Author: foodsweatandbeers

Crawfish Connection

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Ugh. The beginning of the week was definitely an uphill battle.  Early Monday morning flight leaving my loved ones, and Tuesday was just Dreadful with a capital D.  The other capital D?

The Dentist.

Instruments of Torture?

Last year I had some pretty rough dental issues (which included a hilarious trip to get my wisdom teeth removed) and I’ve been procrastinating the last of my dental work for ALMOST a year.  Well this year, I went in prepared.

I had my iPod ready for action, and my brain convinced that the blinding light above me was the sun, on a warm Ocean City beach.

(Hey, I was trying.)

It didn’t matter that much, my hands were shaking, and I was a little panicky by the time my second cavity was being filled (I get it, I HAVE bad teeth.)

Sheer terror? Maybe.

2 hours later, I had a sore mouth, but one with severely less tooth decay.  And that’s important.

But let’s get into the real point of this post.  Tonight is an epic night: One night only Crawfish EXTRAVAGANZA at Rockfish! And that is delicious, and reminds me of other important Crawfish experiences of my life.  For a Yankee girl from Pennsylvania, I’ve had a few….

Two stand out in particular, mostly due to how incredibly different they were, and how different I was during each.

Put up yer dukes!

The first took place the summer immediately after I graduated from UNC in 2009.  Bowling Green, Kentucky, with Ryan’s dad and his dad’s buddy. It was epic, it was in a neighborhood, and…  I was on crutches.

Hungry hobbler.

Did I mention I was about 40 lbs heavier than I am today?

Basically, they parked me at a folding chair (near the keg) as Ryan brought me plates of crawfish.  It may sound pleasant but, other than the tastiness of the little critters, it was kind of lonely.

My only friend.

I ended up getting a little drunker than I would’ve liked (for some reason, everyone likes to bring the girl with the crutches beer…) and mostly felt like a bum.  Yes, part of it was the whole “broken foot” thing. But even if it hadn’t been broken, I was overweight, I was lazy, and mostly just sat around.  I didn’t really try to get around, I just felt sorry for myself.

Fast forward to Spring 2011.

Still eating. That's so Jordan.

Two years later, I was a totally different person. Crawfish boils are social events, and I actually treated this one (a fraternity event for my beau’s chapter) as it should be treated.  I ate and drank, but that’s not ALL I did.  I met new people, I ran around, I enjoyed the music, I danced.

A lot.

I like to move it, move it.

I can’t help but feel a special connection to crawfish boils.  They combine some of my favorite things in this world:

  • Southern tradition
  • Good food
  • A heavy hand with the Cayenne pepper
  • (Usually) tasty beers
  • An opportunity to get acceptably messy while eating
  • Socializing

And the first time I went to one, I missed out on all of that (except the food and beer.)

Now I know that, as with all my favorite food events (Brazilian steakhouses, barbecues, DIY taco nights, Fondue, hibachi) it’s very easy to overeat if all you focus on is the food. But if you appreciate the WHOLE experience, there’s so much more to it.

Crawfish: Bringing people together.

What’s your favorite interactive dining experience?

Triangle Bucket List

/ foodsweatandbeers / 19 Comments

I’ve alluded to this before, but I wanted to put this down for posterity, now that plans are being made!

This is my “bucket list” before I leave the Research Triangle of North Carolina.  Some of these are long-time goals.  Some of them are things I’ve tried before, but MUST do again before I go. And, let’s be honest, lots of them are food-related.  Hey, I like what I like!

Also, I’ll be adding to this list as I see fit.  Or changing it. But it should be an adventure, no matter what!

Uniquely Triangle Activites

Doughman Challenge
Durham Bulls game (Tuesday, May 1st, 2012)
Healthiest You Challenge (ACTUALLY lose some weight/inches!)
Tour of our State Capitol
Movie at the Carolina Theater in Durham
Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Rialto in Raleigh (Fridays at Midnight!)
Tour de FroYo (Tutti Frutti vs. Menchie’s vs. Moonberries vs. Sweet Frogs?)
Food Truck Visits (re-visits, in most cases) Klausie’s Pizza, Chirba Chirba, Baguettaboutit, Monuts Donuts

Incredible, Edible Adventures

Dos Perros
Dames Chicken and Waffles
Lantern
Crooks Corner (honeysuckle sherbet, if I can get it!) Done and DONE! 4/27/12
The Pit for BBQ
Pokey Sticks from Gumby’s 
Make meal entirely from Farmer’s Market
Sandwich at Neal’s Deli in Carrboro
Dinner at Med Deli in Chapel Hill
Macaroon from Mad Hatter Bakery  (5/10/12)

Boozing! 

Flying Saucer (Beer AND brats!)
Tyler’s Beer Garden in Durham
Tuesday night out in Chapel Hill (Franklin Street, to be exact!)
Blue Cup/Karaoke at He’s Not Here
Fridays on the Front Porch

Wanna join me for any of these?  Have any suggestions? I’m open to any/everything!!

Since this post has no pictures, and I hate that, here’s one of me (Out in Chapel Hill on a Tuesday night!)

OLD SCHOOL!! Check out my sweet eyebrow ring.

Mix Six Monday

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

You know, if all my Six Pack Sundays are written on Monday, are they still Six Pack Sundays?

Probably.  But let’s not cheat.  Instead, let’s eat.  Or at least run through all the tasty things that I ate this past week!!

1. Trader Joe’s Pizza Party!!

It's not delivery, it's TJs!

Last night, between four of us, we almost ate two entire doughballs worth of Trader Joe’s homemade pizzas! On this one: 4 cheese sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. On the other (with the garlic & herb crust!): a “sauce” of butter, garlic, and some oil, mozzarella, pepper bacon from the AMISH, and tomato.  I couldn’t even control myself.  So flipping tasty, so easy, so fun.  Thank goodness for pizza stones!

2.  Saison du BUFF!

VICTORY!

Ok, I didn’t eat that guy. But I DID drink the beer resting on his hulking arm.  Saison du Buff (the Victory version).  Alas, the verdict was that I was not really a fan, though it kind of reminded me of a more bitter Fullsteam Summer Basil (of which I’m a HUGE fan.)  I’ll just have to try the other Saison du Buffs to see how the trio holds up.

(PS: Would you believe, the day before this shot was taken, this guy underwent major, invasive back surgery? Yeah, I think it was all a big hoax, too.  The most elaborate hoax that involved multiple doctors and a hospital stay.

He’s a trickster like that.)

3. Keeping it Green

Healthy! And BRIGHT!

I’m convinced that, if my eye was a DSLR (instead of an eye), I’d wanna eat veggies even MORE than I do now (which is pretty regularly).  Those roasted asparagus stalks look sexy beyond belief.  That salmon doesn’t look too bad, either.

Down, Jordan. No need to get all worked up…. you can recreate this dish another time.

4. Federal Donuts: More like Federal GO NUTS!!

Oh, Federal... you do donuts RIGHT!

Wait, did I forget to mention I went up to Philly  this weekend?

Because I did.  And I bought myself (and a few other people) some donuts. Not just any donuts, though.  Federal Donuts.

Sure, the store is itty bitty and, yes, I may have scratched my mom’s car pulling out of the impossible parking area when a garbage truck blocked me in.

But that’s okay, because these things are AMAZING!

Only open from 7am-3pm (weekdays) or 7pm (weekends), this joint regularly sells out of their scrumptious ‘nuts. And their hots (Appollonia, Indian Cinnamon, Vanilla Lavender) were amazing, but I also go to try two of their limited edition “Fancies”:

Root Beer Float
Root beer glaze with vanilla ice cream icing.

Gingersnap Cookie  (pictured above!)
Ginger glaze with gingersnap cookie crumb

GET THEE TO FEDERAL, STAT!!

But don’t drive a new car. Just walk.

5. Farmers Suck at Popping Corn

I’ll admit, I mostly bought this for the novelty.

Where's my corn cob pipe?

But this little cob produced a seriously disappointing amount of actual popcorn.  And for about $3, I feel a little ripped off. If I see that Kansas farmer any time soon, I’m gonna ask him for some more popcorn (especially if we’re in a movie theater.)

6.Not Bad, Fake Meat Producers… Not bad at all.

Top Notch Pulled "shreds"

Even though I’m eating meat again (a lot of it), I had a package of these Gardein pulled “shreds” leftover from the Pescatarian Lent.  Last week, I used them as the topper of a few of my salads…. I was pleasantly surprised! Yup, they’re loaded in carbs. But the sweet sauce ALMOST tricks you into thinking that you’re eating slightly bland pork.  That doesn’t sound glowing, I know, but seriously, I’d definitely get these again.

Tonight, I take my first water aerobics class (which may help to counteract some of that pizzabeershredsdonut bloat I’m feeling.

Are there any food “crazes” that you’re 100% behind?  Gourmet donuts could be my latest obsession.

‘Cuz I’m Bossy

/ foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

I don’t really like board games. And I hate bowling.  Mini golf, go-karts racing, and the like… They bring out this intense, competitive creature that normally lies dormant inside of me, and she’s kind of a jerk, so I tend to avoid them like the plague.

But there’s another activity that fills me with this unexpected aggression that you’d never see coming.

When I go to a new Zumba class, I feel like I am at my first day in prison. I can’t help but assert myself as the baddest bitch in the class. My claps are loud, my hips are bootylicious, and my steps are huge.

And I wear shirts like this:

Come at me, bro.

With Arnold by my side, you better believe I was the boss of yesterday’s class.

(I’m a crazy person.)

 

Healthiest You Challenge: Let the Games Begin!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

So I haven’t necessarily been the healthiest Holly lately. There have been pork parties, Beer Festivals and entire bottles of champagne, and a few too many Easter Peeps (when you’re at the Peeps mecca, it’s hard to resist).  And I’ll let you in on a little inside scoop: It’s sort of been on purpose.

I know, I know, what kind of a reformed overeater am I?

The kind that’s been gearing up for something big.

I was notified, not too long ago, that I was selected to participate in a most EXCITING adventure! UNC Health Care and 1360 WCHL are putting on their second annual Healthiest You Challenge, during which 8 teams of 8 will compete against each other for 8 weeks to get fit, get healthy, and get down to business.  We had our weigh-in on Sunday so, I’ll be honest, I might’ve crammed a few extra pork bites in the mouth before the big step on the scale!

All the stats!

My blood pressure was apparently a little higher than usual, I’m hoping that had more to do with the pork I crammed in my mouth earlier in the day, but hopefully a chat with my coach, an RD/LDN, could help me out.  I’ll work on it.

My team, The Drop-Off, is sponsored by The UPS Store.  Ha, get it, the drop-off?  While this does mean that our shirts are a weird looking brown/tan/beige/skin color, it also means WE COULD GET SOME FREE COPIES!

The little things, eh?

Yesterday, we had our launch. This included meeting our teammates and our coach, as well as a little tour of the UNC Wellness Center, our headquarters for lots of the workouts and services offered.

Sweet cardio section!

I loved their vast machine area, lots of cardio AND weights, something for everyone.

Upstairs track

We also checked out the track on the second floor, which also housed the cycle room or the Zumba room (I think it’s a multi-purpose room, depending on what day of the week it is).  On the left, you can sort of see the blue of the pool room. They also have a whirlpool and a sauna (!!!!! YES !!!!)

Another bonus?

We are REQUIRED to take advantage of a free massage from Massage Envy.

Fine, pull my leg.

I started off today strong, tracking my food intake and exercise on MyFitnessPal (I guess I’m the last human on the planet to try this out?)  It told me that “If every day were like today…   You’d weigh 164.2 lbs in 5 weeks.”

Little does it know that, in the next 5 weeks, all kinds of craziness will go down. I’ve got a trip home this weekend, a visit to Jersey in the middle of May, and that mysterious “Triangle Bucket List” that I’ve still yet to get all on paper.  But, with vigilance, exercise, and moderation, I think I can do it.  And I know I’ve said that whole “I can DO IT! I’m gonna stick with __ plan!” in the past, I think that those plans (30 Day Shred, Fitbook) were a little too unfamiliar. This plan feels more like Weight Watchers, which is what I had so much success with when I first lost 40 lbs.

Tracking.

Balancing.

Sweating.

I got this.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

Let the 74th Annual Hunger Games 2nd Annual Healthiest You Challenge begin!

Brooklyn Brewery Presents the Carolina Pork Experiment

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

As I bit into the perfectly crunchy piece of (what may’ve been grilled) bacon, wrapped around a tiny grit cake and a juicy shrimp, all I could think was “why would I EVER have given this up?!”

Ooh baby. Carolina pork trio, a strange pork tenderloin featuring a chocolate covered carrot (?!), and (maybe) Jerk Pork?

This.

Bacon wrapped bacon, tortilla pie, skewered porky delights, and PBT (Pork Belly Tomato!)

Pork.

Menage a pork, southern pork pastrami, pork humitas, bacon wrapped shrimp and grits!!

Far as the eye could see, pork treats galore!!

Brooklyn Brewery (a personal favorite of mine since I took the tour in the fall!) and the folks with the Food Experiments National Tour (check it out, coming to a city near you!) decided to visit Durham, NC to feature what Carolina chefs know best: PORK!

Goodness, did they respond!

What a menu!!

19 different dishes, served in cups and on plates, consumed with a spork and, in some cases (ribs!) bare fingers!  It was a pork-stravaganza! A porktacular! We enjoyed every bite.

For a paltry $10, spectators got to enjoy music at Motorco and try 19 different pork dishes. A Brooklyn Brewery beer was also included in the ticket price, but the pork ALONE tasted like it was at least worth $40.

My personal favorite was the “Bacon wrapped Bacon”, a tiny slider of bacon wrapped around (maybe) pork belly and served with a carrot ginger slaw.

What a beautiful sight!

The event sparked typical Durham mob-like mentality and, though we were the first in line (and thought that it was going to be barely attended), an hour after the doors opened, the line was down the street!  We opted to grab the bites in shifts, so as not to risk dropping anything or overwhelm our tastebuds as the food got cold.  Other folks waited in a massive line (that was sort of nonsensically snaking around the building) and loaded every single sample on their plates at once.

I would not recommend this method, as I saw a number of spills/drops and some sad, porkless faces.

Rookies.

If you’re wondering who I went with, it should be no surprise that I took my only? favorite beer buddy, Melissa.

She liked it.

Chow girl!

The bites were, for the most part, perfect, with only a few that had me shaking my head or wishing the pork was highlighted more (chocolate covered carrot skewer? No, thanks. I’m good.)

Since the audience voted for their favorites at the end, Melissa and I had to get our two favs a second time for a sudden death rematch.

For SCIENCE!

Shhh I liked it so much I snuck a second! It definitely got my vote.

The winner ended up being neither of our choices (the shrimp & grits/bacon wrapped bacon) but, instead, the Beer, Bacon, and Bean ice cream by You’re Bacon Me Crazy who will represent Carolina in the “finals” in Brooklyn, later this spring/summer.

For more results, check out the official Carolina Pork Experiment Results Page!

If you’re in DC (next weekend, the 22nd of April) or Philadelphia (May 6) check out what the local chefs put together. I think the DC theme is Chinese Take Out and Philly is SANDWICHES!! (I’m tempted to journey up just to try some of these goodies!)

As always, when you combine pork, beer, and Carolina, everyone left happy.

Tasty pork = happy ladies!

About an hour later, I had to lay on my tummy to cope with the pork coma that I’m still recovering from.

Worth it.

What would you make if your only requirement was a “Pork” inspired dish?

Six Pack Sunday: Champagne Wishes and Pretzel Necklace Dreams

/ foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Oh my goodness, this week was definitely a marathon, not a sprint.  It was long, it was busy, but it was filled with the most delicious foods, some fantastic friends, and not even CLOSE to enough sleep.

No worries, though, more fodder to write about, right?

That’s right, Six Pack Sunday, y’all!

1. A New Friend!

Introducing: Takito!

Hey there, little one!

My dear friend and (fraternity) brother, Brooke, CREATED this amazing piece of artwork out of glass!! He’s been telling me for years that he was going to do it and I always sort of just assumed that it was our long running joke. And then, as a total surprise to me, he showed up with a box marked FRAGILE tied in twine and filled with bubble wrap. Bubble wrap and a beautiful handmade glass octopus.

I’m in love (though I can’t tell whether it’s with the octopus or Brooke…)

Brooke let me know that tako is the Japanese word for octopus and, since this little fellow is so small, I figured he should be named Takito instead.  Now I just need to find the right spot for him, a spot of dignity and honor!

2. Accidental Champagne 

(But really, when is champagne ever REALLY an accident?)

Sometimes, at a cocktail party, I decide to only drink champagne.

And then, the bartender tells me that, as the only one who was drinking it, the empty bottle was definitely achieved, singlehandedly, by MOI!

Oops.

3. Big Thangs

oh snap.

4. Pretzel Power

World Beer Festival was on Saturday.  I think I took like, 8 total pictures. I was definitely more focused on the beer this year, and less focused on snapping photos like a lunatic. But trust me, I looked great doing it.  Mostly due to one key accessory.

I'm thinking of starting a fashion blog.

Fact: Yogurt covered pretzels, while lovely to look at, MELT on a hot day. And gummy bears are very tough to string.

5. New Glarus Black Top!

Another tasty beer that was NOT at the festival?

So good.

From the brewer: Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness. Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. 

From MOI: SO tasty! I’ll admit, a lot of times I end up having high hopes for “black IPAs” only to be disappointed. Not the case with Black Top!  All the way from Wisconsin, this beer was a Christmas present and, with a piney aroma, it reminded me of Christmas! The taste wasn’t too complex, yet there was still a hoppiness and a chocolate taste.  Mama like.

6. I think I ate my body’s weight in pork, today.

But more on that tomorrow.  Or Tuesday.

No women dressed as pigs were harmed though, don't worry.

Ugh, pork coma.

Time for Fringe and rest.  Lots of both.

What was the best food you ate this weekend?

How about the tastiest drink?

Veggie-Packed Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

That title, that was the inspiration of my day yesterday.  I wanted mac and cheese, I wanted buffalo chicken and I KNEW I needed some veggies in the mix.  It was all I was thinking about all morning.

It was on my mind while I was eating breakfast.

Oh, it is love.

Welcome the newest addition to my breakfast lineup: Almond Breeze Almond Milk & Coconut Milk Blend. My local Harris Teeter featured this as a NEW ITEM and I can’t resist bold letters and coconut anything.

The verdict? It’s amazing. It’s like a little pina colada in my morning cereal!! Adding in some pineapples, I basically feel like, even though I’m eating twigs (errr… I mean Fiber Fruit & Nut cereal), breakfast time has become a mini-vacation. I mean, I’m not off in the tropics (yet) but it’s delicious.

The mac and cheese was still on my mind when I stopped by the grocery store (to pick up the ingredients).  Luckily, I also picked up a little amuse-bouche from the in-store Starbucks.

Hand shown for perspective

I present the tiniest, tastiest Starbucks shot.  I wanna tell you it was a strawberry smoothie, but I honestly don’t know. It was pink, covered in whipped cream, and even had it’s own tiny straw.  Irresistible.

And, of course, it was on my mind when I got home.  So I did some searching on the internet, scouring Pinterest to see if this had been done before.  And maybe it had, but I got lazy and decided to do it on my own.

The results were cheesy, healthy(ish), and delicious.

Appetizing looking? Maybe not. Fantastic? Absolutely.

I didn’t write down exacts, but here’s the best I got for a recipe.

Ingredients:

  • One cup of whole wheat rotini pasta
  • 2 Cups of water (for cooking the pasta)
  • 1/5 of a red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 of a red pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of EVOO
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of finely riced cauliflower
  • 1 Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge
  • 1/4 cup of Frank’s Red Hot (original is my favorite)
  • 1 Chicken Breast (grilled and chopped in bits)
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • As much shredded cheese as you’d like (I went with about 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar, and a few sprinkles of mozzarella and “Mexican blend” cheese)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta as directed, and set aside.
  3. Sauté onion and pepper in the olive oil until soft and delicious.
  4. Place pasta, chicken, and veggies (onions, cauliflower, red pepper) in a loaf pan, stirring to mix up ingredients.
  5. Put milk, Laughing Cow wedge, and 3/4 of the cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second spurts, stirring so that it becomes creamy.
  6. Pour creamy cheese over mix, adding Frank’s Red Hot to the mix and stir, coating all the pasta/chicken/veggies (liberally).
  7. Sprinkle extra cheese over the mix for a meltiness.
  8. Place pan in the oven, and cook until hot and melted.
  9. Enjoy the HECK out of it!!

Add some extra Frank's if you are addicted to heat.

So good.

What food (foods) do you get cravings for?

Mac and Cheese is always one of mine.

Six Pack S’Monday: National Harbor Hot Spots

/ foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Sometimes, when life throws you lemons a buddy driving up to DC who’s stowaway friendly, you gotta make lemonade pack your bags and get ready for action.  So that’s what I did. I loaded up Melissa’s car with 2 small backpacks and 9 bananas (part of the 11 I got for $1 on Thursday!) and hopped in the front seat.  I decided to surprise my baby sister, Kiley, who was playing volleyball at the Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, a GORGEOUS place I’d never been before right on the Potomac River.

Since yesterday was a long day of driving, I didn’t have time to squeak in a normal Six Pack Sunday, but a day late is still great.

1. Lukewarm Lunchmeat

Not even if I were eating meat, thanks.

Road trips are great places to find ridiculous edible items.  These Go Picnic snack packs looked great, except for one key piece: room-temperature meats and cheeses.  Though I found these whilst still being a Pescatarian Polly, I can tell you I’d never buy one, no matter how hungry I happened to be.

2. Mad Men (Rated M)

At least this scene was decent

The thing about watching Mad Men on the treadmill is that there are some awesome scenes where Peggy is talking smack with the boys, and it’s hilarious. Then, there are times where the Sterling Cooper fellows head to a strip club, and I’m in a hotel fitness room surrounded by the parents of teenage volleyball players.  Awkward, much?

Much too much.

I listened to Pandora for the rest of my workout.

3. Peeps Store (Yes, it exists.)

??!?!

And it is AWESOME.

Glowing gloriously.

You can imagine how packed it was during Easter weekend.  So much marshmallow.

4. The Little Giant Mermaid

I’ve never worn shells as a bra but, when you’re wearing teal pants (close enough to a fin, right?) and you spot the most inspiring rock, you don’t really have a choice, do you?

Part of that worlddddddddddddddddddd

You want thingamabobs? I’ve got 20.

5. National Zoo: Dream Come True!

Red Panda Party!

We never thought that Easter Sunday would be a packed day at the National Zoo. We were totally shocked when we got there, parking was damned near impossible, and the lines for the panda exhibit were football-field length.  But it was all worth it (the time, as admission is FREE!!) when we saw this tiny red panda climbing up some logs. The tigers was fierce, the lions were larger than life, and the monkey jerking it…. well that was just icing on the cake.

6. Pinky Rides the Bull

Fun tip: When you think your pink bra won’t show through your black top, you’re wrong.

Yeeeee haw!

After a lot of squats the week before, and a little too much time on the hip abduction and adduction machines, my thighs were totally unprepared for what a killer workout it is holding onto a bucking bull, even if he was mechanical.  But, for $3 at Cadillac Ranch in National Harbor, I couldn’t resist!! I held on as long as I could (which likely wasn’t very long, though it felt like forever) before I felt something slipping. DAMN my decision to rock the leggings! I slipped right off that bull and into the inflatable ring, laughing the whole time.  It was a blast, and I’d TOTALLY do it again! Though next time, I think I’ll try to pack some shorts… or at least chaps.

Thanks, National Harbor, for showing us a good time.

Ever rode a bull (live OR mechanical)? How long did you stay on?  Any tips?

What’s your favorite exhibit at the zoo?

Mine’s normally not at the zoo at all, but the aquarium.  And it’s ALWAYS the Jellyfish.

Baked Plaintain Chips (or How to Spoil Your Appetite and Eat Anyway!)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 16 Comments

I contemplated starting this post by saying like “I have a confession…” but then I remembered that I hate when bloggers “Confess” something that isn’t worth confessing.

“I am addicted to almond butter!”

“I sometimes skip my workouts because I’m tired!”

“I love lamp.”

Honestly, it makes me wonder if they REALLY love lamp, or if they’re just saying it because they saw it.

So here’s just something I wanted to share, no confession needed:  Sometimes, I go to the grocery store twice a day.  I live 0.3 miles from the nearest Harris Teeter, and it’s right between my office and apartment.  At lunch, after work, if I need something for a recipe in the middle of cooking, it’s always nearby.  I’m there a lot (I think the sample guy hates me.)  But it DOES result in a lot of great deals when I pop in on my favorite “Reduced for Quick Sale” items.  You know, the battered and bruised veggies and fruits that are just aching for a home.  My newest adoptions?

Plantain in the Membrane!

Those brown beauties were just waiting for a loving, hungry lady like myself to snatch them up and, for 3/$1, I couldn’t say no!

After deciding against frying them, or really doing anything too involved, I figured the best route was ol’ reliable. Slice/Dice/Roast. Bingo.

After preheating the oven to 450 degrees, I sprayed some parchment paper with a bit of Olive Oil spray, placed all my plantain disks on the paper, and sprinkled them with some cinnamon and a little bit of salt.

Such beauties!

I put them in the center rack of the oven for about 10-12 minutes, flipping them over once (the skinnier ones burned a bit). That wasn’t a problem, however, as I discovered the joy of Plantain Peanut Butter Sandwiches! Just take a few extra crispy ones, add a smidge of PB, and voila! Problem solved.

The Salt Bear approves

I can’t deny that these bad boys are addictive. They’re crispy like chips, sweet, and, with some peanut butter, downright indulgent.  I tried my best to save some space for the main event, though:

Tuna-tastic

Though my seared, chia-seed crusted tuna didn’t have that beautiful red center I’ve dreamt about, primarily because it has been frozen for quite some time waiting for me to thaw and devour it… But I still felt pretty delighted with the end result: Honey Soy Marinated Chia Seed crusted Ahi Tuna. And, if I ever come up with a legit recipe, I’ll share it.  Until then, just imagine something tasty.  So tasty that, even if you were full on Plantain Peanut Butter Sandwiches, you’d still enjoy.

And now, I’ll go enjoy the season finale of Mad Men.  Season 1.  Better late than never….