Move over jelly, there’s a new girl in town and her name is Nutella. Chocolate hazelnut spread, commonly referred to its branded name Nutella, is a sweet and creamy combination of hazelnut butter, cocoa, and milk. Nutella (or any brand of chocolate hazelnut spread) is good alone, but add peanut butter, and you have serious finger lickin’, just took a trip to food heaven, good. For me, peanut butter with chocolate is one of the best food combinations that exist. Continue reading
Every Day Vegetable Stir Fry
Keepin’ it low carb
Despite all of the fried, sweet, or cheesy recipes on this blog, we tend to eat healthy most of the time. How? Our 5-Day Grub Plan really helps to alleviate the guesswork involved in figuring out what to eat every day. But in addition to that, we have some tried and true, go-to foods that we almost-always incorporate into our daily diet. For example, I eat an apple every singe day. It’s like brushing my teeth first thing in the morning.
5-Day Grub Plan
Spicy Rice with Mixed Veggies
“I don’t have time to cook everyday.”
This is a statement I hear all the time. And it’s true- most working people are so busy that they do not have time to cook everyday. So a typical lunch consists of something easy to get at a restaurant within a 2-block radius of work: pizza, a sandwich from Subway, Chinese lunch special, a couple of items from 7-eleven, a burrito or taco, a to-go carton filled with a variety of dishes from a 7.99/lb buffet, or a number 6 meal from Burger King. And if you have a little more money, you can be fancier, and actually go to a sit-down restaurant, but that takes time, and for many people, time during the work week is as precious as fine wine.
Stuffed Jalapenos
Stuffed Jalapenos
A few years ago, I went to a networking event in Washington, DC. It was held in Madam’s Organ, by Adams Morgan. I remember little about the occasion (like who was the organizer, who I met, or what season it was for that matter), but I do remember one thing clearly: what I ate. Hors d’oeuvres were served, and on this one particular tray, there were these breaded items. They did not look exactly like breaded chicken and appeared too thick to be mozzarella sticks, but I knew they were fried and looked good. I placed two on a napkin and took a bite out of one. The coating was crispy and the inside was gooey. Wow, I thought to myself- what is this? It tasted great! I looked at the half-bitten appetizer and saw some green. What could this be? A menu was by a table and I scanned through the appetizer section. They were Jalapeno Poppers! I couldn’t believe that I just ate a jalapeno! How does it taste this good? Why isn’t my mouth burning? I thought about those questions for a few seconds, then I placed a couple more on my napkin and ate, as I continued to ponder. Continue reading
Juicy, Tender, Pork Spare Ribs
tender cuts on a soft roll
This is the tale of amazing pork spare ribs. This is also the tale of Small Business Saturday. How are the two related, you ask? Great question!
Thanks to Small Business Saturday, I made the most amazing pork spare ribs. If you’ve never heard of Small Business Saturday, you have Black Friday to blame. As I see it, Small Business Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) is an effort to bring attention to small businesses across the US, which are basically ignored in the mad rush to seize black Friday deals offered at big box, chain retail stores. Continue reading
Possibly The Best Store Bought Cheesecake?
Turtle Cheesecake
I am a cheesecake lover! I’ve had more than my fair share of cheesecake since I started eating it about 10-12 years ago. Plain cheesecake is fine… but there’s something about cheesecake combinations that is absolutely irresistible. Cheesecake Factory has pretty much mastered cheesecake combinations. From their decadent red velvet cheesecake to the rich peanut butter cup cheesecake and white chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake, they pretty much have it all.
Now, I never thought I could find cheesecake of that caliber at a supermarket. But I sure did! Although it’s frozen, and comes in a small package, it is absolutely amazing. As the saying goes, great things can come in small sizes.
Bacon Mac & Cheese
Bacon Mac & Cheese
If anyone has not yet noticed, it’s pretty evident that we LOVE pork. Yes, we like the “other white meat.” We actually prefer pork over beef (we rarely buy beef and rarely eat it). A good number of people abstain from eating pork, but we are a fan and supporter of the domestic pig. 🙂
This post is about one of our favorite meals: Bacon Mac & Cheese. The delicious taste of bacon incorporated with the cheesy, creamy taste of Mac & Cheese just calls for a celebratory post. We’ve made typical mac and cheese in the past, but decided to add bacon to it this time. We were speechless at the taste. But as the saying goes, everything taste better with bacon. Continue reading
Pork Spring Rolls
Fried Spring Rolls
Every time my family goes to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn, we always order spring rolls. It’s become a tradition-the fried spring rolls filled with pork that comes on a bed of lettuce and dipping sauce on the side. I never knew the name of the sauce, but it tastes like a lighter version of duck sauce. It’s sweet and almost clear. When the waiter brings the dish to the table, immediately all conversation stops and hands begin to move towards the hot plate. It’s a perfect amount for sharing-8 rolls for our four person family, 2 per person. We each take one and grab a lettuce leaf, wrap it quickly around the crispy roll and then dip the product into the sweet sauce. It’s a great combination. Continue reading
Primavera Pasta Salad
Have you ever had to decide on what to bring to a potluck? We were in this situation a few weeks ago. Even though we’re both avid cooks, we still went through what I’ll call a ‘Potluck Decision-Making Checklist‘: easy to make (because we were short on time), easy to carry (the NYC Subway system is not conducive for carrying delicate dishes, especially when dodging aggressive straphangers), easy to serve, does not have to be heated, won’t break the bank, and still tastes good?
In that decision-making moment, we had a ‘ah-ha’ moment: A Primavera Pasta Salad! How could you go wrong with pasta, flavorful pepperoni, fresh cheese, juicy tomatoes, and crisp veggies, all tossed in a herb infused oil based dressing? And it could not be easier to make, did not take long to prepare, could be carried through a crowded, rough, or jerky 45 minute subway ride, tastes best at room temperature, is wallet-friendly, and tastes delicious. We had a winner!
So, for your next potluck, don’t despair. We have a go-to recipe for you.
Can You Love Food and Be Healthy?
eatersrendezvous 