My Current Obsession: Broccoli Sprouts

Source: mymadisonbistro.com

I know – “broccoli sprouts” sound gross. I used to think so, too…until I tried them in a sandwich.

You see, I bring lunch to work pretty much every single day. Nine times out of ten, my lunch is a sandwich, with chips and a pickle on the side. Get crazy, right? But my lunch isn’t as routine as it sounds – I love mixing up what’s inside my sandwiches, and I even mix up the bread that I use fairly frequently (I’m currently on a wrap kick right now. Again...get crazy).

Z and I didn’t even think to buy broccoli sprouts – which can be purchased in the produce section of most grocery stores – until a friend visiting from NYC made us a sandwich with sprouts in it. For some reason, the sprouts just made the sandwich. They were crunchy and delicious, and just added a nice texture. Since that day (which was about 4 months ago), we’ve been buying broccoli sprouts every week.

Apparently, broccoli sprouts are also healthy for you: According to sproutpeople.com, broccoli sprouts contain 50 times more antioxidants than broccoli heads. Boo-yah.

Oh, and if you do decide to use broccoli sprouts in your next sandwich, hummus also makes a killer sandwich condiment. Just sayin’.

Do you bring lunch to work everyday, or are you a take-out person?

Chocolate Orange Fudge Brownies

I’ve never been one to worry about my weight. I’ve always been one of those lucky people with a fast metabolism (and a dangerously large appetite). I take after my mother – when she was a teenager she waited tables at Friendly’s. During each shift, she ate two hamburgers, fries and a chocolate shake…during her 15 minute break…and she weighed a mere 100 pounds.

I definitely weigh more than 100 pounds, but I could also definitely down two veggie burgers and some fries in 15 minutes, no problem. But that’s not what this post is about. I just wanted to preface this post with that story so these gooey, ultra chocolately, not-a-bit-healthy brownies wouldn’t look so indulgent – because one (or two) of these decadent squares have to be better for you than a few burgers and fries. I think.

Chocolate Orange Fudge Brownies
Yields: About 20 brownies
Adapted from vegetarian.about.com
-1 1/4 cups butter, melted
-4 eggs
-2 cups granulated sugar
-1 1/2 cups flour
-2 tsp. orange extract
-3/4 cup cocoa powder

-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix butter and cocoa. Stir in sugar and blend in the eggs, one at a time. Add orange extract. Stir in flour and chocolate chips; mix well.
2.) Bake in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting into square pieces.

Ever have one of those chocolate oranges? Yeah, these taste like those – but better.

If you don’t have orange extract on hand, I’d use vanilla extract instead, and add some orange zest. I haven’t tried this method, but it sounds like it would work!

Would you consider yourself a healthy eater? I believe "everything in moderation," personally. ;)

Mushroom & Fontina Quesadillas

The photo above came out terrible, but I couldn’t not share this simple, delicious recipe with you. It all started when I had some leftover fontina from the Baked Fontina I made a few weeks ago (don’t worry – I made this quesadilla long before the cheese was spoiled. This post is just a week delayed).

You all know how to make a quesadilla, but sometimes it’s fun to change up the fillings. Black beans and salsa can’t always have all the fun!

Mushroom & Fontina Quesadillas
Yields: 2 servings
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1 small white onion, thinly sliced
-1 tbsp. granulated sugar
-8 white button mushrooms, sliced
-Cumin powder
-Cayenne
-Salt and black pepper, to taste
-2 tortillas (I used Trader Joe’s Habanero Lime Flour Tortillas, but whole wheat would work well, too)
-1 ½ cups arugula
-1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
-Canola oil cooking spray

Directions:
1.) In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar, stir, and cook for 7-10 minutes more, or until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize. (If onions begin to brown, lower heat).
2.) Place onions on a plate and set aside. In the same sauté pan, add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until mushrooms begin to brown and release their juices (about 5-6 minutes). Feel free to add more olive oil if necessary.
3.) Turn off heat and add onions back to the pan. Season onions and mushrooms with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.
4.) Spoon mushroom and onion mixture evenly across half of both tortillas. Top with an even amount of arugula and cheese, and fold tortilla over. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Cook both quesadillas until brown on one side (about 2 minutes), then flip to let the other side brown.

Gooey fontina cheese, spicy mushrooms, sweet onions and peppery arugula. Such a divine combination! I also served our quesadillas with a traditional, medium salsa and some chili powder-rubbed corn on the cobs.

Happy weekend!

Orzo-Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers (and Tomatoes)

Remember when I met Mary Ann Esposito?

Well, a few nights after I met her, I stumbled across a recipe for her stuffed cubanelle peppers. I was looking for creative ways to use up the final produce from our summer CSA, and I already had most of the ingredients her recipe called for. Although her recipe suggested farro, though, I went for the cheaper alternative: orzo.

Side note: I only had two cubanelle peppers on hand – plus one tomato – so I ended up stuffing the tomato with the remaining orzo mixture. Let’s just say the tomatoes turned out just as delicious as the peppers (I just cooked the tomatoes for about 15 minutes less).

Orzo-Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers
Yields: 2-3 stuffed peppers
Adapted from Ciao Italia
-1/2 cup orzo
-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
-1 egg
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-1 small clove garlic, minced

-1 tbsp. dried parsley

-Crushed red pepper, for heat

-Black pepper, to taste
-1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-2-3 cubanelle peppers

Directions:
1.) Cover the orzo with the broth or water in a medium saucepan. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot and let the orzo cook until most of the broth is absorbed and the orzo is tender.
2.) Drain the orzo in a colander and transfer it to a medium size bowl. Stir in the egg, most of the cheese, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and half of the oil. Set aside.
3.) Cut down 1/2 inch off the stem tops of the peppers and set aside. Tap out the seeds in the peppers or use a small spoon to remove and discard them.
4.) Fill the peppers with some of the orzo mixture, but do not over-pack them; otherwise, they may split while baking. Make a small incision on the side of each pepper with a small knife to allow steam to escape while baking.
5.) Brush a medium-size casserole dish with the remaining olive oil and place the peppers in a single layer in the dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle the remaining cheese over the peppers and bake 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.

The end result was filling, cheesy stuffed peppers (and a tomato). I wished the filling had a bit more flavor – adding chopped up vegetarian sausage or peppers and onions would have been ideal. However, for a quick, satisfying weeknight dinner, these stuffed, local vegetables did the trick.

What famous chefs inspire you in the kitchen? My other culinary idols include Ina Garten and Anthony Bourdain (who I've interviewed before!). 

Panera Bread's Sandwich Showdown

If you know me at all, you know I love carbs. Bagels, bread, pasta - you name it, I'll eat it.

My love for carbs is a big reason why I'm such a fan of Panera Bread. It's one of the select few fast food-style establishments I'll eat at - for their delicious bagels, sandwiches and pastries, but also for the variety of "fast food" they serve. It's nice to know I can have half a sandwich and a bowl of soup on-the-go, versus having to succumb to a greasy slice of pizza elsewhere.

My appreciation for Panera inspired me to participate in the restaurant's Sandwich Showdown - a contest that allows New England-based amateur chefs (like myself) to create their signature Panera sandwich for a chance to win some killer prizes.

Source: www.contestheat.com

Participants can submit their original sandwich creations through October 6 here. I created my sandwich last week, and it literally took me five minutes - the site is very user-friendly, and fun! You simply choose the bread, protein, toppings and condiments using their interactive virtual sandwich builder. Panera also asks for the story behind your sandwich, as well as why your creation should be named the next legendary Panera sandwich. With options like Asiago cheese bread, hard-boiled eggs, smoked gouda cheese and avocado to build your sandwich with, the opportunities are almost endless.

After October 6th, Panera will choose the top 20 entries. The public will then be invited to vote online to determine the grand prize winner. Panera will announce the winners on November 12th, and the top four runners-up will each receive $1,000 cash and one $150 Panera Bread gift card. The 15 remaining finalists will each win one $150 Panera Bread gift card. The grand prize winner will take home $10,000 cash, $500 worth of Panera gift cards, free Panera Bread bagels for a year, and will have their sandwich on the menu for a limited time at participating cafes in Boston and throughout the United States. Um, yeah...I'd like to win this one.

What Panera sandwich would you love to create/see on Panera's menu?

*I received a $25 gift card in return for writing this post. As always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

The Lansdowne Pub's New Menu

A few weeks ago, The Lansdowne Pub invited me and a guest to try out their new menu. Thanks to my bike accident and some other engagements, it took Z and I few weeks to finally make it to this Irish pub in Fenway – but last week, we finally had a free night to take them up on their offer.

It was a surprisingly warm night, so we opted to sit outside. The Red Sox just happened to be playing the Yankees a few feet away, so it was also fun to see (and hear) the baseball fans walking up and down Lansdowne Street.

We started our meal with cocktails (naturally). I went for the Queen Bee ($9), which was made with Prosecco, elderflower liqueur, blood orange bitters and honey. It was slightly sweet and dangerously thirst-quenching.

For an appetizer, Z and I split the Blue Cheese Potato Cakes ($8), served atop a scallion cream. The potato cakes were wonderfully plump, chocked full of creamy, whipped potato and just enough blue cheese.

For an Irish pub, the Lansdowne has an impressive amount of vegetarian options, so Z and I didn’t have a hard time choosing what to order for our meals. I went with the Grilled Cheese ($9) and Z went with the Portabello Burger ($10). I washed my meal down with a Guinness ($6). 

My grilled cheese consisted of Irish cheddar on soda bread, and was served with a side of tomato chutney. Let’s just say this was the most decadent grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten (not to mention the most filling). The side of chunky, sweet chutney was the perfect complement to the heavy cheese and bread.

Z’s portabello burger was also a success. Served with blue cheese, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and greens on brioche, this sandwich was much lighter than mine, and packed with flavor. Z’s burger was served with thick-cut fries, while my sandwich came with crispy, salty house-made potato chips.

Although we were stuffed at this point, we knew we couldn’t leave without getting dessert. Our friendly waiter recommended the Warm Bread Pudding ($7), which was served with whiskey caramel and whipped cream. We took his word for it, and we were so glad we did. 

The bread pudding was cooked perfectly, and served with the gooey, whiskey caramel and obviously homemade whipped cream? The only word that comes to mind is sinful. Wonderfully sinful.

Just a warning: It was Thursday night when we dined there, and karaoke/a live band started right as we were leaving (9 p.m.). It was loud, so I’d recommend getting there before 9 on a Thursday if you want to eat a peaceful meal.

All in all, our meal at The Lansdowne was a successful one. We were delighted to dine at an Irish pub and still have plenty of meat-free options to choose from. It was also nice to enjoy a cocktail on their patio and watch the Fenway fans walk (or, stumble…) by. The waitstaff was also attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and accommodating. We will definitely return to The Lansdowne for food and drinks in the near future.

Have you tried The Lansdowne’s new menu yet? If so, what’s your review?

Our food on this particular evening was complimentary – we just paid for tip and drinks. However, as always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

Still Reeling

I know it’s already Wednesday, but I am still basking in the glory of this past weekend. Z and I went nowhere…except, well, out to brunch on Sunday, but more about that in a second. 

After months filled with busy, travel-heavy weekends, we vowed to go nowhere and do nothing this weekend. Of course, being our antsy selves, we ended up painting parts of the exterior of our house that got replaced during the construction (which happened a year ago, mind you), and we also did a ton of yard work, as well as some interior house cleaning. Said yard work even resulted in Z finally ripping up the weed he’s been dying to get rid of since summer began.

Although Saturday was busy, it was rewarding and still relaxing. However, when we woke up Sunday morning, we were both a little anxious to leave the house for brunch. We originally wanted to try Neighborhood Restaurant in Union Square, but once we saw the massive line outside, we decided to walk over to The Independent – our first time dining there.

I started with a Hot Bloody Maria ($8), which was made with habanero-infused tequila. It was spicy enough to wake me up, but mild enough to avoid going down like liquid fire. Perfect combo, in my book.

For his cocktail, Z went with the Grapefruit Gimlet ($8), which was made with vodka, fresh citrus and St. Germain. I only had one sip, but it was delightfully refreshing and slightly sweet.

I was in the mood for something light that morning (I knew we’d be eating and drinking during the football game shortly thereafter), so I went with the Quinoa Patty ($9), which was topped with a poached egg and sliced tomato, and served over mixed greens that were dressed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette.

On the side, I ordered a toasted English muffin ($2) (The Independent also serves Iggy’s Bread, if you prefer toast).

Although the English muffin was a little too toasted for my liking, the meal as a whole was just what I was in the mood for. The crispy quinoa patty combined with the slightly runny egg and the lemony greens was a fabulous flavor combination.

Z went with the pancakes ($6) and the grilled grapefruit with honey drizzle ($3) for his meal, and both were excellent. I had a bite of the pancakes, and they were perfectly fluffy and possessed an intriguing vanilla flavor.

Overall, we plan to return to The Independent for brunch again, and I’d also love to check them out for dinner some evening soon.

What restaurants have you been loving lately?