Birthday Surprises in Austin

Last weekend, I turned 35! Hard to believe how quickly my 30s are moving along. It seemed that my 20s went on forever so I assumed the next decade would pass at the same pace. But, I was wrong! I’ve always heard that time speeds up the older you get and it appears to be true. GULP! I can’t say I am unhappy with the way my life is turning out. I lived up my 20s mostly as a single and free woman moving around and having great adventures and the last seven years as a married woman have been just as wonderful, fulfilling and adventurous but in a different way.

Part of this has been due to the incredible man I married. I had no idea when I met this silent, intelligent, introverted, tall American southern gentleman that he would capture my crazy, nomadic, impetuous heart in such a way to find roots and a home in him that I love. (I hope you will excuse the side-step into gushy territory but I can’t tell you the next foodie bit without explaining how we ended up at the places we visited last weekend.) Some of you may remember from a couple of months ago that John and I always try and plan cute fun birthday surprises for each other every year.  A budget is set and then the whole day is a complete mystery. But it’s not just about where we go or what we do, it’s also about the creativity involved! One year I made word-search and crossword puzzles that John had to solve to discover the next destination. On my 30 birthday, John hid 30 presents all round the house with no clues and I had to find them all just by frantically looking under mattresses and dishware!  This year was no exception. All I knew when we left the house on Saturday morning was that we would be spending the weekend in our favourite Texas city, Austin. Once we arrived, John gave me a clue sheet

(mastered from my favourite game Whirly Word!) to help me figure out the next step of the day. First up was :

can you see it? You can imagine my squealing delight when I realized I would be going for a MASSAGE! I can’t think of  a better way to soothe these aging muscles of this 35 year old body! After 30 minutes of complete serenity, we moved on to one of our favourite sunny day past times:

a SCENIC walk along Mount Bonnell; a beautiful small mountain overlooking the river. The trek up and down the trail helped prepare our appetite for lunch :

Not just any TACOS but we went to a great Austin trailer/restaurant called Torchy’s Tacos

where we had The Fried Avocado (hand battered avocado with pico, lettuce, cheese and Poblano sauce) and

the Mr. Pink (seared Ahi-Tuna, cabbage, cilantro, queso fresco, with lime and Chipotle sauce). Yum!

But for dessert, one more puzzle told me we would be leaving Torchy’s and venturing over to Buenes Aires Cafe

for my favourite kind of dessert: BRULEE

 However, this was no normal Brulee, this was their Dark and Spicy Chocolate Brulee which is exactly as it sounds. Rich with a lovely bite!

We also enjoyed a slice of real Lemon Meringue Pie

and a delightful cup of Turkish Mint Tea. hmmmmm relaxing!

After being full and happy, I unscrambled my next clue which led us to

lovely artist MARKETs around the city.  You can imagine we were pretty tired by the time we checked into our hotel. Fortunately we had plenty of time to relax before dinner.

And, now we come to the real jewel of the day (other than my Sweetie!)

I love sashimi, SUSHI and other Asian flavours so John hit one out of the park with his final surprise of the night. We went to Uchiko

which is rated number 1 on TripAdvisor out of 2,300 restaurants in Austin and we knew from the arrival of our first plate that we were in for something very special. This is the kind of place where you can order lots of little dishes and sample so many wonderful flavours and concoctions without getting full and uncomfortable. We had 10 different dishes in total and each one was just as amazing as the next. Here is a small sampling of the descriptions:

Koviche: fresh diver scallop, tomatillo, kalamata, black lime. 

Yokai Berry: Atlantic salmon, dinosaur kale, Asian pear, yuzu

Hot Rock: “sear it yourself” wagyu beef, Japanese river rock. This was not only fun but delicious. The meat was so tender and cooking on the rock made it surprisingly taste like it had been perfectly flame grilled.

Even the  Tobacco Cream dessert with chocolate sorbet, maple budino, huckleberry, scotch was strangely one of the most delicious I think I have ever had! (Sorry Brulee! We had a good run!). I wish I had taken pictures of all of these to share them with you but I was too busy staring lovingly over the table at my date and being wooed by all the wonderful dishes that kept arriving. I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say that this was one of the most amazing meals I have eaten on the planet! It’s up there with my other all time favourite in Cambridge, La Raza. A perfect day!

The next day we went to Round Rock for Outlet Mall Shopping but not before stopping at the famous Round Rock Donuts for a quick peak.

 They have been featured on several Travel Channel shows like Man Vs Food for their crazy Texas sized donut:

We settled for a plain glazed non-giant sized donut and I can definitely see why they are a donut favourite. Soft, warm and melt in your mouth sweetness.

All in all it was a wonderful birthday and I am very blessed by my darling hubby who, not only treats me well all year round, but knows exactly how to make me feel extra cherished on my special day.

Easy Peasy Very Cheesy Enchiladas Suiza

I have mentioned in an earlier post how Mum would allow me to help her make the perfect lump-free white or bechamel sauce when I was younger. She would begin by making a roux (browning some flour in sizzling butter or other fats like bacon grease etc) then adding milk at just the right moment, and I would start stirring furiously to avoid any lumps as it would thicken. By cleverly and carefully tempering eggs, she would develop the sauce into creamy bechamel which was the basis for all kinds of dishes and casseroles. Needless to say, it was quite the achievement when I learnt how to make these sauces successfully but there were so many points where it could (and did) go wrong. If the flour didn’t cook long enough in the butter, the sauce would taste raw, or if the milk was added too quickly and not whisked fast enough, it was a lumpy tasteless mess. Worst of all was when the eggs weren’t tempered properly and I ended up with a bowl full of scrambled mush!! Once you have made these sauces a few times, the mistakes are less likely and you become a roux champion but sometimes the process can still be quite stressful - even for the most experienced cook. So why do people still bother?

White sauce is so delicious and many of our favourite dishes, like mac n cheese or enchiladas,  begin with it. Unfortunately, many new budding home cooks can be put off by this process (and the time involved) and turn to the jarred variety or ready meal option which are so inferior in flavour and texture. Recently, I  saw a recipe for mac n cheese that involved substituting the roux palava for cream cheese and noticed this was an increasing trend in recipes hailed as ‘quick, easy dinners’. I decided anything that would be more simple and involve cream cheese had to be worth a try so I concocted an enchilada recipe for my first attempt. It was amazing! Easy, lump-free, creamy deliciousness! What else can you ask for? ‘More cheese’ I hear you say? Got you covered! 

Easy Peasy Very Cheesy Enchiladas

1  pack of reduced fat Cream Cheese (80z each) cubed and at room temperature.

1  cup skimmed milk

jar of your favourite green salsa

2 cups of shredded cheese (I like 2% Mexican Blend)

5-6 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp butter (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Grease a large rectangular baking dish and preheat oven to 400 F.  Heat olive oil in a pan and brown onion and garlic on medium heat. At the same time, place 3/4 cup of milk in a pan with butter and the cream cheese, stir frequently over low heat until melted and smooth. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and stir until combined well and turn off heat. Pour half the milk cheese mixture in with the onions and garlic, and add chicken and spices.  Lay out each tortilla and place a line of the chicken mixture down each center.  Spoon your favourite salsa over the chicken. Fold each side of the tortilla over the center mixture and then place them fold-side-down into greased baking dish. Spoon over some more of the salsa, taking care to go right to the edge of each tortilla. Put the remaining milk and cheese mixture back on medium heat and add the rest of the milk, salt and pepper to taste,and stir until well combined. Spoon cheese mixture over tortillas and top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. It may not look like there is enough sauce at this point but as the enchiladas cook in the oven, the sauce melts further and spreads creating a lovely velvet pool of cheesy goodness. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Avocado Strawberry and Goat Cheese Sandwhich

These past couple of weeks I’ve been wandering around in a fog of powdered sugar as I work on all kinds of fun cupcake orders for friends. And although it’s been a blast, my usual cooking and experimenting have had to take a back seat. Needless to say, I didn’t want to miss another Pinteresting Monday so I decided something quick and easy would do the trick- enter Avocado Strawberry and Goat Cheese on toast! When I first saw this recipe on Pinterest, it sounded crazy enough that it just had be to good but I didn’t get to try it out until this weekend. I am glad to say my instincts about it were spot on! This was an easy, delicious and light-meal option full of goodness – and it’s extremely pretty, don’t you think? 

Avocado Strawberry and Goat Cheese Sandwich (from Edible Perspective: this is  for the hot version of the sandwich but there is also a cold version if you prefer) 

2 slices of bread 

1 avocado

4 medium strawberries, thinly sliced

goat’s milk mozzarella, thinly sliced (or any style goat’s cheese works well)

1t unrefined coconut oil (butter would be fine too if you don’t have coconut oil)

1T balsamic vinegar

1t lemon juice

1/8t salt

black pepper + sea salt to top

Toast the bread and place on a cooling rack [avoids sogginess] to stay crisp but not hot. 

Turn your oven on to broil.

Mash the avocado with a fork and then mash in the lemon juice + salt.

Add oil to a small pan over medium heat. 

Once hot, add the strawberries + balsamic, cooking for 3-5min until softened but not falling apart.  Stir/flip a few times.

Add as much avocado to the toast as desired and add 1 layer of cooked strawberries.

Top with a thin layer of goat cheese.

Broil until melted, about 1-3min.  If you’re using more of a crumbly goat cheese, be careful it doesn’t burn.

 

 A lot of the time, wacky sounding combinations end up being true favourites. I can’t wait to explore more recipe ideas with these flavours.

Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf

So you may have noticed that I missed Pinteresting Monday this week. Things were a little hectic over the weekend as I was making cupcakes for a baby shower so I didn’t get to have any other fun experiments in the kitchen. However, I am not leaving you hanging as one of my sweet new friends here in Waco, Carlee Payton, is sharing her review of a great recipe she recently tried. On her blog, The Payton Periodicals, Carlee not only writes about delicious food, and her fun adventures with husband Jared and hilarious little pup Wylee, but she offers helpful advice to her readers on all kinds of topics, and shares cute and easy craft projects. You should check her out!

Hi all! Thanks Leia for allowing me to do a guest blog post on The Grumbling Belly. The GB is one of my favorite blogs, especially because Leia reviews recipes found on Pinterest.; which is very appropriate because the recipe that I want to share with you is one I found on Pinterest. Because it’s not my original recipe, I can’t take credit for it but it really did turn out quite lovely. When I found the recipe several weeks ago, it pulled on my heart strings because at one time, I worked for Starbucks and this was one of my favorite treats. At the end of my night shifts there, I was allowed to take one pastry and one beverage…. 90% of the time, I took the Lemon Loaf. It always tasted so good with some sort of mocha-flavored drink; surprisingly enough. So this recipe brought back memories of my time as a barista.

Starbucks’ Iced Lemon Pound Cake Copycat Recipe 

(The original recipe can be found at Picky Palate)

1 box yellow cake mix

4.3 ounce instant or cook and serve Lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

8 oz sour cream

6 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

Icing

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray 2 loaf pans or (1 Bundt pan, in my case) generously with cooking spray.

2. Place all cake ingredients in no particular order into stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Divide cake batter between two prepared loaf pans (or 1 bundt) spreading evenly. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan(s).

3. To prepare icing, place powdered sugar into a large bowl. Drizzle in lemon juice stirring until smooth and thick. Should be a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cakes and let set for 20 minutes for a firm icing. Otherwise slice while still wet if desired.

**Note: You can make this same recipe into cupcakes, small loaves and even a layered cake. Adjust baking time accordingly.

Review:

It turned out to be one of the most beautiful cakes I had ever made. It reminded me of a sunrise with the different shades of yellow. The taste is very similar to the Lemon Loaf at Starbucks. I haven’t had the Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf in a while so I would need to do a side-by-side blind taste test to compare. Overall, it is a delicious dessert and would be a nice dessert to serve company.

It is probably best eaten the same day because the next day, the icing seeps in and is less pretty but still very delicious the next day. I stored my cake in a cake dome on the counter; not the fridge. It probably wouldn’t hurt to put it in the fridge. At Starbucks, we served the Lemon Loaf in the refrigerated dessert case.

Check out my blog over at www.carleejoy.blogspot.com for recipes, fashion tips, crafts, traveling, fitness and more.

-Carlee Joy

Kate’s Candy

Last week, I introduced a new series here at The Grumbling Belly called Family and Friends. I am inviting people from around the world and across the country who appreciate the connection food has with our lives and community to share their favourite recipes and stories. This week, I am excited to introduce you to Kate from North Carolina. We met while working as Hall Directors in Tennessee almost four years ago and, with our kindred passion for food and people (and other things of course), we soon became great friends. She is a talented cook and baker and this is a wonderful story that perfectly illustrates how food can be so meaningful as well as delicious.

 

My maternal Grandfather passed away a year before I was born.  He died far too early, when he was only 54.

I have heard stories about my Papa Mac nearly every day of my life.  I have been told how much he would’ve loved me, how much I look like him with my dark hair and eyes, how much of a gentleman he was, and how deeply he adored the women in his life (namely his wife and two daughters).

I grew up missing a man that I have never met.  I think about him often and look forward to the heavenly day when he and I will hug and smile at each other for the first time.  Oh, all that we have to look forward to!

My Papa Mac loved to cook.  He did most of the cooking and baking in the house, enjoying the act of spoiling his three ladies.  His specialties were meatloaf, beef stroganoff, fried fish (that he and his Brother-in-law caught on their beach trip the weekend before), and any food that provided comfort to friends and family.  We still use the recipes he left us, and my mouth waters each time we look through those cards.

Papa Mac had a bit of a sweet tooth as well.  He indulged those he loved (and himself) by making cakes, fudge, and candy.  There is a particular candy recipe that my Mother made often during my childhood.  The main ingredients were dates and rice krispies, which formed a bite-sized log.  Somehow, she lost the recipe and I hadn’t had this particular candy in many years.  A few years ago, I mentioned that this was my favorite “Papa Mac recipe” and I wondered what we could do to recreate an important-to-me childhood memory.  My Grandmother (Gran), Mom, and I started looking through an old tin box Gran kept with recipes from her early-adult life.  There were a few of Papa Mac’s mixed in, so we were hoping to find this particular one.

I’ll never forget the moment she held up the card with my favorite recipe scribbled on it, as all three of us were baffled by its title…

The top of the card read, “Kate’s Candy”.

My Papa Mac named his Granddaughter Kate’s favorite candy recipe after her – before he even knew of her existence!  We tried to explain it away at the time, figuring that there must have been a friend of the family he named it for.  But, I’ve decided to always believe that Papa Mac named it just for me, his Granddaughter that he’ll meet one day in Heaven.

And so, I share with you my favorite recipe, one that my family holds so incredibly dear:

Kate’s candy

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

1 egg well beaten

Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly.

Then add:

2 cups rice krispies

1 cup chopped pecans

When cool enough to handle, make into bite-sized logs and roll in flaked coconut. 

Take some butter and spread on your hands to form candy and roll in coconut.  This is helpful as the candy is very sticky.

Set on parchment paper until fully cooled and then serve.

Making Kate’s Candy with my grandmother and mother

Fish Tacos with Avocado and Mango Salsa

I sometimes joke about how I was born in the wrong part of the world because, with my hatred of lamb and olives, I am such a failure as a ‘Greek’ eater ! Of course I could not possibly pick between all the other cuisines I enjoy but if I had to pick one category of flavours it would probably revolve around tropical fruits like pineapple, melons, coconut and mango. Growing up in dreary London, I always longed for a real summer so these fruits were the closest I could feel to the sunshine and the beach on those disappointing July and August days! I used to joke about how I was solar powered but maybe my Mediterranean heritage just meant I wasn’t designed for anything less than warm, sunny, island life…just one without so much lamb perhaps! Regardless of how this love affair with the tropics began, it’s almost guaranteed that I will hone in on dishes containing these ingredients when browsing a menu or recipe book.

The weather this week in TX has been very frustrating with it’s massive swings in temperature from the 80′s to the 50′s, and a plethora of nasty dark clouds so I think my Dreary London PTSD came out forcing me to dust off all my summer recipe favourites to cope! Fish Tacos with Avocado and Mango Salsa just seemed the perfect way to invite the sun out from behind the clouds of my heart!   I threw this recipe together last year and it’s really simple, nothing surprising, no crazy twists, just delicious and fresh. Like this week’s Pinteresting Monday recipe, it stands proudly on it’s own two feet as a tasty healthy meal without hiding behind the name of a dish that it doesn’t match up to!

Fish Tacos with Avocado and Mango Salsa

2 large fillets of tilapia (or other delicate white fish)

1 large avocado, sliced

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

4 wholewheat tortillas

Taco Seasoning for Fish: 

1/4 tsp Chili Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp of Onion Powder

1/4 tsp of Corriander

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

pinch of cayenne and cumin

Mango Salsa:

1 Mango, diced

1/4 large onion, diced

1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 – 1 tsp salt (depending on your preference)

1 tbsp tomato (seeded and chopped finely)

Mix all salsa ingredients together and set aside (if you can let this sit for an hour or so even better).

Combine taco seasoning. Rub lime juice and olive oil over cleaned fish and sprinkle seasoning over both sides. Heat pan and grill fish on each side for about 3-4 minutes. Crumble fish with spatula in the pan and remove from heat.

Squirt fish with a little more lime juice. Heat tortillas and form a line down the center with avocado slices. Sprinkle crumbled fish over top and finish with the mango salsa.

We also like to put a few dashes of Tabasco or some Mango Habanero sauce when we’re feeling brave!

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Greek Yogurt Avocado Puree

I love making food that is good for your body and your soul but those two are not always compatible in the same bite!  Yes it’s wonderful when you find a ‘healthified’ sweet treat, or comforting dish that has been given the ‘skimmed’ treatment, but can we all just be honest for a moment?…..it’s not as good as the real thing. This doesn’t mean we give up on eating the healthy versions more than the non-healthy ones (on the contrary it’s nice to have options when you want a quick fix and don’t want to indulge) but constant compromise can be so uninspiring. My hubby feels so cheated when I present him with an alternative low fat dish cloaked with a superior title like Chicken Alfredo using Greek Yogurt or Spaghetti Squash. If it’s presented as Creamy Squash he will be fine and enjoy every bite (as long as it’s tasty) and I have to say, I understand where he is coming from. I don’t mind eating a slimmed down version of fried chicken but I won’t go round proclaiming that it’s better than the real deal. Or that if somehow someone invented a way to eat real chocolate cake with no calories and the benefits of a multi-vitamin, I would chose the zucchini version! (If only, right?!) However, the most successful healthy dishes we come across are the ones that stand up proud in their originality and are just simply delicious! Today’s Pinteresting Monday recipe is exactly that! It’s the perfect blend of fresh and zesty ingredients with earthy warm spices, food that is good for you and most importantly it’s not trying to be something it isn’t! We love it and I wouldn’t change a thing!

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Greek Yogurt Avocado Puree (from Baking with Blonde)

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ Teaspoon of Paprika
¼ Teaspoon of Salt
¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 Cup of Quinoa
Juice and Zest from Two Limes
A Dash of Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped
2 Avocados
½ Small carton of Greek yogurt

Teeny bit of milk to thicken sauce to desired consistency

Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast. (I double and triple these spices and keep the mix in a small air tight container for whenever I want to make this chicken- just one step to make it easier.)

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.

After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.

Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.

Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down. (You should add this regardless- it’s delicious!)

*to make avocado sauce, combine avocado, Greek yogurt, teaspoon of lemon juice and a little cilantro in a mini-food processor. Add milk to obtain desired consistency.

 This dish is also wonderful the next day and the avocado sauce is delicious in a chicken or turkey sandwich!