Wednesday night, two friends, my husband, and I attended the San Diego Magazine Best Restaurants Kick-Off Party at Fixtures Living off of Miramar Road (
http://www.fixturesliving.com/
).  I bought a ticket for $40 which included this party and the big blow-out party on August 23rd in Point Loma.  One year, a bunch of my friends and I attend the Point Loma event and we had a great time sampling food and drinks from a slew of places.  I wasn’t even aware of the pre-party!  Big mistake!  Initially, I was weary of the venue.  For those not familiar with the area known as Carroll Canyon Business Park, it looks as exciting as its name.  Fixtures Living will open at the UTC mall down the road in the Fall which will make it more convenient to stop in and browse.  It ended up being the perfect location.  I had never been in this store before.  It is expansive, and it has room after room of high-end items for the kitchen.   It was so fun eating and drinking in staged kitchens with ranges that cost $50,000!  “Oh, this old La Cornue Grand Palais 180? Who doesn’t have one in their kitchen?”  That is a sentence I did not hear once during the evening.

There were only a couple of food stations that I missed.  I was really bummed, but at one point, I could no longer eat anymore.  The highlight of the night was Azucar.  Go to the website if only for the music:
http://www.iloveazucar.com/
 I find it very interesting that a Cuban Patisserie is in O.B.  I walked into this place some time ago, and, sadly, I never ordered anything.  I am a silly woman.  The desserts they served were fantastic.  If I were alone, the Turron de Havana would have made me weep, but I had to control myself.  However, I did not control how many I had. Three.  Don’t judge me.  The bottom layer is a hazelnut praline crunch.  Is that enough?  It could be, but these baking Gods top that with ooey, gooey caramel, topped again with dark chocolate mousse, and topped again with ganache.  It was heavenly.  My husband loved the Salted Toffee Oatmeal Cookie.  They reminded him of the style of cookies I like to make – on the thinner side, but full of flavor.  The third dessert was a little shot glass with a burst of flavor: white chocolate cake, passion fruit curd, and a pistachio macaron.  I would like to sincerely apologize to this restaurant for not eating your food as often as possible.  I will make it up to you.  There is a small breakfast and lunch menu, so I will have to check that out now.

In my opinion, the best named vendor goes to BadunkaChunk Cookies (
http://badunkachunk.com/
).  The name fits the cookie.  They are huge and delicious.  When Missy Elliott sings about her badonkadonk, she might be singing about these cookies, or how the cookies created the badonkadonk in the first place.  You can order cookies over the phone, or you can find them at Rubicon (
http://therubicondeli.com/
) or at MadFix Coffee Cart in Downtown San Diego on C Street between 6th and 7th (
http://www.madfixcoffee.com/default.html
).

Oh Boy!

Another big taste winner for me was Green Acre, a restaurant created by the very popular Brian Malarkey and James Brennan.  It’s in Sorrento Valley which is kind of random, unless you  work here:
http://www.sp-land.com/nautilus.html
  It’s only open Monday through Friday, 7am until 3pm. ( 
http://www.greenacresd.com/
).  This is possibly a prototype for future work campuses – healthy, delicious, and interesting meals created not for the shopaholics, but for those slaving away in office buildings.  I remember having to choose between Wendy’s and Subway.  Not fair!!  A Beet.L.T was served, and the best part, other than the fact that I love beets, was the Smoked Cheddar on it.  It was prepared like a tuile, so it was super light in weight, but it packed a major cheese punch.  Sadly, this was the first bite I had, and I completely forgot to take a picture.  Oops.

Stella Artois and Miramonte Winery (
http://www.miramontewinery.com/
) supplied the beverages for the evening, and they were gratefully appreciated.  The Sangiovese went so well with my bag of dark chocolate covered nuts, compliments of Marina Kitchen, located inside the San Diego Marriott Marquis.

Franz making sure the pouring is done right.  And I’m pretty sure the guy serving the beer was 13. Yep, I’m old.

Hard at Work!

Another restaurant that made me really happy?  And now I must go to their location in La Jolla? Puesto! I had read about this place, and then I never got around to checking it out (
http://www.eatpuesto.com/
).  The chefs made each taco to order.  The tortillas were made on site, too.  God bless them.  They served 2 tacos: Chicken al Pastor (and I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the pineapple in it. It made it very special.) and Potato Soy Chorizo.  I loved that they placed the cheese on the hot griddle which basically made a cheese “tortilla” which held the filling together, and that was placed in the tortilla.  They had a couple different sauces to top it off, and sliced some fresh avocado to top the little devils.  It was sweet, spicy, and fresh.  I loved it!

Few Things In The World Are Better Than Hand Made Tortillas. She Is Doing God’s Work!

Puesto Doesn’t Mess Around

Truly Tasty!

Royal India won my category of Best Schmoozing Effort (
https://royalindia.com/
) .  My husband and I got cards to return to their Downtown restaurant for free meals with a purchase of a bottle of wine.  If you read my previous post, you know I love Indian food.  I requested both condiments that were being offered, just to get a taste of everything they offer!  One was sweet and one was spicy, and I loved both!  I will be heading to their restaurant to try their Saag, my favorite dish of all time!

I will see you soon! Get the Paneer Saag ready!

I don’t want to go on too long about this event.  I’ve probably already lost a few people along the way!  I will say that I was really impressed with all of the participants, the venue, and the people from San Diego Magazine.  I met the Editor, Erin Chambers Smith, at the Puesto table.  She was so nice, and it was great seeing people in the publishing and food industry enjoying mingling and eating.

Sorry my fork was in the way of this delicious squid ink pasta from Bencotto. It was tough juggling food, wine and camera phone!

The ribs were a little sweeter than I prefer from Brooklyn Girl, but I’ve been to this restaurant before and I loved it! Eat at the bar! Great people watching!

I wanted cheese. I got cheese. Thanks, Monello!

One of the few stations I didn’t get a chance to try. I know. I’m horrible. Everyone was raving about this dish from Roppongi.

How cool is this martini sink? It even has an olive on the handle! You can buy it!

I had Rubicon Deli the other week and fell in love with them. I was happy to see them at this event!

I’m not a fan of the half bacon and half beef burgers at Slater’s 50/50, but I do like their “normal” all beef burgers. I love their Peanut Butter and Jellousy Burger!

I highly recommend attending this event next year.  It sells out fast, so keep a look out for it, and buy your tickets!  And you can still enjoy all of the great restaurants in San Diego in one spot!  The Best of San Diego Party takes place August 23rd at Liberty Station in Point Loma.  Get your tickets!  Here’s the link with all of the information you will need:
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/January-2013/Best-of-San-Diego-Party/
.  Take a look at the San Diego Magazine’s Best Restaurant edition as well.  Let me know if there’s a place you love that should be on their list!  I would love to check it out! Oh, and by the way, Pizzeria Luigi’s rules.

What a great evening! And I forgot to mention Cucina Urbana had some killer pizza coming out of their stone oven. Very appreciated!

My partners in (food) crime – Pete and Marilen.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

If I had to rank my favorite cuisines, Indian would be in my top 3. There’s something so comforting about it. I love the smell of the spices, and the heat of the food combined with lighter components like coconut and cucumber just scratches me where I itch, to quote Kramer.

We decided to have lunch at Surati Farsan Mart which opened in 1986. I was overwhelmed when I looked at the menu. Take a look at their website and you will understand. My friend, Christin, advised that I order Dosa. I had never had one before, so I was excited to try something new. It’s a thin rice crepe that is somewhat crispy. There are a few filling options, so I opted to copy Christin and I ordered the Mysore Masala Dosa. It is stuffed with vegetables that have a little kick that is tamed by the coconut chutney that is served under the Dosa. When you lift it up, you will find the chutney and your silverware. On the side, a delicious vegetable soup is served which can be poured over the crepe, but I opted to dip my Dosa into it. If you have any soup left over, take it with you and pour it over some rice for another great meal at home. We easily could have split one between us, but I didn’t realize just how filling one would be. We ordered an appetizer, Chole Samosa, that was so full of flavor. If you haven’t had a Samosa before, just go here and order any one listed on the menu. You will love it! Just don’t be like Michael Scott from The Office and confuse Samosas with S’mores.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Chole Samosa

The one we ordered was topped with a sauce containing chickpeas and onions. The flavors were so fresh and bold. If you want a meal that will wake up your mouth, this is it.

Coconut Chutney – SOOOOO Good!

I must say that I am so disappointed with myself. I feel like I’m an adventurous person food wise . I must note that in any other aspect, I am not adventurous. I did a zip line over Fremont Street in Las Vegas, and I thought I was Evel Knievel. Anyway, I’ve never ordered an Indian dessert. I never liked the look of them. Again, I’m so mad that I acted that way. Christin ordered a few desserts to take home to her husband, so she let me taste a couple. My hesitation with Indian desserts was that they look super sweet, like baklava. (And I like baklava, it’s just not a favorite of mine.) First, she had me try Jalebi. The orange color was what discouraged me from trying this item. It is coated in honey, which was another deterrent for me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t super sweet. It feels like you are holding fried air, if one could deep fry air. What a wonderful place that would be!

Genius Jalebi

The next dessert my friend introduced me to, which in the past I always passed right by because of the look of it, was Barfi. It had just a hint of sweet from the condensed milk and sugar. It had some crushed cardamom on top that gave the dessert some complexity. I loved it! I bought a box of assorted desserts to share with my husband, and he thought Barfi tasted somewhat similar to cheesecake, possibly a Ricotta Cheesecake because it isn’t creamy at all. I could eat this all day long!
The Chocolate Rose Coconut Roll was my favorite. I loved the color, and Franz loved that they tasted like one of his great loves: Strawberry Zinger.

Chocolate Rose Coconut Rolls

Barfi and Rose Kaju Anjir Barfi

The only treat Franz and I did not enjoy was Kaju Badam Roll. Unfortunately, the appearance reminded us of a dog treat. But that wasn’t what we disliked; it was the flavor. It is a cashew roll with an almond filling, but for some reason it had a smoky flavor which reinforced the dog treat idea. It is just not for me. I was happy I tried it though!

Kaju Badam Roll in Foreground and Rose Anjir Barfi Behind on the Right

Chocolate Badam Barfi was just in the middle of the road for me. It was an almond square layered with chocolate and almond slivers. There was nothing wrong with it, I just preferred some of the other desserts more.

Box of Goodies with Chocolate Badam Barfi on Top Near the back

The most interesting dessert was Rose Kaju Anjir Barfi. It is similar to a cookie, and it is cut into quarters. You can opt to order just a quarter which would be one bite for most people. It has a fig, cashew and almond filling. Apparently nut allergies are not a problem in India. It is flavored with rose-water, and I am usually not a fan. However, the rose-water was very subtle and it went really well with the other flavors. What I particularly enjoyed was the silver coating. It flaked away so that the bright red of the cookie shows through. I thought it was gorgeous, and I thought it was cool that it was safe to eat! If you go to the store’s website, you can order any of these desserts and have them shipped.
Visiting Surati Farsan reminded me to be open-minded. Sadly, I thought I was! I love when something surprises me!

If you are in the mood to cook an Indian meal at your house, and you are not close to a Little India where you can buy spices, another option is Penzeys Spices ( http://www.penzeys.com/). There’s one in my neighborhood of Hillcrest, but they are located throughout the country (
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/penzeysstores.html
). The first one I visited was in Cleveland, Ohio near the West Side Market.  I love visiting this store because they have sample containers around the store so you can smell each herb and spice. See how long it takes before you sneeze. And if you prefer someone else creating a certain blend for you, they sell that as well. For example, they sell Old World Seasoning which could be compared to Lawry’s. Take a look at their online catalogue or, if you are lucky enough to have a store near you, stop in. The people who work there are always happy to help.

I Love This Section of the Store!

They have cute gift packages for special occasions, like a wedding or house-warming party. If you go, let me know what cool stuff you found!

It’s Fun To Compare!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Check out this classic 1980s video.  Aahhh, good memories! Is he wearing lip gloss?

Thinking about Adam Ant made me think about the 80s and all of the stuff I loved back then. For some reason the movie Three Men and a Baby (1987) came to mind. I started thinking about how if three grown men couldn’t take care of baby, that would be really sad. That led me to think that I shouldn’t just write a review today, I should include a recipe. If it took three men to take care of a baby for a month (or however long they had the kid), I could write a review and a recipe in one post. Yep, all of this from seeing an ad for Adam Ant’s concert.

My husband and I checked out Project Pie in Hillcrest this past Sunday. Unfortunately, most of our families are in Cleveland, Ohio, so we were on our own for Mother’s Day. We walked in, and we immediately greeted by the pizza makers. There is a list of pies and a description of each when you enter. It’s kind of cafeteria style. You pick a pie, tell the first person which number you want, move down a bit, tell the next person which additional, and free of charge, toppings you would like. They get your name and the pizza details, and the next person writes it on parchment, and the pie is placed into a big pizza oven. I ordered the #2: Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Crumbled Meatballs, Mozzarella and their Signature Red Sauce. I added Ricotta and Artichoke Hearts, but I wasn’t paying attention and the guy didn’t hear me, so I didn’t get the artichokes I requested. Next time I will speak up and watch which topping are on it before it goes into the oven! Franz went with another option and got a ton of extra toppings. Both pizzas were great. What I love about this place is that everyone gets their own pie. No arguments because one person in the group always wants pineapple on the pizza. You know who you are! Also, they offer a gluten-free crust, and I heard from a friend that it was super tasty. The red sauce was really fresh, and the toppings were flavorful.  The crust was perfect as well.  Great taste and I loved that it wasn’t too thin but not too thick either.  My only tiny complaint was that the center of the pie could have been hotter. It was fine, but I like it a little on the well done side. Oh, I almost forgot, you can order a Nutella and Banana pie. Don’t think I haven’t stopped thinking about that bad boy since Sunday! Currently there are only 2 locations: San Diego and Las Vegas (at The MGM), but Project Pies will be opening soon in Atlanta, NYC, Boulder, D.C., and the Philippines.

Pizza Pies are Being Made to Order!

Franz’s Choice: #6 With A Bunch of Tasty and Free Toppings!

My Creation – And I Requested Extra Sauce on Top. YUM!

I promised a recipe, too! This is the kind of recipe that would work after a pizza dinner because it is sweet and light in texture.

The recipe, Angel’s Kiss Baci Cupcakes, from Baci was created by Lidia Bastianich. Who doesn’t love Baci??  If you never had one, finish reading this post, and immediately get your booty to a grocery store and buy some.  They seem to be carried everywhere nowadays.  Thank god!

With the first batch, the batter never got stiff and glossy.  I baked them anyway, and they turned out perfect.  With the second batch, the batter was as it should have been – stiff and glossy.  However, the cupcakes baked horribly.  The tops were uneven and shrunken.  The next time I make these, I will stop before the batter gets stiff and glossy.

Angel’s Kiss Baci Cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 Baci, finely chopped

Glaze

• 4 ounces dark chocolate bars, finely chopped (I went with the recipe recommendation and used Perugina Dark Chocolate Classic Bars)
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur (optional)
• 4 Baci, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to form soft peaks.  With the mixer at medium speed, gradually add the sugar.  Beat at high-speed to stiff, glossy peaks. (**As I noted above, when I achieved the stiff, glossy peaks, the cupcakes did not seem to turn out for me.  You can try either way, but I will stick with keeping the batter at the soft peak stage.  Let me know if you make this recipe, or have made this in the past, and tell me what you did and how it turned out.  Thanks!!) Lower the speed and mix in the vanilla.  Fold in the flour mixture in 3 additions, taking care to deflate the batter as little as possible.  Quickly fold in the chopped Baci.  Divide the batter among the cupcake pan and smooth the tops.
4. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. (**I never wait for the toothpick to come out clean. The cupcake  will continue cooking for a brief period after it is removed from the oven, so I always remove cupcakes when some crumbs are still attached to the toothpick. If you do this, check the cupcakes after 10 to 12 minutes.) Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the tin to cool completely
5. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the glaze.  Put the chopped chocolate in to a small bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate, shaking the bowl to submerge the chocolate.  Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.  Stir in hazelnut liqueur, if using.
6. Spoon the glaze on the cupcakes and smooth to the edges.  Sprinkle with the chopped Baci.  Refrigerate until the glaze is set.  Serves 12

So take that Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson! Try doing that!

Take Tubular Care, Totally Happy Eating, and Don’t Gag Me With A Spoon!

This year I opted to make Chocolate-Banana Whoopie Pies. Choosing what to make is a daunting challenge. I wanted to make something that would appeal to the most people, and something that can be consumed on the spot or in a couple of hours. Chocolate is always a big hit, and once I saw a preliminary menu of what other bakers were planning to bring, I made the decision to make Whoopie Pies. Sadly, I’d never made them before. I looked over various recipes, and decided upon one from Good Housekeeping, February 2012.

Here’s the recipe (any changes are noted with **):

Chocolate-Banana Whoopie Pies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg

(** The recipe states to fill the sandwiches with marshmallow crème.  You could do that, but that didn’t sound exciting to me.  I found a recipe that I liked better which is below.  Also, I made another batch of these that I didn’t sell.  I added cinnamon to the batter, and I wish I had done that to the bake sale batches.  I love cinnamon!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  From bananas, mash enough for 1/2 cup; finely chop remaining, and reserve.  (**I mashed 1 banana, and I chopped 1 to add to the filling.)  In another medium bowl, mix mashed banana, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until well combined.  Beat in egg until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until batter is smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. (**Don’t over mix! That’s probably the biggest mistake when baking.)
4. Drop 1 rounded measuring teaspoon batter onto prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing 2 inches apart.  With wet fingertips, flatten tops of balls to form rounds. (**I tried making rounds with a 1/4 measuring cup, and I baked for about 10 minutes.  I got about 7.5 cookies (sandwiches) out of it.  They were really large, especially when you consider it is 2 cookies and filling.  It made my belly kind of hurt after eating one.  The next batch I used a tablespoon of batter, and I cooked them for about 8 minutes.  I was able to get 15 sandwiches out of the batter.  It was a much more reasonable size, and it is that size I sold at the bake sale.)

Banana Crème Filling

• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening (**I used Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening Non-hydrogenated.)
• 1.5 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow crème
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 chopped banana

1. Whip first 4 ingredients together.  Fold chopped banana into filling. Fill sandwiches with as little or as much as you like, or just eat by the spoonful.  It’s all good.  I preferred the pies after they had been refrigerated.  In general, I would suggest to keep the pies refrigerated.

On another note, it was my brother’s birthday on Monday.  Brian turned 50 on Monday.  A HUGE “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!’ goes out to him.  Even though a few miles are between us, I’m thinking of you!!  I hope this is a great year for you, Brian.  The photo below is from my dad’s 80th birthday last year.  I picked the photo below for 2 reasons: 1) Brian was looking quite dapper and 2) for all of the special people present in the photo.  The best birthday wish is to be surrounded by people you love.

Take Care and Happy Eating (and Please Consider Making a Donation)!

I participated in the San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale last year for the first time.  It was a truly professional bake sale organized by an amazing blogger (and person – yep, she’s real), Marie of Meandering Eats (
http://www.meanderingeats.com/
).  Once again, Marie has organized another awesome event.  However, she will be off to Medical School soon, so wish her good luck when you see her Saturday!  If you haven’t gone in the past, let me explain that you are getting yourself into a situation.  The desserts look great, the labeling and packaging are so cute, and there are samples just to make sure it tastes as good as it looks (and it does!).  The problem will be that you will want to buy a lot of stuff, maybe even buy some things to eat before you leave the parking lot, and maybe you’ll buy some things to take into the office to share with those silly people who missed it!  It’s alright because the money goes to Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry (
http://www.nokidhungry.org/
).  This is a national bake sale, as well, so help us beat other cities!  Take that, Pittsburgh!  Just kidding. Or am I???

The bake sale takes place this Saturday, May 4th, at Great News! Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach (
http://www.great-news.com/
) from 10am-2pm.  The people at Great News! have been awesome supporters of this bake sale, so a huge “THANK YOU, GREAT NEWS!” goes out to them .  If you haven’t had the opportunity to investigate the store before, this will be a great time to do so!  Make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you can get additional discounts every so often!  And there is a Starbucks super close, so go ahead and make a day of it!  Finish it off by driving down to the beach with the family afterwards.  Seriously, can a Saturday get any better?

If you can’t make it, there are other opportunities to get involved.  Simply go to:
http://sdbloggersbake.wordpress.com/
  There you can enter raffles, donate money, see a tentative menu, and read more about some of the individual bakers who will be offering their goods.

This is such a fun event!  Please pass this information around to friends, family and co-workers.  In 2011, $1750 was raised, in 2012 we raised $3151, and we are hoping to surpass our goal of $3000 this year.  I’m not suggesting we are a competitive bunch of bloggers, but come on!  We want to raise the most money for this organization out of the entire country!  Again, no competitive bone in our bodies.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Top Ten Reasons to Eat Kale

1. It goes with anything! Just Google recipes for kale, and you will find a combination you like.  Say you don’t eat veggies often (a la Ron Swanson), add some quinoa and some grilled chicken.  You prefer sweet entrees?  Make a nice vinaigrette, add some strawberries, maybe throw in some sautéed shrimp, and dinner is served.
2.  It is super filling. It’s like eating a bowl of rice.  It seems to really expand, and yet I’ve never felt uncomfortably full.
3. Talk about healthy!? It’s one of the healthiest foods on the planet! It has a ton of fiber, calcium, vitamin B6, A and K, magnesium, etc., etc.  However, I have read that too much kale may interact with some medications and can interfere with the absorption of calcium, so have that milkshake from Jack in the Box another time, and speak with your doctor about drug interactions. I even think you get health benefits for just reading about it!  So well done.  You’ve just increased your magnesium!
4. You can eat kale, and then feel ok about that Jack in the Box milkshake you will gulp down later!
5. It’s really tasty, and you feel good eating it.  You know when you donate to a worthy cause or finish a charity run?  That’s how I feel after eating a bowl of kale.
6. It doesn’t have to be 100% healthy.  Go ahead, throw a pork belly on it.  It won’t judge you.
7. You can bake them and eat them like potato chips! Or you can have someone else do the work for you.  Thanks, Trader Joe’s!
8. I think it keeps one regular.  Just being honest.
9. You can try growing it and talk about it at farmers’ markets so you sound really cool.
10. It’s so pretty!  You can use it in a floral or table arrangement!

I had lunch the other weekend at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas.  My husband had a delicious steak, and I thought it was very reasonably priced for Vegas.  I ordered the Frisee, Kale, and Warm Bacon Salad with a Soft Poached Egg. Divine.  Again, it doesn’t always have to be healthy!  However, I’m in love with a recipe that doesn’t clog the arteries.  I discovered this recipe in Good Housekeeping (April 2013).  It’s a Dr. Oz recipe (and I now love him because through his show I discovered the cleanse I did last month), and I think it’s a great one for people who already love kale and for those who are not so sure about it.  Another option with this recipe is to blanch the kale first or add the quinoa hot if you are not crazy about eating kale raw.  I’ve read that it is even healthier to eat kale cooked.  You have so many options with this simple recipe!

Apple and Baby Kale Salad

• 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (*see note below)
• 1 lemon
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil just because I like to mix it up every so often.)
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 6 cups mixed baby kale (Or use any kind of kale you like.  I like them all!)

Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package; let cool.  (I didn’t let it cool that much.  I just threw it in.)

Whisk together mustard, oil, lemon juice, green onion, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add apple, kale, and cooked quinoa; toss to combine. And, of course, it’s great topped with sriracha.  Like I even need to mention that (insert eyes rolling).

Why do I love this particular recipe?  First of all, I love the unexpected sweetness of the Granny Smith apples. Second, if you (or someone you know) think you might not like kale, it’s a great introduction.  You could add more quinoa and not use as much kale.  **You could replace the quinoa for something all together – you could add orzo!  Why not?  It would be like a pasta salad with some kale.  Maybe throw in some blue cheese?  OK, I’m just getting hungry now.

Even if kale has jumped the shark, I’m not letting this trend go anytime soon!  What’s your favorite food trend?  I’d love to hear about it! And if you head to Vegas anytime soon, check out Mon Ami Gabi.  There’s a patio (no reservations accepted for that area) that is on the strip.  Talk about a great day:  A bottle of wine, steak, kale and watching the lovely people of Vegas walk by!  What could be better?

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Two very cool things happened this week.  First, I finally have a new computer!  Woohoo! Thanks, Costco!  Now I can finally post to my blog and read other people’s'!  I’m old-fashioned.  I really don’t like reading very much on my phone.  (I need to get used to Windows 8, too.) The other bit of news is that I finished the 30 day Clean Cleanse – without cheating!  I began this cleanse as a test.  I wanted to see how I would feel after giving up processed foods, dairy, alcohol, etc. I’m so happy I did.  Here’s a list of why I loved this cleanse:

1. My mind seems a little sharper.
2.  My mood is much brighter. But like I told my husband, this cleanse will not change your personality.  Sometimes (and only sometimes) I can be a bit annoying.  A cleanse is not a cure-all.  Sorry.
3. I have more energy.  For some reason, I had zero energy on Saturday.  I have no idea why, but I just felt exhausted.  I went for a run with Franz, and I could hardly run a  block.  Again, this cleanse will not make you perfect.
4. It was fun going out with friends and not thinking about food and drinks.  Sounds crazy, right?  I feel like I take forever studying menus, taking pictures of my food, thinking about what I could write later, etc.  This month felt like a break.  I went to Alpine Beer Company with a group of people, and it was nice just sitting outside and hanging out.  Hopefully I’ll go back for their beer and food another time.  It looked and smelled amazing.  Check out the menu: https://alpinebeerco.wordpress.com/pub-info/pub-menu/
5. I love that I lost a few pounds – 12 in total.
6.  I had my blood pressure taken Monday, and the nurse commented that I must have been very calm.  I’ve never had a problem with my blood pressure, but it was really good!

I’ve got a feeling, and it’s all good!

I must mention that I am so impressed with 3 places that enabled me to stick to the cleanse when I wasn’t home.  I went to Mammoth for a ski weekend (about 6 or so hours from San Diego), and I had a blast.  After skiing one day, we went to the food court at Canyon Lodge.  I was expecting not to have too many options.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The woman in charge of the salad bar made me an amazing kale salad with roasted red beets, grilled chicken, and a ton of excellent fresh veggies.  I just pointed and she piled it into a large silver bowl.  She could tell I was hesitant about the dressings available, so she pointed out the vinegar and oil to me, I added them to the bowl, she tossed away, and lunch was served!  Two other restaurants that impressed me were Point Loma Seafoods and Pita Jungle in Hillcrest.  Fresh grilled fish with a gorgeous view of Point Loma Marina and downtown San Diego is a great way to stick to a cleanse.  Pita Jungle has awesome hummus (which is allowed on the cleanse) and a salmon dish that is truly filling and only $12.99.  I went to C-Level and had a meager salmon dish for $30.  It was tasty and fresh, and you can’t ask for a better view of San Diego, but this meal did not satisfy my hunger.  It’s a cleanse, not Hunger Games! Thirty days went by relatively fast.  I plan on sticking with a few things that I’ve done over the past month.

1. I didn’t eat a whole bunch of processed foods before, but I will further decrease my consumption.  For example, no more Lean Cuisine and I will greatly cutback on cereal.  I plan on treating cereal as a dessert as opposed to breakfast.
2. I will continue making smoothies for breakfast.  They really give me the energy I need, and it keeps me full until lunch and beyond, if necessary.
3. I’m obsessed with cooking with coconut oil.  I love the flavor it imparts.  Seriously, give it a try, if you haven’t already.
4. I will continue snacking on kale chips, almonds, dried kimchi (Trader Joe’s has made me an addict), unsweetened coconut flakes, hummus and almond butter.  All of these things give me energy as opposed to a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate which just makes me want to eat 4 more squares.

The last comment I will make regarding the cleanse is one that may need to be addressed.  A couple of people have asked, so I’m assuming more people out there might have the same question.  It’s a question concerning bowels.  Yep, you might wonder about this aspect of a cleanse.  I will be straight with you.  I’ve never had a problem in that department.  If you do have difficulties, and you start a cleanse, I would guess you may notice a big change.  For me, I noticed that I would go more often throughout the day – usually after a meal or even a snack.  However, it was never a problem.  Depending on your body, you may or may not need this product:

Some of you have mentioned that you are on a cleanse or thinking about starting.  Let me know how it’s going!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Getting into the St. Patrick’s Day mood with my morning shake!

4) I always love having a huge brunch on Easter Sunday.  4) A good part of the day is spent reading about things like Croissant Bread Pudding.  Hey, thanks a lot, Seaside Baker – Musings of a Mompreneur!

Seriously, check it out: http://theseasidebaker.com/2013/03/13/croissant-bread-pudding/

I mean come on!!!  The truth is that there is never a good time to start this kind of thing.  Something will always pop up.  Also, I have to remember why I decided to do it in the first place.  I’ve been really down, and I wanted to see if all the hype over cleanses had some merit, and I wanted to see if I felt any improvements in my mood.  Other than the first couple of days when I had a headache, it has been relatively simple.  I do have to plan ahead for lunch.  I never want to be in the position where I’m hungry after a workout and decide to grab a foot long sub.  That does sound good though.  On two occasions, I was in a little bind.  This past Sunday, I realized we were out of leftovers from previous meals I made, and there’s no way on God’s green Earth (that’s an expression, right?) I’m going to a supermarket on a Sunday afternoon/evening.  I had some kale, a red pepper, and chicken breasts in the refrigerator.  I seared the chicken with some paprika, and it was served with an impromptu Kale Salad (I chopped some kale, whisked some lemon juice, a small touch of extra virgin olive oil, and red pepper flakes together, added some pine nuts and chopped red pepper.) Voila, dinner was served.  And then on Monday, I didn’t have leftovers from Sunday, and I didn’t have time to make lunch earlier in the day.  I had some hummus and a green pepper which was enough to hold me off until dinner.  I wouldn’t recommend eating so little, but stuff happens.

No more srirach for the rest of the cleanse!

I don’t know if it’s in my head, but I do feel like I have more energy.  The biggest difference is that I’m not constantly thinking about running into the kitchen for a piece of chocolate or a bowl of cereal.  In fact, I really haven’t had any cravings.  I did pass a Starbuck’s yesterday inside Target.  As I walked by, the overwhelming smell of mochas, lattes and cappuccinos wafted over me.  I will honestly say that I just purely enjoyed the smell.  Would I have noticed it to the degree I had if I hadn’t stopped drinking coffee 11 days ago?  I don’t think so.  Last night I did get a little hungry.  I opted for some unsweetened coconut flakes and some roasted pumpkin seeds.

The house menu for the week is: Sexy Cilantro Shake, Peach Apple Cobbler Shake, Millet Risotto with Artichoke Hearts, Acorn Squash with Wild Rice, Tuna Salad with Mixed Greens, Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce, and Clean Salmon Nicoise.  One day I did the Cilantro Shake with fresh papaya and another day without (my papaya wasn’t ripe enough).  I loved it with the papaya.  With the fruit, I added a tablespoon of Flax Seed Oil and some chopped walnuts.  It has been one of my favorites so far. You can’t have peanuts on this cleanse, but many other nuts seem fair game.  I’ve also been adding cinnamon to all of my shakes.  Why not?  It’s tasty and so healthy.

I would highly recommend the Millet Risotto because it was delicious and hearty.  The Salmon Nicoise is a fantastic meal because it is super quick and easy.  I blanched the green beans for a minute or two, just enough to bring out their color, before plunging them into an ice bath.  I prefer my veggies crunchy.

Millet Risotto was killer!

Just had to add a photo of the BEST shake cup ever!

Not a great photo. I was very hungry that day!

I was very surprised by the tuna salad.  I’m a huge fan, so I was a little skeptical of the recipe.

1. 1 can tuna fish
2. 1/2 red onion, peeled and diced (**I just added an amount I felt was enough.)
3. 2 celery stalks, sliced into 1/4 inch crescents (**I added a half of a stalk and had the leftover stalks on the side.)
4. 1/4 cup capers (**Again, I just eyeballed this amount and put in what I liked.)
5. 2 heaping tbsp dijon mustard (I did about 1 tbsp.)
6. 1 heaping tbsp miso
7. 1/4 cup almond milk (maybe a little less, depending on the consistency you want) (**I did less.)
8. Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
9. A handful of fresh dill (or a tablespoon of dried dill)
10. Butter lettuce leaves

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-combined. Keep in the fridge, covered, until ready to serve. Serve in lettuce leaves. (**I squirted a Meyer lemon over the salad.)

Refreshing tuna salad with my lemons from my tree.

If your tuna is heavy on the mayo, give this a try.  I was surprised at how much I liked it. It was light and refreshing, and the miso gave it something I’ve never had before in a tuna salad.  I’ll make this one again.

Since I’ve started, I went out to eat twice.  I was a little nervous because I really have been trying to adhere to the rules.  One lunch outing was at Pita Jungle in Hillcrest.  I ordered the Wood-Fired Salmon Salad, and I skipped the dressing.  In lieu of the dressing, I squirted lemon juice over the salad.  I added some sriracha, but I now realize that there’s sugar in it, so I’m refraining from that as well now.  That is a tough one!!!  My friend ordered the Chipotle Black Bean Burger. I’ve had that before, and I loved it.  Pita Jungle is such a great spot.  If you haven’t been there, check it out.  They have a Garlic Dip to die for!!! You might kill someone later with your breath, but oh well.  The food is very fresh, it’s always delicious, and the staff is really friendly.

Pita Jungle’s Wood-Fired Salmon Salad

Chipotle Black Bean Burger at Pita Jungle

My second meal (lunch) out was Point Loma Seafood.  You can order some of the freshest fish and bring your tray upstairs to large open air deck with great views of the Point Loma Marina and downtown San Diego.  Franz opted for sushi, and he couldn’t stop raving about the California Rolls.  He ordered it because he couldn’t recall ever having it with real crab.  He told me the Spicy Tuna Rolls were great, too.  I had to take his word.  It was a bummer not being able to try some, but I’ll be back.  I’ll be back.  My Grilled Ono on a bed of greens was just what I needed.  I like Ono because it is a little heartier, like a cross between halibut and swordfish.  Every single person around me had a fried fish sandwich with fries.  I’m not kidding.  It looked really good.  One child had a Happy Meal from McDonald’s.  Ugh.  I was perfectly happy with my yummy fresh tasting Ono.  Once again, I asked them to hold the dressing, and I grabbed some lemon wedges to use as the dressing.

Not a bad way to cleanse! Point Loma Seafood’s Grilled Ono

I’m not sure if my eyes are whiter or if my skin is more radiant (yet), but I like the way I feel.  I’m surprised that I’ve lost about 8 pounds.  So far, I’m happy I’m giving this a try and I’m looking forward to the next 19 days! Oh God, 19???  haha

All of the Clean Cleanse recipes by Dr. Junger can be found at http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/clean-program-30-day-meal-plan?fb_xd_fragment

If I could cleanse like this everyday, I’d be one very lucky lady! Great views from Point Loma Seafood.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

A couple of months ago, I saw a commercial for a Dr. Oz show about a 30 day cleanse.  I don’t believe in cleanses.  I think the body, if you have a proper diet, naturally cleanses itself.   Yeah liver!  The ad was intriguing to me due to the number of days.  I  watch Dr. Oz every so often and he doesn’t seem to push fad diets, so I was curious how someone could, in a healthy way, cleanse for a month.  The cleanse was created by Dr. Alejandro Junger, who attended medical school in Uruguay and completed 6 years of post-graduate training in NYC. His program removes certain things from one’s diet: dairy/eggs, gluten, processed sugar, soy, coffee/soda/alcohol, beef/pork, creamed vegetables, and peanuts.  By removing these items, Junger claims you remove the products that feed bad bacteria in the body.

Here is Dr. Junger explaining how the detoxification process works:

Click here: Dr. Junger Discusses Good and Bad Bacteria

Here are the 10 Detox foods recommended:

1) Green leafy and cruciferous vegetables (a.k.a. the gassy veggies)

2) Fish, cold water preferred

3) Chicken, free range preferred

4) Berries

5) Apple cider vinegar

6) Lemon water

7) Herbal teas

8) Unsweetened coconut milk

9) Coconut oil

10) Plant based protein powder

Of course he has a book, and he has a program (
http://www.cleanprogram.com/
) you can buy for a whopping $425 where you get nutritional pills, online support, shake packets, etc.  What interested me was the potential results: feeling better overall and more vibrant skin and hair.  He claims that in 1 month you can lose up to 10 pounds and even your eyes will be whiter!  I didn’t see any downside to his program.  You can eat as much as you want on the program as long as it’s on the “approved”  list.  Why not give it a try?  He has so many recipes listed on Dr. Oz’s site for each meal of the day.  Super easy.  I’m opting to forgo his $4oo+ system and do it on my own with his on-line suggestions and recipes.

My parents and brother were coming for a visit at the very end of February, so I decided I would eat out with them and go crazy for 3 days, and then on Monday, March 4^th, begin the 30 day cleanse.  I was very worried that going to places like Hodad’s (arguably the best hambugers in San Diego – not to mention amazing onion rings) and Extraordinary Desserts (hands down some of the best desserts you’ve ever had) would be hard.  Also, I was nervous that giving up simple things, like having a cup of coffee with a piece of toast in the morning, might foil my detox plans, but I was willing to give it a try!

Not on the Clean Cleanse – Cheesecake and Coffee at Extraordinary Desserts

The detox plan suggested on Dr. Oz’s site has a different meal for every single day.  I opted to pick a few recipes and make larger quantities, as opposed to making something different to eat every single time. Each week I will create a different set of meals.

Here was what I made for the first week:

Breakfasts: Switched between Berries and Green Shake and Favorite Green Shake

Lunch: Hummus Chicken with Brown Rice Pilaf (In addition, certain days I had leftovers from dinners I prepared.)

Dinners: Shepherd’s Pie, Quinoa Salad with Roasted Veggies, and Black Bean and Chipotle Bisque (and will make Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps for dinner tonight)

Snacks: Hummus with Veggies, Trader Joe’s Kale Chips, almonds, and Yerba Mate tea

The first 2-3 days were interesting.  I thought I would be craving certain things, but I barely had an appetite.  That’s very odd for me!  I would eat, but I was eating much smaller amounts than normal.  I’m not sure why.  Also, I had a slight headache during this period.  Dr. Junger suggests not to exercise for the first few days, and to slowly build up your exercise regimen.  Well, I had boot camp on the third day, and I didn’t want to miss it.  My head was pounding during that hour!

A lot of people are asking me how the cleanse is going.  So far I really like it.  I have lost 5 pounds since Monday, but I highly doubt that will continue.  What I like is that I’m not thinking about food all the time.  I think that’s why I wanted to take a break from writing as well.  Don’t get me wrong! I love eating food, thinking about food and cooking – I really felt like I needed a time out.  I can’t wait until April so I can go out and have a beer with my husband or a cocktail and dinner with friends.  Again, I never believed in cleanses or diets, but so far The Clean Cleanse has been very interesting.  I will continue, and I will keep all of you posted along the way.  If you are on Instagram or Facebook, you can follow my daily journey that way, too!

Below are the recipes I’ve made suggested by Dr. Junger and his crew.

Berries + Greens Shakes

1 cup frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 to 2 loosely-packed cups of spinach
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 heaping tbsp plant-based protein powder

Blend until smooth.

I’m Putting My Drinks in Different Glasses Every Morning to Spice It Up!

Favorite Green Shake

• 3 cups spinach
• 1 cup frozen blueberries (or raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, papaya, etc.)
• 1 tbsp flax oil
• 1 tbsp maca powder**
• 1 tbsp spirulina**
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 heaping tbsp plant-based protein powder**
• 2 dates or a few drops of stevia to taste (I didn’t have either on hand, so I skipped this ingredient.)

Blend until smooth. (**I couldn’t find these ingredients on their own, so I opted for a dietary supplement that combined the two with other ingredients.  I found Amazing Grass, Green Superfood, Raw Reserve at GNC. I use 1 Tablespoon in my shakes.)

Hummus Chicken Serves 2-3

• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (local and free-range)
• 2 lemons (1 sliced into rounds and 1 juiced) (**I just used the juice from the lemons, and did not slice into rounds to use as a topper.)
• 1/2 cup hummus (recipe below)
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs or 2 tablespoons dried
• Generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Hummus

• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat to 450°F. Blend all the hummus ingredients together in a food processor.

Place the chicken breasts in a small roasting pan, covering all exposed meat with the hummus (use a spoon or your hands, just make sure it’s layered quite thick, about 1/4”). Scrunch each lemon half in your hand and then loosely arrange them over the chicken with the rosemary sprigs, broken into smaller pieces. Serve with Brown Rice Pilaf**.  (**I bought Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Medley.  It’s a blend of Long Grain Brown Rice, Black Barley and Daikon Radish Seeds.  It’s delicious.)

Hummus Chicken

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wrap Serves 4

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 carrots, finely chopped or grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• 2 tbsp wheat-free Tamari
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar (******I haven’t found this ingredient anywhere!!  If you know where I can buy it, please let me know!!  Thanks!)
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1 head Boston, bibb lettuce or endive
• Chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, chopped

Melt coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add carrots and saute for several minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, turkey and Chinese 5 spice to the pan and saute until turkey is cooked through – about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add water chestnuts and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in tamari, vinegar and nectar. Cook for a couple more minutes, stirring well to thoroughly combine.

Put one scoop of turkey mixture into lettuce leaves. Top with green onions and cilantro.

Dr. Oz Shepherd’s Pie Serves 2 (****This was a favorite!  I served it to my family while they were visiting, and it got great lots of thumbs up!)

• 10 cups cauliflower florets, steamed soft
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unrefined virgin coconut oil, divided (more or less if needed)
• 2 cups roughly chopped broccoli florets
• 1 small bok choy, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 8 oz poached chicken, diced
• Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees. Purée the cauliflower, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a blender until very smooth. set aside. In a medium pan sauté the broccoli for 2 minutes in 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, until lightly browned and starting to soften a bit. Transfer to a bowl and cook the bok choy for 2 minutes, in the same pan, adding a little more of the coconut oil if necessary, until starting to brown. Transfer bok choy to the bowl with the broccoli. Add the diced chicken, 2 cups of cauliflower purée, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper and gently toss. Transfer mixture to a 4 cup baking dish, top with the remaining cauliflower purée and bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubble. If you like to brown the top a bit, broil for a few minutes after baking.

Shepherds Pie – Big Hit

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables Serves 1-2

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped (Oops, I didn’t add this.  Ran out of space on the baking sheet!)
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• Enough oil to lightly cover vegetables
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 small yellow (summer) squash, chopped
• juice of one fresh lemon

Roast chopped vegetables in the oven at 300°F until tender. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium pot and then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 10-12 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Toss everything together in a large serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh lemon juice and sea salt to taste.

Quinoa Salad With Roasted Veggies

Black Bean and Chipotle Bisque Serves 4 (**I LOVE this recipe.  Creamy and delicious!)

• 2 cups black beans, canned or dried (Note: If using non-canned beans, there is overnight soaking prep time. See directions below for both options)
• **I added a quart of Organic Chicken Stock instead of water to cook the beans.  I opted for canned beans to save time.)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped roughly
• 1 large carrot, chopped roughly
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (**I didn’t use this. I didn’t feel like it was necessary.)
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• A few tbsp (possibly up to 1/4 cup, depending on taste) apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 scallions, minced (for garnish)
• Small handful of cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Soaking Directions (if using non-canned beans)

To lessen the cooking time and to make the beans more digestable, it is ideal to soak the beans overnight in water with a strip of kelp. After about 8-12 hours, strain and rinse the beans. Drain well. If using canned beans, skip this step and proceed to cooking directions.

Cooking Directions

Make sure carrots and onions are chopped. In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and carrots for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and keep stirring frequently, until fragrant. Stir in the dried spices and beans, allowing everything to cook for a few more minutes, continuing to stir often. Before the beans start to dry out, add enough water to completely cover them, and allow the water to come to a boil (**Here is where I used chicken stock.  I used a quart.  If you want it thinner, just add more stock or water.). Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow beans to simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir every so often. After 30 minutes check the beans for doneness (should be very tender). If the liquid is getting very low and the beans are not yet tender, add a bit more water to the pot, and continue to cook until the beans are soft. When they’re done, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add the tender beans (and whatever water is left), a little at a time, into a blender with the lime juice. Purée until you have a thick and creamy soup. Experiment with the flavor, adding a touch of apple cider vinegar to help balance out the flavors. Season with sea salt. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and scallions (optional).

Black Bean Bisque

Have you ever done this cleanse or another one?  I’m curious to hear people’s thoughts and stories!  I’ll keep you posted throughout the month on my progress! Recipes for the Clean Cleanse can be found at
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/clean-program-30-day-meal-plan?fb_xd_fragment
.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Finally our Meyer lemon and Mandarin trees in our front yard is producing fruit!  Unfortunately, people seem to be picking them.  I wouldn’t care, but we aren’t getting a ton of fruit yet, and it took about 2 years to get to this point.  However, when I picked these lemons the smell was overwhelming.  I don’t even want to eat them yet!  They are way too pretty!

The other thing that made me smile was celebrating my little Sweet Pea’s birthday.  Monsieur turned 4 this month.  If you love dogs, you get this.  If you don’t, too bad.

Every year we get cupcakes from Sprinkles in La Jolla.  Sir has food allergies, but he never has a problem with their Dog Cupcake.  Of course, we pick up a couple of Human Cupcakes, too!  This year we opted for a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcake and a Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcake.  They were not our favorites.  I find that Sprinkles can be hit or miss.  I love the Red Velvet Cupcake.  Maybe I should stick with that one?

The last thing that made me happy was a simple recipe I found in Family Circle of all places!

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers (Family Circle, January 2013)

7 sweet peppers (red, orange and yellow) (**I went with the Costco bag of red peppers, and I only used 6)

1 cup quinoa (**Recipe recommends Bob’s Red Mill whole grain quinoa.  Also, I used 1 1/2 cups. I like having leftovers if possible.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced sweet onion

1 tsp ground cumin (**I put more in.  I like cumin.)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dried figs, roughly chopped (**I used prunes.  If you are not a fan of either (which is crazy!), opt for dried cherries.)

1/2 cup unsalted cashews, roughly chopped (**I used walnuts just because I had them on hand.)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Seed and dice one of the peppers (**The recipe notes to seed and dice one of the cooked peppers.  I do not like cooking peppers ahead of time for any stuffed pepper recipe.  I like the peppers to have a little bit of crunch and life to them.). Slice remaining peppers from stem to bottom; seed.
2. In a medium lidded pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil (adjust amount if you are using more quinoa).  Stir in quinoa; return to a boil.  Cover, reduce to a medium-low and cook 10 minutes.  Drain; set aside.  (**Sometimes when I cook quinoa, I replace some of the water with chicken stock or orange juice.)
3. Return pot to stove; place over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Stir in one diced pepper and onion.  Cook 5 minutes (**or until they are caramelized and soft).  Mix in cumin and cinnamon; cook 1 more minute.  Stir in figs, cashews, quinoa, salt and pepper.  Fill pepper halves with quinoa mixture and place cut-side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish (**I layered the bottom with parchment so they wouldn’t stick.).  Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes or until peppers are as tender as you like.

I hope you have a good weekend and survive the rain or snow (depending on which coast you are on!)!

Take Care and Happy Eating!