Chia, Crumb, Curd

Yummy things from the week…

These Smash Bites are hard to find but they are a great snack. This flavor – peanut butter and concord grape jam) is my favorite.

Plain skyr with blueberries, blackberries, and homemade meyer lemon curd.

Homemade amaretto sours! I used meyer lemons, rose syrup, and added vodka.

Homemade cinnamon brownies with crumb cake topping. I left the eggs out of the batter like an idiot but they were still quite good.

We got For Five vodka pasta over the weekend and it was both surprisingly good and surprisingly good reheated.

Congee (brown rice cooked slowly with chicken broth, ginger, and white pepper) topped with a take on Thai basil turkey (ground turkey sauteed with dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, onion, and basil) with a fried egg and some crunchy chili flakes. Plus roasted purple cauliflower.

Sesame herb salads. Raw cabbage, boy choy, green onions, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, Fresno chili, and cilantro / dressed with sesame oil, lime juice, yuzu ponzu, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and Sriracha / with baked chicken, Whole Food’s sesame seaweed cashews, and sesame seeds.

Peanut butter red curry noodles. Brown rice Pad Thai noodles / baked extra-firm tofu / sauteed cabbage, bok choy, spinach, green onion, and cilantro with white pepper and rice vinegar / sauce – peanut butter, red curry paste, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and water.

Pickle Honey Mustard

It was an eclectic but tasty week. P.S. My best meal was at The Tyger catching up with out of town family (two sets of aunts and uncles!) – best bite was specifically the “Morning Glory,” stir-fried water spinach, with chili, garlic, and shrimp paste – but I took a long walk first and didn’t have my camera. Some highlights…

Smash Foods sunflower butter and strawberry jam bites. These are in my top-five favorite “bars.”

I always have to eat at least one yogurt bowl a week – plain Greek with blueberries, blackberries, and Heritage Flakes cereal.

I think every baked good is better mixed with plain Greek yogurt! This was a cookie dough chocolate cake (plus 99 Acres chocolate sunflower seed butter and blackberries).

Boba tea from Gong Cha. I did an iced black milk tea with black and white bobas <– the mix is definitely the way to go.

Turkey cheeseburger meatballs (ground turkey, salt, white pepper, panko bread crumbs, cream, ketchup, sesame seeds, chopped pickles, and sharp cheddar) with baked fries (tossed in smoked paprika and ranch seasoning) and the best snap peas (sauteed until almost charred with crumbly gouda, walnuts, and gochugaru).

Nachos! Whole Food’s honey mustard kettle chips with gruyere, gouda, chopped cornichon and sweet gherkin pickles, sauteed poblano pepper and green onion, and tofu cubes (marinated in pickle juice, baked, then sauteed with the best sauce – Trader Joe’s dill pickle mustard, gochujang, rice vinegar, honey, and a bit of water). Plus roasted broccoli.

Loaded tuna salad – canned tuna, chopped pickles and Trader Joe’s sweet and hot jalapenos, crunched honey mustard chips, pickle mustard, mayo, and Greek yogurt – with baked green beans.

Almond, Peanut, Pecan, Pistachio

Some favorites from this week…

Fun syrups from El Guapo, pecan and almond. They were good in iced coffees, okay in an iced matcha, and fantastic in an iced diet coke!

Obviously the best coffee of the week was the Dubai bar monthly special latte from Buzz’d.

My favorite skyr bowl this week had honey, salted peanuts, blackberries, and blueberries. I have been head over heels for the Driscoll’s “sweetest batch” blueberries.

I think I have tried and loved every flavor of these peelable gummies from Duane Reade. Peach was lovely and floral.

I’ll buy pretty much any new product Ben & Jerry’s puts out and this sundae style pint did not disappoint. It had butter toffee pecans!

I love a good egg salad. This one had chopped cornichons, poblano pepper, tons of mayo, and dijon mustard. Plus roasted broccoli on the side.

This dinner looks horrible but it really was good; brown rice and roasted riced cauliflower / baked eggplant sauteed with gochujang, black sesame paste, and sesame oil / a take on Korean steamed eggs / topped with chili crisp and peanuts.

I used leftover cauliflower/rice in kimchi fried rice. With poblano peppers, peas, green onions, eggs, soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar. Topped with surprisingly great grilled shrimp from Whole Foods.

Creamy gochujang pasta. Brown rice noodles tossed with cream cheese, gochujang, and sauteed dinosaur kale and green onions. Topped with sesame seeds and gochugaru and served next to some baked turkey meatballs.

Our favorite dinner of the week (month!) was savory oatmeal bowls. Trader Joe’s rolled oats with ancient grains and seeds / bok choy sauteed with ginger / TJ’s frozen tofu sheets / chili crisp / six-minute egg / candied peanuts with gochugaru.

Chili, Congee, Cookie, Chewy

It’s March tomorrow, thank goodness! Did February feel even longer than January this year? Some things from the last week…

I searched for months for this chocolate chip cookie Nesquik to add to iced coffees and it ended up being very lackluster.

Meanwhile these Smash Bites are perfectly satisfying.

This pre-dinner snack was brought to you by the word “chewy.”

Yogurt bowl mix of the week – plain skyr with blueberries, blackberries, and granola and All Bran buds.

Dinners this week were all about comforting meals (and an excessive amount of unphotographed take-out!). Congee – brown rice slow cooked in chicken broth, topped with garlicy sauteed collard greens, silken tofu, chili crisp, and green onion. I loved the silken tofu texture/temperature contrasts in this.

Chili when it’s chilly! We made a huge batch with ground turkey, pinto beans, sweet onion, zucchini, yellow bell pepper, poblano pepper, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and a ton of seasoning. I pre-cooked my veggies by roasting them in the oven and it worked out great. We always add fish sauce and dark soy sauce to our chili. Topped with tons of cheese, hot sauce, and plain skry. With beer bread on the side!

Thankful

No post last weekend because we were busy moving into OUR condo. We all (Webster included!) love it here and I feel very thankful.

Things from the past week…

Thanksgiving-themed foods abound!

I was in a celebratory mood and bought eggnog from my coffee one week early.

11/10 yogurt bowl – plain skyr with frosted bran flakes, blackberries, and persimmon.

I am a big fan of these chia Smash Bites. Blueberry and cashew butter.

Baskin Robbins seasonal ice creams – eggnog and pumpkin cheesecake. <– way better than I was anticipating, the pumpkin was loaded with cheesecake pieces and marshmallow swirl.

It’s soup season. This one was great. Chicken broth / canned diced tomatoes / roasted zucchini / sauteed onion and celery / baked chicken meatballs with garlic, panko, half and half, and hot sauce. Plus Trader Joe’s ciabatta.

Thanksgiving dinner-inspired fried rice. Leftover white rice and roasted cauliflower rice refried with eggs, smoked paprika, celery seed, butter, spicy candied pecans, dried cranberries, Trader Joe’s oven-roasted turkey breast, and sauteed onion, celery, and cremini mushroom. I topped my bowl with cranberry sauce and chipotle Cholula.

Thanksgiving dinner-inspired crunchwrap from Roast. Turkey, white cheddar, stuffing, cranberry jam, crispy onions, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Plus leftover zucchini and some blackberries.

Thanksgiving dinner nachos! Stuffing chips with Trader Joe’s unexpected cheddar, smoked turkey ham, spicy candied pecans, dried cranberries, poblanos and scallions sauteed in butter with celery seed, and topped with cranberry sauce. Plus leftover Thai green beans sauteed with gojuchang and cranberry.

Pita Pita

Some things from the past week…

We had the best coffee of our entire lives at Caphe Den. A (thick, delicious) phin brew topped with egg cream.

Homemade iced coffee with rose vanilla syrup.

Chia Smash chocolate peanut butter and raspberry jam bites are wonderfully tasty and satisfying.

I didn’t really like this brownie batter Noosa. Will I accept that I don’t like sweet yogurts? Never.

Reese’s Big Cups with gooey chocolate are the best candy on Earth; amazingly, they are even better than the chip ones.

Mochi breads from Croffle House. These were great. We got sweet potato, chestnut (our favorite), and pumpkin.

Pita pocket dinners! Cheeseburger-inspired. Sauteed ground turkey with green onions, pickles, and ketchup/mayo/yellow mustard/Greek yogurt, plus sharp cheddar. With sauteed broccoli slaw.

Tuna melt. A mix of canned tuna and smoked trout with Greek yogurt, mayo, pickle juice, capers, and green onion. With sharp cheddar and fried in an egregious amount of butter. Plus steamed green beans sauteed with butter, lemon juice, and garlic.

Mediterranean salmon. Frozen salmon patties with a homemade tzatziki (yogurt with lemon, cucumber, and ranch seasoning). Plus sauteed baby zucchini with capers and roasted red pepper.

Homemade pita chips! With roasted broccoli, honey nut squash (our favorite), red kuri squash (not for us, apparently), and salmon candy spread.

Plus a perfect take-out dinner. Memphis bbq rub popcorn chicken and cajun fries with peanut sauce steamed rice rolls. I also had some leftover broccoli and baby carrots with my dipping sauces (bbq and Cane’s – we stopped in to buy a Diet Coke and I wisely also purchased a single sauce!).

P.S. It is Pumpkin Month tomorrow!!

Sandwich Week Forever

Sandwich highlights from the week…

Ice cream sandwich. Nightingale makes the best.

PB&J things. Smash Bites with chia seed jam. These were a bit savory-sweet and had a great texture; I ended up loving them.

Yogurt bowl. Plain skyr with crunchy peanut butter, blueberry jam, and blueberries and blackberries.

Chip City peanut butter cookie (perfect blend of chewy and crispy) stuffed with grape jelly.

Turkey. We baked thin patties out of ground turkey, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. On toasted whole-wheat bread with an artichoke spread (plain Skry, marinated artichokes, dijon mustard, and lemon juice). Plus roasted cauliflower.

Chicken. Chopped on hero – baked chicken breast (marinated in yogurt, gochujang, and oyster sauce), sharp cheddar, radish kimchi (crisped in a skillet with green onions and sugar), and Kewpie mayo. Plus roasted brussel sprouts.

Beef. Takeout from Roast – roast beef with mozzarella, horseradish sauce, garlic butter, and crispy onions on an everything ciabatta / shaved rib eye, mozzarella, and garlic aioli on a housemade onion hero / fries. Plus green beans that I steamed then sautéed with honey, mustard, and vinegar.

Crab. Rangoon-style filling (crab meat, green onion, sharp cheddar, sugar, sweet chili sauce, and cream cheese) on toasted whole wheat bread. Plus roasted zucchini.

WBEC

Things from the weekend…

I had a free drink at Starbucks so I took a chance on a Neapolitan-style cold brew and it ended up working out. Vanilla cold foam, mocha sauce, and raspberry popping boba. It was a bit too sweet but I thought the fruity boba paired nicely with coffee (the baristas were horrified).

Buzz’d Coffee‘s monthly special was a cake batter iced latte so of course I drove over.

I made brownies for a work party so of course I put one on a yogurt bowl. With plain skyr, plucot, and blueberries. P.S. My brownies always get rave reviews and they are just the Baker’s recipe using salted butter and adding a Tbsp of espresso powder and a cup of chocolate chips.

A more traditional yogurt bowl – pb&j. Plain skyr, fruit, peanut butter, and Chia Smash concord grape jam.

Lavash wrap with yellow mustard, bread and butter pickles, cheese, and leftover turkey meatballs.

Lunch at Honey’s Bistro, a cute spot in Glen Head. I had the “Eat a Jerk Don’t Be One” bowl and it was super satisfying and delicious. Jerk chicken, sweet plantains, mac salad, grilled zucchini, spicy corn, coleslaw, cilantro aioli, and white rice. P.S. The menu is rife with puns (Harissa Explains it All bowl!!).

Also a guava bomboloni.

And a coconut brown sugar cold foam cold brew.

This peanutty noodle bowl frozen meal from Trader Joe’s was edible but not enjoyable and I wouldn’t recommend it nor buy it again.

This dinner was simple but a total hit. Homemade coleslaw (shredded cabbage, Greek yogurt, mayo, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, sugar, and celery seed) topped with buffalo chicken (baked chicken tossed in a skillet with butter, Franks, and ranch seasoning).

Waffle bacon egg and cheese, aka WBEC, aka the best meal of the weekend. Whole Foods buttermilk protein waffles as bread with sliced Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, soft-scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and maple Sriracha sauce (with mayo and Dijon mustard). Plus roasted broccoli.