I'm awful + yummy veggie burger lunch!

I don't know why all this time I kept thinking I started my blog back in August 2009. I actually just realized my first post was on July 8th, 2009. HELLO!!! I totally forgot it was my blog's birthday, and I did nothing cool to celebrate it. Does that make me a bad blogger? I seriously don't know where my mind was, but I know during this time I had a lot going on. I'm going to make it up once my kitchen is back to normal. That sounds fair right? Oh my, I just read my first blog post, I guess I didn't believe in proof reading. heh! Speaking of birthdays, mine is well TODAY! The kitchen is still being worked on, so my plans to make this awesome chocolate chip cookie cake has been postponed. I remember seeing this Emeril Live episode and the recipe been bookmarked since. Just saw it is from 2004! So if someone wants to make this for me and surprise me, that be awesome. hehe. Don't worry I'll be having awesome birthday desserts since all my favorite restaurants have sent me coupons for a free birthday dessert, score! They are just trying to sabotage my figure! In the mean time, here is a lovely lunch I put together the other day. Luckily I do have a toaster oven during the remodeling. Been great for heating up frozen burritos and toast! I had 1 piece of Great Harvest honey whole wheat bread left and figured a veggie burger was in order. Popped the frozen toast and veggie burger into my oven to cook. I used a new spread on the bread from Trader Joe's, Masala Lentil dip. It is a different spread, spicy and sweet? Carrots taste really good with this dip. It went really well with the honey whole wheat bread and the Dr. Praeger California veggie burger. We had some chopped up romaine, that I added. On the side were cute little pickles for crunch. The flavors all went well. This was nutritious and very filling. I love these veggie burgers, they are not high in calories or protein, so it is easy to bulk up for added nutrition. FYI: The veggie burger was super hot from the oven and I was super hungry. I took the biggest bite and before it was too late I burned the roof of my mouth! The past few days have been no fun eating salty and hot foods. Ice cream, frozen bananas, and iced water have been lovely. heh I'll be back with a birthday recap and kitchen recap next week. Recently, a lot of cake shops have opened up in Las Vegas and been featured on many TV shows lately.. I'm thinking a red velvet cupcake is in order. Doesn't that sound like a good idea? Happy Birthday to me! Fallon Check out my birthday recap from last year by clicking HERE! It's a long one.

Hougan's Racing

Lately I've been on a sandwich kick. I'm not huge on sandwiches, especially the kind you'd make at home. I just think they always taste better out. Go figure!About a month ago my best friend mentioned to me about this place that makes the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches. My boyfriend ordered one at some bar we hit up late one night and that is when my best friend told us about Hougan's Racing Sandwich Shop. Up until recently I've finally had the chance to check out this place, thanks to having no kitchen for an entire week!

The turkey was not salty, very flavorful and moist! Very important factors when eating fresh turkey.

Not only do they make the best Phillys but they have fresh turkey! I'm the fresh turkey sandwich kind of girl. That was exactly what I ordered too. It is hard to find a good sandwich shop that uses all fresh ingredients, especially when it comes to the proteins. When I was younger, we had a really good Jewish deli in town and guess what I used to order.. The fresh turkey sandwich. It was good but Hougan's was amazing! The place is ran by a mother/daughter team. They are very friendly and make a great business with their sandwiches. They have a wall full of photos, that include some local celebrities! My best friend's son is very popular there too. His smile gets him anything. ;) Their smallest sandwich is a 9in. I usually eat a 6in type of sandwich, so I figured I'd save half for later. Well half a sandwich went down and I was still hungry. Yes, I ate the entire 9in sandwich. It was just way too good. The hot and sweet peppers sealed the deal on this bad boy. I didn't have to eat dinner that night either! Maybe some chocolate ice cream came across my lips though. :X

I love a good, doughy, fresh bread. I was MMMing my way through this sandwich.

I had mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, hot and sweet peppers, pickles and vinegar/oil blend.

I've already been back to the sandwich shop for their salad with fresh turkey. Actually my mom brought me this salad for my lunch at work, which was really sweet of her! I'll be seeing more Hougans in my life that is for sure! Thanks for finally bringing some good food to Las Vegas! If you are ever in Vegas, I definitely recommend you stop by for a Philly or a fresh turkey sandwich! Always, Fallon

No kitchen? No problem!

Since my kitchen is currently not functional, it's hard to cook a meal. It's either toast, something you stick in the microwave or eating out. I thought it be fun to share meals I'm making at home or eating out while the kitchen gets worked on. I want to keep my blogger's entertained. ;) Overnight oats is no surprise for me. It is great to have during the summer because it's cold straight out of the fridge, minimal mess and no cooking time! I've made overnight oats before and shared on the blog, like here. My favorite topping is always a nut butter and banana. I've tried other variations and always go back to what I love. It's cold, creamy and quick to prepare/eat. I'll be seeing a lot of overnight oats this week, that's for sure!

Always been a banana and peanut butter type of girl.

Fallon's Overnight Oats #2  
Ingredients:
1/3 cup or 40g old fashion oats
1/2 cup or 4oz vanilla almond milk
1/2 tbsp chia seeds (or swap for 1-2 tbsp of plain greek yogurt)
1/2 banana, sliced (save other half for the next day)
1 tbsp of peanut butter
Dash of cinnamon and salt

Pour the first 3 ingredients into a bowl. Mix together till incorporated. Next I slice 1/2 a banana into the bowl. With a fork, smash the banana till it breaks up into small pieces. Mix around and smash 2-3 times. Then add cinnamon and salt. Salt brings out the flavor and the sweetness in the oats. Place the oats in the fridge overnight. In the morning, slice the remaining banana on top and add 1 tbsp of peanut butter. If you want your peanut butter to spread easily, microwave for 15 seconds to loosen it up.

Don't you love my fancy kitchen plates and utensils?

I'm trying to finish up my chia seeds, I don't feel they like me very much. I love their consistency in oatmeal and the way they gel up but what they do to me some mornings, you don't even want to know!! Anyone else experience not nice things with chia seeds? I like flaxseeds much better. I'll be back with more eats without actually cooking. Well except if it involves a toaster or a microwave or someone else is making it. ;)

Happy Monday!
Fallon

Under construction!

(Image)

Hello!!! So I have some really exciting news to share, but with all good news comes a little bad news. First the good news. You maybe asking why I put that big yellow construction sign up. Well it is because we are re-doing our kitchen! Yes. We are putting in granite, getting a new stainless steel sink and faucet, and a brand new kitchen table. I'm so excited. It is going to change the entire face of the kitchen and spruce up the house. This has been in the works for a while and now it is finally happening. I took some before photos and once the new kitchen is finished I'll be posting the final result. Before:

Island

Those nectarines are SO good! The broken tile on the kitchen island Oops! Counter space Along with my green smoothie ;) It was delicious. Sink This really needs a face lift!

We've been in this house for 20+ years. It is definitely time to start remodeling. I can't wait till the kitchen is actually done, just 1 week to go. Okay and for the bad news. Well if you know me, you know I don't like to eat out all the time. I feel it is for special occasions and plus it can get really expensive. Well the plumber took out the sink and it isn't safe to use the oven, so I can't cook or bake! This is going to be the hardest struggle for me because I depend so much on fresh fruit and veggies everyday. I love to cook extra and be able to take to work with me. Plus we can't dirty up the dishes because there is no where to clean them, so it is paper plates and plastic utensils. I'm thinking a lot of Subway will be consumed this week, and some Wholefoods salad bar. YUM! If you have ANY food suggestions that are quick and healthy leave a comment. I'm already planning on a lot of overnight oats, PB&J sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, bagged salads, nut butter, cereal, and protein powdered drinks with juice and/or coffee. See you soon with a new kitchen!! Fallon

In a Jiffy Curry Chickpea Burgers

Whenever I see something curry in the blog world it definitely gets my attention. It is a new spice I've introduced to my pantry and I'm loving it! Like when Ashley from The Edible Perspective posted her recipe for Curry Honey Hummus that was the first time I ever experienced curry. Just recently Angela at Oh She Glows took her jiffy burger recipe and transformed it into a Curry Chickpea Burger. In a Jiffy Curry Chickpea Burgers (Adapted from Angela, Oh She Glows) Ingredients: 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinse 1/2 cup regular oats 10 baby carrots or 2 carrots ( I used 11 baby carrots for good luck.) 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted 1-2 tsp water 1 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp tumeric 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp parsley flakes 3 tbsp raw sunflower seeds 1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. *I used a pizza stone, I left it in the oven while it was preheating to give the burgers a nice crunchy outside.*

Love the colors.

In a food processor, process the oats, carrots and all the spices/seasonings for 30 seconds or until somewhat smooth. Now add in the chickpeas for 1/2 cup increments and coconut oil, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. If the mixture is still a bit dry, add a teaspoon or two of water to have everything come together smoothly. Once the chickpeas are mostly processed and smooth, take the mixture and place in a medium sized bowl. *I left mine in the food processor, don't forget to remove the blade if you do this.* Stir in the sunflower seeds and pepita seeds. Wet your hands and shape into patties. Makes about 6-8 patties. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip over for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy as a burger or on top of a delicious salad! And a delicious salad it was. I had made a tomato, radish and artichoke heart salad earlier with an orange champagne vinegar. Topped on a bed of romaine and a generous portion of crumbled goat cheese, this salad was popping with flavors! The curry chickpea burgers were the perfect topping to this salad. While the burgers cooked, it also toasted up the nuts that left a great flavor to counteract with the sweetness of the carrots and the tang of the curry spice. I'll be making these again because they took minutes to put together and minimal kitchen mess! Fallon PS: I think this is the year I'll be getting a new camera. Can you see how poor quality some of my photos have been lately? Blurry, grainy.. It is driving me nuts!

Grilled Turkey Breast

I think it is silly to wait all year for Thanksgiving to roast a whole turkey, and make up all the lovely sides to go with it. It is July and I want turkey breast!! The Proud Italian Cook had the same thing in mind with grilling up a turkey breast and sweet potatoes. She inspired me to buy a turkey breast and grill it up. I used her technique when it came to the rub except I used dried seasonings and lime zest.

I used basil, oregano, parsley, smashed garlic, salt, pepper, lime zest and olive oil. I kept tasting till I felt it was right, and pasty enough to rub down the entire turkey. The garlic was key and I added extra!

I kept the grill on a medium heat and cover down. I kept checking back on the turkey every 4-5 minutes. Since my meat thermometer broke on me, I didn't have one to test the temperature, so I had to cut into it to make sure it was fully cooked and juices were running clear. I believe the whole cooking process took about 30-40 minutes. It was probably a bit overcooked, but once I cut into it to serve it was very juicy and full of flavor from the rub. 

This was the best dinner by far this summer. The turkey was juicy, not dry. It had that grilled taste that you can't get from roasting. The rub was delicious, and the garlic/lime zest combination added a huge burst of flavor. I paired it with some steamed brussel sprouts, 1/2 a baked sweet potato, and a butter lettuce salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Please check out the Proud Italian Cook. This is definitely one of my top 10 favorite blogs. She has great photography along with simple, quick, and healthy meals!

Buon Appetito!! ;)
Fallon

Banana Bread Cockaigne

I'm telling you I'm behind. I wish I could be more on top of posts when certain holidays come around so I am able to share with you what I'm doing for that occasion, instead of posting it weeks later. Like Father's Day. Already happened a few weeks ago and I'm just now able to share a recipe with you. This is something I must work on! With most holidays I find it best to just bake something. Especially for my father. He is a simple man and not hard to please. He really doesn't care much of holidays, and if we just go out for a family dinner he is happy with that! I find baking something is always a fun way to celebrate. My dad loves banana bread, and I noticed I had way too many frozen bananas in my freezer. Father's Day came just in time because I was due to make a banana bread. I don't have a go to recipe for banana bread. I always like to try something new and different. That is where the Joy of Cooking cookbook comes in handy, Banana Bread Cockaigne.

First of all, I had to Google what cockaigne was all about, and this is what I found. Fancy huh? This was a very very delicious banana bread. It was light on the butter, and just enough sugar to not be over the top. It was very moist. The addition of the lemon zest really brought the bread to life. I added the dried apricots and no nuts (he has an allergy to them). All the flavors really went well together. This bread is sophisticated and definitely meant for a maturer palate.

Banana Bread Cockaigne (From Joy of Cooking)  
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp or 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened OR 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1-2 large eggs, beaten
1 to 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (2-3)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots (optional)

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (I used 3 mini loaf pans). Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in a large bowl at medium speed until creamy sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Beat in eggs and mashed banana. Add the dry ingredients in about 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition. Fold in nuts and/or dried apricots. Scrape the batter into the greased pan(s). Bake the bread about 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then unmold. Cool completely before slicing.

Gorgeous apricot specks.

Enjoy!
Fallon

PS: Head on over to FANNETastic Food for an awesome Barney Butter giveaway!