Dessert-y yogurt bowl – plain skyr with Trader Joe’s chocolate shell, crunchy peanut butter, cookie dough granola, and tons of blueberries.
We both love those these Whole Food’s sour citrus slice candies.
Dinner at Blackbird. The food was great, the lighting was not. Among other things we had a wonderful salad with medjool dates, almonds, pecarino, and a mustard vinaigrette. And homemade pasta with short-rib ragu!
Sourdough pasta with food-processed roasted bell pepper, green onion, jarred piquante peppers, evoo, and walnuts. Plus cheese. And roasted cauliflower on the side.
Potato hash with poblano peppers, bell peppers, green onion, urfa, and gochugaru. Plus roasted Chinese eggplants with a spicy peanut sauce (peanut butter, gochujang, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, white sugar, and water) and sesame seeds.
We did breakfasts for dinners this week. Here was everything I ate on theme…
Coffee, obviously. Sweetie Pies on Main makes some of our favorite lattes in Long Island. These specials were crazy – tres leches and tiramisu!
Cereal [milk latte]. Espresso plus skim milk I infused overnight with Cocoa Pebbles.
Orange juice. I wanted to be on-theme but I hate juice so we made cocktails. OJ with vodka and amaretto plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some Target rainbow sherbet seltzer.
Smoothie. Blueberry pancake smoothie. Frozen blueberries blended with cottage cheese, butter extract, maple syrup, vanilla protein powder, malted milk powder, and water.
Blueberry muffins. I think these protein mini muffins are disgusting in a delightful way.
Yogurt bowl, obviously. This was plain Greek with blueberries, blackberries, and cookie dough granola.
Egg and cheese biscuit. Hometown Bakeshop‘s build-your-own breakfast sandwich. We got a cheddar biscuit with two over-medium eggs, cheddar-jack cheese, caramelized onions, and smoked aioli.
Avocado toast. Whole-wheat bread toasted with butter topped with smashed avocado (with lemon, salt, and gochugaru) and cold-smoked sockeye salmon. Plus sauteed purple asparagus.
Cottage cheese bowls. Topped with cucumber salad (sesame seeds, gochugaru, rice vinegar, and sugar) and baked chicken meatballs (panade, hoisin, gochujang, oyster sauce, and white pepper). I ate several meatballs before they could make it to my bowl!
Oatmeal. Trader Joe’s rolled oats with ancient grains and seeds – 10/10, it is perfect out of the microwave – topped with a fried egg, chopped baby broccoli sauteed with lemon and garlic, spicy caramelized peanuts (sugar, salt, white pepper, evoo, gochugaru, and togarashi), and chili crisp.
Bacon, egg, and cheese bagel salad. This was my best idea of the week. Arugula dressed with garlic Dijon dressing and horseradish Sriracha aioli / sharp cheddar / beef bacon / homemade bagel croutons (Bagel Joint sesame gochujang bagel tossed with evoo, salt, white pepper, and gochugaru and baked) / six-minute eggs.
We don’t always have a weekly dinner theme (often!) but I do have several queued up in a row. This week was SALAD…
Fruit salad skyr bowl. Plain Siggi’s with blueberries, blackberries, mango, and kiwi.
Candy salad! A mix of Nerds Easter items and sour tropical Mike and Ike’s (<– wonderful).
Dinners are listed from least to most favorite (though we quite enjoyed them all). Shredded tofu salad. Super firm tofu (shredded and tossed with evoo, hoisin, and gochujang and then baked until crispy) with roasted cabbage, scallions, bell peppers, and peanut sauce (chunky peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, horseradish Sriracha aioli, sugar, and a bit of water).
Nacho chicken salad. Baked chicken, poblano pepper, tomato, scallion, black beans, sharp cheddar, Quest nacho cheese and loaded taco flavored protein chips, plain skyr, mayo, lemon, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Plus roasted cauliflower.
Loaded tuna salad. Canned tuna and smoked trout with mayo, dijon, salt and pepper kettle chips, scallions, sweet baby gherkins, and Trader Joe’s hot and sweet pickled jalapenos. Plus a big pile of roasted green beans.
Adam and I spent a GREAT weekend in the Hudson Valley (primarily downtown Hudson). On Saturday we walked around admiring the town for eight straight hours! Alphabetically…
Cafe Mutton. I ordered my Bloody Mary extra spicy and with excessive garnish (it came with a giant slab of house made sausage that Adam happily inherited). We shared a buckwheat scone with butter and curd.
And a mushroom and gruyere omelet with buttered toast. [And Bucitini with lamb ragu.]
Adam got a fantastic tuna melt and I got the brisket melt (my favorite sandwich of the trip!) – with smoked cheddar, jalopeno peppers, and white bbq sauce on white bread.
Lemon chess pie.
Hereafter. It was our first time at this bar. My drink on the right was a Magnolia Fizz – gin, Douglas fir brandy, magnolia oolong, milk oolong, cream, citrus, egg whites, and mint.
Hudson Roastery. Their iced espresso with skim milk is my 2nd favorite coffee in all of New York.
Kitty’s. Their brunch can’t compare to their dinner (but was still solid). I had a great mocktail, Kitty Temple – ginger beer, lemon, lime, and housemade grenadine.
We shared eggs on rice with pickled veggies and chili oil and and hashbrowns.
Lil Deb’s Oasis. Their cocktails are always amazing. Golden Thaw – Japanese whiskey, lemon, and tamarind / Unknown Legend – bay leaf, pisco, burnt honey syrup, grapefruit, egg white, and pimenton. [We also loved a Colorless Dream – Haitian rum, sake, bitter melon, and toasted rice.]
We shard a bunch of dishes. Loaded fries with vegan chz wiz and pickled onions and Fresno chiles.
Tamale with mushroom, poblano and nopal filling, and a golden milk veloute. (Adam’s favorite)
Llapingacho – a potato and cheese pancake with pickled pineapple, peanut salsa, and a fried egg. (My favorite).
Braised chicken mole with confit potato and a “Carolina Mole” (with vinegar).
For dessert we got the Sexpresso Martini – coconut nutmeg tequila, Forthave Brown, cold brew, and cola syrup.
And a scoop of chocolate sorbet.
Mel the Bakery. Pistachio and almond croissant and a fantastic corn cookie with blueberry jelly.
Stewart’s. We popped into this cute gas station and came away with maple French toast cold brew!
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).
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.
I had a day off for a doctor’s appointment and got myself a decadent brunch at East Rock Coffee. Tres Leches French toast! And a great iced latte.
I have to eat at least one yogurt bowl per week. I have also personally taken down a pint+ of blueberries every week for the past several months. This was vanilla bean skyr with maple pecan granola, peanut butter, blueberries, and pineberries.
We adored the peppermint coffee syrup from El Guapo but sadly I was underwhelmed by their Polynesian Kiss bitters; I tried them in coffee, seltzer, and diet coke and thought the flavor wasn’t strong enough.
Meanwhile these Every Body Eat chive and garlic crackers were delightful; like a crispy scallion pancake!
We homemade baked snack mix! Crispix cereal, crispy cheese, cheddar pretzels, and peanuts. I seasoned mine with butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and gochugaru.
This week’s dinner theme (let’s be real, there is almost always a theme) was American classics — reformatted. Poutine — dip-style. Whole Foods frozen garlic and herb parmesan fries (10/10), Jack and Annie’s jackfruit nuggets, and roasted broccoli dipped in homemade chicken gravy.
Turkey reubens — as coleslaw bowls. Russian dressing coleslaw (shredded cabbage with skyr, mayo, dijon, ketchup-style chili sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, and smoked paprika) topped with sauteed ground turkey and crispy cheese bites.
Deviled eggs — egg salad. <– meal win of the week. Hard-boiled egg whites and chopped cornichons dressed with deviled egg filling (hard-boiled yolks, mayo, skyr, dijon, and paprika). Plus shredded brussel sprouts sauteed with garlic and parmesan.
Chicken nachos — as salad. Shredded iceberg lettuce / roasted sweet onion and bell peppers / Cholula medium salsa / extra-sharp cheddar / garlic baked chicken / Beanitos white bean tortilla chips.
Buffalo chicken wings — turned bean burgers. We always love this recipe and it was perfect for Super Bowl dinner. Plus roasted zucchini, store-bought fried ravioli, and a chipotle honey aioli.
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.
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.
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!
Eating Chalk 