Finally Eating from the Menu

As always, plans have changed in the Faux Foodie Household and the weekly menu didn't quite work out as planned. The chef "dashed" off to....well, who knows where and I was left with Hummus and Stacey Chips. Let's just say that the hummus that was purchased on Sunday is now GONE. I am positive that I do not know how to practice self-control when it comes to hummus. I could eat copious amounts and not even think twice how much I have eaten.

Just as chef mysteriously left, he mysteriously reappeared in the kitchen last night and my favorite meal was served - salmon. Couple of years ago I purchased a magazine while waiting in line at the Fresh Market called "American Test Kitchen - Fresh Start - Recipe Card Collection". I love all the meals in this magazine. They are simple, quick and relatively healthy. And they are all chef approved. The book is organized by protein and it comes with a picture of a meal, detailed cooking instructions, caloric value, serving and time needed to prepare a meal. Perfect, right!!!

So last night we had seared salmon with balsamic glaze, wheat orzo and steamed broccoli. The chef is not a fan of salmon and tries to avoid is as much as he can. Me on the other hand, I am a firm believer in eating salmon at least once a week, and I make sure it's on the menu one way or the other. He didn't like mushrooms and sushi before and I made sure our menu always had it, and now he loves it. I am hoping the same will happen with salmon.

Salmon was so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and balsamic glaze with honey gave it a sweet and savory finishing touch. I am still licking my fingers from it. Isn't this color absolutely amazing. I feel my skin glowing just from looking at it.

I have developed a serious love affair with wheat orzo. I love eating it plain and lately I like eating it with everything. It's chewy and it pops in my mouth. Food that is fun is even more delicious.

Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze (slightly altered from the recipe)

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp honey

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 sprig rosemary (the chef omitted rosemary to my request as I can't stand this herb)

2 tsp vegetable oil

4 skin-on salmon fillets

salt and pepper

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Whisk vinegar, orange juice, honey and pepper flakes together in small bowl, than add rosemary. Heat oil in large non stick skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. season salmon with salt and pepper and cook skin side up without moving, until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. flip fish skin side down and cook until all but very center of fish is opaque, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

Wipe out pan with paper towels and lower to medium heat. carefully pour balsamic mixture into pan. simmer until thick and syrupy about 5 min. remove rosemary sprig. whisk in butter, season with salt and pepper and pour over salmon. Dinner is served - Enjoy!!!!

Mondays, Mondays

Mondays are one of those days that just suddenly appear, never welcomed, never anticipated. They just kind of happen. But if you treat your Monday well, it might just be a great day even if plans change in a blink of an eye. I am applying a new philosophy to life - life can be good, if you see it good.

So Monday - you were good to me and I liked you today. Let's skip through the day and get to the good stuff...actually great stuff. Couple of weeks ago, Jen asked me to be her +1 at the Miami Herald's "Top 20 Under 40" event. Her firm nominated her as a rising star/leader in the community....an amazing recognition and well deserved one too.

The event was held at the newly opened MIA on Biscayne Blvd. It's something in between a restaurant-lounge-club. It serves a purpose of all three and since downtown doesn't have much of any of the three, it's certainly a a social magnet for culinary fun, casual lounging and evening entertainment as described on their website.

Shortly upon our arrival, we decided we had more important business to tend to - celebrate my birthday, so we decided to have a dinner instead. As soon as we sat down, we were offered manchego cheese cocktail. We were more interested in talking than eating, so we decided to go with tapas portion of the menu.

The portions were more than generous. The taste...Jen's choices - amazing, mine -a bit disappointing....

Croquetas - jamon serrano, manchego cheese, and chives. They were crispy on the outside, but they were missing that "uumph" when you take a bite. (my choice)

Goat Cheese Crostinis - goat cheese mouse, roasted garlic, thyme, honey, and mini crostinis. These were pefect. Jen and I ordered seconds....(Jen's choice)

Organic Mixed Greens - organic mixed salad greens with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, feta cheese, toasted almonds and sherry vinaigrette. Very refreshing and sweet! (Jen's choice)

Chicken Pinchos - chicken skewers with emulsion of spicy aji amarilo. Absolutely yummy. (Jen's choice)

Skirt Steak Pinchos - skirt steak skewers with emulsion of Peruvian pepper and aji. Divine!!!! (Jen's choice)

Patatas Bravas - fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and garlic aioli. Disappointing....(my choice)

I guess looking at what I ordered (Jen ordered all the good stuff), I was channeling my Michy's choices and MIA just didn't deliver. I guess there is a reason why every restaurant is good at different things. The seafood items on the menu looked delightful but since my partner in crime is not a seafood lover, and afterall we were sharing (I know, very strange concept for me), I wasn't going to make her eat any seafood.

One thing I wish I have tried were the edible cocktails. I heard from many different sources that they were amazing, but I was so stuffed from all the carbs and couple of drinks that we had before dinner, that an edible cocktail was just not an option. A 26.8 miles ride home was still awaiting for me....

Now I have a good reason to go back - seafood menu and edible cocktails.

Since we were celebrating my birthday after all, Jen gave me this awesome game "Foodie Fight". My friend knows me well...nothing better for this faux foodie than a foodie game. And she promised to play it with me. :)

MIA at Biscayne
20 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33132
305-642-0032
www.miaatbiscayne.com

weekend eats and sweets

This weekend was supposed to be a relaxing, stress free and chilling two days, but it ended up being anything but that. From hustle and bustle of Saturday errand running and things not going my way, to a Sunday spent at the vet, I couldn't stop myself from eating everything in sight, especially sweets. And not to mention multiple visits to the grocery store for yet another thing that I was craving.

It all started with a chocolate croissant on Saturday while waiting for Brinkley to get groomed. Unfortunately, no pictures of the croissant, because I inhaled it before you could even say "croissant". It was warm, fluffy, flaky and sweet. I am convinced the croissant had the Nutella filling, as it didn't have the bitter dark chocolate taste. Not that it would have deterred me from eating it, but it certainly encouraged thoughts of having another one. The chocolate was so smooth, silky and perfectly melted. While inhaling it, all I could think of getting another one, but at that point I was still finding some self-control.

Just a few hours later, I decided to skip the real dinner and get down to dessert. At this point, there was no looking back. No regrets, just pure enjoyment. Every once in awhile, rules are meant to be broken and Saturday seemed to be a perfect day for that. I was on my way to Menchie's.

I haven't been to Menchie's in quite a long time, and that self-control that I possessed earlier in a day, was out the window. I was the kid in the candy store...I wanted all the flavors and all the toppings. Thank God for tasting cups. I tasted all 13 flavors that they had on Saturday, and decided on: peach mango tart, raspberry sorbet, orange & lemon tart, cake batter and country vanilla. The toppings of my choice were peanut butter cups and kit kat. I really wanted some strawberries and blackberries, but by the time I got to the fruit topping section, the only fruit that was left were cherries and kiwis...wasn't really feeling those two.

Here is the evidence that no self-control was exercised...filled to the top.

I have to admit my chocolate toppings didn't go well with tarts and sorbets, but they were perfect with cake batter and country vanilla.

Menchie's was so busy on a Saturday night and the average age was 16. It reminded me of date night couple of months ago at the ice-skating arena. I guess I can't help it that I feel 16 or at least doing things that 16 years old do...perhaps it's time to grow up....

Thinking Sunday is a new day, I asked chef to make me some semi-healthy option of wheat pancakes mixed with almond, As I was preparing fruit toppings, both peanut and chocolate peanut butter made their way to the table as well as some Canadian maple syrup I got at Sial Montreal couple of weeks ago.

So much for starting over....Don't get fooled by the size of a pancake you see on the plate. At that point I already ate one whole pancake. It was perfectly thick, the maple syrup was drizzled over peanut butter and chocolate peanut butter, and banana, strawberries and blackberries gave it just enough tartness. This breakfast was so delicious, I am still licking my fingers. It was very filling, but it didn't last for too long. By the time I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen my mind was already onto the next meal.

As soon as breakfast was over, we dashed to the vet as Brinkley had a serious hot spot on her neck and her skin cut to the bone in between her toe nails. I am not a bad fur mother, but I have no idea how this happened while she was under my watch last week. My little fur baby was in the hospital for the most of the day and when we picked her up, the fur on her paw was shaved off, she had multiple stitches and a cone around her neck. The little cone head was well medicated and was running into everything. I don't think she was really hurting herself, as much as she would get scared. She is not allowed to do any exercise, no jumping, minimal waking, no going up or down the stairs and she can't get her paw wet...Oh the traumas....The cone has to stay on for ten days, I hope we can manage.
So after she finally got settled in the tiny kitchen (the only place she can't run, jump or go up and down the stairs) I was hungry, again. This time chef made pizza with pesto, mozzarella, pine nuts and spinach.
Now tell me this doesn't look healthy. Oh yes...looks can be deceiving. According to chef, the pizza had over 20 grams of fat - all that basil, mozzarella and pine nuts. So not everything that is green is always healthy.As soon as I realized that each slice had 20 grams of fat, my hunger subsided and I barely finished two slices.
After chef left for the real job, I got into the kitchen and started working on my lunch for Monday with the idea of starting over with fresh and healthy. Obviously, I am a believer in second chances.

Long time ago I found a recipe in Women's Health magazine that consisted of wheat penne pasta, baby spinach, basil, cherrie tomatoes, topped with chopped walnuts, a little bit of Gorgonzola and shrimp. I had all of those ingredients on hand so it seemed perfectly appropriate for Monday new beginning lunch.

I tried really hard to keep the pesto, walnuts and Gorgonzola at minimum, but it looks like went a little overboard with walnuts. They looks so pretty sprinkled over this salad, or whatever you want to call this creation.

I wish I could say, I put the lid on it and packed it away, but that would be a lie. I had to have a bite. Oh it was so delicious. Gorgonzola and walnuts make everything better. And cherry tomatoes, oh I don't have to tell you - sweet and refreshing...they kept popping in my mouth like little balloons. I don't know why, but tomatoes instantly remind me of summer. I guess not all weekends can be enjoyed with good eats, but at least I satisfied my cravings. Today, it's all about salt...bring on the Stacey Chips and Hummus....

Weekly Menu

I am a planner at heart and nothing says organized than well stocked refrigerator and weekly menu. Now that the birthday celebrations are over and done with, OK, one more is still left, it's time to get back to the weekly menu and clean eating.

Sunday: Wheat pizza dough with pesto, mozzarella, pine nuts and spinach

Monday: Seared salmon with balsamic glaze, steamed broccoli and wheat orzo pasta

Tuesday: Grilled chicken, chickpeas and pesto salad with NAAN bread

Wednesday: Broccoli slaw + asian ramen noodles salad with grilled chicken

Thursday: DINNER OUT...work event

Friday: Black bean burger with sweet potato fries

Saturday: Mediterranean Chickpea patties and spinach salad

I Cooked, I Conquered, I Made Mess, I Enjoyed My Dinner

I went from the full house to an empty house in a matter of few hours. My parents left, chef is out of town, and suddenly, I am all alone, OK my little sous chef is keeping me company. Yes, I have a sous chef...see this little black fur ball that is Brinkley.

Brinkley is my 8 1/2 old cocker spaniel, who is always present in the kitchen and is patiently waiting for anything to fall on the floor and of course, she does all the cleaning (off the floor of course).

So the first night alone I had the usual, hummus and stacey chips. I can't seem to get enough of hummus lately. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the snacks in between. But tonight, I decided to have a real meal. I was very tempted to pick up something, but with plethora of food in the fridge and the pantry, I decided to cook. Oh horrors, you think.


Yes, I made a mess, a lot of mess and realized my kitchen is too small and I need to learn some basic knife skills. If anyone would take a closer look at how the onion or the parsley is chopped up they would seriously throw me out of the kitchen. Yes, I resorted to cutting parsley at the end. So if anyone wants to teach me how to properly use a knife, you know where to find me.

With all that food in the house, I made my own version of Greek chicken salad pasta. Of course, except for the feta cheese, I am not sure what else in that salad was Greek themed, but we'll just leave that for a later discussion.

FauxFoodie "Greek" Chicken Salad Pasta
1 cup of wheat penne pasta
3 tbsp wine vinegar
drizzle of olive oil (aren't you impressed about my use of a word drizzle)
3 chopped up tomatoes1/2 red onion, finely chopped
finely chopped parsley (or cut up with scissors in this case)
salt and pepperbaby spinach
crumbled feta cheese
chicken


You may wonder how this is a cooked meal, but I did turn on the stove to boil pasta, so technically it is. It was quite a process, a lot of chopping, cutting, dicing, whisking, stirring, etc. Basically, you boil some pasta, let it cool off for a few minutes. Than you lay a bed of spinach, cooled of pasta, and add to that tomatoes, onion, chicken, feta, parsley and finish of with a mixture of olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and pepper. If you have some olives and cucumbers, those would be a great addition as well. All mixed in, it's a divine and relatively, for those with good cooking skills, quick dinner.The Greek chicken salad pasta was tangy, light, and creamy (the Vermont Creamery Feta was oh so yummy). It was nutrient dense meal, satisfying and refreshing. I am actually proud of myself for making dinner instead of picking something up. Tonight's lesson...I am in a serious need of knife skills.

P.S. I needed some cheering up so I bought these..peonies are one of my favorite flowers (cala lilies and sunflowers are the other two). They instantly brighten up my day....

Enjoying the Best Birthday Gift Ever

Sorry for being MIA, but I am still celebrating...yup, celebrating my birthday and enjoying the time with my parents....