Simple Pleasure
Posted: June 9, 2010 Filed under: recipe, Wednesday | Tags: coconut shrimp, farmers market, fava beans 1 Comment »Yesterday I was able to attend the farmers market. I love talking to the small organic venders vs. the large organic with a bunch of kids working there for the summer. My favorite famers are a father daughter duo who are more than eager to tell me about what is the best thing on their table. I get there an hour into the market and they are usually sold out of at least one item.
Yesterday they told me about the fava bean.
They take patience and care to prepare and are perfect for balcony or porch shucking. I was instructed to bar boil them for 30sec for easier skin removal. Sissy and I took this activity outside.
The farmers told me not to make something fancy with them. She felt that “recipes spoil their natural flavor”. They tasted great raw to me! I cooked them up into a sort of succotash with mushrooms, sweet potato and parm cheese to go with dinner.
They were gone way too fast.
A special bean for a boring Tuesday night.
I served them with coconut shrimp, which I still need to work on, but here is a look-see.
Happy Wednesday!
<3 Lilybeans
Dinner Delight
Posted: May 26, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: curry, cycling, shrimp, zucchini 1 Comment »First off I had the most amazing ride today in the Maryland countryside! I rode for about 12.5 miles over an hour and climbed some major hills. Best part about hills? What does up must come down! I would bring my camera but given it’s lameness already I don’t want to take any chances!
When I got back from my ride I wanted dinner!
Wheat Berry Shrimp Curry – 2 servings
- 1 shallot
- 1tbs EVOO
- 12 shrimp
- 1 zucchini
- 1/2 cup wheat berries (when uncooked)
- 1/2 cup soy beans
- 1 tbs curry powder
- S&P
Cooke wheat berries in a pot water for 30min or until desired chew. Sautee shallot in EVOO, add zuc, beans and then finally shrimp and curry powder.
Serve shrimp mix over wheat berries and you are done!
Nick approved meal with a side salad!
Check out what happened with my digital macro setting…I memorized the settings so I know where things are. I will have a problem when the memory card gets full 
I think I remember how to delete them.
I am going to Maine tomorrow and I can’t wait. Maine is probably the most special place to me in the US and then Arizona on horseback. I could ride through the desert on a horse all day long (as long as I had water!)
I can’t wait to smell that fresh Maine air. Nothing else smells like Maine.
Curry My Sauce
Posted: May 19, 2010 Filed under: dinner, Wednesday | Tags: bok choi, soba noodles, tempeh Leave a comment »It has been some time that I can remember getting really excited about making a dish. Tonight was one of those nights to get excited about.
Curry Stir Fry with Soba Noodles – for 2
- 2 servings soba noodles
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 head organic bok choi from the farmers market
- 1 box shitake mushrooms shopped
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 block of tempeh or 1 serving of scallops
- S&P
- Grapeseed oil
- Curry sauce of your choice – I love TJs red curry
Sauté onion and garlic in oil, add mushrooms then broccoli. Cook soba noodles as directed. Heat up scallops and crumbled tempeh in curry sauce. Add bok choi to other veggies and a little curry.
Plate noodles then top with veggies and tempeh or scallops.
My tempeh got nice a browned in the sauce, which made it the best tasting tempeh I have ever had.
I think Nick ate all of his within 5min. Well all of it except the bok choi. He is not a fan.
What was the last meal that you got excited about making?
Beef Stew Provencal
Posted: May 12, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: beef stew, spelt bread 1 Comment »So it is day one of my “posts that mean something”. It was actually nice to enjoy my breakfast instead of typing and getting right into my lunch today.
The highlight of the day was DINNER!
Beef Stew Provencal
- 3/4lb beef for stewing
- S&P
- 1 tbs flour
- 1 onion
- garlic
- 1 cup low sodium veggie broth
- 1/4 cup dry red wine (optional, I didn’t have any so I added more broth)
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs – from the garden!
- 1 squirts of tomato paste – good measurements
- 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 2 zucchini sliced into 1/2 moons
- 4 carrots diced
You can either brown you meat and then add it to the crock pot or just throw it all in together.
I cooked mine on low for 9 hours because I am out of the house for that long on most days and I don’t trust Nick or Doug to watch my pot when they are home during the day.
There is nothing like the smell of dinner cooking away when you walk in the door. It is the smell of relief. No cooking dinner tonight because it is already ready!
Delicious! I made this in the winter with potatoes, but I liked using zuc this time to make it more seasonal.
I added some spelt bread sticks for dipping and my whole grains.
This bread is so hearty and filling. Very satisfying meal tonight.
Success!
Now it is time to spend my extra time with N and Sissy Pants 
Night All!
Arriba!
Posted: May 5, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: cinco de mayo, guacamole, margaritas, tacos 1 Comment »Hola! I hope you are enjoying your Cinco! I am stuffed to the gills with chips and guacamole. Sometimes you just need a little spice in your week day!
Today was my first day as an actual State employee and I got a new mug with swag and some pretty flowers from my boss Elaine
I am a revolving loan fund guru.
My day was pretty normal with a lunch in between excel sheets.
I had the leftover greens from the farmers market, tomatoes, avocado and balsamic.
I also had chopped up mango, apple and kiwi with plain yogurt and granola topping.
Love my baby beets.
I really enjoy these yogurt parfaits that I keep making!
I had another one of my banana bread bars + some almonds for an afternoon snack.
I am planning on going running before kickball tomorrow so I went to the gym for 30min on the elliptical with interval sprints and 15min of incline walking. It is really hard not to go running every day with this nice weather we are having, but I know it is better for me knee!
After the gym I got started on my cinco de mayo dish!
First up margarita
Much more mild than my usual ones but good for a week night.
- 1 shot tequila
- splash triple sec
- lime juice
- lemon juice
- lots of ice
I also ate A LOT of this.
Guacamole! I never measure it is always to taste and it is perfect.
- avocados
- salt
- cilantro
- lemon juice
- jalapeno
Nick and I ate 2 avocados tonight. We indulged in some healthy fats that is for sure.
I had planned on tostadas for dinner, but the thought of another chip like object was not what I was feeling.
Enter lettuce tacos.
The store of the show.
These beans were really good! Not lardy like most refried beans. Vegetarian is the way to go with these.
Anywho I layered beans on the bottom, salsa, cheese, cilantro, and sautéed mushrooms, onions and pablano peppers in cumin and chili powder.
I really enjoyed these taco shells. I need to do this more often!
After dinner Nick and I went for a little walk around the neighborhood to digest and had some chocolate upon my return. I just need a sweet end to my day.
Now if you excuse me I need to roll myself off the couch and water my plants! The garden is getting so big! One of my strawberries is turning red and my tomatoes are are about to pop!
Felize 5!
Special Delivery
Posted: April 28, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: crate and barrel, dinner, kashi, lunch, Sicily Leave a comment »Another one bites the dust. Another day, another dollar. Another dinner at Macaroni Grill. That is my day in a nut shell.
There was so food consumed along the way.
Lunch! I am really starting to hate the lighting in my cube. Would it be weird if I brought my food to the window to take pictures? I think my co-workers would laugh at me.
In my pita I had more leftover baked beans and chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes.
A pink lady also came to the lunch party.
She was a little tipsy and was blurred during her photo shoot.
OK I will stop referring to my food as people.
The afternoon came and went and it was snack time!
Kashi H2H warm cinnamon flavor. I love the way the hearts crunch and the Os mush.
When I got home I headed out for a short 2.5 mile run. Nick and I were meeting his mom for dinner and it was really nice to get outside even though the wind was crazy and I was chilly.
I also got a lovely package from Sissy today (really it was my mom, duh!)
Crate and Barrel special delivery just in time for summer…if it ever gets here!
2 happy plates, a votive holder, 2 funky green wine glasses and a super cool salad bowl to go with a chiller in the bottom! Bring on the picnics! Thanks mama!
I had the usual shrimp spendini and house salad for dinner, but it didn’t seem as well plated today. Maybe the head chef has off on Mondays.
What is your opinion on places like Macaroni Grill and Olive Garden? I find that it is really hard to find healthy options on their menu, and if they just reduced some of the salt in their items it could be better for a lot more people.
Dakota Love
Posted: April 28, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: breakfast, eggs in a hole, tea 1 Comment »Good morning! The best part about this morning is that it is not raining. I know I complain about the weather a lot, but it is 36 this morning!
I needed something warm that involved Dakota bread!
Enter eggs in a hole! This got the bread and crispy and toasted. Delicious!
I also made a ab and strawberry sandwich out of the middle circles with a side of strawberries and bananas.
I really enjoy not eating oats every single day. It makes things interesting.
I am also drinking white tea with POM because I wasn’t feeling the coffee for once. It should be interesting to see how my morning goes without it.
Have a great day and stay warm out there!
Toasty
Posted: April 21, 2010 Filed under: breakfast, Wednesday | Tags: french toast 1 Comment »Good Morning! My calf is still sore, but it isn’t any worse. One day at a time. At least we are expecting rain so I won’t be bummed not to be outside riding my bike.
I wasn’t feeling the oats this morning and I still have a lot of bread in my fridge so I went with french toast! I need to get back on the waffle train, but mixing did not seem pleasing this morning.
Two pieces of German dark wheat soaked in egg white, skim, cinnamon, vanilla and flax.
Topped with a heated apple in maple syrup and some of my homemade cinnamon vanilla almond butter.
Sissy likes to join me when I go outside to take my breakfast pictures
She likes to eat the flowers… I guess it is better than my vegetables!
Fingers crossed my calf has a speedy recovery! Any tips?
15.5miles
Posted: April 14, 2010 Filed under: Wednesday | Tags: biking, fajita, NCR Trail, salad 1 Comment »Whoa my body is tired. I may have overshot my biking limit today, but I don’t really know how to progress on the bike like training for a race. How many miles should you start with and how quickly should you add miles to your rides??? I will be on Google after this.
It seemed that I kept getting more and more put on my desk today. We are starting to prepare our 2012 budget and it is already making me nervous.
At least I had packed a lovely little lunch.
Gala, string cheese, sourdough multigrain Wegmans bread and a salad.
Mixed greens, carrots, maters, cucs, balsamic and lemon hummus.
I thought I would really enjoy the string cheese because I used to eat them all of the time as a kid, but it actually tasted kind of like well processed cheese. I will keep them in Nick’s lunch foods from now on.
For my afternoon snack I had another fig bar with the oat top, but I couldn’t take yet another picture of it. They are almost gone…sort of. I wish I had someone or something to bake for more often!
After work I headed to the NCR trail to go for a nice bike ride. I just wanted to go past the 6mile marker and ended up going about 15.5miles all the way to the 8 mile marker!
It was such a nice afternoon, but it could have been a few degrees warmer out. There is still a winter chill in the air, but the sun warmed me up.
I am hoping to get a ride in at least once a week and maybe have different starting points so that I can see more of the trail!
It was a struggle for me to get my bike up the stairs. I didn’t realize how much my upper body was effected by riding!
I was also starving and need a quick shower before I got started on dinner.
Steak fajita pizza!
- grilled steak on the griddler with Worcestershire sauce, all spice, chili powder, S&P and EVOO.
- salsa
- black beans
- tomatoes
- shredded cheddar
- grilled onions
- homemade guac – I also had a few x a lot of this with chips!
- Oikos
- Tortilla
I am peeved I forgot the lettuce!
One big pile of goodness!
Look, meat!
I had an Adora disk for dessert, but I was pretty stuffed from all of the guacamole! Ole!
Time to stretch out my legs and climb into bed.
Night All!
Chilly Willy
Posted: April 14, 2010 Filed under: breakfast, Wednesday | Tags: breakfast, chia, oat bran, Oikos 1 Comment »When did winter come back?! Thank God I brought my plants in because it was 36 degrees when I woke up this morning. I think they will just stay inside today, and lets hope Sissy doesn’t mistake any of them for her littler box.
Due to the cool temps this AM I really needed some hot oats!
PB&J oats!
Blurry with a side of baby kale and a messy bowl.
- 1/3 cup oat bran
- 1/3 cup skim, 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup Oikos
- 1 med banana
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- flax
- raspberry preserve
- pb
- chia seeds
Mmmm naturally light! I took so many takes of this shot to have it not be blurry!
I think I am going for a bike ride after work so I need to get my bike into the car and my gear packed up!
See you tonight for some steak fajitas!
