Monday, June 13, 2011

An Except from a Self-Described Foodie

So I'm going to talk about spinach again...

Okay, I asserted my adoration for spinach.  One thing that irks me, however, is the rapid deterioration and expiration of these glorious leaves-- pretty much the reason I went on a spinach binge the past few days.  We also had left over wheat pasta and three (!) cartons of eggs (what??), so I figured it was time to improvise.
I put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and began cooking chopped tomatoes and baby carrots.  I poured a bit of water in and placed the lid for a few minutes to stew and soften them.  Then I added a handful of spinach, followed by two eggs.  I proceeded to scramble the eggs and vegetables and finally stirred in the pasta and remaining spinach.  With the help of herb & garlic hot sauce, thyme (amazing with eggs) and oregano, I cooked a delicious dinner.
So much did I enjoy my dinner, I basically made the same type of meal to bring to work as lunch for the next day!  Incidentally enough, the Food Network had Iron Chef on, and the secret ingredient was... spinach! Haha, I was so pumped but unfortunately none of the courses were as practical for me to cook.  For this serving, I left out the tomatoes and added peanuts.  I also used curry powder, chili powder, cumin and turmeric rather than the former spices.  Curry powder rocks my world, and another satisfying reinvented pasta-egg-spinach meal was consumed.
Finally, I had less than two cups of raw spinach that I bagged and placed in the freezer over night.  For breakfast the next day, I blended the frozen spinach with a handful of frozen blueberries, original Silk soy milk and a spoonful of berry jam.  Please reconsider the concept of smoothies/mixed drinks with me, because this was amazing!  It smelled more of spinach, but the taste wasn't strongly present, I think due to the jam.  I was quite proud of my superfood smoothie.  Oh, and that's more spiced oatmeal with blueberries and cranberries :).
Yay, spinach!
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Sunday the cafe where I work closes at noon but the ice cream side stays open until nine, and I had that shift for a few hours. The air finally chilled out, but no one was in the mood for ice cream. Basically I was being paid to serve no one. Yet, I did spend a solid amount of time making waffle cones! We began making them 'in house' a few weeks ago, and the batter is quite simple and I enjoy using the press and mold and making the shop smell heavenly.

Here's a brief glance at the process
(collage courtesy of the iPhone app called Montager):
And can I say how gratifying it is to fill a container with hand-molded cones, with the curiously delighted inquiries of customers who are now persuaded to eat them.

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A parting Instagram-ed shot:
 Boca Grande Beach Lighthouse, Florida

Apologies for the superficial/lame posts-- I'm hoping to come around to something a bit more substantial soon enough.  Have a good week!

2 comments:

Allison said...

I love these posts, my friend! You are seriously making me so hungry with each and every one. I am so impressed with how creative you are - and how you're using so many healthy ingredients in such fun and unique ways! :)
If you're looking for more yummo spinach smoothie mixes, I'm WAY into the Green monster smoothie. It's 2 cups spinach, 1 banana, 1 tbsp flax seed, 1 cup almond milk (I use vanilla, and I'm sure soy would work as well), and ice blended together (in that order). It comes out looking green and disgusting (my dad says it looks like Shrek's piss), but it tastes like banana and is crazy good for you! Also, a great way to get rid of spinach that's sitting and ready to kick it!
You are so domestic - I'm so proud of you, girl! :)

Natalie said...

Mmmmm. I love food (and watching the Food Network for hours and hours) but unfortunately have little to no cooking talent beyond scrambled eggs. But you on the other hand are a veritable professional. :D All of those uses for spinach, especially in a super duper smoothie, sound delicious. And yum, waffle cones are definitely better than sugar cones!