Day 270: Don't Read a Book by Its Cover

If you look at my last several blog entries, it seems like I'm on a health kick or that I've gone all pescatarian on you.  Fish for dinner four nights in a row!!  

But if you knew what else went into my pie hole these past few days, you would be horrified!!  Mac & cheese!  BBQ!  Salami!  

It should have come as no surprise tonight when I could barely muster up an appetite, even after a visit to the gym.  Never one to skip a meal, I decided to saute a bunch of veggies from my fridge:  a bunch of asparagus, a handful of snowpeas, and half a red bell pepper.  For flavor, I added a few cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 of an onion, a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes, and S&P.  After the veggies were cooked (I like mine rather al dente), I added about a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley, a few sprinkled of toasted sesame seeds, and a couple of sprinkles of balsamic vinegar.

Veggie mania will need to continue throughout the rest of this week to help me out of this "I'm such a whale syndrome".  If you have a favorite healthy veggie recipe, please share it!

Day 269: You Haven't Lived Until You Eat This

Picture this:  perfect mac & cheese, formed into large cubes, breaded, and deep fried.  What would one call something like that?  If you were the chef at Town Hall, you would call it mac & cheese croquettes and you would rock the world of anyone who gave into their crunchy, savory goodness.  I'm telling you that you have not lived until you try this stuff.

We hosted some new clients at Town Hall tonight and wooed them with said croquettes, many bottles of fine wine, and amazing desserts.  Oh - and there were entrees, too, but speaking for my own experience, the actual food paled in comparison to the aforementioned mac & cheese magnificence, booze, and sugary treats.

I began my meal with the soup of the day:  pureed asparagus.  As my colleague said, it was fine.  It didn't burst with fresh asparagus flavor.  It just tasted green.

Next, I had a salmon filet over mashed potatoes, leeks, and fava beans.  If you are into crispy fish skin, this was the dish for you.  I'm not so much into fish skin though and once I peeled it away, I was left with salmon that was fine but didn't blow me away.

However, the meal ended on a very positive note as I enjoyed the butterscotch and chocolate pot de creme with crunchy slices of something that reminded me of Heath Bar Crunch.  Way too good.

I'd like to thank our lovely waitress for her wonderful, friendly, and patient service.  It can't be easy to wait on 13 business people who get increasingly loud as the evening goes on.  And a big thanks to our new clients for a great evening.  I'm looking forward to enjoying a great many more wonderful meals with you in the future!

Day 268: Balancing Act

We had a killer lunch today.  We ventured down to Pacifica and had loads of yummy eats at Gorilla BBQ, recently featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  After pulled pork, BBQ chicken, mac & cheese, cole slaw and cornbread I just knew that the system was going to demand some light, healthy fare tonight.

Fortunately, our friend Julie invited us to her place for dinner and she made a delicious, low fat meal.  She pan fried tilapia filets and served them over steamed spinach with some baby heirloom tomatoes that she had sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

We finished the meal with some tiny assorted fruit tarts and mini eclairs from Emporio Rulli, which has become my de facto source for beautiful and tasty sweet treats.

So the name of the game today was balance.  It's okay to splurge and have some fun - hell, when it's BBQ, it's a must!  

Day 267: Bored? Branch Out!

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that when we eat out we almost always choose a restaurant within walking distance of our house.  There are a ton of great places to choose from, no driving means we can enjoy a bottle of wine, and we don't have to deal with the challenge of finding a taxi.

But...once in awhile I get bored and this was one of those weeks.  I felt the need to branch out and so tonight we decided to try a new place in another neighborhood.  Crazy kids!  We decided to to try Chiaroscuro, a charming looking Italian restaurant that we had walked by over a year ago in the financial district.  

We started with two appetizers:  the meat and cheese plate (an irresistible dish for us at Italian restaurants) and the bruchetta plate which had 6 tiny discs of toasted bread, each with a different topping.  Both dishes were great.  In fact, with 4 very different cheeses and 4 generously cut types of salami, that was probably one of the best meat and cheese plates we've had outside of Italy.  

I followed that up with monkfish, which was the evening special.  Monkfish is often referred to as "a poor man's lobster" because it offers a lobster-like texture at a fraction of the cost.  Of course, lobster is far more delicious and well worth the price but monkfish is a tasty (and very ugly) creature as well.

I found this particular preparation okay, but not great.  The fish seemed a bit tough to me.  But the artichokes and olives served with it really made the dish and I cleaned my plate.

We had begun the evening at Nectar, our favorite neighborhood wine bar, so after all this food and lots of wine, there was no way I could squeeze in dessert.

But I did feel that we accomplished what I had hoped to tonight.  We got out of the 'hood, enjoyed a change of scenery, and discovered another good restaurant.  Here's to branching out!

Day 266: Mark Rocks. And So Does Cafe Maritime!

After last night's dinner of chips and pizza (oy vey!), I knew tonight's meal needed to be a little bit lighter and a hell of a lot healthier.  So, off we went to Cafe Maritime.

We've had many amazing meals at CM.  They introduced me to Lobster Thermador which is SO  delish.  I've also had salmon, swordfish, and tuna there and all have been delightful.

Tonight I started with a vodka oyster shooter.  As I mentioned in a previous post (entry #226 "Slimy and Snotlike"), I really want to like oysters and I'm looking for non-intimidating ways to try them.  What's more welcoming than vodka?

Next, I had swordfish with ancho chile sauce and green beans & broccoli.  Cafe Maritime is always really nice about letting me swap out the carby side (potatoes or rice) with a green veggie.

Finally, my husband and I shared an order of Mark's Mom's Coconut Cream Pie.  Mark is CM's owner and his mom is apparently kept in the basement and forced to crank out amazingly light and perfectly sweet pies all day long.  I say, keep her down there and keep those pies coming!  They are perfect!

Everything was delicious tonight but the best part was that Mark, the owner, recognized me from this blog and comped our meal!  That was the most pleasant surprise I've had in ages!  Thanks for another great meal, Mark.  We will definitely be back!

Day 265: Splurge-a-rama

Late in the day, I had a 7:30pm meeting sprung on me.  Unsure if there would be food there, I bought this bag of Sun Chips and ate it on my way over.  

Upon arrival, I was told there was pizza.  Who I am to resist pizza, one of my most favorite foods on the planet?  I rarely eat it because it's so high in fat and calories, but given the lack of other options and the fact that it was from North Beach Pizza, I was more than happy to splurge.  

In summary, I had chips and pizza for dinner tonight.  Tasty and fun, but I'll have to be sure to make up for it tomorrow.  Bring on the veggies!

Day 264: Going to Plan B

I had been planning to make pork tenderloin tonight, but the one we had in the fridge was about 10 days past the sell-by date!  Fortunately we had leftovers and the makings for a salad and so we had Plan B!

I reheated the meatballs I made on Sunday and melted some mozzarella over the top of them. Last night's leftover quinoa served as a bed to soak up the sauce.

Our salad was baby spinach, sliced baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and beets.  Newman's Own light balsamic vinaigrette topped it off.

All in all, this was a really tasty meal even if it wasn't what I had intended to prepare and even if it required very little work.  Gotta love a dinner like that!

Day 263: Hi, Jeanne's Mom!!

We were very fortunate to have a wonderful house guest tonight, my college friend Jeanne.  Like me, she likes to eat healthy.  Lucky for us, we had a nice sunny day today and with the time change, we can use our grill in the daylight!  Woohoo!  And since Jeanne's mom is a loyal follower of this blog, I am dedicating tonight's entry to her!  Hi, Jeanne's mom!

I pounded three boneless chicken breasts so they would cook more quickly.  I placed them in a Ziploc bag with the following marinade:  1/4 cup orange juice, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 5 smashed cloves of garlic, 2 T olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 onion cut into large chunks.

The chicken marinated for about an hour - certainly, it could have stayed longer, but by then it was after 7pm and we were hungry!  As usual, my husband took care of the grilling, cooking the chicken for 18 or 20 minutes.

I made a quinoa salad as a side dish.  See entry #247 for tips on how to steam quinoa.  I mixed the quinoa into the juice and zest of a large lemon, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 T olive oil.  I also added half a bag of frozen spinach (defrosted with all liquid squeezed out), half a diced yellow bell pepper, and about 1/4  cup of toasted pine nuts.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  If it needs a little more bit or saltiness, try sprinkling in some rice vinegar.

A midweek house guest is a joy, especially one that we love so dearly.  The good food was just icing on the cake tonight!

Day 262: Playing Hooky

I took the day off of work today and whenever I do that, I feel that I owe my hard working husband a good home cooked dinner.

We hadn't had lamb in ages, so I made mustard crusted chops.  This is an Emeril recipe that I've made many times before and it's also a hit.

To go with the meat, I made parmesan polenta and sauteed brussels sprouts.  

Polenta (for 2 people):

Boil 2 cups of salted water.  Slowly stir in 1/2 cup polenta and 1T butter and stir constantly until thickened, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Transfer polenta to a metal bowl.   Boil a couple of inches of water in a pot, place the bowl over the top of the pot, and cook the polenta in this double boiler for about 20 more minutes, stirring frequently.  If you'd like, just before serving, you can stir in some grated parmesan cheese or soft goat cheese for added richness and flavor.

Brussels Sprouts:

Trim the sprouts, removing the other layer of leaves, and cut in half vertically.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat.  Place the sprouts in the pan, cut side down.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to cook for a few minutes until the cut side is browned.

Stir the sprouts and turn the heat up to medium-high.  Add a few splashes of orange juice and stir again.  Allow to cook for a few more minutes until sprouts are to the desired doneness.  s

I didn't work hard at the office today but I put a damn delicious meal together, so I'm not a complete slacker!

Day 261: Double Recipe Entry

I make damn good meatballs and today's you're lucky day because I'm going to give you the recipe.  Usually we eat them without pasta, but tonight I boiled up a little bit of whole wheat spaghetti.  I also made some baby broccoli as a side dish and it was beyond delicious.  All in all, a stellar meal tonight.

Meatballs:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs or panko

1/2 cup cold water (or beef broth if you have some handy)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground lamb

Place first four ingredients in large bowl, stir together, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Pour a thick layer of olive oil into a pan and place it over a medium-high burner.

Add garlic, parsley, and parm to the egg mixture and mix everything together.  Add meat and use your hands to gently mix everything together.  If it seems too wet to hold together, add some more bread crumbs until you're happy with the consistency.  

Place two jars of your favorite tomato sauce in an oven proof pot and place in the oven at 225 degrees.  I like Classico and use some combination of their tomato basil, roasted garlic, or spicy tomato flavors.  Of course, you can make your own sauce if you prefer, but having tried that a couple of times, I find it's way more effort than it's worth for this particular recipe.

Make balls out of your meat mixture.  I like to make larger ones because you can get them all fried in fewer batches.    I get about a dozen and a half large meatballs out of this recipe.

Place a batch of meatballs in your hot oil and cook until browned.  Turn them and allow the other side to brown and then place them in your pre-heated sauce.  Once all of your meatballs are in the sauce, allow them to cook uncovered for an hour and a half.

Upon serving, grate some more parm or melt some mozzarella over the top.

Baby Broccoli:

1 package of fresh baby broccoli (we purchased ours at Trader Joe's)

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 small shallot bulb, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

Pour a thin coat of olive oil into a pan and warm over low heat.  Add garlic and shallot and saute for a couple of minutes until soft and fragrant.

Add broccoli, season with S&P, and turn heat up to medium-high.  Add half of the wine and stir everything together.  Add the rest of the wine a couple of minutes later, or when you see the initial bit has evaporated.

Stir frequently and cook until broccoli is at the desired doneness.  I like mine to still have a lot of crunch.

This dinner definitely takes some time to prepare, which is what makes it perfect for a Sunday night.  If you're cooking for two, then you will also be blessed with some yummy leftovers which will make dinner preparation a lot easier one night during the week.  Enjoy!

Day 260: Eating with Tuizers

Who needs chopsticks or silverware when you can eat with Tuizers?  Of course, I do not mean tweezers - I mean Tuizers, as in my friend Julie and her mom Mary (Tuizer).

Julie's mom is visiting for the weekend and my husband and I joined them for a Vietnamese feast at Three Seasons.  We ordered a variety of dishes and shared them all:  duck springrolls (pictured), chicken satay, crunchy fried egg rolls filled with shrimp and pork, shrimp potstickers, shrimp in tamarind sauce, and beef sauteed with chopped mango.  We also shared the fried banana and coconut ice cream dessert.

Places like Three Seasons are best when enjoyed with a group so that you can order up and taste a bunch of different things.  I find that a couple of bites of lots of different flavors is better than a big plate of only one thing.  Less is not more if you ask me!

Day 259: Back to Life, Back to Reality

After three straight days of vegetarian dinners (what???), life finally returned to normal tonight.  We dined at Isa, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, which specializes in small plates.

Mostly, we ordered our favorites:  tuna crudo, arugula salad, pan seared scallops, baked Laura Chenel goat cheese.  The new item we tried tonight was from the specials list:  short ribs with mashed potatoes, carrots, and broccoli (pictured).  It was too rich for my blood, especially after three nights of veggie dinners, but it was nice to try something new.

It looks like life has returned to normal.  Meat and fish were on my plate tonight!

Day 258: Seriously. What's Going on With Me?

A vegetarian dinner for the third night in a row?  What the hell is going on with me??

I went to the gym after work and took a crazy "ultra conditioning" class that totally kicked my butt.  Afterwards, all I wanted was a fresh, crisp salad.  I bought a pre-made one at the grocery store, along with some white bean salad that I adore.  Huge white beans are mixed with olive oil, chopped bell peppers, and herbs.  Yum.

Of course, I paired this healthy meal with a nice big glass of red wine.  A girl's gotta live somehow!

Day 257: Vegetarian Trend

After last night's and tonight's entries, I hardly recognize myself.  Meatless meals two nights in a row?  What is going on with me?

I can explain tonight's choice by saying that I didn't arrive home from my business trip to LA until 8:30 and my husband was out at a business dinner.  Being that it was so late and I only had to worry about my own mouth & stomach, I went with what was easy and fast:  a can of Amy's Tomato Bisque with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh asparagus we had in the fridge, and the last of this year's Girl Scout cookie purchase.  Who can resist those Thin Mints?

This was a surprisingly satisfying meal considering the lack of thought and preparation that went into it.  How long can these meatless dinners continue, though?  Stay tuned to find out!

Day 256: Can't Get Enough...Soy??

Tonight's dinner, wok sauteed vegetables and tofu with brown rice, may be one of my oddest choices yet, for two reasons.

1 - I am not vegetarian and although I don't DISlike it, I am not particularly fond of tofu.

2 - I've just concluded a work project that was all about soy.  I should be sick of this stuff!!

But, for some reason, I saw this dish on the Buddha's Belly menu and just had to have it.  Unfortunately, although the veggies were fresh, delicious, and perfectly cooked, overall the dish lacked flavor.  A dollop of hot sauce and a couple of dashes of soy sauce and that problem was resolved.

The highlight of this meal was that it took place in LA with two of my very good girlfriends.  It's always nice when you can combine a business trip with some girly bonding.

Day 255: Perfect Night for Leftovers

I was at work until 8pm and have an early morning flight tomorrow, so leftovers it was tonight!

We were lucky to have some chili leftover from Thursday night.  I returned it to a  pot, reheated it over medium low flame, and added some freshly grated sharp cheddar over the top after serving.  Dinner in no time flat!  Gotta love it!

Day 254: Carnivore's Delight

After an afternoon in wine country, I needed a dinner with substance.

Vegetarians out there may be disgusted, as well you should be.  I dedicate this and all entries from Izzy's Steak & Chops to my carnivorous readers.  

My favorite item on the Izzy's menu is their slow roasted prime rib, cooked medium rare.  It savory and juicy and so delicious.  At Izzy's you get to choose two sides with your entree.  Normally, I request a double order of steamed broccoli but tonight the waitress let me know that they had some fresh asparagus, so I had an order or each.  All those fresh steamed veggies make me feel a lot less guilty about the giant slab of meat I gobble up!

Day 253: Going Green

It was a blustery day here in SF.  Cold wind chilled me to the bone - the perfect weather for a nice bowl of soup.

Lucky for me, Capannina had a delicious soup on the specials menu tonight - asparagus and artichoke puree in chicken stock and polenta croutons.  Seriously?  Polenta croutons?  It really doesn't get any better than that!  And the soup was yummy, too.

I followed up the soup with the mixed seafood grill, which is different every night, depending I suppose on what looks the best and is the freshest on any given day.  Tonight the plate featured a piece of halibut, a piece of salmon, and a langosteen.  It also included some sauteed spinach, mashed potatoes, and a lemony sauce that was tart, tasty, and perfect with the fish.

The rest of the country is starting to warm up but it's still chilly here in the Bay Area.  Bring on some more tasty food to warm my body and soul!

Day 252: Totally Unoriginal

I had no particular cravings for dinner tonight, but I knew I needed a nice, fresh tasting salad.  The one that sprang to mind was the arugula, beet and goat cheese salad at Bistro Aix, so off we went.

I followed up the salad with bouillabaise - a bowl of clams, calamari, and halibut in a rich tomato broth.  To punish myself for all of the Girl Scout cookies I ate this week, I picked out all of the potatoes and croutons.  Hey - live isn't all fun and games!

So, this wound up being the same meal I had last time we ate at Bistro Aix - and probably the same as several meals there prior, too.  Not the most creative or original choice, but why mess with yummy perfection?

Day 251: Take the Chill Off

Tonight I was feeling cold and lazy and so I went to the store planning to buy some fresh soup for dinner.  Unfortunately, the store I went to only sells canned soup and none of it really appealed to me, so I wound up deciding to make turkey chili instead.

I relied on a tried and true recipe from Epicurious.com.  I follow it to a tee except that instead of using three cans of white beans, I used three different kinds:  cannelloni, kidney, and pinto.

I will say that this recipe results in a lot of liquid, which is great if you like your chili over rice.  If not, you may want to reduce the amount of broth that you add.

And of course, chili is always better when you great a nice pile of sharp cheddar cheese over the top.  Or better yet, add some cheese in between scoops of chili to ensure you get some in every bite.  Stay warm!

Day 250: This Dish Has it All

I had a craving for swordfish tonight, but there was none to be had at the store, so I bought ahi tuna instead.  I was also craving carbs, so I decided to cook up some whole grain pasta and mix in the fish and some veggies.

I boiled the pasta in salted, oiled water until it was al dente and then drained it, keeping about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid aside.

While the pasta was cooking, I roasted a yellow bell pepper.  Of course, you can buy a jar of roasted peppers, but it's so easy to do it yourself.  Just cut a pepper into quarters, removing the seeds and white tissue, and place skin side up under your broiler.  Once the skins are black, toss the pepper into a paper bag  or a covered bowl and set aside for a few minutes.  Then you can easily peel the skin off and slice up the peppers.

While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, I slowly sauteed 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 large sliced shallot bulb, and a tsp of red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium low flame.  I also defrosted about a cup of sweet baby peas.  You can do this quickly by placing them in a bowl of cool water.

All of these ingredients, including the pasta water you set aside, back into the pot in which you boiled the pasta.  Add some olive oil and fresh thyme leaves and gently mix everything together.

Begin to sear your tuna steak(s) in hot olive oil and slowly reheat the stuff in the pot, stirring occasionally.  When the tuna is cooked to taste, cut it up into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot.

This dish has it all:  lean protein (tuna), good fat (olive oil), fiber (whole wheat pasta), and veggies.  It takes a little time to put together, but it's worth it.  Enjoy!

Day 249: Dinner in (Practically) an Instant

Believe it or not, this dinner took about 15 minutes to put together.  And it was healthy.  And tasty!

I purchased some marinated pounded pork tenderloin at a fantastic store in my neighborhood and my husband grilled it up.  Because it had been pounded, it cooked up quickly and because it was already marinated, it was full of flavor.

To go with the pork, I sauteed some zucchini, yellow bell pepper, and mushrooms and mixed them with some leftover quinoa from the other day.  To flavor and season the dish, I ran about 1/4 cup of leftover chimichurri sauce through a fine strainer and mixed the resulting liquid into the quinoa and veggies.  I also added two chopped vine ripened tomatoes for some freshness and additional color.

Before we knew it, dinner was ready!  You've gotta love that on a work night - especially if you work late or want to get to the gym after leaving the office.  The key is having some good staples and leftovers in the house to make things quick and easy so always make extra and be creative about how you use what's left.

Day 248: Dinner Overseas

An SF urbanite friend of mine refers to traveling over the Golden Gate or Bay Bridges as "going overseas".  I always found that very amusing and rarely can I go to Oakland or Berkeley without thinking of him or that funny phrase.

Tonight I had to attend focus groups in Berkeley for work.  My husband, who works overseas, agreed to pick me up and since it was 7:30, we decided to find dinner over there rather than drive back into the city and eat too late.

I was hoping to eat at Bette's Oceanview Diner, a famous Berkeley institution with my name in it.  Unfortunately, we got there and it was closed.  While this Bette blogs about her dinner every night, that Bette doesn't even serve dinner (and nor does the restaurant have an ocean view)!  So, we wound up at the next open place we found, Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto.

Oddly enough, I was craving beef, so I ordered the surf and turf dish:  a sirloin steak and half a stuffed lobster.  It was fair.  The lobster was stuffed with more mushroom than lobster, but I suppose that's to be expected for $28.  The steak was actually quite tasty.

Unlike my friend, I love going overseas and trying out the restaurants there.  We'll probably try lots of other places before we ever go back to Spenger's.  If you have a recommendation in Oakland, Berkeley, or beyond, leave a comment and let me know!

Day 247: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Tonight's dinner comprised of two of my new favorite things:  quinoa and a Moroccan chicken recipe from Epicurious.com.

For the chicken, I followed the Epi.com recipe with the following exceptions:  I made my own harissa, I used only chicken thighs and legs, and I used chicken broth instead of water.  This healthy, easy to make dish is full of flavor.  I guarantee you'll love it.  Click this link for the chicken recipe and see entry #227 "Yay!  I Remember How to Cook!" for the harissa recipe.

I strongly recommend you make some rice, couscous, or something else to soak up all the great sauce the chicken cooks in.  I, of course, went with quinoa - my new favorite grain.

I steamed a cup of quinoa (click here for the best method I've found) and then mixed it into a vinaigrette of 2 T olive oil, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, a 1 tsp of sugar.  Into that, I mixed a bag of defrosted frozen spinach, from which I squeezed all of the liquid.  I also added 3 T of toasted sliced almonds.  Served as a bed underneath the chicken, this little salad did a great job of soaking up all of the delicious sauce and adding some additional nutrition of our meal.

This dinner was so good, I may need to make it again next weekend!  Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Day 246: Ahhh...Marketing

Despite having worked in the ad world for almost 15 years, I am still a sucker for marketing.  A funky label on a wine bottle.  A cool or catchy restaurant name.  Those kinds of things get me every time...including tonight.

A new restaurant called The Tipsy Pig recently opened in our neighborhood.  I felt an almost magnetic pull when I first saw it.

My strongest opinion is that the place is just too damn loud.  And yes - I am well aware that I sound like an 80 year old - but it's the truth and the Yelp reviews about this place confirm that.

Fortunately, the food was pretty good.  My entree, dayboat scallops with blood orange and fennel salad was absolutely delicious, as was the mixed green and arugula salad with an onion and goat cheese tart.  Our other appetizer was bruschetta with broccoli, roasted peppers, ricotta salata, and burrata.  We saw an order of it sitting at the pass when we were seated and it looked cheesy, gooey, savory, and scrumptious but in reality it was just a big disappointment.  The bread was too thick and the overall flavor was a bit lacking.  

It's always exciting to have a new joint open up in the neighborhood.  We'll give it another try - after all, they have mac and cheese on the menu.  With bacon!  I couldn't really care less if the pig is tipsy as long as it's tasty!

Day 245: Urban Adventure

Despite having lived in SF for over two years, we still live our lives like New Yorkers.  This means that we walk everywhere and rarely leave our neighborhood.  We actually chose to live where we did because it was conducive to that type of lifestyle - tons of restaurants and everything you need within just a few blocks from home.

Once in awhile we decide to venture out of our comfort zone and try someplace new.  It's our idea of an urban adventure.

Tonight was one of those nights.  We hailed a cab and went over to Hayes Valley to try out Indigo.  We had a good meal, the stars being the appetizers, but as usual I was left with the feeling that we could have eaten just as well if not better at one of the stellar restaurants in the 'hood.

We started with two appetizers, which we shared.  The tuna tartar with mango was delicious, especially when scooped up into a homemade waffled potato chip.  The grilled shrimp over risotto was amazing as well.

I continued with the fish theme as I moved into the next course, with salmon over soba noodles.  The soba salad with scallions and julienned carrots was the best part of this dish.  I adore the flavor and mild sweetness of soba and because they are made with buckwheat, I think they're more wholesome than a lot of other types of noodles.

I'm always glad when we leave the borders of our neighborhood but usually, it just makes me even gladder that I live in an area with such great and diverse food options.  Three cheers for Cow Hollow!

Day 244: A Fishy Love/Hate Relationship

I have a strange relationship with sushi.  Sometimes, the thought of it makes me queasy.  Other times, I crave it like a drug.  Even stranger, I do not even realize that I am in the love phase until someone mentions sushi.  I hear the word and all I can think about is gettin' me some.

Yesterday, a colleague mentioned that he had eaten sushi for dinner the night before.  The lights and sirens went off.  Mmmmmmmm....sushi.  Unfortunately, I had already purchased some steaks for last night's dinner.  I could have put them off until tonight, but we seemed to be having a short break from countless days of rain and it was a good night to grill.  So, sushi night was put on hold until tonight.

We went to Asa, our favorite neighborhood joint for raw fish.  After a bowl of edamame, we shared 4 rolls, including 2 Red Dragon rolls, our most beloved thing on the menu.  Shrimp tempura and crab down the center with spicy tuna, eel, avocado, and tobiko on top.  No roll on the planet can compare, but yet we always order other, lesser rolls as well.  Tonight those were a Honey roll (eel and avocado inside, salmon on top) and a Super Poke roll (spicy tuna inside, eel on top).

Of course, all of this was washed down with some ice cold sake and we received a couple of balls of mochi ice cream with our check.  The love affair is on!!

Day 243: Guilt Free Beef

Just because you're trying to be healthy, doesn't mean that you can't eat beef.  Prepare it the right way, and it can be a tasty AND good for you.

The first tip is grill, baby, grill.  Grilling adds so much great flavor without adding any extra fat.

Next, make a sauce like chimichurri, from olive oil (good fat) and loads of herbs and spices.  Put all of the following ingredients in a bowl, whisk them together, and drizzle the mixture over your steaks prior to serving.  This recipe is enough for 4-6 steaks.

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicy)

2 tsp dried oregano

1 cup of chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

The side dish I chose to make with our steaks was roasted bell pepper and cauliflower in lemon caper vinaigrette.  The simple recipe from Epicurious.com takes advantage of fresh vegetables and paired really well with the steak and chimichurri sauce.

If you read last night's entry, you know that we had a barely edible meal.  Tonight I redeemed myself, much to my (and my husband's) relief!!

Day 242: A Waste of Food & Money

This was an awful dinner.  One of the worst I've made in the past 242 days.  It was a recipe from Epicurious.com  - chicken with chickpeas and tomatoes, cooked in a spiced oil made with cumin, garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes.  How could that be bad?  Well, I don't know how it was bad, but it was BAD.

And that's about all I have to say about this meal.  I'm ready to move on.  And I owe my husband one bang up dinner tomorrow night!

Day 241: Tasty Turkey Tacos Tonight

There isn't much to say about tacos, other than - they're tasty.  They're easy to make.  And, if you make them with ground turkey breast, they are a downright healthy dinner!

I use good old McCormick reduced sodium taco seasoning packet and follow the instructions except - I cook up 1.25 to 1.33 lbs of ground turkey instead of an even pound.  I find that the amount of water on the envelope and the seasoning itself is enough to go around.  I also try to simmer the meat in the sauce for as long as possible for the most concentrated flavor.

Other regular items on our taco table are shredded lettuce, chopped vine ripened tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and homemade guacamole.  My guac recipe is:  one avocado, juice of 1/2 a lime (or more, depending on the size of the avocado), 1 T reduced fat sour cream or fat free greek yogurt, and 8-12 shakes of the Frank's Red Hot bottle.

The beauty of tacos is that there's no right or wrong way to enjoy them.  Beef or turkey, tortillas or hard shells, tomatoes or salsa - do it your way.  And if you have a unique slant to your tacos, do tell!

Day 240: Don't Always Do As You Are Told

If you follow the cooking instructions on the quinoa box, you are going to be disappointed.  At least the Trader Joe's quinoa.  Follow this steaming method, from Epicurious.com, and you'll have light, fluffy quinoa that's similar in consistency to couscous and you will be happy!

Place 1 cup of quinoa in a metal strainer in very small holes and rinse thoroughly under cold water.  Boil a medium sized pot of water, add quinoa, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Strain the quinoa.  Place some water back in the pot, bring to a simmer, and lay the metal strainer with the quinoa over the top.  Cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel and then cover that with the pot lid.  Steam the quinoa like that for another 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid, and leave the quinoa covered with the towel for 5 minutes.  Comb with a fork and you'll have light and fluffy quinoa!

Meanwhile...place the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tsp of sugar, and 2 T of olive oil in a bowl.  Whisk together and when quinoa is done, mix it in.  Season to taste with S&P.

We had sauteed shrimp and sugar snap peas over our quinoa.  This is also very easy:

Coat a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Lay down 24 large shelled shrimp in a single layer (do this in shifts if they don't all fit).  The first ones you put down will be ready to turn by the time you lay down the last one, so flip them all over.  Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside, covered with foil.

If you're lucky, you'll have some shrimp fat stuck to the bottom off the pan.  Deglaze that with white wine, reduce the heat to medium low, and add 3 cloves of minced garlic.  Cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft - stir frequently to ensure it doesn't burn.  Add 1/2 pound of sugar snap peas and crank the heat up to medium high.  Cook the peas and garlic for about 10 minutes until they start to blister.  Watch the pan carefully.  If it seems to be too dry, putting the garlic at risk for burning, add another splash or two of white wine.  I added a splash about three times tonight, which tells you how important it is to watch it.

Once the peas are cooked to the desired doneness, add the shrimp and any juiced that collected and mix.  Cook for just another minute or two until the shrimp is heated through.  Spoon shrimp and peas over quinoa.

This was a light, fresh, healthy, easy dinner.  And, my husband asked me right away to make it again soon!  Let me know what you think when you try it!