Crustless Spinach and Cheese Quiche

"What's for lunch?" I pretty much hate that question. I don't mind creating dinner for a crowd, whipping up waffles for breakfast, or excessive bouts of baking, but for some reason I do not enjoy cooking up lunch. I'm completely content with a quick pb&j so I can get on with my day. But if the family is around, they like me to cook... or at the very least build some sort of sandwich for them. I usually comply. Begrudgingly.

I don't often feel inspired to make new lunch creations. But as I was browsing Cookie Madness the other day, I noticed that Anna had taken a detour from cookies and posted about a quiche. An unusual thing happened- I felt inspired to make lunch! Specifically, I was inspired to make her Crustless Spinach and Cheese Quiche.

I followed Anna's recipe with some minor changes: I added more spinach, I used reduced-fat feta, and I added a little more Parmesan.

This quiche baked up wonderfully. With four cheeses swimming within, we didn't miss the crust.

Letting the quiche sit for a few minutes ensured that the pie would firm up enough to make some nice, clean slices. I served it up with a big, green salad.

And since I went to all that trouble to make a nice lunch, and since it was a rainy day and we were all snuggled inside, wine seemed like an obvious choice to accompany our meal. The quiche was excellent, the salad was refreshing, and the wine made me sleepy.

So you see, when inspired... I can accommodate. The hubby is happy and pleasantly full. And all is well at lunchtime. Thank you to Anna for the recipe, which can be found HERE.

I know that the dreaded question will be looming overhead again tomorrow, but I'll be ready... with peanut butter in one hand and jelly in the other.

Baseball Cookies !

Sadly, I was not able to participate in the Daring Baker's challenge this month. So I thought I'd post on a different kind of baker's challenge instead. To mark the end of our Little League season this year, I created a baseball cookie for each of the kids on my son's team.

I used this great recipe that I found for cut out cookies: No Fail Sugar Cookies, which originally came from Kitchengifts.com. I made giant five-inch diameter cookies- using a tupperware bowl as my cut-out tool. I use KitchenGift's tip for rolling out dough without the mess: Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness, then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process. Add added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies. This process works WONDERFULLY!

Martha Stewart's Royal Icing works really well for decorator cookies. I made the whole batch and then divided it up into 3 tupperware bowls. Place the lids on each until ready to use or they'll begin to harden. With icing tub #1, I piped all of the edges on first and let those dry a little bit. Then I thinned out icing tub #1 slightly and used it to flood the centers. If you give it enough time, it hardens nicely.

To make nice, even arcs for the stitching on the baseball, I used the edge of the same tupperware that I used to cut out the cookies to make impressions.

With icing tub #2, I mixed in 1 bottle of red food coloring to get a nice dark red color. If you use too little, you'll end up with magenta stitches. Boys don't like magenta. Then I piped red icing into the impressions, and also added the stitches.

Icing tub #3 was mixed with blue food coloring. Each cookie was personalized with a name and a number.

I made nice, thick 5-inch cookies... and I ended up with about 18. It's nice to have a couple extra ones because it's inevitable that one of them will get messed up at some point during the decorating process.

If you've got 24 hours to let these dry completely, you'll end up with icing that hardens nicely. I was in a bit of a rush, so I used a table fan to dry them today (and that worked just fine too.) Each cookie was slipped into its own quart-sized baggie and they were good to go.

The final game was a tie (happy kids all around!) The boys loved their cookies. And they especially enjoyed the fact that they were personalized. The moms and dads who snuck bites from their kid's cookies noted how delicious they were. And many of the parents asked me where I purchased the cookies :)

The cookie recipe can be found HERE.
The royal icing recipe can be found HERE.

Buckwheat- Banana Pancakes

I was lucky enough to grow up with a Mom who often did special things for us kids on Sunday mornings. Pancakes, waffles and french toast come to mind. We also occasionally piled into our old green station wagon and made the trip to Winchell's Donuts, fighting over which multi-colored creations would fill the box of 12. I try to do the fun Sunday breakfast thing once in a while for my family, with the exception of the donut trips (I just can't seem to justify that one!)


Yesterday's Sunday morning treat was Buckwheat- Banana Pancakes, adapted from a Bittman recipe. I made a few with raspberries and blueberries too.
This is a very different pancake recipe. If you're looking for the typical dense pancake that you might find at your favorite breakfast place, this probably isn't it. Egg whites are whipped up and folded into the batter, which makes for a light and airy sort of pancake. I had never used buckwheat flour for pancakes before but I was pleased with the results. My kiddo thought they were awesome. My husband thought they needed to be a little sweeter (but this comes from a man who puts sugar atop his sugar cereals.) You can certainly adjust the amount of sugar that you add to the batter, but with all that syrup... it seems overkill.

So what do you think... do you feel like some pancakes?

This recipe can be found HERE.

*fyi... they carry buckwheat flour at Henry's/Wild Oats/Whole Foods (or any sort of well-stocked gourmet or health food market.)

Emergency Blender Cupcakes

You only turn seven once. That's why you should get a first class ticket to Disneyworld for your seventh birthday, right? One lucky little boy who lives in my house received that gift.


Now before you call me "extravagant" and "outrageous," it's not really all it seems. We used air miles for the trip, and the way the crazy airlines are right now- a coach ticket demanded the same amount of miles as first class. And the real reason for the trip was that hubby had a conference in Orlando- so technically the hotel was a business write off. But the kiddo thinks it was all a special celebration for his birthday. And we did manage to hit all of the Disney parks. So we'll go ahead and take the credit for it. Since the birthday was spent in Florida, there was no special cake on the big day... just a candle popped inside a cannoli at the Italian joint where we went for dinner.

Cupcakes for the first grade class were the first order of business when we returned from the world of Disney.


This is my go-to recipe for homemade cupcakes: Emergency Blender Cupcakes. Why the name? Abby Dodge of Fine Cooking created these for emergencies... as in, "Mom! I forgot to tell you that we're supposed to bring cupcakes to school. Today!" They really do blend up nicely... you just toss the whole mess of ingredients into the blender and whir away. A bonus... you only mess up the blender- no bowls or anything else.


They rise up nicely too. An additional bonus: you likely will have all of the ingredients that this recipe calls for.


For an EASY and convenient recipe, these cupcakes are moist and quite delicious. I plopped oreos on top since the kiddo is a chocolate fanatic.


Here's what I did with them last birthday. I plopped baked cupcakes into ice cream cones and topped with frosting, candy quick, sprinkles and a red gummy bear. These were a big hit with the kindergarten crowd.

Disney trip and big birthday over... we move on to Memorial Day weekend. Barbecues and outdoor activities are planned, despite the unseasonal rainy weather we're having. I've posted a collection of my favorite Memorial Day salads on my RecipeGirl.com site for the weekend. I hope you have a good one!

Lemon- Almond Cookie Brittle

This recipe has been tucked into my humongous cookie binder of magazine clippings for quite some time. It's one of those recipes that I've thought about often, and it's one where I felt I needed just the right opportunity to try it out. When the treat coordinator for my son's school emailed the other day to see if I'd bring goodies for a teacher meeting, I thought immediately of this recipe: Lemon- Almond Cookie Brittle. It seemed like it would be a good after- school treat.

The batter is spread into a large jelly-roll pan, topped with toasted almonds and baked until golden.

After letting it cool for a bit, the whole cookie just slips right out of the pan.

The cookie breaks apart easily. You can make the chunks as large or small as you'd like.

After breaking it into chunks, they get a quick dusting of powdered sugar.


Its flavor is reminiscent of almond pastry with a tinge of lemon. Perhaps a little bit like shortbread too. We snuck a few chunks for ourselves and brought the rest to the teachers. They enjoyed their "treat" immensely. We did too :)

This recipe can be found HERE.

Oven- Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Side dishes don't get the recognition they deserve on most blogs. They're often shoved aside to make room for the main dish star or the baking masterpiece. Well, here's a side dish not to be looked over: Oven- Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice.

Even if you're not typically a fan of this creamy white, strange-textured vegetable... this dish may sway you to swing the other way. Sliced garlic and lemon juice are roasted right into the cauliflower. Roasting imparts wonderful flavors unto this veggie. Wonderful flavors that you should not miss.


Add a sprinkle of Parmesan and chopped chives to the steaming hot, roasted cauliflower and serve it up right away. We enjoyed this with Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons. And I do mean that we really enjoyed this. Major restaurant quality side dish, for sure.

This recipe can be found HERE.

Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons

A dinner to remember: Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons- modified a little bit from Food and Wine.

My new favorite roasting venture: Lemons. Wonderful lemons.

Ever try roasting these golden gifts from nature?

With a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of kosher salt, they caramelize and transform into flavor-powerhouses that are unlike any raw lemon you've ever tasted.

While those luscious lemons are roasting, flour-dusted chicken is sauteed until lightly browned.

Olives, capers and chicken broth are added, and the whole bunch simmers until the broth is reduced.

Add the roasted lemons and a couple pats of butter and the magic begins to happen. The lemons impart their roasted flavor onto the chicken and into the sauce. Heaven.


The chicken is plated with the sauce drizzled over the top. It would certainly be good served over rice or alongside roasted potatoes. I chose to serve it up on its own with the sauce spooned over. Each bite of chicken was incredibly tender, and the sauce really made it over-the-top fantastic. Hubby kept saying things like, "How did you make this?" and "It's moist, not dry." (like I make dry chicken all the time or something!!) "It's so flavorful!" (He's so descriptive, isn't he?)

Long story made short: We loved it. A lot. And the roasted lemons really made the dish.

This recipe can be found HERE.

Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

If you're anything like me, you utilize your treasured ripe bananas for baked goods. Since we thrive on new recipes around here, I'm always trying to shake things up a little bit when it comes to banana bread. Add blueberries... make it whole grain... chocolate swirl... pumpkin. I'll try anything! This time: Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Too much, you say? Nah. The peanut butter, acts as the "fat" in the bread, taking a back seat to the banana flavor. It still comes through a bit, but it isn't the main event.

The chocolate is a bonus, of course. You could certainly sub any sort of chip in there... peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips... or no chips at all.


Helpful tip: Don't ever throw out those ripe bananas. Mash them up instead and freeze them in 1 cup increments in freezer zips. They freeze up just fine, and then you've got them for banana bread when the mood strikes.

Speaking of freezing, these loaves freeze well. Since the recipe makes two, freeze one and eat the other. You can also make these up as muffins instead of loaves.

This recipe can be found HERE.

Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus

Thin is in.... for asparagus, that is. Though I read somewhere recently that its thicker counterpart is more desirous of chefs and actually has more flavor to impart. The objection is that much of the good part is lost when people snap off the fuller stems and throw them out. Sure, you have to use a vegetable peeler to pare down the rough stems a little bit, but you'll find good stuff underneath, and an attractive product too.

Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus was lifted from Food and Wine. It's a terribly simple salad with big taste.

Roasted vegetables add so much flavor to every dish, and asparagus are no exception. Topped with olive oil, lemon zest and a sprinkle of kosher salt, these asparagus roast until just tender and the tips turn brown.

Spring lettuces are tossed with a lemony-dijon dressing and then asparagus and shaved Parmesan are added to finish the salad.


I might add that this is a good salad to eat if you're trying to jump on the thin-is-in bandwagon for the summer bathing suit season. Lighten the dressing with less olive oil and you've got a pretty healthy salad too.

Verdict in our family: YUM, YUM, and YUM. We will definitely be making this again.

This salad recipe can be found HERE.

Deep Chocolate Gateau: A Rich Chocolate Cake For Two

According to Salary.com, if paid... a stay-at-home Mom in San Diego, CA would earn between $102,000 and $154,000 a year for her work as a mother. Is my husband reading this? The website lists all of the jobs that a mother does- you input your zip code, and it calculates accordingly. If you're looking for a something fun for to do for Mother's Day, you can actually print out or email a "paycheck" to give your mother (or spouse) for Mother's Day. Here's a little something for all the Mom's- working outside of the home or not- for your special day this weekend...

And I've made a chocolate cake today in honor of my wonderful Mom and mothers everywhere. This chocolate cake feeds just TWO... for you and your mom. And it's especially good for those of you who are whining about needing to lose weight, because after the initial indulgence, you won't have any leftovers.

This recipe for Deep Chocolate Gateau comes from an oooooold Bon Appetit magazine. We're talking 80's people! So old that the recipe isn't even on their site anymore. It should be though... it's that good. This is a reason why you should be happy that you have those old magazines just sitting around taking up space. They're occasionally worthwhile.

If you have a loaf pan, you can make this recipe. See how much batter is in there? Yep, that's right.... just a tiny bit. In fact, the baked cake will only be about a half-inch high! Once baked, you're going to cut it in half and make it a little two-layer, square cake.

A honey-almond flavored ganache is used between layers, and it spills over the top and sides as well.

Slap some almonds on the sides and the top and you've got yourself a pretty, gourmet-looking, EASY dessert.

Add strawberries for color.... and because they taste really great with the chocolate.


You're supposed to chill it, but I tore into this cake when it was still gooey and dripping with ganache. After chilling, it firms up and becomes more fudge-like. Because there's no flour in the recipe, this cake is not very cakey. I loved it. And my 6 year old partner in dessert-crime reported that it was a *major* restaurant-quality treat. This is the highest honor given to a recipe in our household!

Happy Mother's Day MOM! And to all of the other Mom's out there... I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend too. My plan is to relax, take a break from blogging & my obsession with Google Reader and spend some much-needed time with my family.

This recipe can be found HERE.

Chocolate- Toffee S'More Cookies

Any campers in the audience?

Who doesn't love a good s'more?... It's a rhetorical question, really because what kind of person wouldn't enjoy this sticky, messy, gooey creation of the camping world? Slashfood published an article about the history of S'Mores- where they noted that although the first recipe for S'Mores was published in the Girl Scout Handbook of 1927, the official origin isn't really known. That being said, it has remained a favorite dessert for camping trips and beach bonfires for years now. And there are all kinds of take-offs on this simple graham cracker, melty marshmallow and chocolate bar dessert. I was excited to find a recipe for Chocolate - Toffee S'More Cookies.

This recipe was published in Gourmet magazine in the section where readers ask for the recipes from places they've been. Seattle-Tacoma airport has a little place called Dish D'Lish, and they sell these giant cookies to travelers who are looking for a treat.

Dough for these cookies is rolled into a thick log and refrigerated until very firm. It's cut into ten thick slices and baked up with a gooey marshmallowy topping. When I baked my test cookies, the marshmallow topping browned up waaaaaayyyy too much, so I modified D'Lish's recipe to include baking the cookie until it spreads a bit, and then adding the marshmallow topping. That worked much better.

I would have liked them to be a little prettier. They're kind of an ugly cookie, dontcha think? But don't let that uglyness fool you. These cookies are really great. Toffee bits are melted within the giant chocolate goodness, and then you get gooey marshmallow in every bite too. The recipe makes 10 giant cookies, exactly.

It was perfect for a little barbecue that I was going to at my college roommate's house. Her teenagers gobbled them all up in no time and praised me like I was some sort of goddess that was sent to their home. These were super-polite *dream* teenagers who did the dishes without being asked, and asked me- with genuine interest- about my life and my recipe site. I suppose that's another post topic, but it was delightful being around such nice kids. I cross my fingers and hope that my little one will grow up to be so sweet at that age.

So how about it? Are you in the mood for chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows? If so, this is an amazing cookie to try. And go for the giant ones... don't try to make this your regular, everyday normal-sized cookie. This cookie deserves more.

The S'Mores cookie recipe can be found HERE.

I did a little investigating, and here are s'more great S'More finds...
S'More's Cupcakes from Cupcake Bakeshop.
S'More Cookie Bars from Baking Bites.
S'Mores from The Domestic Goddess.
S'Mores Tart from Big City, Little Kitchen.
Indoor S'Mores from Taste and Tell.

Link Love... and an Award!

So many great websites and only so much time in the day. Here are a few of my favorite sites- some old and some new, but all are quality places to hang out, read and take home a few recipes.


MakeMySupper.com
This is a website that lets you broadcast your own cooking show. It differs from YouTube in that all of these videos are related to cooking. They're really fun to watch (and you can make yourself a star too, if desired.)

Hostess With the Mostess
All about entertaining and party themes. She's got a blog on her site too. Marthaesque cute!

Yum Sugar
Superb food-related content blog. It's updated a LOT so it's hard to keep up with if you're just an occasional browser. YumSugar has interesting posts on newfound food products and kitchen accessories, and highlights recipes as well.

SlashFood
Updated often, this site contains food news from across the world and cookbook reviews. You might see an occasional featured blog post from one of your fellow food bloggers too.

Serious Eats
Lots more food-related news that is updated often. Several well-known contributors make this an interesting read.

Project Foodie
If you're looking for a recipe from Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Cook's Illustrated, Saveur, or Gourmet, this site has a search feature that will allow you to find it. You can also view all recipes from any month/year and there's a link to the recipe that you're looking for. Nice for being able to browse recipes from a magazine that you don't currently subscribe to.

Alltop
They describe themselves as having a "digital magazine rack" of internet topics. Alltop selects sites that they deem interesting and feature them along with a list of their most recent posts. In the food section, you may see of few of our blogger friends!

Another great food blogging site- You Say Tomato... I Say Tomato has some amazing photography and witty writing. The blog's author- Pixie- is from the UK and she's hosting a blogging event called Putting Up . Make your favorite condiment and join in on this event!

Pixie bestowed upon me the Arte y Pico award. Thanks a bunch Pixie! I'm honored to receive an award from you :)

Here's how it works:
You select 5 blogs that you feel excel in creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.

I'm going to send along this award to a few of my faves:

Luisa at The Wednesday Chef. She's a biggie already, I know. But I truly enjoy her writing and her focus on topics that are appealing to me. Her current post is about Rancho Gordo beans... something I've been meaning to try.

Prudy at Prudence Pennywise. Her tagline is "Scandalously Good Food- on a Budget." Her goal is to feed her family of four on $100 a week- something I don't believe I could ever do! But she manages to come up with some great ideas to achieve this goal! And her website is cute, too. Be prepared for music.

Emiline at Sugar Plum. She cracks me up with her off-the-cuff writing style. She has great recipes to share (often her own creations), and I think she'd be fun to hang out with :)

Kristin at The Kitchen Sink. Always quality, drool-worthy photography. Terrific choices in recipes (stuff I'd really make.) And she's an everyday poster. I don't know how she keeps it up, but I sure enjoy all her blog has to offer!

Jessy at Baking Blondie. You'll be amazed when you see what this 15 year old features on her blog. The photos are nice, and she bakes up incredible things that I wouldn't even think of trying to make. Her current post: Crumpets!

Fresh Blueberry- Maple Muffins

We had a mad craving for muffins this morning, so I made Blueberry- Maple Muffins. I was finding fresh blueberries at a good price for a while recently, but that great deal seems to have disappeared for now. Costco still has them... that's probably your best bet if you're lucky enough to have a Costco near you. Since I have one of those handy-dandy Foodsavers, I had blueberries already pre-measured and packaged in my freezer. Along with my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, that Foodsaver is the greatest purchase I've made in years. I now purchase meat, fish and fruit in bulk at Costco, portion it all out and freeze it. It never gets freezer burn and the fruit is just as good as fresh. Love it! Best money ever spent.

Back to the muffins... It's your typical muffin recipe but it has lowfat yogurt within (which helps make them quite moist.)

I like to stick a few of the fresh blueberries on top of each muffin so they bake up pretty. And add a little sprinkle of coarse sugar to make them sparkly.

You'll get a fresh, juicy blueberry in every bite. They're moist as can be too.


With a hint of maple flavor, these might just be our new favorite muffins. But I'll have to test out a couple dozen more recipes... just to make sure.

This recipe can be found HERE.

Ellie Krieger's HEALTHY Fish Tacos

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!
(that's the 5th of May for you non Spanish-speaking folks!)

In San Diego today, there will be multiple opportunities to eat a terrific Mexican feast, and for some... it's an excuse to partake in the consumption of multiple margaritas and tequila shots! Things can get pretty crazy in the bars today. So I think I'll stick with the Mexican feast at home. We love our fish tacos but we usually have the Baja Style deep-fried original. Summer is on it's way and we're attempting to eat lighter, so we tried Ellie Krieger's version: Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream.

This healthy version of the fish taco is very easy to put together. Tilapia is marinated lightly for about 20 minutes (though you can use any white fish that flakes apart easily... snapper, cod, orange roughy.)

While the fish is marinating, you have time to shred some cabbage, take corn out of the freezer, chop up cilantro and slice some limes. The sauce is a simple mix of yogurt, mayo and chiles in adobo. It's a spicy sauce, but you don't notice it so much since there's just a small dollop inside each fish taco. The fish is grilled up quickly, and the tortillas are thrown on the grill too just before serving.


My family loved these... which is BIG because they're quite used to the deep-fried version. Don't skip out on the chilies in the sauce... it's what adds the flavor to the meal. My 6 year old gobbled these up like he hadn't eaten in days (with cabbage, corn and sauce within.) He even asked for a squeeze of lime. I love that he is more open to eating a variety of things than his peers.

I hope this inspires you to think about creating a Mexican feast tonight! And maybe you'd even like some Margarita Cake for dessert.

This healthy fish taco recipe can be found HERE.

Get Out Those Muddlers... It's Mojito Time!

Have you muddled lately? Do you own one of these nifty bar tools?

Mine is used almost exclusively for making my favorite cocktail...Mojitos! Since my Vegas trip, I've been dreaming about those Orange- Basil Mojitos that I sipped poolside. So I decided to re-create this drink in the comfort of my own home.

If you're already familiar with mojitos, you know that they usually incorporate mint and lime juice. For the Orange- Basil Mojitos, I simply subbed basil for mint and fresh orange juice for lime. It worked! The basil flavor worked well with the orange. I know what your thinking... sounds weird, right? It wasn't weird at all. The basil worked well with the orange and it wasn't overpowering at all.

Use that muddling tool to smush the heck out of the basil with the orange juice & sugar. (Don't have a muddler? Not to worry... just use a wooden spoon.) Then you simply add a bit of rum and club soda to finish it off. Top with an orange slice and you're ready for a toast! We loved this... it tasted just like the Vegas drink.

And just because I like all of you and you leave nice comments on my blog, I'll share a few more of my favorite tried and true mojito recipes with you... but you have to promise to try one of them. Here you go...

Here's your basic Mojitos recipe - for the newbies that want to check out this whole mojito thing.

And if you'd like an idea for a perfect summer drink. This is it: The Watermelon Mojito. We served these at a barbecue once and the guests didn't leave our house into well into the night. I think one of the neighbors ended up sleeping on the couch. But we won't mention any names.

This pretty drink is a Cranberry Mojito. Not just for fall, it actually turns out more pinkish than red so serve it up any old time. I served this at a Happy Hour party that I had with my girlfriends and it was a huge hit.


These Pomegranate Mojitos are made with POM juice (found near the fresh juices at your market.) Also a great choice.

Did you see one you'd like to make? Scoot along, and muddle away...

All Mojito recipes can be found by just clicking on any of the recipe titles above.

Vegas, Baby! $$$

Last Friday, the husband and I skipped off to Las Vegas for two short nights to meet friends for some fun in the sun and casinos. Hubby met me there via a business trip.

So this is how I began my solo flight...

A beer and a book. (Seriously good book, by the way.) Folks who are headed to Vegas are happy and ready to party. In the airport bar, I was encouraged to take shots of tequila with my extra-tall beer. Even the guys who sat next to me on the plane (who were en route to a bachelor party) tried to order me Jack and coke. I stuck with my beer.

I hadn't been to Vegas since I was a child. I lived in Nevada for a time and casinos have never been very appealing to me. But I kept hearing about how the casinos are so exotic and cool now, and even more exciting are all of the great chefs who have restaurants in Vegas. I was excited to see what it was all about.

The food was unfortunately a big disappointment. There was no opportunity for us to eat at one of the finer / famous chef restaurants during our short stay. We'll have to go back for that. This breakfast was the culinary highlight of the trip: French Toast Panini... Italian Ham, Gruyere and Baked Egg pressed between two slices of Brioche french toast. Dipped in maple syrup, this was truly a pleasure to eat.

At the pool we ordered up some drinks. This was my favorite: the Orange- Basil Mojito. A couple of those and many beers later, we napped and visited with our friends poolside. My mind was churning with excitement at re-creating this drink when I returned to San Diego.

We clubbed it on our last night, and then visited the video-poker machines for a little Vegas fun. My husband, playing alongside me often asked me for advice on what cards to hold. At one point, he had a King and a Jack of spades. He asked if he should just keep the King and try for a pair. "Why would you do that?" I said. "If you get another King, you'll just win back your coin. But if you go for the longshot and keep the Jack and the King, you might just get a royal flush."


And he did! This is proof of why men should always listen to their wives! Too bad he had only put a dollar in. If he had bet 5 dollars, we would have seen $4,000 on that voucher there. (He wasn't listening.) I was next to him betting $5 at a time. But he was the lucky one. Like the smart guy that he is, he immediately cashed out and we retired to our suite (up $280.) Not bad, huh?

So what should I do with the cash that he won for me? :)

Thai Beef Tacos with Lime- Cilantro Slaw + Coconut Ginger Rice

Does your family ever look at you funny when you tell them that you're preparing something out of the ordinary for dinner? Do they give you that skeptical look when you share the recipe title with them? In my ongoing effort to provide variety and flavor to our weekly meals, I often receive these sorts of looks from the fam. It all usually works out in the end though, so I'm not sure why I continue to get met with such skepticism.

Yesterday's Edamame Dumplings were a prelude to our wonderful Asian-style dinner. Another choice from Cooking Light: Thai Beef Tacos with Lime- Cilantro Slaw. The side dish (not light) comes from the Blue Mesa Grill: Coconut Ginger Rice.


This is an easy, fairly quick meal. The "marinade" for the flank steak is super basic. It's so basic, in fact, that I worried that there wouldn't be much flavor for the beef. The marinade included sugar, ginger, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce, pepper and garlic. That all gets thrown into a big ziploc with the flank steak, and it sits for just 20 minutes in the fridge.

The slaw is quick too- especially if you buy the bags of coleslaw mix and matchstick carrots. It's tossed with similar spices as well as lime juice and cilantro.


The verdict: You should make this. Why? Because it's different. When I told my family that we were having tacos for dinner, they said- 'YAY!' Then I told them they were Thai tacos and they looked at me like I had a major screw loose. During dinner, I heard things like, "Wow, these are really good." (with a large element of surprise included.) My 6 year old even ate the slaw inside the taco, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that he wouldn't eat that stuff if it was just sitting on a plate. I will also tell you that you should eat the slaw inside and outside of the taco. It's pretty tasty either way.

*An additional note on the marinade for the steak: If you like spicy, it wasn't spicy as prepared in the given recipe. If you want spice, add more chili garlic sauce. Marinating it longer may also help the spice flavor come through a little more.


But here was the real star of dinner: Coconut- Ginger Rice. It doesn't sound all that exciting, but it was. Besides coconut milk, a couple other fun ingredients are included in this side dish: sushi ginger and pesto. I didn't know if I could find sushi ginger, but I was able to locate it easily at my market's sushi counter. If they don't sell a little tub of it, you can ask the sushi guy and he'll give you some (especially if you're really nice and you tell him how good his sushi looks.)

We gobbled up this rice like there was no tomorrow. The next day we had yummy Thai taco leftovers, and wished we had made more rice too (since I had halved the recipe.)

And if you're someone who doesn't usually have things like fish sauce and chili garlic sauce at-the-ready in your fridge... go ahead and pick some up. You'll be surprised how many recipes include these ingredients, and they're easy to find in the Asian section of your market.

One of these days, the family may come to learn that my recipe choices are more often than not excellent ones. Until then, I can handle the looks. After all, there is usually a delicious ending.

The taco recipe can be found HERE.

The rice recipe can be found HERE.