FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

The Good Stuff

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If it weren’t for the completely awful project that consumes my working hours, you’d have a tough time convincing me I’m not dreaming these days.  Every day since my arrival has been filled with so much of the good stuff, that I can’t even let the “bad stuff” phase me.  Bad project?  Pshhh…  Fire?  Double Pshhhhhh.

After work today, I put on my sneakers, grabbed my sacks, and walked to the best whole foods on this fine, fine planet.  This picture doesn’t begin to do this store justice, it’s huger than huge.  And each and every square foot of its hugeness is filled with the friendliest folks ever.

 I picked up some much needed groceries, looking forward to a time when my kitchen is a little more stocked and my market trips are a lot less expensive!

I snacked on some stuffed grape leaves while this sandwich was toasting and then, with a wholehearted grin, gobbled the whole thing up!

Black Swan, In Pictures

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Breakfast:  Fage Greek Yogurt with Blackberries

Lunch:  Curry & Coconut Oil Acorn Squash with Garlic Knots

Yoga!!!

Post-Yoga Snack: Watermelon

Dinner:  Roasted Tomatoes & Portobello Mushroom with Garlic Knots

I’ve had my eye on Black Swan Yoga since the moment I figured out which area of Austin I wanted to live in.  The studio is steps from my apartment, they offer more classes at more times than you could ever imagine, and you can tell just by reading their website that the vibe is spot on.  When Andrea suggested meeting up for another workout after last night’s boot camp class, I had my fingers crossed she’d want to check out Black Swan.  Finger crossing was unnecessary as she was already a fan.

The power class was great!  It ended up being the perfect amount of strength and stretch for our already aching tush and thighs.  I haven’t been this happy with a studio since YogaSport in Dallas.  Yay Austin!!

Whooped Pants Pizza

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There were two things that got me through tonight’s workout at H.E.A.T. Bootcamp:

1.  Meeting Andrea.  When Katie found out I was moving to Austin, she introduced me to Andrea, who had recently moved from Atlanta to Austin, via Facebook.  We’ve been chatting up a storm over the past few months and it was great to finally meet her!

2.  The pre-prepped batch of pizza dough that was waiting for me to cover it with a bunch of goodness when I got home.

I’ve been on this crushed red pepper/sriracha/spicy kick for the past few months, so I couldn’t help but purchase this gynorm jalapeno at the market over the weekend.  I was a tad nervous that fresh japs would be too intense, so I sliced them on the thin side.  It was a good move.

As far as the rest of the toppings go, I brushed the dough with olive oil, topped with sliced tomatoes, portobellos, and the thinly sliced jalapenos.  I brushed everything with olive oil again to ensure nothing turned dry or crispy and baked in a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes.

When the veggies were looking good and wilted, I added fresh mozzarella pearls and baked for another 5-ish minutes until the cheese was melted.  I am a huge fan of cooking with fresh mozzarella, but it tends to release a TON of water when it cooks.  I remedied the soggy situation with a paper towel after baking, but I’m wondering if I should squeeze some of the excess moisture out of the cheese prior to baking next time.

And even though my go-to pizza toppings for the past decade have been spinach and artichokes, I’ll happily push those aside for mushrooms and jalapenos.  Spicy umami is where it’s at!