 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb spicy chicken sausage
3 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 tsp tomato paste
1 28oz can diced tomatoes with garlic
1 14.5oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 lb fusilli pasta
2 tbs chopped fresh basil
Salt & pepper to taste
8 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sausages. Stir and cook until browned, about 8 minutes, chopping sausage with the spoon as they soften.
 

2. Add minced garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat, cook another 2 minutes.

 

 

3. Add tomato paste and stir to thoroughly coat. Cook for another 4 minutes.

4. Add diced & crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, chicken stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.

 

5.  After the 30 minutes, mash sausage with a potato masher while separately cooking the pasta.

6. Add cooked pasta to the soup along with chopped basil, salt & pepper.

7. Add half of the shredded cheeses to the pot, turn off heat and stir. Disperse remainder of cheeses to individuals bowls. Ladle and serve

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