That's What Friends Are For!!!

Yesterday I was having one of those days where I just needed a helping hand. A very close friend of mines came over to the rescue without even me asking. She asked if she could cook which was fine with me. Normally, I would say no I'll cook but with a pounding headache and my precious 3 month old demanding my attention I was grateful. I had some sea scallops in the frig and also some chicken. She choose the scallops which I was happy with. She took the baby into the kitchen with her as I headed to my room for just a little rest to get rid of my headache. To my surprise I was called down maybe an hour later to something delicious.

Seared Scallops and Indian Spiced Spinach Penne Pasta

She seared the scallops in butter and simply seasoned with salt and pepper. They were delicate and yummy! As for the pasta, she use a penne pasta* I bought from Trader Joes and tossed with spinach*, garlic*, some vegetable curry (I get from my local Asian market), some extra virgin olive oil, butter*, salt & pepper and grated parm cheese.

Everything was delish, and I so appreciated this little break. Thanks Nina!! Love ya!

*Organic

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Before I even had the chance to freeze the Creamy Curry Onion Soup from my previous post, my five year old wanted some soup. He loves broccoli, so I decided to add some steamed organic broccoli to the soup. I warmed the creamy curry onion soup first and then blended it with my hand blender. Once that was done I add the steamed broccoli and some of the water that it steamed in to the pot of creamy curry onion soup.

I then took my hand blender again with all contents in the pot and blended to creamy goodness. You can obviously add more water (from the steam broccoli if there is any left) or broth to bring cream consistency to your soup. I also topped with a little bit are fresh parmigiana cheese. The flavors from the Creamy Curry Onion Soup brought a nice body of flavor to this version of a Creamy Broccoli Soup. Need I say more. Left overs brought to life once again. Enjoy!

Wholefood's Grand Opening!!

Talk about a Grand Opening, Plymouth Meeting, PA Wholefoods grand opening was that plus more. The parking lot was jammed packed with eager and anxious customers waiting to finally enter the largest Wholefoods Market in the Philadelphia Region.
With the store opening at 10am they started things off with the breaking of bread which was great. Customers were greeted pleasantly throughout the store which was warming. Everyone seemed happy to be there and welcoming. I felt like a kid in a big candy store with thousands of healthy, helpful options for everyone in my home to enjoy.

The Philadelphia Eagles Pep Band strutted throughout with a certain swagger as they played different known tunes for shopping customers.


This is a first for me, a trail mix bar.

Remember the coconut ice cream I blog about in a previous post? Here they have 11 different flavors to choose from. Some flavors are new for me, and I can't wait to try . They were on sale too.

The bakery section was divine. From freshly baked breads, danishes, muffins, cookies, pretzels, cakes, pies, and......

more, and....

and so much more.

There's a Brick Oven Pizza!! Got to try the four cheeses - so good!

Flips offer burgers, and hot dogs for those who come in for a quick munch. A good thing about flip is the beef for the burgers are from local farmer and its ground and forms by hand.

There's a bulk section that offers local honey, as well as blue agave, olive oils, and brown rice syrup along. They also provide different sized containers for all of these including the little honey bear for those who like.


I was there for a good 3 hours just going through the whole store a couple of times. These are just a few things that this huge building offers. You can find out more here: wholefoods plymouth meeting. There was also a good handful of different vendors in the store that I plan on blogging about in the very near future so stay tune. To be continued....

SOUPS UP!!!

Yesterday I went to Wholefoods and smelled something different in the hot soup section( yes, I can detect a different soup by smell without even looking, lol). So to my surprise, there was a Curry Onion Soup and when I opened it I was in love. I grabbed one of the little sample cups to fill for me to try. Oh my, it was decadent and smooth tasting. I didn't want a 8 oz or a 16oz, I wanted the big boy 32oz container. However, I had other groceries that took priority in my cart. I was determined because after tasting that, I know that's what I wanted for dinner. So I looked at the ingredients list once more - this time to memorize. I had everything at home, so why not make it myself. That's exactly what I did too. Here's what I rounded up in my lab:


Creamy Onion Curry Soup

3 large onions, sliced*
1 pint of heavy cream**
2 tablespoons of butter *,**
1 tablespoon of green chiles, diced
1 tablespoon of curry power
1 tablespoon of sofrito (click here for recipe)
1 cup of water

-In a saucepan melt the 2tbsp of butter on a medium heat, and add onions.
-Sprinkle a little bit of salt to help draw moisture out of the onions.




-Allow to cook uncovered and stirring until the onions become soft
-Once soft, add curry powder and mix into the onions
-Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes


-Add remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil.
-Once a gentle boil forms, turn the heat onto a low simmer
-Allow to simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally
-Once done, season to your liking with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

It came out pretty close to the wholefoods version. However, I think I would like this version even better if I used coconut milk instead. With the remaining portion left I will blend it and freeze it. I can use for a cream of onion base for future recipes.

*organic
**can substitute with coconut milk to make vegetarian/vegan

Free Bags of Grocories at Wholefood!!!!!

A friend of mines called me telling me that the new WholeFoods (which
hasn't opened yet) is giving away free bags of groceries to the first
100 people in line at 5pm today. I only had an hour to get there
after getting her call. So I picked up kids and headed towards the
new store. Despite some traffic we pulled up 10 minutes to 5pm. I
literially scream at the size of this store - it's huge! I was so
excited being as though I'm a avid WholeFood shopper. They posted the
giveaway on there facebook account. People waiting in line where
excited almost like they were waiting in line for a concert. Everyone
standing in line received a wholefoods reusable bag filled the
following items:

1.) 365 Brand All Natural Sandwich Cremes (cookies)
2.) 365 Brand Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips (restaurant style)
3.) 365 Brand Lavender Body Lotion
4.) 365 Brand Macaroni & Cheese
5.) 365 Brand Mild Salsa
6.) 365 Brand Creamy Peanut Butter
7.) 365 Brand Organic Hot Chocolate Mix
8.) 365 Brand Organic Pasta Sauce
9.) 365 Brand Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
10. And a cool Re-Usable Wholefood Bag

The Plymouyh Meeting PA Store will open next Tuesday January 12, 2010.
Thanks Wholefoods!!!!

Did somebody say Sofrito?!?!

A few days ago I was in the market and came across 2 beautiful bouquets
of Cilantro. I know cilantro is a love it hate it herb but I
love it. So I bought two full bunches happily to take home and come up
with some creative tasty treats. Well, days went by and I didn't come
up with anything. Surprisingly the bunches were still looking great in
the Frig and I didn't want them to go to waste. So I started looking
in my cookbooks and online for some inspiration. I wanted to make soup
but that meant that I would make more then one kind of soup because it
was just that much cilantro. I came across some sites that had recipes
for sofrito. Genius! I could make Sofrito! I like to make soups and
sauces and always use the ingredients that I put into my sifrito
blend. I used both bunches of cilantro, green, red and yellow peppers,
1.5 bulbs of garlic and 2 large onions and some extra virgin olive oil.
I throw all of that into the blender and blended on a medium high speed.
You could smell the herb-y goodness through the spout. With all that I used
I had at least 4 cups to play with. So I allowed it to sit in the Frig over
night and then started freezing by the the tablespoon. I froze about 32
individual tablespoons in a freezer container awaiting future soups,
stews and sauces.

Good food, good eats!

Pick Your Own: Strawberry Festival

It's nothing like picking your own fruit and vegetables. Linvilla Orchards had a strawberry festival yesterday that was absolutely wonderful. There were plenty of activities for the children, picking of strawberries and rhubarb for both young and older, and food galore at the farmers market. The weather was perfect yesterday to go pick your own strawberries. I actually picked 10lbs of strawberries that will be eaten "naked", frozen, prerserved and made into deserts (especially with my new unused ice cream maker). For foodies, and those who appreciate where your food comes from, picking your own fruits and vegetables is an experience like no other. Especially when you get home and get to eat the "fruit" of your labor. Check your area for your local pick your own farms

CREAMY DAIRY-FREE, SOY-FREE GOODNESS

I am in awe with this product. Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream is just that – Decadent!

The ice cream made with coconut milk is so smooth, and creamy. It melts like silk when eaten without a bad after taste.

I have tried the following flavors; Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Mint, and Mocha Almond Fudge. I love Choc. Peanut Butter Swirl – the flavor of chocolate and peanut butter in a creamy ice cream is so dangerous (because you’ll want to eat the whole pint in one setting). The Chocolate, and Mint are good ones too. I’m not a fan of the Mocha Almond Fudge Coconut version (I do like the Soy version by Purely Decant better).

Try it and you too will be hooked just like me. Not to mentioned its health benefits. That’s all I need – Ice Cream that’s good for you (in moderation of course).

Bon Appetit!

Dal Atta Noodles in a Spicy Coconut Curry Broth

Today was a noodle bowl aka noodle soup. I wanted something spicy too, so I thought I was gonna just cook another one of my staples - Rice Noodle Soup Bowl from Trader Joes. To my recollection I was all out. I've learned while pregnant, always have a backup that is close (in tasting) to whatever it is you are craving. I realized I had some Maggi Dal Atta Noodles that I could be creative with. I like these noodles because they provide 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protien in a serving which is great! I don't use the season packets; one reason being they are full of sodium and I like to flavor to my liking. I made a coconut curry broth to go along with the noodles. Yumm-O as Rachel Ray would say. Here's the ingredients:

Dal Atta Noodles in a Coconut Curry Broth

1 pack of Maggi Dal Atta Noodles
1 clove of crush garlic
1/2 cup of coconut milk
3 cup of water
2 tablespoons of Dal Curry Seasoning
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of asian chile paste (optional if you want a nice kick of spice)
Chopped green onion to garnish
Salt to taste

Add garlic, water, coconut milk, dal curry seasoning, cilantro and asian chile paste into a pot and bring to a boil on a medium - high heat. Once its starts to boil add noodles to pot and turn heat to low and cover pot. Let cook for 2 minutes and stir and turn off heat. Place the lid back on the pot and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Garnish with green onion and serve.

CHICKPEA & BASMATI RICE FALAFEL

Now that I am in my second trimester I can eat and cook too! YAY! Anywho, I had a taste for falafels after watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay:

I wasn't able to get to my falafel joint (the Falafel truck in Center City), so I had to do something and something fast. This baby was really wanting a good falafel. So I decided to do my own version of a crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside falafel. I had the ingredients and just needed the energy to do it.

After a couple of days of the chickpea craving not subsiding, I finally moved to my lab and got started. I had some basmati & wild rice left from a previous dinner. I then had an light bulb moment - put the rice mixture (which also had red peppers, onions and mushrooms in it too) into the chickpea mixture. Now the falafel mix I made was from scratch using the following ingredients:

1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
15 oz of organic chickpeas (drained)
1/4 cup of fresh organic parsley
1/4 cup of fresh organic cilantro
1 1/2 cup of toast bread crumbs (I made my own from some spelt bread I had left over)
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup of the rice mixture

Put everything in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds. If its not sticking add a little a teaspoon of flour followed by a 2 tablespoon of water. You want the consistency to firm and sticky enough to hold a form. Form into ball or patty and fry in 2 inches of oil.

Now traditionally falafels are made into balls and fried, but I made mines into patties so it was easier to put into a wheat tortilla or burger bun.

I topped my sandwich with organic tomato, fresh organic cilantro, and organic green onions with some mustard and garlic mayo*. Sooooooooo good


*Garlic Mayo
Mayo ( I use Veganaise)
2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt.

Mix and and enjoy. You can always add more cayenne for more of a kick.

Did someone say, LASAGNA!!!!!!!

Just a few weeks ago, I had a craving for some lasagna. I am known for making a really good lasagna, especially vegetarian style lasagna(meat-lovers never know its not real meat). But this time I did add a little chicken to it. I used a product from Trader Joes called Chicken Serenada which is so flavorful. I also used fresh lasagna noodles to give the dish a tenderness that has everyone screaming for seconds, and thirds.

Fresh Lasagna Noodles or Egg Noodle Sheets
2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 package of Trader Joes Chicken Serenada (you can substitute with a marinated grilled/broiled chicken breast)
1 bag of frozen organic whole leaf spinach (if you can't find organic, then use non organic)
4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
16 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups of shredded mozzarella, Gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups of soy crumbled "meat"

I took the container of ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic, and chicken serenada and placed in the food processor and pulsed for until the chicken was minced into the cheese mixture. You can season with salt and pepper if you think its needed. You can warm up spaghetti sauce and add soy crumbled meat and season to your liking. Since the noodles are fresh you will not have boil because they will bake in the oven and trust me, it will be tender.

Now for assembly! In a 9x13 inch pan start with your sauce, then your lasagna noodles, next is the ricotta cheese mixture, noodles, sauce and sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and keep repeating until you reach the top of the brim which is going to end with noodle, sauce and remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 45 minutes and turn oven off and take out of oven and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Take a look at the finishing touches:

Spiced Sea Scallops & Shrimp Gyoza

Last night was a great experience in my lab (the kitchen). I initially wanted a rice noodle soup with viggies and gyozas (thai dumplings). That obviously changed. Instead, I took some sea scallops I had from Wholefoods and sliced them in half giving me about 8 scallops (I had 4 scallops to start with). I rubbed them with an indian spice mixture for fish (*Shan Fish Seasoning) and some extra virgin olive oil and allowed them to sit while I made everything else.

I then started on the spinach sauce which consist of Organic frozen spinach(wholefood 365 Brand) that were blanched in about 1/2 cup of water. I added the spinach and liquid to the blender with 2 chopped onions, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, ground cardamom, Shans Curry Dal seasoning, non-dairy cream cheese (Tofutti Brand), coconut milk (1 can), kosher salt to taste and a pinch of REAL cayenne pepper. Blend for a few seconds and - BAM!

Once the sauce was done, I fried the shrimp gyoza's from Trader Joes (which is one of my absolute favorite thing to eat, seriously). Once they were almost done, I then started to heat up my pan and added a little olive oil and seared the scallops to get a nice color without overcooking, and Viola! A beautiful dinner and tasty sauce.

An A++ for Ekta Restaurant

Philadelphia has a newly discovered restaurant that is a great Authentic Indian treat:

Ekta
250 E. Girard Ave
215-426-2277
http://ektaindiancuisine.com/

Ekta is in the Fishtown area in Philly and if your visiting its a must go. If you live in Philly and love Indian Food - Real Indian Food, its worth the trip. The Chef that is there cooking up all the mouth water flavourful dishes just happen to be Raju Bhattarai who is the chef/owner of Ekta. He's also Tiffin's former executive chef.

Their food is a must try; big satisfying flavourful portions at an affordable cost. Come on, you have no excuse. They have a diningroom in the works, but until then there are two tables there for those who can wait to get home to savour the spiced-flavour of the best Authentic Indian Food in Philadelphia and possibly the Tri-State area.

FIGS RESTAURANT

Figs Restaurant
2501 N. Meredith St
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-978-8440

If your looking for a hidden treasure in Philadelphia that's provide good atmosphere, great food, and affordable pricing, Figs Restaurant(Moroccan Cuisine) is that place. Figs has been a place that I frequent many times. Whether it be with a large group of friends for lunch, for an intimate dinner, or family outing for brunch - I've never been disappointed. If I had to give you one word to describe this establishment it would be consistency. Always consistent with delicious dishes that tantalizes your taste buds. Though Figs may be a small place, the character of the dinning room embodies the ability to comfort any and all parties whether on a date, with friends or the family. The wait staff are always so helpful to make your experience one to enjoy and remember.

With their cuisine and hospitality reflecting the beauty of Morocco; if you closed your eyes, you would think you were sitting in someones home in Marrakesh

Mehak Indian Restaurant - DC

817 7th Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: (202) 408-9292
Fax: (202) 408-9290
www.mehak.com

Mehak (Aroma) is a fine dining restaurant located in Chinatown (between Verizon and Convention Center), serving authentic Indian Tandoori (charcoal-grilled) and Mughlai dishes. Warm setting, friendly service and traditional curries.

I was away for the weekend at a seminar, and this place right here!(having a Katt Williams moment, sorry bout that). Mehak was a place were I ate 4 times (twice in one day on Saturday). The food was unlike any Indian food I've eaten before. The butter chicken, was PERFECT! The lamb curry was another favorite. During the weekend they have a buffet that shocked me! I normally stay away from buffets because of past experience. So I approached theirs very skeptically. Once I sat down to taste the food, my taste buds were in overload. I really fell for this place, and the staff was very friendly and tentative to clearing the tables of used plates that were cleaned from satisfied customers as they continued to go for more food at the buffet. Water glass stayed filled along with the free refill drinks.

Parting is sweet sorrow, especially when I was getting ready to head back to my home town only to find the restaurant closed between the 2:30pm - 5:00pm. I was surly going to grab some food to take back for my family to try. Maybe next time. If you ever find yourself in the D.C. area, and you like Indian food - Mehak is a place you have to visit. Tell them Umm Food sent you.