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Teddy

Baby Greens and POM-tini's

AND WE'RE BACK!

That was a tough week for me. Serious blogger withdrawals occurred but I've made it though. Since my camera wasn't in commission, I forgot to take pictures of the banana pecan muffins I made. This means I MUST make them again (oh darn). Saturday morning I had to assist in a class for school and the assistants have to be at school around 8am. It seemed like a great idea to bring muffins to reward ourselves for being up that early. I ended up having about 4 people ask me for the recipe and then argue over the leftovers. Be proud, because this is a baking adventure where I ACTUALLY wrote the recipe down as I made it up. That's something new for everyone to look forward to!
For the post at hand:

Baby Greens opened a new location in downtown Austin. When I first moved to here, I remember hearing about a drive thru eatery that served impressive salads to go & while I always thought "I should try that place out" I never did. Now I work a few blocks from the new location and I HAD to try it.



I chose the South western wrap with tofu and chile lime dressing. Boy the dressing had an unexpected kick to it that I loved. This is only half of the wrap (I already gobbled the 1st half). My favorite part of my short trip to Baby Greens was the service. The staff was extremely attentive and wanted to be sure that every customer was satisfied. I'll definitely be having lunch there again. 6 bucks and great service? Who could say no to that? The tofu in the wrap wasn't fantastic, not bad either, but I think I'll order without tofu next time because it wasn't needed.



Today Baby Greens announced on their twitter that they are switching to biodegradable containers. Just one more reason for me to stop by again!



For some reason the only other thing I took a lot of pictures of were my POM-tini's. HA. I received a sampling from POM and have been enjoying making these. It's my "semi-healthy" alcoholic beverage. There's antioxidants mixed in there hence my feeling that it's "semi-healthy" :)

I have a few more bottles left and I want to make something exciting with it. Any POM recipe suggestions? I was thinking of a glaze or something involving baking.

Teddy

Technical Difficulties

We have a problem.

I've misplaced the cord for my camera and haven't been able to down load pictures for far too long. Picture-less posts are not my forte. I'd like to think it's my wit and dry sense of humor that keep all you coming back for more but I know... it's just the food porn. A card reader is on the way. Next time I post there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of glorious pictures for you to drool over. Please have patience because I have none.

The past weekend we had another food blogger potluck. My contribution?

Penne Pasta with a Goat Cheese Sauce, blackberries and pecans

1 box penne
1 cup goat cheese sauce
1 pint blackberries
1/4-1/2 cup pecans

I also sprinkled some chives on top and used a herbed goat cheese to add more flavor.
Yes, I have beautiful pictures. No, I'm not at all upset that I can't download them, why do you ask? haha

I'll be back! (with pictures)


Teddy

Simple Salad

Blackberries are still super cheap everywhere here so I'm finding different ways to use them. When they're this cheap I have to buy them.
It's been in the 90's all week and for a girl from the coast of California, that's pretty warm. So warm, in fact, that cooking is just difficult. Thanks to my trusty rice maker I can make quick quinoa salads that involve zero stove cooking. However, last night I was craving green. Do you ever get that? You just feel like there hasn't been enough green in your life lately. (too many pbj bites perhaps?? haha)

I assembled a simple salad instead:

Spring greens
Blackberries
Cucumber
Herbed goat cheese (I cannot resist this stuff)
Sliced pecans

There's not much of a recipe per se but I like to hear what people put in their salads to give me new ideas for mine. Oh and I don't really use dressing unless I make it myself. I think that some dressings just overwhelm the flavors of all the goodies in the salad. Some call this a "naked salad".

I guess I'm a naked salad lover! HA

Well enough of all that. See ya'll later.

Teddy

Homemade Vanilla Granola

Over the weekend I went to a class on how to make yogurt. Now that I have two jars of yogurt, granola experiments are in order. I like my granola with chunks and clumps of goodness. Unfortunately this did not turn out as clumpy has I prefer but it still tastes great and it's far too easy to make.

Since this was my first shot at granola, I made a small batch. I tend to start off with small batches when I'm winging a recipe. That way if it's HORRID I haven't really wasted much. To clarify, this is NOT HORRID :)

If anyone has tips on how to make granola more chunky, I'd love to hear them!

Vanilla, Cherry, Almond Granola

Dry
1 Cup rolled oats
1/4-1/2 Cup of almonds (and a few pistachios)
2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds
1/4 Cup coconut (shredded)

Wet
3 Tablespoons Oil (I used safflower)
1/4 Cup Sweetener ( I used 1/2 agave and 1/2 maple)
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract

Other
1/2 Cup dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything is moist. If the mixture seems dry you can add a splash of water.
Press the mixture onto a cookie sheet with a lip and bake for about 30 minutes. Be sure to check the mixture about once every 10 minutes and give it a stir so everything browns evenly.

Add any fruit you'd like after the granola has baked.

Peanut Butter Blackberry Bites

Who doesn't like a PBJ? Honestly, if you don't like PBJ's I may trust you less as a human being because that is just ODD. Well, maybe if you're deathly allergic to peanuts it's acceptable but you can use AB instead. HAHA

Ok, serious business now.

I haven't baked in a few weeks (maybe a month) and, for me, that is a LONG time. I made something similar to these a while ago but this time I miniature-ized them, used fresh fruit, and PB instead of AB. Blackberries seem to be on sale at most grocery stores right now but you can use any fruit you'd like. They also make for a more classic PBJ look.

This is a recipe from school that I've tinkered with so it's not really mine to give per se. Sorry!

Teddy

Vegan BBQ Sandwich

Ok, so maybe Gardenburger BBQ Riblets aren't the healthiest thing in the world to be munching down on but a couple of times a year I indulge and buy a box of these. I had a friend visiting from out of town this weekend so I ended up eating out quite a bit. When people come to visit I always want to show them my favorite places to eat. The only meal I cooked for us was breakfast and a few snacks (hummus and what not). Before my friend arrived I was digging in the freezer for dinner when I remembered that I bought riblets a month or so back.

This version of my riblet sandwich includes a cracked wheat bun, red dandelion greens and organic sauerkraut. I also had a side of oven baked sweet potato fries.

My ideas for a homemade version of this sandwich will be to grill some tempeh, leave out the bun and have a salad/fries with it.

Does anyone have any tips for grilling tempeh? I got my hands on some local BBQ sauce that I like and I'd like to start using it.

Teddy

Mango Cucumber Israeli Couscous

Israeli couscous has to be one of my favorite grains for hotter weather (along with polenta and quinoa). It only takes about 10 minutes to cook. In those 10 minutes I slice up some veggies for a light salad.

Whole Foods is doing an Israeli couscous salad right now and I thought I'd take a stab at making my own version. Feel free to change up the veggies or fruit and have fun with it!

1/2 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped mangoes
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1 chopped scallion

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add your couscous (let simmer for about 10 minutes). Drain water from couscous and combine with all other ingredients

I find that if I let this salad sit over night or the flavors meld together.

Try different fruits or add some protein for a heartier meal!


Teddy

Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Fair

I mentioned last post that I was invited to the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Fair. This year festivities were held at The Salt Lick Vineyards. It had been raining the days before the event and there was quite a bit of mud about.


Obviously I could not avoid the mud. It seemed that others were not having the same problems as me. After a few samples of the wines there, I really didn't mind my messy foot. While I tried to take pictures of all my favorite stops, it was near impossible.




Chocolate? Yes please. Chocolate heaven = a sample of dark chocolate mocha bites that this stand handed out.



StandStone was one of my favorite Texas wines that I sampled (I even went back for seconds). McPherson was there as well and they are one of my favorite reasonably priced and easier to find Texas wineries.


Whole Foods provided a whole truckful of goodies for the taking!


I was tempted to take the whole truck!

If you're able to make it next year to any of the THCWFF I suggest this one because it's a whole day of wandering, eating and drinking. It's definitely worth the cost of a ticket.

Teddy

Black Bean Burgers with Apple Fennel Salad

This weekend was The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival and I was able to attend. I'm still feeling a little run down from all the wine tasting and food samples but I had a marvelous time. More on that later.


Before the shenanigans of THDWFF I cooked myself a healthy meal. It's my way of balancing the damage I knew I'd do with all that food and wine! I've made grain burgers before but this time I was feeling a little south western.

South Western Black Bean Burgers

1 cup leftover grain (I used millet)
1/2 a cup black beans
1/4 cup flour
2-3 Tsp fresh cilantro
1/4 of a medium onion- chopped
1/4 cup blue corn flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
Cilantro + Avocado to top

Place all ingredients (except the Blue Corn Flour) in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Form small patties using your hands (I've also found a biscuit cutter makes a great sized burger). You can either fry them in a skillet with oil or bake them in the oven at about 350 for 20 mins (depending on how big your burgers are)
I fried these and sprinkled them with salt when they were done.

Apple Fennel Salad

1/2 a tart apple
1/2 a bulb of fennel
salt
lemon

Grate the apple and the fennel. Sprinkle with salt to taste and squeeze a little lemon on top. Simple and great for summer. I'd suggest adding cucumber as well

Teddy

Lentils with Spiced Millet

I made a huge batch of millet/barley this week so I would be able to make meals in a flash.
Millet itself seems pretty bland to me. I've noticed that I get tired of it quickly and end up just making grain burgers with it. It's time I learned how to spice up this grain.

I saw this recipe and decided to work with it.
My version included

pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 cup cooked millet
1/4 cup dried Cranberries
1 cups water
turmeric
cinnamon
salt to taste

Since this was an improv recipe I didn't measure anything strictly and i don't have much of a "technique" per se (the spices are usually a small palm full each) but this millet was divine. I suggest trying the recipe I found. It looks great, I just didn't have all the ingredients.

The lentils turned out well too, but that's a whole other story right?

Teddy

Waverley Kitchens

I had an Indian-filled weekend! 1st I went to a bollywood movie party on Friday and then on Saturday/Sunday I dove into one of my Waverley Kitchens spice pacs.

The recipe was for a potato corn curry but I substituted chickpeas instead of the potato (I don't eat potatoes much for some reason and rarely have them at home).

The results:

FANTASTIC- according to those who tried it. Personally, I thought it was a tad bit salty but that's probably because I didn't follow the recipe to the T. The spice packets made the whole process less intimidating (Indian food is just INTIMIDATING to me- all the spice combination and roasting and whatnot).

I'm excited to tear in to my other two pacs. This is definitely a great way to get started with Indian cooking and I'm glad I got to try it out!

Teddy

Thai Tara

Always with the Thai food right? Okay, I had to try Thai Tara because it's within walking distance of my job and I treat myself to a lunch out 1 or 2 times a week. I've been to Koriente so many times that they recognize me so, I've decided to continue my restaurant exploration.

A carrot heart on top of my rice? Reason number 1 I will go back to this place. Yes, I have an affinity for food presentation and hearts (see previous post).

Reason number 2 I will be back: I heard the servers greet each other in Thai. I only remember how to say a few words and phrases in Thai and when I hear someone else speak them practically squeal with glee (not an exaggeration ask Cara, she was there).

Yellow curry with fried tofu. The fried tofu was phenomenal. It's most likely the fattiest thing I could have ordered but worth every calorie-filled bite. My one complaint, the potatoes were not cooked as well as they should have been. They should fall apart in your mouth and they didn't. It made me slightly sad but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and think it was just that one time.

Cara had the Pad Thai . Her comments about Pad Thai here in Austin have been that she's found them to be dry and not as saucy as she prefers it to be. Thai Tara's version was not dry at all, very saucy. It may have been her favorite Pad Thai since moving to TX.

I noticed that Thai Tara's prices are ever so slightly higher than I'm used to seeing. It's not expensive by any means but all the dishes are $2-$3 more than I usually pay for Thai. It's a good thing they have lunch specials! I'll be going back for those soon & sharing my find with friends from work.

Teddy

Fennel Orange Quinoa Salad

Yesterday was my first Food Bloggers of Austin Potluck. I have to admit that I get a little nervous about foodie potlucks. Every person I meet is fantastic and kind but I feel THE PRESSURE. Must. Make. A. Delish. Dish.

As tempted as I was to fall back on an easy favorite I made up my mind to try a new dish.

Fennel Orange Quinoa Salad

1 bulb fennel
2 oranges (try blood oranges!)
2 cups quinoa (uncooked)
4 cups water
1/2 a red onion
salt to taste
1 Tbspn walnut oil (optional)
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Wash quinoa thoroughly before cooking.
Combine quinoa, water and a heavy pinch of salt in a pot (or rice maker). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until water has been absorbed (about 25-35 mins)

While quinoa is cooking, grate the bulb of the fennel (you can thinly slice instead. I found using a grater was faster). Zest both oranges and section one orange.
Finely dice 1/2 a red onion. Combine all your veggies and stir in heavy pinch of salt (this lets the fruit and veg release their juices). Let this mixture sit until your quinoa is cooked and slightly cooled.

Once the quinoa has cooled, add the veggies/fruit and walnut oil to your quinoa. Stir until combined. Sprinkle with a handful of finely chopped fennel leaves and pine nuts plus any additional salt as needed.


The dish went over well but this recipe makes A LOT of quinoa, I suggest cutting it in half unless you want leftovers. Time to start another busy week here. Have a good one!

Teddy

Mung Bean Noodles

A few weeks back I mentioned that I bought a BUNCH of different kind of noodles at MT Market. At the time I couldn't resist the Mung bean noodles.


Honestly, they taste like noodles... I was expecting something else, maybe something bean-y? If someone served me them without telling me what was in them I would have never guessed mung beans.




Perhaps I'll prepare them in a more simple way next time so I am able to taste the actual noodle more. My noodles were in veggie broth with jalapenos, carrots, kale and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. It's all too likely that the jalapeno overwhelmed the flavor of the noodle.

School update:


We did a SPA NIGHT at school. It was entirely too much fun and exactly what I needed. If you see my twitter you know I'm a pretty busy gal. With work and school and the blog and attempting to have some sort of social life it's hard for me to take any time for relaxing. We did all natural face masks, foot baths and I received my first ginger compress. *sigh* School needs to do this once a month for us haha.

Happy April Fools day peeps!

Teddy

Thai Noodle House

My obsession with finding the best Thai place in Austin has led me to a small, whole in the wall eatery called the Thai Noodle House (2602 Guadalupe St Austin, TX 78705). I've been here once before and tried they're DWI noodles- a play on the more commonly named drunken noodles. My favorite part about drunken noodles in general is that they are SPICY and greasy. Thai Noodle House's DWI is pretty good and they'll make it as spicy as you want.

Enough of my love of drunken noodles and back unto what my order was this trip.

Masaman Curry

As with all curries, fish sauce is commonly used but any good Thai place will allow you to take it out. My favorite things about this particular curry were 1) it came with tons of rice (like a lot of rice and usually have to order more) 2) The potatoes had that melt in your mouth consistency.

I'm used to more liquid in with my curry but the creamy thickness of Thai Noodle House's Masaman was just right. Sometimes I find that Thai places water down the curry and I prefer it to coat the back of your spoon.

If you can't already tell, I like this place and am both bummed and grateful that it is not next door to me. The hole in the wall no, frills atmosphere, and service with a smile reminds me of my trips to Thailand. This will be added to my Thai cravings rotation along with Titaya's.

Teddy

Juan in a Million

Juan in a Million

With all the insanity of sxsw last week I was thrilled to finally get a chance to try Juan in a Million. First a disclaimer, if you're vegan this isn't the place for you. Eggs, potatoes, bacon and cheese are on everything.

Moving on. The name alone made me want to try the place (you know you like it too). I'd say they're known for the Don Juan, which is what I ordered minus the bacon. There is tons of food for only 4 bucks and after a WEEK of free sxsw and free alcohol it really hit the spot.
Would I eat this or here all the time? I don't think my body could handle it but on a week where I was planning on punishing myself anyway this was fantastico. :)

It was more breakfast than I should have eaten in one sitting and every bite was terribly sinful and great. I mean hey, I don't want to eat healthy all the time right? haha

Teddy

Austin360 Food & Wine Blogger Bash

Hi folks
It's South by South West here and my computer has officially died on me. I'll be down for a little while but trying to post whenever I can get my hands on a computer. Until then, enjoy some pictures from our Austin food blogger bash!

Menu of the evening the smoked tomato aioli was to die for.

The tomato tatin was easiest thing to eat while standing and talking to fellow food bloggers.

I'm not sure you can tell from this picture but the flower arrangements included asparagus and baby artichokes. Both genius and adorable.

Potatoes and kale are a good pairing but were awkward to pick up and eat.

It wasn't until half way through our TX wine tastings that I realized there were cooking demos going on. Tyson Cole of Uchi did a demo of fried rice balls and bestowed sushi wisdom unto us ;)

Teddy

Sxsw Cupcake Social

FoodBuzz and Cupcakes That Take The Cake held the Cupcake Social 2.0 at SXSW yesterday and you better believe I was all over that. Free cupcakes at a bar? I'm not sure who would say no. Austin's bakeries stepped up a provided to free treats. Thanks to The Cupcake Bar, Hey Cupcake, Toot Sweet Cupcakes, Sugar Mamas Bakeshop, L's Cupcakes and Polkadots for the treats!

Now if I could remember all the names of the cupcakes I would list them on here, but I can't. You'll have to settle for some good ole pictures instead.

Cara choose this peanut butter, chocolate, banana cupcake

I told you I wouldn't remember all of these cupcakes!

My lovely hand and a raspberry rosewater cupcake.

A ridiculously chocolaty creation that was virtually impossible to eat without looking like you had a fight with a chocolate bar and lost.

What a great way to start my SXSW week right?

Teddy

Forbidden Black Rice

What is forbidden black rice? It's a short grain heirloom rice that is usually grown in Asia. Black rice is extremely nutritious- high in minerals, fiber and it contains many essential acids. There are some theories as to why it's called "forbidden" including that it was the rice of kings but it's also possible that the name is simply a marketing ploy. Well it worked on me. I love the name as much as the rice itself haha

Black rice porridge

I acquired my rice through school. We made a huge batch so I snagged some to bring home. Black rice is more expensive than your average rice (not expensive in general) but I think it pays for it's self nutritionally speaking. Normally the rice is mixed in with white rice when made and not eaten on it's own.




I made a breakfast porridge with my leftovers and it caused quite a stir while I ate it at my desk. About 4 people stopped to ask what I was eating. Well people, here it is! My version of black rice porridge. It's incredibly simple and the basic structure can be used to make any porridge.

Forbidden Black Rice Porridge

1/4 cup black rice
1 cup vanilla soy, amasake, or water- I used a mixture of soy and water
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 pinch sea salt
optional cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced.

If you give it a try, let me know how you like it!

Teddy