I do not know how I've lived 35 years without eating this fabulous cuisine, but I'm officially in love. I went to an Indian restaurant for dinner tonight in town and I swear I had one of the best and most interesting meals of my life. It is a super crowded tiny little place and I refrained from photographing my meal because of the packed nature of the establishment and because it was kind of dark-ish in there.
Since this was a new experience, I wanted to try several things and ordered an appetizer and a meal...which is a boatload of food for me. For my appetizer, I had a vegetable samosa. It was a pastry type item filled with a spicy mixture of potatoes, peas, and carrots and it came with 2 sauces for dipping. I could have just eaten those as my meal, but then I would have missed the next yumminess.
For my entrée, I ordered the Chef Specialty which was Palak Peneer. It is a creamy spinach dish with homemade cheese and served with a side of rice that I mixed with it. I have no idea what spices were in it, but it is hands down one of my new favorite foods. I was lucky enough to be super full and only eat half of it, so I have lunch tomorrow! The meal also came with naan, which if you are unfamiliar with Indian food as I was before tonight, it's a super soft flat pita type bread...tasty!!
Thank you Cafe Maharini for a delicious dinner. I will be returning!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Pescetarian Days
I've been practicing this at dinner the last two nights. I just can't quit you seafood, I love you.
Monday was a great food day. It started with my favorite breakfast of a MS Farm veggie sausage biscuit and coffee that was delivered to my room (Thanks, CRH!). Lunch consisted of a yummy salad and an eggplant calzone from Down to Earth that I could eat daily and costs less than most burgers. For dinner, CRH made a scallop pasta with a spicy rum pineapple sauce and chunks of pineapple...o-m-g.
Today, CRH and I had to have our oil changes done and we ate breakfast at Starbucks. I branched out today from my Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl coffee cake and had the Blueberry Oatbar. They warmed it and add a little bit of whipped cream and it's my new fave. I haven't checked the calories yet, but damn it was tasty. Lunch was a pizza veggie burger and dinner was hand rolled sushi from a friend. It was laden with ahi and again, I'll say it...I love you seafood and at least you aren't as vile as poultry, pig, and cow.
Monday was a great food day. It started with my favorite breakfast of a MS Farm veggie sausage biscuit and coffee that was delivered to my room (Thanks, CRH!). Lunch consisted of a yummy salad and an eggplant calzone from Down to Earth that I could eat daily and costs less than most burgers. For dinner, CRH made a scallop pasta with a spicy rum pineapple sauce and chunks of pineapple...o-m-g.
Today, CRH and I had to have our oil changes done and we ate breakfast at Starbucks. I branched out today from my Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl coffee cake and had the Blueberry Oatbar. They warmed it and add a little bit of whipped cream and it's my new fave. I haven't checked the calories yet, but damn it was tasty. Lunch was a pizza veggie burger and dinner was hand rolled sushi from a friend. It was laden with ahi and again, I'll say it...I love you seafood and at least you aren't as vile as poultry, pig, and cow.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Pizza Night
We love to make our own pizzas on pita bread. A year or so ago, I was at the aforementioned Farmer's Market and discovered this pizza that looked delicious. It's a pesto base with tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella and basil...can you say lick you lips good?!
We've made it in various forms on various crusts, but since Eve is struggling with the whole vegetarian thing, I thought make your own pizza night would give her the opportunity to just eat what she wanted to make. She made a regular cheese pizza and scarfed it down. I made us 2 tomato pesto pizzas and 1 white sauce based pizza with mushrooms and black olives...tasty!
Before
After
We've made it in various forms on various crusts, but since Eve is struggling with the whole vegetarian thing, I thought make your own pizza night would give her the opportunity to just eat what she wanted to make. She made a regular cheese pizza and scarfed it down. I made us 2 tomato pesto pizzas and 1 white sauce based pizza with mushrooms and black olives...tasty!
Before
After
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Farmer's Market Goodness
We have a great local Farmer's Market in Haleiwa. I love, love, love it. We have one in Waialua too, but I can't ever seem to make it over there despite the fact that they have it twice a week on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. I need to try harder because I've heard they have great stuff too.
Yesterday, Eve and I were out shopping and came upon a lady selling mini loaves of Banana Pineapple bread. I have a jar of homemade jam from the market that is Banana Pineapple yumminess. I swear I could just eat it from the jar. I came home, sliced the bread, microwaved it for a few seconds, and slapped a heaping mound of the jam on it.
OMG...drooling.
Today, we went shopping at the market and I bought a ton of produce and lunch. The Naked Cow Dairy ladies make sandwiches and burgers. I opted for an ahi sandwich, you know since I've cut out all other meat. It was soooooo delicious. They make it with fresh ahi, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, and tzatziki sauce.
I don't know that I'll ever be able to give up seafood. I love eating good, fresh food. I feel better too. I'm thinking I haven't lost any weight, but I've maintained and this new way of eating is rocking!!
Yesterday, Eve and I were out shopping and came upon a lady selling mini loaves of Banana Pineapple bread. I have a jar of homemade jam from the market that is Banana Pineapple yumminess. I swear I could just eat it from the jar. I came home, sliced the bread, microwaved it for a few seconds, and slapped a heaping mound of the jam on it.
OMG...drooling.
Today, we went shopping at the market and I bought a ton of produce and lunch. The Naked Cow Dairy ladies make sandwiches and burgers. I opted for an ahi sandwich, you know since I've cut out all other meat. It was soooooo delicious. They make it with fresh ahi, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, and tzatziki sauce.
I don't know that I'll ever be able to give up seafood. I love eating good, fresh food. I feel better too. I'm thinking I haven't lost any weight, but I've maintained and this new way of eating is rocking!!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Vegetarian Chili
Last night, it was chili night! I swear this tastes like regular chili. CRH swears it is yummy, but does NOT. He said that it's like when I go on a diet and I "forget" how regular food tastes. At any rate, this was super easy and delicious!!
Simmering on the stove before I added the tomato juice and sugar.
In it's final glory, we did add way more sugar than the recipe called for. We ended up with about a 1/4cup and we added a tsp. of cumin. I also added minced garlic (2 heaping huge tsp.), crushed chili pepper flakes, lots of hot sauce, and garlic salt.
Ingredients
2-3 onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bag griller bits (Morning Star)
1/2 green pepper
2-4 tsp Chili powder
2 cans Bush Chili beans (15 oz - small size)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
15 oz can diced tomatoes
Rounded 1/2 tsp white sugar
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 large can tomato juice
Directions
Saute 1” X 1” pieced of onion in the olive oil until tender and add pepper
Then add griller bits and saute 5-10 minutes scraping bottom until crispy
Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and beans.
Simmer 5-10 minutes
Add tomato juice and sugar, simmer 10-15 minutes
Overall simmer on low 45-50 minutes
Add salt to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp)
About Recipe submitted by Pam C.
View on the Key Ingredient website
Simmering on the stove before I added the tomato juice and sugar.
In it's final glory, we did add way more sugar than the recipe called for. We ended up with about a 1/4cup and we added a tsp. of cumin. I also added minced garlic (2 heaping huge tsp.), crushed chili pepper flakes, lots of hot sauce, and garlic salt.
Ingredients
2-3 onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bag griller bits (Morning Star)
1/2 green pepper
2-4 tsp Chili powder
2 cans Bush Chili beans (15 oz - small size)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
15 oz can diced tomatoes
Rounded 1/2 tsp white sugar
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 large can tomato juice
Directions
Saute 1” X 1” pieced of onion in the olive oil until tender and add pepper
Then add griller bits and saute 5-10 minutes scraping bottom until crispy
Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and beans.
Simmer 5-10 minutes
Add tomato juice and sugar, simmer 10-15 minutes
Overall simmer on low 45-50 minutes
Add salt to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp)
About Recipe submitted by Pam C.
View on the Key Ingredient website
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Processed Vegetarian Food Day
Today was the fast food of vegetarian days. I didn't sleep worth a damn last night. The smoke alarms started randomly going off last night at 1:45am because they needed a new battery. Then I woke up at 4am with a leg cramp, walked it off, went back to sleep, and woke back up at 6:30am with both legs cramping so severely I was totally drenched in sweat and was crying. That was a good time.
I was off today, so luckily I slept until about 9am. When I got up I had my usual MS Farm veggie sausage biscuit. I'm not tired of them yet...so good! I decided that I didn't want to go to the beach today and went to hit up Target instead. I went hungry and that's never a good idea, but I found some yummy deals including Amy's burritos on clearance for $1.28. I bought 6 and promptly came home to eat one!
I also stopped on the way home today and picked up some plants for our garden. Our neighbor has the most amazing garden (He's quite the grower if you catch my drift...) and he prepared the area behind my house this week for us to plant some things as well. Eve loves helping him in his garden and so I bought some peppers, lettuce, strawberries, sage, and basil along with some seeds to try to attempt artichokes, soy beans and green beans. I've never been overly successful with seeds, so those may or may not make it. Here's Day 1.
I made a very thick, super peanut buttery, yogurt, banana, and almond milk smoothie this evening to give me some potassium to help the leg cramp situation. By this time, we were kind of tired and lazy around here and neither CRH nor I really felt like cooking. We had vegetarian hot dogs for dinner that were tasty. They're called Smart Dogs. I loaded mine with ketchup, mustard, and onions. I briefly contemplated adding cheese and CRH suggested Velveeta. Ewwww! I tried to melt it and it was just nasty, so I thankfully skipped adding that layer of processed cheese food to my meal. Tomorrow I'm going for fresher food choices.
I was off today, so luckily I slept until about 9am. When I got up I had my usual MS Farm veggie sausage biscuit. I'm not tired of them yet...so good! I decided that I didn't want to go to the beach today and went to hit up Target instead. I went hungry and that's never a good idea, but I found some yummy deals including Amy's burritos on clearance for $1.28. I bought 6 and promptly came home to eat one!
I also stopped on the way home today and picked up some plants for our garden. Our neighbor has the most amazing garden (He's quite the grower if you catch my drift...) and he prepared the area behind my house this week for us to plant some things as well. Eve loves helping him in his garden and so I bought some peppers, lettuce, strawberries, sage, and basil along with some seeds to try to attempt artichokes, soy beans and green beans. I've never been overly successful with seeds, so those may or may not make it. Here's Day 1.
I made a very thick, super peanut buttery, yogurt, banana, and almond milk smoothie this evening to give me some potassium to help the leg cramp situation. By this time, we were kind of tired and lazy around here and neither CRH nor I really felt like cooking. We had vegetarian hot dogs for dinner that were tasty. They're called Smart Dogs. I loaded mine with ketchup, mustard, and onions. I briefly contemplated adding cheese and CRH suggested Velveeta. Ewwww! I tried to melt it and it was just nasty, so I thankfully skipped adding that layer of processed cheese food to my meal. Tomorrow I'm going for fresher food choices.
A Week In With Just Seafood, No Other Meat!
I've been a crappy blogger since Sunday, but I've pretty much been eating leftovers and veggie burgers and such. Tuesday night we had some amazing Brie and Apple Salsa Quesadillas. We also had a craptacular day that day and had a lot of wine and I wasn't in the mood to photograph it, but they were delicious!!
I tried some new things at lunch yesterday. First up, I added "mock chicken" to my salad. I am assuming it was tofu and I honestly liked it. It was a little strange texture wise, but it did taste like chicken. I would try it again. I will not be trying gluten, wheat free pizza crust again though. That just sucked. I picked up a slice of veggie pizza on that crust by accident, but I'd touched it by the time I realized it.
Last night for dinner, it was Pesto Shrimp Mac and Cheese night. YUM, YUM, YUM! I did manage to snap a few pictures of this goodness.
Before it went into the oven...
Before it went into my mouth...
Here's the recipe from Better Homes & Garden. Enjoy! It's seriously good and super easy.
Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh or frozen medium shrimp in shells
8 oz. dried elbow macaroni (2 cups)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup half-and-half
1-1/4 cups shredded fontina cheese (5 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
Fresh basil leaves
Directions
1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and devein shrimp, removing tails. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Chop shrimp and set aside.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
3. In large bowl stir together eggs, butter, half-and-half, 1 cup of the fontina cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, chopped basil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in shrimp and macaroni. Transfer to buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheeses.
4. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through and shrimp pieces are opaque. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 509, Total Fat (g)27, Saturated Fat (g)14, Cholesterol (mg)254, Sodium (mg)694, Carbohydrate (g)33, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)33, Vitamin C (DV%)7, Calcium (DV%)33, Iron (DV%)23, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
I tried some new things at lunch yesterday. First up, I added "mock chicken" to my salad. I am assuming it was tofu and I honestly liked it. It was a little strange texture wise, but it did taste like chicken. I would try it again. I will not be trying gluten, wheat free pizza crust again though. That just sucked. I picked up a slice of veggie pizza on that crust by accident, but I'd touched it by the time I realized it.
Last night for dinner, it was Pesto Shrimp Mac and Cheese night. YUM, YUM, YUM! I did manage to snap a few pictures of this goodness.
Before it went into the oven...
Before it went into my mouth...
Here's the recipe from Better Homes & Garden. Enjoy! It's seriously good and super easy.
Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh or frozen medium shrimp in shells
8 oz. dried elbow macaroni (2 cups)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup half-and-half
1-1/4 cups shredded fontina cheese (5 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
Fresh basil leaves
Directions
1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and devein shrimp, removing tails. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Chop shrimp and set aside.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
3. In large bowl stir together eggs, butter, half-and-half, 1 cup of the fontina cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, chopped basil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in shrimp and macaroni. Transfer to buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheeses.
4. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through and shrimp pieces are opaque. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 509, Total Fat (g)27, Saturated Fat (g)14, Cholesterol (mg)254, Sodium (mg)694, Carbohydrate (g)33, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)33, Vitamin C (DV%)7, Calcium (DV%)33, Iron (DV%)23, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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