Tag Archives: greens

Chop Chop

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Things from this week…

Two types of blueberry drinks. We adore the Once Upon a Coconut blueberry, it is my favorite coconut water.

I bought a box of Melo bars without tasting them (flavor untasted?) and fortunately the 1st two kinds I tried were great.

I obviously bought this Slice soda because of it’s font/branding but I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor.

Gigantic dessert yogurt bowl – plain skyr, Ben and Jerry’s s’mores bites (this was a fantastic idea!), cereal, granola, and tons of blueberries and blackberries.

Chopped chicken sandwiches. I am so glad we started making these! Chopped together on the cutting board – baked chicken, sharp cheddar, Kewpie, garlicy sauteed broccoli rabe, kimchi sauteed with scallions and butter and sugar. Plus a side of roasted green bell pepper and purple cauliflower with curry powder, sweet and spicy pecans, and dried cranberries.

Big salads. Romaine with ponzu vinaigrette, bell pepper, scallions, bean sprouts, sharp cheddar, packaged fried tofu, and Trader Joe’s crispy mochi nuggets (10/10).

Chicken salad. I put so many things in here I don’t think I remember them all but this was definitely baked chicken with skyr, mayo, dijon, hoisin, lemon juice, scallions, celery, and toasted slivered almonds. Plus a Bibigo kimchi and cheese rice ball, buttered toasted baguette, and roasted zucchini.

A take on chicken laab. I loosely followed this recipe but used ground chicken, doubled the onion, swapped guava jelly for tamarind, and added bean sprouts. Plus a quick cucumber salad (sugar, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and yuzu ponzu).

Chili, Congee, Cookie, Chewy

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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!

Painkillers In The Snow

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I knew we’d been homesick after my mom left so I filled the week with Caribbean flavors to remind us of home! Highlights…

This week’s coffee combo.

Smoothie – pineapple with frozen peaches, water, and vanilla protein powder.

The last of the hibiscus iced brownies.

Tropical candies. Passionfruit marshmallows and pineapple and passionfruit gummies. Both were delicious.

Painkillers!

I also made rum and coke slushies.

We love our loose take on callaloo – chopped spinach sauteed with yellow onion, habanero pepper, and garlic, with crab meat and coconut milk. Plus I made dumb bread – with butter and cheese – that we adored.

Rice and beans (brown rice with yellow onion, ginger, habanero pepper, dark kidney beans, and coconut milk) with baked salmon cakes (canned salmon with green onion, egg, panade, mayo, smoked paprika, and Jamaican curry powder) and roasted peppers (bell, poblano, and onions).

Sweet (Heart)

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This week I loved…

Valentine’s themed foods!

See also – my coffees were all some version of chocolate and/or strawberry.

See also also – chocolate-covered [blank] smoothies! Frozen sweet dark cherries with vanilla protein powder and chocolate milk.

Frozen strawberries with chocolate protein powder and chocolate milk.

Korean honey cookies a nurse brought for me because I raved about them when she brought them in for Christmas.

I made brownies with hibiscus cream cheese frosting!

Baked jalapeno popper meatballs. Ground turkey with panade, Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy jalapenos, and cream cheese. Plus roasted brussels sprouts.

Leftover meatballs on fancy salads – baby spinach, balsamic vinaigrette, strawberries, Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy pecans, and blue cheese.

Turkey meatloaf. With panade, caramelized onions, ketchup, hoisin, gochujang, and extra-sharp cheddar. Plus roasted cauliflower and Bibigo frozen rice balls with kimchi and cheese.

(C)how Fun

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Fun eats from the past week…

A coffee date at Quhwah House. I got an iced Yemeni latte (great in theory but I ultimately am just not a ginger in coffee fan) and we shared a yummy creamy pistachio dessert.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this Cafe Bustelo coffee. Not as good as brewing their coffee myself but the best pre-made coffee I’ve tried.

Snack plate – olive oil and za’atar labne, baby carrots, and corn fritters (we got bar food one night!).

I went to J-Mart for fresh noodles and scored in their amazing snack isle – these Sichuan pepper chips were fantastic.

Drinks and desserts at Whisk and Whiskey. We really enjoyed this spot and want to go back ASAP.

We made Hummingbird High’s best ever banana bread recipe.

I, of course, ate some cubed in a yogurt bowl with blueberries.

And, of course, I toasted thick slices to be the B in BEC (banana bread, soft-scrambled eggs, extra-sharp cheddar). Served with blueberries and roasted green beans.

Another fun dinner I made was Leah Cohen’s recipe for Chow Fun! With baked chicken subbed in for beef and roasted zucchini subbed in for bean sprouts. It was delicious.

Big salads. Romaine / cucumber / balsamic vinaigrette / roasted pumfu (pumpkin seed tofu) / crispy rice (leftover black rice roasted with soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili crisp).

Best meal of the week = Bricolage. We’ve loved this Vietnamese spot for years. Their take on coquito blew me away – Ten to One dark rum, house-made creamy coconut spice blend, and Chinese cardamom. I also had a great Vietnamese Espresso Martini – Grainger’s vodka, chicory infused coffee, condensed milk, and five spice coffee garnish.

Mushroom ginger congee with lemongrass tofu.

Five spice roasted honey nut squash with maple gastrique and a kale cauliflower cous cous salad.

Hawker broad noodles – fresh flat rice noodles, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese broccoli, cherry tomato, peanuts, crispy shallots, and spiced soy three-bean peanut sauce.

Caramelized shrimp pot – Gulf shrimp, baby bok choy, onion, cherry tomato, and scallions in a caramel-chili sauce. This is my favorite dish on the menu!

Oodles

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Two down! Some highlights from a tasty week…

This week’s coffee was Madrinas’ cheesecake instant cold brew. The flavor was nice (not artificial tasting) and it mixed easily but this was a bit sweet for me; I liked it best mixed with half water and half black coffee.

Peanut butter cup protein cookie yogurt bowl. Plain Greek with chocolate protein powder, chunky peanut butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips.

One of my best yogurt bowls in recent memory – plain Greek with granola, blueberries, and a perfect persimmon.

Lobster sandwich sushi from Iavarone Brothers. I was underwhelmed by their pizza but the sushi counter was a nice find.

Trader Joe’s spinach and artichoke dip / a take on baba ganoush (roasted eggplant with Greek yogurt, evoo, black sesame paste, lemon, garlic, salt, and sumac) / Simple Mills garlic and herb seed flour crackers.

Chinese take-out in bulk. Beef and broccoli / General Tso’s chicken / veggie lo mein / crab rangoon / and veggie dumplings.

Zoodle/noodle bowls. Ramen noodles, spiralized zucchini, roasted sprouted tofu, scallions, and garlic sauteed with this sauce.

Kale Caesar salad for the win. Kale massaged with evoo, lemon, and salt / roasted cruciferous crunch veggie mix / parmesan cheese / Trader Joe’s frozen chicken nuggets / homemade pretzel bread croutons / homemade dressing (in the food processor – Greek yogurt, mayo, dijon, evoo, lemon juice, garlic, capers, black pepper, anchovies, and parmesan).

Hello, 2025

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One week down, fifty-one to go! Here were some highlights from the start of 2025…

The best yogurt bowl of the year (haha) – plain skyr with blueberries and ube polvorons.

I also went classic with granola, peanut butter, and blueberries.

The passion fruit ice cream mochi from Bubbies are a 10/10.

We were home on the 1st for a fancy last night of Hannukah lunch – bagel latke plates. Trader Joe’s frozen potato latkes / cream cheese home-mixed with sauteed scallion and garlic / mashed avocado / cucumber / Acme smoked salmon candy.

Every year on the 1st we make sure to eat black eyed peas and collard greens for dinner. Fun fact – I also make sure to go for a run on every new year and birthday. Collard greens sauteed with garlic, duck sausage, and Crystal hot sauce. Black eyed peas sauteed with green onions, roasted poblano, shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, Kewpie, and chipotle Cholula.

Ground turkey sauteed with cream cheese, gochujang, lemon juice, mustard and honey mustard served on sauteed shredded brussel sprouts with leftover laktes.

Turkey meatloaf (a buffalo version with Frank’s and blue cheese) with roasted broccoli and homemade ranch sauce.

Afghan take-out from Kandahar Grill. Mantoo dumplings, chicken tikka skewers with rice, Bolani flatbread, Banjan (fantastic fried eggplant) with Afghan bread, plus chicken kofta and lamb tikka skewers.

Sand To Snow

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Last week we ended our work-week early and took some vacation days to go home to St. Thomas! Runs along the ocean, iced coffees while walking on the beach, and family time were just what I needed! My mom’s entire side of the family was down and we had a fantastic family reunion.

I took no food photos, only (a thousand) beach photos. Things I ate of note – 1) Fish Bar‘s smoked fish dip at a delicious dinner with my cousins 2) Soursop coquito that was sweet and creamy and boozy and wonderful 3) My mom’s homemade dumb bread – with cheese and butter – that was the best thing I ate this quarter

I had to work the holiday so we flew back in time to celebrate our first Christmas/Hannukah in our new home! {have I mentioned on there that we bought a condo? It’s been a whirlwind}

Five holiday things…

1) This week’s eggnog iced coffee was the best yet. Farmland wins this year by a mile.

2) Chinese take-out for Christmas Eve dinner felt perfect and festive. From Orchid where we will be going again shortly.

3) Red and green nachos for Christmas dinner. Kettle chips / cheese / duck sausage / roasted red bell pepper / garlic sauteed broccoli rabe.

4) Abomination Brewing‘s gingerbread and eggnog double IPAs. 100/10. These are my favorite beverages (alcoholic or otherwise) of all time.

5) Trader Joe’s thoughts — frozen vegetable and cheese enchiladas – 0/10. They were watery and under seasoned; I gave up after three bites and threw them out.

Pink Lady cinnamon sugar apple chips – 10/10. These were perfectly sour and sweet and nicely crunchy.