FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Lazy Pants Pizza

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Tonight had potential for serious derailment.  I think most Thursdays do.  You spend all week working, dieting, deadlining, exercising, erranding – by Thursday you’re pooped!

I was so close to ordering take-out, but somewhere during the crazy amounts of rationalizing going on in my head, I thought of a quick compromise.  Hooray for pizza!

Lazy Pants Pizza:
– Sprouted Wheat Toast
– Baby Spinach
– Tomato Sauce
– Mozzarella Cheese
– Garlic Powder

While sprouted wheat bread is toasting, heat tomato sauce in the microwave for a minute.  Stir spinach leaves in the tomato sauce and microwave for an additional minute.  Spread tomato sauce on sprouted wheat toast, sprinkle with garlic powder, and cover with cheese.  Toast until golden.

Mid-Day Escape

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I am fortunate to be able to come home daily for lunch.  Most of the time, I re-heat my leftovers from the previous night.  But with spring creeping in, I was in the mood for something fresh.

I’ve had this sandwich in the back on my mind since hitting up the airport Starbucks a couple weeks back.  Don’t get me wrong, theirs was good, but I knew I could bedazzle it and make it mine.  I subbed sprouted wheat toast, nitrate-free turkey, baby spinach, honey mustard vinaigrette, and goat cheese.  So…  I modified pretty much everything but the cuke.  It’s a safe bet that I’ll be eating this exact sandwich for lunch this week until I’m forced to make the vegetarian version because I’ve run out of turkey.

To satisfy my dessert tummy, which on a rare occasion is full, I ate the leftover “Avocado Chocolate Mousse” from last night’s feast.

Is that Gak?

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Your face will cringe before your first sip.  You’ll mentally prepare yourself for the grossest green gulp of your life.  You’re nervous, it’s weird, you feel like a contestant on Fear Factor.  After you muster up the courage to drink?  Apples.  All you taste is apple.  And I describe this to everyone I “con” into drinking this concoction, but they don’t believe me until after their first sip.  It’s a guaranteed “I told you so”.
Green Smoothie:
1 Apple
2 Kale Stalks
1 Handful of Grapes
1/2 Cucumber
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Ice
I deviated from my usual formula and added avocado to the first batch.  Mistake!  You couldn’t taste the avocado, but it turned the texture into something that resembled Gak.

Chop Therapy

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I want what you’re having.  Not the entire thing, just a bite.  If tonight didn’t happen, I would continue to think you’re dish earned extra tasty points for one reason only – it wasn’t prepared by me.  And I’m not saying that I won’t continue to ask for bites, I will, but at least after tonight I’ll understand why.

My impatience is not subtle and probably borders on extreme for prior roomies.  I alone can be too many cooks for one kitchen.  And to this “rule”, I can only think of one exception – everything salads with Lex.  Everything salads are never the same and always have too many ingredients to repeat in the same order twice.  And apparently one life changing light bulb moment is the limit for tonight, because I can’t for the life of me provide a logical explanation for why, in all of my 26 years, there is one scenario in which I prefer to share a kitchen.

Tonight I prepared an everything salad for the first time sans Lex.  It wasn’t the same.  I chopped finely, patiently, and with purpose.  And it was as I prepared my plate for its photo opp that my “Aha!” moment occurred – I want your dish because you took your time!

Finely chop the following until you “Aha!”, mix in a bowl, and set aside.
–  1/2 green pepper
–  1/2 red onion
–  1/2 cucumber
–  one can of hearts of palm
–  1/2 can of artichoke hearts
–  1/4 cup of green olives
–  1/2 – 1 cup of steamed asparagus
–  1/2 can of garbanzo beans
–  1 lb cubed chicken breast
–  gorgonzola cheese crumbles
–  balsamic vinaigrette

Place baby greens and baby spinach leaves on a large plate.  Spoon chopped veggie mix over greens.  Keeping the veggies separate will prevent soggy lettuce and ensure even distribution of goods.  Top greens with chicken, cheese crumbles, and dressing.  Enjoy!