Taco Seasoning

I don't know if you know this, but taco seasoning is the most versatile seasoning mix ever.  No really. Ever.  My mom makes shepherd's pie with it, I make fajitas with it, you can make meatloaf with it...pretty much anything with meat, taco seasoning will make better.

If you want to be lazy, you can buy it for about 99 cents a package at the grocery store, but then you have to deal with the "what IS natural flavoring" conversation in your head. 

Side Note: WHAT IS NATURAL FLAVORING????? $100 if someone can tell me. All I know is it's not natural, and I don't know what flavor it is, and therefore it freaks me out.

To just avoid that whole scenario, I like to keep a homemade version on hand.  The flavors are much richer, and I can genuinely take credit for every aspect of a dish when compliments oooobviously come rolling in about my seasoning abilities.

Spicy Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes

Whenever I hear the word "superfood" I imagine a cucumber flying around in a superman cape sprinkling vitamin dust on little children's cereal.  MAYBE superfoods aren't actually as cool as that....but I'm gonna go on believing that they are.  

Take quinoa for example.  To start, it is hands down the trendiest food in town.  In the last six months or so it catapulted from a relatively obscure health food, to practically dominating food magazines, the foodie blogosphere, and restaurant menus across the city.  Why shouldn't it?  Just 3/4 of a cup contains a whopping 14g of complete protein, 6 g of fiber,  and copious amounts of B vitamins, iron, potassium, and tons of other nutrients.  

Ask not what quinoa can do for you, but rather what you can do with quinoa.

This recipe is (once again) something that started as a mash up of foods already sitting in my pantry, and ended up being awesome.  It's excessively easy (the actual amount of work probably takes a total of 10 minutes), and although I ate it as a main dish, it would be equally great as a side dish to add some color to your plate.  The cheese is optional, but in the words of Julia Child, "You can leave it out....but you'll regret it."

Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce

I don't know if you read the January issue of Bon Appetite, but it. was. amazing.  It wasn't just overflowing with fantastic recipes and gorgeous pictures (per usual), but a solid 90% of those recipes were insanely healthy.  At first I was completely overwhelmed with the decision of what to make first, and then I saw this recipe. I was sold. Granted, using a caramelized cauliflower steak in place of a regular steak isn't exactly a fair trade, but when you think of it in the context of "yummy food" rather than "meat substitute"it is absolutely delicious.

I'll be honest this recipe is a bit of work since you're making a total of three dishes.  I don't know if it was the beer I was drinking while cooking, or my inability to concentrate on the conversation at hand as well as read the recipe, but there was a moment I thought to myself, "There is absolutely NO way you can blog this, you're going nuts!!" But then................

.....then I tried it.  Each of the components by themselves may seem a bit boring, but together they are aaaahhhhhmazing.  This dish perfectly harmonizes the sweet and savory of the relish with the light creaminess of the tomato sauce, and then completely surprises you with texture contrast between the raw and caramelized cauliflower. You absolutely MUST try it.  

Bonus, it's heavy on the veggies, light on the calories, AND it's another great use for your  Immersion Blender!

Party of One

You know what the hardest thing about being 24 is? Cooking for yourself.  I'm not saying this because I don't know how to cook, or because the only thing I CAN make is peanut butter and jelly.  I'm saying this, because cooking for one............sucks.  Have you ever seen a recipe for single serving soup? Lasagna? Coq au vin? Have you ever walked into a grocery store and bought just one tablespoon of chives? Nope. Eating for one is inevitably the art of lean cuisine meals, or the power to distinguish exactly when the leftovers from that giant pot of chili you made need to be thrown out.  But of course, then you have to feel guilty about wasting food.

Don't be guilty! You shouldn't feel ashamed for wanting to eat well with only one or two people!!!

Free yourself from your disgusting microwave meal chains!!!

FREEDOM PEOPLE!!! THIS IS AMERICA!

Don't worry, we can make it through together. The key to being able to eat for one, is knowing how to modify recipes and craft your pantry.  Keeping a perfect pantry is an art.  I'm sure you've seen people who have a billion condiments and nothing to eat, and I'm sure you've seen people who seem to always whip something up from stuff they just have lying around.  The latter isn't necessarily a better cook, they just have a better pantry.  Here are a few things you should always have on hand:

Superbowl Snacks

24 years ago, a gift was bestowed upon this earth.  That gift...was me.

Just kidding!

Well actually I'm not, it really was my birthday this week....thiiiiis is awkward now.

IN OTHER NEWS, it was also my anniversary with my awesome boyfriend.
Now as I'm sure you can imagine, all of this excessive celebration has consisted primarily of extremes of delicious gluttony, followed shortly by HOLY BEJEEZUS I'M DOING THIS IN 2 MONTHS I CAN ONLY EAT CEREAL AND PROTEIN POWDER.

I could show you how to make a bomb protein shake (heads up: it's boring. "Insert powder, insert milk, shake until smooth.") But instead, I thought I would give you some ideas for my next extreme eating event: The Superbowl.

Living in Boston and what not, you'd probably guess that 99.99999% of my friends (as well as myself) are all Patriots fans.  Living in an apartment full of ex sorority girls (but are you REALLY ever an EX sorority girl??), you'd likely guess that we would be planning a superbowl party, and that said party would not only have the most delicious snacks on the planet, but also the most adorable.

You would be right.

Lame superbowl parties are for newbs.  We are not newbs.  I was BORN on a superbowl duuuuude I know what's up!!!

So without further ado, here are some of the recipes I am most excited to try this coming Sunday!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

You know when you're little and you get a new barbie or other toy and find reasons to bring her out and play with her EVERYWHERE (um, hello Barbie needs to pee too!)? Well I'm currently feeling that way about my newest food toy, this Immersion Blender.  It was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend's parents, and while I can't bring it to work with me or cuddle with it while I nap like when I was little (ok, maybe I do cuddle with it), I'm constantly formulating recipes in my head that somehow include blending.  It's actually pretty remarkable how much you can blend if you really put your mind to it.  Smoothies? blended. Soups? blended. Salad dressing? No whisk needed! Homemade salsa? Did someone say chopper attachment!

I've been blending up a STORM!!!

So here is a thoroughly blend-able recipe with just enough spice to keep you full and toasty even though it tips in at only about 95 calories a cup.  Don't have an immersion blender? GET ONE!!! Just kidding you don't have to, you can also use a regular blender and it'll work just fine!

I also just wanted to tell you all how much I absolutely LOVE hearing you made my recipes, and I LOVE seeing photos of the stuff you made, and I LOVE LOVE hearing you told your friends to make it, and I basically I just LOVE LOVE LOVE you all so much!!!  There is absolutely nothing that can brighten my day more!!

Nacho Nirvana

Are you drooling just ever so slightly?  It's ok, you don't have to feel bad, this is a judgement free blog! Well this beautious pile of cheese, chile, and corn chip-y goodness is from a little place my boyfriend and I like to frequent approximately once a day week called Sunset Cantina (916 Com Ave or 130 Brighten Ave).
I worked at a Mexican restaurant in high school, and to say I'm a nacho snob because of that would be a severe understatement.  I knowwwww Vermont mexican food probably is not the BEST mexican food, but I. know. nachos.  I know when they're getting just a touch too hot, and when they're just a touch too cold. I know the exact ratio of cheese to chip that is ideal for your tasting pleasure.  I know when there are not enough toppings, and when there are too many (yes that is such a thing.) In short, I know their soul.
I've travelled all around this great city in search of the perfect nachos to fiesta in my mouth and you know what?  These are about as close to nirvana as we mere mortals can reach.  Eat them.


Just in case the nachos alone aren't enough to get you there, they also have 100 beers on tap and 400 in bottles.

Yes you read that correctly. FIVE HUNDRED BEERS