Fabulous Food Friday: Five Guys

It seems like a rare treat when I leave the office to eat lunch out, rather than bringing it with me.  Today was one of those rare days.  I celebrated the near-close of a long week by eating at Five Guys.  And it was the most satisfying meal I've eaten all week.  There are just some days that call for a great burger and fantastic fries.  Oh, and here's some trivia for you: the first Five Guys opened in my 'hood, Arlington, Va., in 1986!  Now they have over 450 locations in 30 states.

If you haven't eaten at a Five Guys yet, go there the next time you're in the mood for a burger and fries.  Don't feel guilty either!  It's good to splurge a little.

Five Guys
http://www.fiveguys.com
-Various locations throughout the country.

Yummy Breakfast: Peach Pie Smoothie

So I tried something new for breakfast this morning rather than my usual eggs or cereal -- a Peach Pie Smoothie!  Talk about a change of pace.  Is it legal to have this kind of "dessert" for breakfast?  Oh, and it's healthy too!


Peach Pie Smoothie
(Courtesy of Ellie Krieger)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup skim milk or lowfat milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup unsweetened frozen peaches
1 T. honey
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger


Method:
Combine all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.


Here's the link for more information on this recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/peach-pie-smoothie-recipe/index.html

The Most Important White House Job

I came across this great article that gives a look at one of the most important jobs at the White House: The Pastry Chef.

Sounds like he needs to start his own pie shop so that we can get a taste. Hail to the Chef!

* * *


CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama pastry chef the Crustmaster

By NANCY BENAC (AP) – 9 hours ago

WASHINGTON — Poor Bill Yosses. He's the White House pastry chef. He makes desserts for a living.

He works for Barack and Michelle Obama. They talk about healthy eating. All the time.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Not at all.

Yosses' creations — especially his pies — have won over even the Obamas.

The president calls him "The Crustmaster."

The first lady points to pie-on-demand as one of the big plusses of life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"I'm the dark side," Yosses joked in an AP interview. "They love our pies."

Read the rest here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkHlYShdNGqjvzcO_R1z1_AL9bJgD9BSF7J80

Quick Weeknight Meal: Broiled Fish with Citrus and Herbs

I got to wander into Whole Foods this past weekend, which was quite a treat. I came out with two bags of groceries including green beans and a white fish I hadn't tried before: turbot. Whole Foods even gave me some inspiration for a way to prepare this delicious white, flaky fish. I used the Whole Foods iPhone app and found this gem. This is a great recipe that only takes a few ingredients and is super-simple to make. Try it and see if you like it too.

Broiled Fish with Citrus and Herbs

(Courtesy of Whole Foods)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 minced shallot (I subbed in red onion here, which worked well.)

1/4 t. dried tarragon

4-6 oz. mild fish fillet(s) such as sole, tilapia or arctic char (I used turbot.)

1/2 t. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper, to taste

3 chopped Kalamata olives (optional)

Method:

In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, shallot and tarragon. Simmer until thickened, 15-20 minutes; cover and set aside.

Heat broiler. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with oil, salt and pepper. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 5 to 6 inches from heat, just until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes per half inch of thickness.

When fish is done, transfer fillet to serving plate, spoon sauce on top and sprinkle with olives.

I served freshly steamed green beans on the side, and you could also add rice as another side dish to soak up the extra orange sauce.

Quick Weeknight Meal: Sweet Italian Sausage with Zucchini and Tomatoes

This dish is becoming one of my favorites because it's a quick and healthy weeknight meal. Depending on the size of your family, it usually yields extra (for two-person households), making lunchtime the next day even better.

Sweet Italian Sausage with Zucchini and Tomatoes

(Adapted from a Whole Foods recipe)

Ingredients:

6 links Sweet Italian sausage (I prefer using turkey sausage)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 to 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried oregano)

1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I use 2 zucchini)

3/4 pound mixed red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper

Method:

Prepare sausages according to package directions, either in a sauté pan or on the grill. While they are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and oregano, stir for a few seconds, then add zucchini and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

When sausages are cooked, cut into large bite-sized pieces and add to pan along with tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until tomatoes are just softened, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large platter and serve.

Tip: I like to serve this over roasted garlic & olive oil cous-cous, which is super quick to make.

Cookie Season: Snickerdoodles

Now that it's getting closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's just about time for that coinciding time of "Cookie Season." Ahh...yes, that glorious time of baking dozens of varieties to share with family, friends and co-workers. I enjoy making cookies, probably because of my sweet tooth, but just like cupcakes, cookies are easily enjoyed and always put a smile on people's faces. (They might grimace first, but I know that's just a front because cookies always disappear fast.)

To kick off Cookie Season, I made a batch of Snickerdoodles last weekend. I'm including the recipe that I used below, but if anyone has a better recipe to share, please do!

Snickerdoodles

(Courtesy of The Best of Gooseberry Patch's "Old Fashioned Christmas Favorites")

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening or butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

cinnamon and sugar

Method:

Cream shortening (or butter) and sugar. Beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture; stir. Refrigerate for one hour. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and roll in the cinnamon and sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yields 2 dozen.

It was a Julia kind of weekend...

This weekend was all about food. Saturday, after a trip to the grocery store to refill my refrigerator and pantry, my friend Peggy and I went to a cooking class at Mon Ami Gabi, appropriately titled the "Julia Child Cooking Class." It was set up as a cooking demonstration where we could ask the chef questions as he made classic French Onion Soup, Beef Bourguignon served over pappadelle egg noodles, and Chocolate Mousse. We got to taste each dish -- not just a small sample but a regular sized portion of each. Essentially, we got a three course meal (wine included), a live cooking demo, the recipes, and a parting goody bag with chocolate candies and a tarragon compound butter. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! We then met up with our husbands to go to dinner. Perhaps not surprisingly, we still had room for more food even after all of that!

Sunday afternoon, while Chris was working on a big work project, I took the opportunity to make lunch, bake cookies, and make a slow-cooked pot roast.

Thankfully, the majority of food this weekend was good although there were some mishaps. On Friday night I made chocolate chip granola bars from a Whole Foods recipe, but for some reason they refused to be cut into nice neat squares after they cooled. I practically had to chisel them out of the pan (yes, that was my exercise for the day). All was not lost - the bits and pieces will be good as a snack (albeit a messy one) or over yogurt.

I'll post pictures of these various dishes and add some recipes during the week so please check back.

Oh, back to my friend Peggy for a second. She just started her own food blog this weekend so definitely check it out: http://onegermansediblejourney.blogspot.com/