Parisian Date

This weekend Josh and I had a wonderful lunch date at P'tit Louis Bistro in downtown Albuquerque. The atmosphere was wonderful, the food was great, our waiter was awesome, and overall it was a wonderful date! I've heard some people describe the place as reminiscent of Hemingway's 1920s Paris, and I would agree.

We ordered the three cheese plate for an appetizer and let the waiter chose the cheeses. They have a different list of cheeses to chose from each day we didn't want to go for ones we had eaten before like brie or gouda, so we were happy to let him decide. I don't remember the names of any of them now, but they were all incredible (and pictured below, although now looking at the picture I remember the one the the dark specks had truffles which was amazing). Just thinking about it now is making me crave them again! We also each ordered a glass of red wine. They just have a house red, white, or rose, but it didn't bother us not to have a selection and we enjoyed the wine we were served. It reminded us of being in Italy and always just ordering the house red wine (which never disappointed). I had the croque madame for lunch which was so delicious, and Josh had the spinach quiche and liked it as well (but he thought mine was better). Overall it was great food, great service, and a lovely atmosphere. I highly recommend it, and hope to return soon!

By the way, we also saw the movie Argo. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. So good. 

 

Cozy

Here's another shot of the tortilla soup. Looks even better by the fire, right?

Yumminess in a Bowl

Fall finally decided to arrive here in Albuquerque (a little late this year). This weekend the temperatures dropped, we even got a light dusting of snow last night.  Last week it was in the 70s...crazy. With the cooler temperatures, I have been wanting more warm foods, and these are two of my favorites lately.

I have been making oatmeal for breakfast for Jack and me this week. It's healthy, inexpensive, and quick. I just buy the big canister of quick oats, no brand loyalty, just whatever is least expensive! Doesn't get much better than that, right? I enjoy eating oatmeal, but cannot take it plain. So I like to add a little brown sugar to sweeten it up (just a pinch, well a heavy pinch) and I use different fruit, depending on what I have around. The bowl above has dried cranberries. It was pretty tasty, and Jack loves it too!

Today with the snow and cold I was craving soup. One of my favorite soup recipes is one that my grandmother shared with me for tortilla soup. It's full of fresh flavor and perfect for warming up by the fire. In fact, it was so great, I had two bowls. I don't know where she originally got it (I guess I'll have to ask her if it's her personal recipe or one she was given by someone else). Anyway, all that to say, I am unsure of the original source, so for now I'll give credit to my sweet grandmother for this bowl of deliciousness. Here is the recipe:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (I used 2 because I prefer spicier food)
• 2 tbs. oil (canola, vegetable, whatever you have around will do)
• 2 cans (or one carton) beef broth
• 2 cans (or one carton) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato juice or sauce (I used our juicer to make fresh tomato juice with 3 tomatoes)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped (I just used a store bought rotisserie chicken to make it easier)
• 1 large tomato peeled and diced
• tortilla strip, fried crisp
• avocado slices
• Monterrey jack cheese, grated

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapenos (my grandmother adds the jalapenos later with the broth, but I prefer to saute them), and saute until onions are translucent. Add spices, broths, tomato juice, and worcestershire. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer one hour. Add chicken and tomato and cook for another 5 minutes (you can also let it sit longer if needed). Garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese.

If you have not fried tortillas before, you should definitely give it a try! It's easy, cheap, and so good! Cut corn tortillas into strips. Heat canola or vegetable oil in a pan on medium high heat. Make sure there is enough oil to cover a single layer of tortillas. Wait until the oil is very hot, then place strips in a single layer (you will most likely need to do a few batches, depending on how big your pan is and how much you want) in the oil. You'll know it's hot enough if you drop the strips in and the oil bubbles. The tortillas should be crisp after a couple of minutes, you can just watch them (or take one out to test). Once they are nice and crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate or tray. I sprinkled mine with salt and chili powder too for extra flavor. This is such an easy and tasty way to make a meal special. You can also do this to make your own tortilla chips. Instead of cutting the tortillas in strips, cut them into eighths, like you might a pie or pizza. I don't make chips that way often because it's a little more labor intensive, especially if you need a big batch, but every once in awhile it is nice to have fresh chips (or if you want chips and only have corn tortillas around).

Rebootin'

Last week Josh and I did a "Reboot." A Reboot is a way of attaining a healthier life by eating more fruits and vegetables. The idea began with the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." In this film, Joe Cross loses 80 pounds and cures his chronic illness by only consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days. I had heard of the movie but never watched it, but we had friends who had done this and thought it was great (if you want to learn more about it, you can go to the Reboot Your Life website). I always thought it was strange to just drink juice, so never had any desire to do it. 

So I heard everyone's stories of weight loss and healthful, produce-loving lives, and just continued in my downward spiral of eating a diet that was mostly meat, dairy, and processed foods, with a very small amount of fruits and veggies sprinkled in. That was, until Josh got some sort of stomach bug and I started thinking more about all the junk we consume. Then I read my friend Charissa's blog where she mentioned doing a reboot that included not only drinking fresh juice but eating fruits and veggies too.  This idea intrigued me. So I began doing more research and discovered I could cook the fruits and vegetables and use spices as well. This reboot thing began to sound better and better!

We committed to a five day reboot. We planned it around events that we knew would be coming up, things like a friend's birthday party, where we knew we would want to enjoy the good food. We did it during the week so that it would not interfere with that and other activities. The weekend before we started we went to Costco and loaded up on fruits and veggies. It was a great place to stock up because not only do they have large quantities of produce, but they also have a good selection, including many varieties of organic produce. There were only a few things I could not find there, so I went to Trader Joe's and Albertsons to buy the rest.

In addition to our plethora of produce, we also needed a juice maker in order to do the reboot. So I asked around and did some research online. We decided to go with the Breville Juice Fountain Multi-Speed from Williams-Sonoma. This juicer had great reviews, and seemed like a good machine at a moderate price (juicers can cost anywhere from $40-500+). Once we brought it home, we tested it before we started the reboot, and it was great! It's easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly, makes great juice!

Overall, we felt really good during the reboot. I didn't miss my normal food like I thought I would, and I never felt hungry. The thing I liked about it was that you do not stop eating, or turn away from food all the time. You can eat as much as you would like (as long as it's fruits or vegetables), so you don't go hungry. We usually did a juice for breakfast, then later in the morning I would have some fruit for a snack. One thing I enjoyed for lunch a couple of the days was a salad of  roasted asparagus, tomatoes, and avocado. I cut the asparagus into pieces about 2 inches each, and cut cherry tomatoes in half. Then I drizzled olive oil and salt and pepper on them and roasted them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then I mixed them with chopped avocado and squeezed fresh lemon juice over it. This is definitely something I will make again and was very filling and tasty!

As I mentioned before, I like the idea of the reboot because I could still cook and eat good meals using fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also use small amounts of olive oil and spices (and I used a little canola). However, I knew this would be a challenge since I could not use dairy, rice, wheat, etc. So I looked through one of my favorite new cookbooks, The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. Using a slow cooker is something I do often. It makes my life much easier. A friend recommend this book to me awhile back, and I have enjoyed testing some recipes. I thought it would be a good resource for our reboot because it has so many vegetarian dishes. So, I looked through it ahead of time and found some good recipes that would fit within the  parameters of the reboot and put those on the menu for the week.

The first recipe I tried was her Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobi). This turned out really good! It had great flavor and was very filling. I am sure it would be even better over rice (when we are not rebooting). If you want the recipe, buy the book or see if your local library has it.

I also tried her Spicy Butternut Squash (paitha). This was tasty, but I don't think I will ever cut a butternut squash again in my life. It was not an easy task. And my hands looked as if I had contracted some strange skin disease for the next 24 hours. Next time I will pay a little more and get pre-cubed butternut squash.

All in all, the reboot was a good experience. I stuck with it from Monday morning to Friday morning, and Josh did it as well except for about a 24 hour break (Monday night through Tuesday afternoon) when he had to travel out of town for work, in which he ate junk and drank loads of caffeine on the road. He resumed the reboot when he got home, and by Thursday he had a bad headache. We are assuming it was the lack of caffeine. I never had any issues like that, and the only time I really wanted to quit was Thursday night. Josh and I both just wanted to eat junk and watch TV, but we didn't, amazingly. We are not very determined people, so this was big!

The results of the reboot included both of us losing exactly 3.5 pounds (kind of funny that we were so in sync), we loved the juice, and have been having it for breakfast almost every morning this week, and now I crave fruits and veggies much more than before. Which is the most important result to me, because I was not a big fan of veggies before all this. 

Now Josh is talking about doing another 5 day reboot next week. I am warming up to the idea as well. Might be a good pre-Thanksgiving move...

Mississippi Roast

Recently I have been trying to use my slow cooker more. It's so nice to be able to throw dinner together in the morning so that at night I can just relax and enjoy a nice meal with Josh. As a child I despised roast, which I am sure was more an act of defiance than an actual taste preference. After giving the lovely inexpensive and easy to cook cut of meat a second chance, I have become a fan (much to my mom's surprise).

I found a recipe for something called a "Mississippi Roast" on Pinterest, and based on the fact that it looked super easy to make and the fact that my older brother lives in Mississippi, I figured I'd give it a whirl, and it was a success (although I am still uncertain about what makes it a "Mississippi" roast). This was so easy to make, just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, no prep needed, and it was so flavorful! It is great on it's own for dinner, and I used the leftovers to make grilled sandwiches for lunch. You can find the recipe here. The ingredients are things you could keep on hand in your pantry and you'll always be ready to make this. The first time I made this I didn't plan any sides to go with it, so I grabbed slices of sourdough I had around, brushed them with olive oil and baked them at 350 degrees until they were nice and toasted (you could also just stick them in the toaster). Then I cut a garlic clove in half and rubbed it on the toasted bread. The next time I made it I served it with grits, and that worked well too. And of course, a vegetable would always be a good option...  

Easy Breakfast

The other day I was trying to decide what I wanted for breakfast and saw hummus in our fridge. So, I decided to toast some sourdough bread, spread hummus over it, and top it with a fried egg. I also sprinkled pepper and paprika over it. It was SO good! The hummus gives it such great flavor you don't need much else!

I know the picture isn't great, but trust me on this one, it's delicious (and easy)!

Easy Salad

This is one of my go-to salads. It's easy, delicious, and most of the ingredients I keep on hand. It's also great for taking to people who need a meal because you can put all the ingredients in separate containers and let them assemble it how they like.

Top spring mix with the following:

• Dried cranberries
• Walnuts
• Crumbled goat cheese (or feta)
• Sliced pears or green apples (not in this picture, I didn't have any that day)
• Pepper
• Dressing-I like either a raspberry-walnut vinaigrette, a balsamic vinaigrette, or my new favorite, Trader Joe's Cranberry, Walnut, & Gorgonzola (below).

Lasagna

Growing up in East Texas in the 80s and 90s, my exposure to Italian meats was non-existent. I always thought ground beef was standard for pastas and lasagnas. I had no idea that there was a whole world of delicious flavorful meats like prosciutto, pancetta, and Italian sausage. Once I discovered these gems, my love for Italian food grew even stronger. So when my mom sent me a recipe for a lasagna made with Italian sausage (she too has expanded her horizons when it comes to Italian food), I decided to give it a try.


My mom found the recipe in a magazine ad for Johnsonville Italian Sausage. It was pretty easy to make and really good. She sent me a copy of the recipe, but you can also find it at the Johnsonville website. You can buy mild or hot Italian sausage. I used hot, and because it was mixed with all of the cheeses and everything else, it really wasn't too spicy. This is a great dish for when you have company because you can make it before they come, and put it in the oven in time for it to be ready after they arrive. This way you're not having to cook with your guests around.

Josh told me the night we had it that it was good, and the following day he said again how delicious it was. That's when you know you've got a winner!

Slow Cooker Steak and Gravy with Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls

As part of my agreement with my friends to write more (see previous post), I took a picture of our dinner tonight so that I could share it with all of you.

Like most American women I have become a huge fan of Pinterest. I especially like it for finding and saving recipes. It's a great way to discover new recipes or to organize your own. Tonight I tried a recipe I pinned awhile back. A friend of mine cooked it for us once and I liked it, so I made a few changes and gave it a whirl. You can find a link to the recipe for Crockpot Cube Steak and Gravy here. The only thing I changed was adding a bag of baby carrots, a sliced onion, and a small bag of red potatoes that I had cut in quarters. I like cooking vegetables with meat in the slow cooker so that I have an entire meal ready to go. You can also use less meat and fill up on the veggies instead. When I plated the meal, I topped it with a little chopped parsley for some color and freshness. It's still kind of an ugly dish, but if you check out the recipe, the blogger freely admits that! I thought the meal was pretty good, but next time I might try a different meat. The cube steak was okay, but not great. I am thinking I might use a pot roast instead. The veggies did well, so I would do those next time. I might also add more flavoring, perhaps another envelope of soup mix, maybe beef broth instead of water, or extra pepper? Looks like I need to experiment a little more. I am a big fan of the slow cooker, so I am trying to beef up my recipe box in that department.

Alongside the steak and gravy I served a little something new I made up last minute, Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls. They were really good, and so easy! Josh and Jack both loved them. I bought Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (the canned kind you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store), then followed the directions for cooking them, but before rolling them up, I placed a little sharp cheddar cheese inside. After rolling them I sprinkled a little parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and chopped parsley over the rolls and baked them according to the package directions. I think you could make many variations of these rolls with whatever cheese, spices, or other items you might have on hand. Super easy and delicious!

Santa Fe Weekend

Last weekend I went on a girls' trip with two of my best friends from college, Heather and Beth.When we graduated from college we decided we should do a trip like this annually. Well, that was seven years ago, and last weekend was our first time to do it. Sometimes life just gets busy. Between jobs, weddings, babies, and everything else, we have put trip planning aside. So after seven years we finally did it. My friends were sweet enough to travel out to New Mexico so we could spend the weekend together in Santa Fe.

We had a wonderful time catching up, laughing, relaxing, and eating plenty of amazing food. One of the things we talked about was holding each other accountable to do things we want to do, which for me is writing more. So, I am starting today! Back to the blog! I have a recipe to share, but first I have to talk about our incredible meals in Santa Fe.

I often scour the web reading blogs, urbanspoon, and other reviews looking for great dining in Santa Fe. There are so many restaurants there, but I do not want to waste a meal going somewhere bad. Through my previous research, I had a few ideas in mind, and my friends also helped look up places while we were there (gotta love iphones, they are a traveler's best friend). Our first meal was Friday night at La Boca. When we arrived the restaurant was full and without a reservation, we would not have been able to get a table for awhile. However, there just happened to be three open seats at the bar, so we were able to sit there. We ordered a bottle of wine and split the chef's choice of five tapas. It was fun not knowing what dish would be next, and each one was delicious! The bartender was great and very helpful as we chose our wine. The atmosphere was wonderful as well. I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Santa Fe and will be back the next time I am in town.

Saturday we ate dinner at Luminaria. This restaurant is located at the Inn and Spa at Loretta, which is a beautiful place that I would love to stay at sometime (I'll be checking online frequently for deals). The restaurant has one of the most beautiful patios I have ever seen, and is literally right next to the historic Loretta Chapel. The lighting, the furniture, everything just combines for a lovely setting. It was a great place to enjoy a dinner with friends and would also be a romantic spot for a date. I would not recommend bringing kids (at least not for dinner). The food and wine were both delicious. I wish I would have been a little hungrier so that I could have enjoyed an appetizer and dessert as well. Seriously, everything on the menu sounded amazing. They bring complimentary bread as well as an amuse bouche. I was aware of what an amuse bouche was not from my fine culinary adventures but from watching "Top Chef." TV isn't all bad folks. For those of you who are either inexperienced in the world of fine dining or television's culinary competitions, an amuse bouche is a small bite brought out before the meal to prepare your palate. Ours was a spoonful of crab ceviche which was quite good. Overall, Luminaria was a beautiful setting in which to enjoy great food and conversation.

Sunday morning we had one last meal to savor before leaving Santa Fe. We decided on brunch at Cafe Pasqual's. I had heard so many wonderful things about this restaurant and was dying to give it a try. This small restaurant is extremely popular, and you will often find a crowd near the door, especially around breakfast time. We didn't have to wait too long in spite of the crowd, and the meal was definitely worth the wait! The food is all fresh and everything on the menu looked wonderful. I had a great chile relleno with a fried egg over easy. The atmosphere in the restaurant is colorful and fun.

That wraps up our culinary adventures in Santa Fe, and I think all three of us would agree that our meals might have been our favorite part of the trip! I had so much fun with these girls and cannot wait for our next trip (this time we are hoping to make it a year from now rather than seven). If you have good friends like mine that you do not get to see very often, plan a trip. It is so much fun!