French Toast or Skillet Toast?

I tried French Toast for the very first time last weekend.  I thought that it sounded like the perfect breakfast on an early Saturday morning and a nice way to reward myself for getting up early and going to the eye doctor.  (Who knew that eye doctors were open early on a Saturday!) My favorite breakfast place, Weck’s, is in the same shopping center as the eye doctor so it worked out perfectly. 

French Toast and bacon at Weck's

Everyone probably knows that French Toast is basically bread dipped in egg batter and then cooked

in a skillet.  It was served with powdered sugar sprinkled on the top and little container of butter on the side.  I was surprised that the waitress also put a small container of maple syrup next to the plate and even asked if I wanted more syrup.  I didn’t realize that the dish was supposed to be so sweet.

I was a little disappointed that the French Toast  was so bland on its own.  I really did need the maple syrup and even the butter to give it some life, some taste.  Because it was basically fried  bread, I expected it to be crispy on the outside instead of so soft.  Once the syrup was added to it, the whole plate became a mushy maybe even gushy mess.  I love the taste of maple and who doesn’t love syrup, so this isn’t really a complaint, just an observation.

I’ve never had French Toast before, so I don’t have a point of reference, but it did remind me of something my mom used to make for me and my sister.  We called it Skillet Toast.  Keep in my mind that I was allergic to eggs and milk growing up, so my mom had to get creative with feeding us breakfast.  She took a piece of  bread (probably Roman Meal) slathered in dairy free margarine (probably Country Crock) and put it butter side down in a hot skillet.  She would let it sizzle until it was a golden brown and crispy, sometimes even hard.  She usually put a jar of strawberry jelly on the table, but it was needed.

The crispy Skillet Toast was perfect all on its own.  It took on the flavor of the margarine, somehow sweet and salty all at the same time.  Mom usually made this when we went to our cabin in the mountains.  We had an interesting toaster that sat on the range of the stove, not an electric toaster like we have now.  The contraption worked really well, but dried out the bread into crackers instead of toast.  The Skillet Toast was a much more appreciated alternative. (Of course, if I were to make this today, I would have to use different bread and butter to accommodate the unwelcome soy allergy.) 

Skillet Toast somehow tasted even better in the mountains.  The cold, crisp morning air, the brighter than bright blue sky, a sun filled grassy yard, and the slight smell of damp pine needles brought a natural promise to the day ahead.  The warmth emanating from the skillet and the sweet smell of frying bread brought smiles to our faces and accentuated that promise.  I don’t think that French Toast had a chance at competing with that vivid memory.

Holy Cow!

Why would anyone name a restaurant Holy Cow?  Sure, it’s catchy, but it makes me think of cows mooing in a pasture followed by “Wow!  That’s really big – huge actually!” And then my thoughts seamlessly transition to myself and I wonder, “Am I huge?  Am I a cow?  Am I eating too much?” At least I didn’t outwardly moo during my internal stream of consciousness, not that I’m aware of anyway.  But, really, should I be eating at a place called Holy Cow?

The simple answer is, “Yes.”  While eating at Holy Cow was not a religious experience, I think I did

mutter “holy cow” when the burgers came out.  They were gigantic!  I ordered a build-your-own burger and added green chile and The Husband ordered the blue cheese burger.  I will admit that there was not much talking during this dining out experience, so I’m not sure how The Husband’s burger was.  He was too busy devouring it while he attempted to hold it in his hands.  He did manage “mmmmm” a few times, so I think that is a good sign.

Before I dismantled the burger

I took my burger a part as I normally do.  I’m turning more into a food snob like Sally in the movie When Harry Met Sally every day.  Eventually I may order everything on the side just like she does through the movie.  I took off the bun and then turned the burger upside down so that the lettuce, tomato, and green chile were on the top of the burger.  I then proceeded to knife and fork it.  I do love a good knife and fork burger and Holy Cow did not disappoint.

The meet was juicy and flavorful and did not require any ketchup.  The green chile was just spicy enough to know that I was eating green chile, but not overpowering so that I needed four glasses of water or any cheese to cool it down. 

The only downside?  Fries are not included with the burgers, which makes it a pricy dining experience for a simple burger and fries; however, it is definitely worth trying at least once.

The Inspiring Spiralizer

Spring.  It’s right around the corner.  The February sun is tempting us, teasing us with the possibility of warmth, the possibility of something new, something worth rolling out of bed to experience, the possibility of inspiration.  While the weather can’t exactly decide what it wants to do and we can’t depend on the sun to create these possibilities, we have to find inspiration in other things.

I happened to find inspiration in a kitchen gadget that I received for Christmas called The Spiralizer.  It is a tool that can turn a regular run of the mill zucchini or yellow squash, in my case, into a beautiful bowl of spirally pasta.  Inspiring? Exciting?   It is if you haven’t eaten traditional pasta in months.  So, to me The Spiralizer is the best invention since the Salad Shooter.

Zucchini or squash pasta tastes healthy, but not healthy  as in boring or “I know that I’m really eating imposter pasta,” but healthy as in fresh, as in “mmmm this is different, this is good,” as in I want seconds!

My first attempt at using The Spiralizer was a great success.  I followed the recipe for Low Carb Zucchini Pasta.  (Shocking that I actually followed a recipe, I know!) OK, so I didn’t have any zucchini, so I substituted yellow squash instead. (Guess I didn’t follow the recipe after all!)  I washed and then cut the top and bottom off the squash, then pushed and turned it through The Spiralizer.  The result, as you can see by the picture, looked much like traditional wheat pasta.

Then I made a variation of the sauce that I use in the Italian-Paleo Eggplant with Crumbled Beef, Tomatoes and Mint (minus the mint) recipe.  This sauce is very different from the usual meat marinara sauce.  It does not call for tomato sauce or tomato paste, but rather fresh tomatoes.  It also calls for vinegar, but I use apple cider vinegar to add just a hint of sweetness.  This is an excellent sauce on top of eggplant, but the squash is much more fun to spiralize than roasting the eggplant.  However, why couldn’t an eggplant be spiralized?

See what I mean?  The Spiralizer is inspiring!  If only it was in spring.

Spinach Chips aren't the Answer

Today was an all-around hard day.  It was hard for the normal reasons (work, life, balancing it all) which made it hard for the dieting reasons. For those of you who don’t follow this blog, I’ve put myself on a sugar-free, yeast-free, gluten-free diet.  For two weeks I have to avoid a number of foods in what is called a”cleanse.”  I’ve been pretty good. I have managed to avoid potatoes for about 5 days, but it seems like so much more!  I’ve gone about 2 weeks without my favorite snack in the world – corn chips.  I’m craving the salt, the satisfying crunch, and the somewhat sweet taste.   I don’t know why I think that having chips would make the day any better, but craving them is making the day that much worse.

Spinach Chips paired with Coconut Fried Chicken

I don’t usually like to let negativity seep into this blog, but without those chips or any kind of sugar, I

thought venting might help a bit.  I did look for a solution to my craving and found a recipe for Spinach Chips.  I’m not a big fan of kale (yet) and these seemed like a viable replacement for kale chips.  I mixed 2 cups of spinach with salt, Italian seasoning, and olive oil and then spread them on a baking sheet.  Getting them off the baking sheet was a little challenging.  The “chips” were so thin that some of them broke off before I could transfer them to a plate.  You can imagine that eating them posed the same challenge.  I tried using a fork but that was awkward, so I managed to use a combination of a fork and my fingers – messy and oily!

The taste wasn’t what I was expecting.  It tasted like spinach, of course, but more like wilted spinach. Maybe I overcooked them or maybe the spinach leaves I had were too ripe.  I’m not sure.  They didn’t have the crunch that I was hoping for, but they did have a nice crispiness to them.  They might make a good salad topping. I’m willing to try the recipe again to see if I can make it better.  Unfortunately, I still want corn chips.

Quinoa as in whaaaaaat?

I’m having quinoa for breakfast.  What?  That’s what I first thought when I saw the word a few years

ago, which I suppose is appropriate since it is pronounced, "kinwa,” as if you were going to say the word “what” and hold out the aw sound.  Quinoa is a grain that is a part of the amaranth family.  It has become more popular recently because it’s high in protein and low in carbs.  I imagine if rice and pasta got married and had children this would be the outcome - a healthier and all around better version than they are alone.  Where rice and pasta are pretty bland without sauces and seasonings, quinoa has a nutty flavor to it – more savory, more interesting.  No matter how long it’s cooked, it seems to have a slight crunch to it.

Hot Breakfast Quinoa

I’m eating it as a breakfast cereal.  I followed the directions on the package, but boiled it in almond milk instead of water.  This seems to have enhanced the nutty flavor that I mentioned earlier.  Instead of focusing on the savory, I made it sweet by seasoning with cinnamon, coconut butter, and sprinkling a little bit of desiccated coconut on the top.  The coconut made the slight crunch a little less noticeable.

Quinoa isn’t a bad replacement for oatmeal in the morning.  I definitely recommend trying it.  However, it does take some time to cook quinoa, especially at higher elevations, so you might want to consider making it the night before if you are in hurry in the morning like I am.

The Yeast Free – Gluten Free – Sugar Free Cleanse (Candida Free Diet)

Yes, the “I’m Gonna Eat It” girl is dieting.  No, I’m not crazy.  I’m tired of feeling tired and I want to have a healthy 2015.  I am going on a yeast free, sugar free, gluten free, also known as candida free diet.  I’ using The Yeast Connection and the Candida Free Living books for guidance.

There is a long list of food to avoid including refined sugar, fruit, yeast, wheat, processed meats like lunch meat and sausage, vegetables that are high in starch content like potatoes and carrots, dairy products, beans and legumes, and caffeinated beverages. (I have decided that I can’t do without caffeine.  I tested it for one day and after a terrible headache and falling asleep on the couch at 7:30 pm, I decided that some sacrifices are not worth the outcome.  It’s bad enough that I have to give up my morning banana and peanut butter!)

Don’t worry! I’m still gonna eat!  While there is a long list of foods to avoid, there is an equally long list of food to enjoy. This includes most green leafy vegetables like lettuce and kale, some grains like quinoa, buckwheat, eggs, most meats except for pork, and coconut.  The challenge comes in preparing meals – it is going to take time as everything has to be made from scratch and carefully prepared.  There are no shortcuts and no pre-made dishes.  This will be especially hard for lunches when going to work.

I’ve done a variation of this diet before and I survived, so I’m confident I will again.  The cleanse is only for two weeks and then I can start reintroducing food.  This will help determine what foods bother me.

They say that if you tell people about the diet you're going on there is more a likely a chance that you will actually follow it.  with that said, I'm going to blog about the new foods that I'm trying.

Root for Root Vegetables

I watched a college basketball game this past week – the University of New Mexico Lobos vs. New Mexico State Aggies.  These are the two biggest universities in the state and so there is naturally a rivalry.  I live in Albuquerque and attended UNM, so I naturally root for the Lobos and usually boo at the Aggies.  Why boo?  Why dislike a school, a team, a group of people just because they aren’t the school that I went to?   It’s almost as if disliking the Aggies is ingrained in the Lobos and vice versa for no other reason than “they aren’t us.”  And somehow this is acceptable for sporting events as we choose a team to root for, which means we are choosing a team to root against.

Yet I think we carry this mentality into other aspects of our lives too – the idea that if we like one thing, we can’t possibly like another just because it isn’t the first thing.  For example, most people like potatoes – fried, scalloped, baked, chips, whatever form they can get.  If you ask someone, “do you like potatoes?” you will probably get an enthusiastic nod.  However, if you ask people “do you like turnips?”  You will probably get a raised eyebrow followed by a wrinkling of the nose as if they just smelled something like hot trash.  And then if you ask, “have you ever tried turnips?”  You might get a mixed response: some will say no and some will say they were forced to eat them as children but haven’t had them in a long time, while others might say they attempted to make them but couldn’t quite figure out how to cook them.

Turnip Fries

It’s this first group that I can’t quite figure out – how can they dislike something they have never tried? How did the turnip become so wildly unpopular in their minds?  For the people who have bad childhood memories associated with root vegetables, I understand why they wouldn’t want to give them another chance. My mother is in this group.  She says she had to eat turnips as a child and that they were bitter.  As she described this, she looked as if that bitterness was still on her tastebuds. 

I have not experienced the bitter turnip sensation, so I am a fan of the turnip and root vegetables in general.  To me, the turnip is an excellent substitute for the potato.  I have made mashed turnips just like I would if I were making mashed potatoes; boil the turnips, drain the water, add chicken broth,  some butter, salt, and pepper.  Voila!  Mashed turnips!  The husband said that he couldn’t tell the

difference between the turnip and the potato.  I’ve also made Turnip Fries in the oven by cutting up the turnip to look like fries, drizzling with olive oil, and sprinkling with paprika and salt.  These are delicious with a burger! 

Roasted Chicken and Rutabaga

After my impromptu survey about turnips, I decided to ask people about the rutabaga. Most people asked, “What’s that?” and looked at me like I had made up the word.  The rutabaga is a root vegetable just like the turnip.  It seems to have  a wilder taste to it – kind of like venison is to beef – similar but different.  Instead of white “meat” like the turnip, the rutabaga is more yellow.  I made Roasted Chicken and Rutabaga for my first taste of this root vegetable.  While I really like the turnip, the rutabaga didn’t impress me nearly as much.  The recipe called for many spices, black olives, and yet the rutabaga could not be tamed.  It still tasted a bit wild, maybe this was the bitterness my mother had referred to.  However, I ate it anyway and I hope to try it again.  Maybe I will make rutabaga fries the next time.

Both the turnip and the rutabaga are part of the mustard (crucifer) family along with cabbage, cauliflower, and the radish.  So why are these vegetables in the same family more widely accepted?  How did the turnip and the rutabaga fall from popularity?  I don’t know the answer to these questions, but just as I will continue to root for the Lobos I will continue to root for root vegetables (and try to boo less for the Aggies.)