It's Grilling Season!

Ah readers, the winter is finally over (well in Albuquerque, I have no idea where it's like where you are) and that means it's time for tanning in bikinis, high-waisted shorts, sunburns and grilling. I'm not sure why, but grilled food just tastes better. Maybe it's the primitive cooking method, maybe it's the smoke-infused flavor, maybe it's just the memories associated with the grilling but whatever the reason, grilled food just tastes superior to non-grilled. 

Today's grilled selections are tequila-lime chicken breasts and Mexican street corn. 

First you must marinate your chicken, I did mine about 3 hours prior to grilling. 

Tequila-Lime Grilled Chicken 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1 1/2 oz tequila 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp onion powder

1 1/2 tbsp chile powder 

1 tbsp Mexican oregano 

2 tbsp lime zest 

1 Tbsp lime juice 

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 

Salt and pepper 

In a bowl, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add in all other ingredients and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let the marinade marinate in the fridge for 3+ hours.

To Grill: 

Light the grill you're using (or if you're using an electric grill, let it come to temperature) and grill your meat until it's cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Serve with a lime wedge. 

Mexican Street Corn 

In my opinion, corn just SCREAMS summer. Think about every BBQ, cookout, summer party, etc. you've ever been to: chances are corn was there in some way or another. I love steamed corn with butter and salt; it's simple, it's easy, it's a classic! However tonight I thought Mexican Street Corn might compliment the Tequila-Lime chicken a little bit better than "the classic". 

4 ears of corn 

4 Tbsp butter, softened 

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/4 C crumbled queso fresco cheese

1 tbsp chile powder (per ear of corn) 

1 lime wedge (per ear of corn) 

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped (per ear of corn) 

Grill your corn for 15-20 minutes in the husk. The done-ness is determined when the kernels are tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork. Remove husks and fibers. 

Mix together the butter and the mayonnaise until blended. 

Slather mayo mixture on each ear of corn, sprinkle on chile powder and cheese, serve with a lime wedge and cilantro. 

This recipe honestly couldn't be any easier. 

To accompany our end-of-winter feast, Nate made us homemade chocolate red chile pecan ice cream. Chocolate red chile may sound like an odd flavor combo because well, let's be real here, it is. But this combo is gaining popularity here in Burque, it can be found in doughnuts, chocolates, fudge, and cookies. Think of salt and caramel, I'm sure people thought that sounded strange whenever they first heard about it (because I know I did...). 

Hope you're enjoying your end of winter readers and will try out these recipes (or if you're still stuck in the polar vortex, these recipes will give you something to look forward to). 

Date Night

I'm one lucky lady! My husband surprised me with an adorable formal invitation to dinner yesterday - it was pretty cute, he messaged me on Facebook and "cordially invited me to dinner with a secret admirer," I'm sorry but is he the 'effing cutest or what?! 

He surprised me with dinner at Scalo Northern Italian Grill in Nob Hill, located at 3500 Central Avenue SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106. 

Scalo is located in the swanky Nob Hill district of Central Avenue (basically Central Avenue between Carlisle Blvd and Girard). The restaurant has a separate bar with $3.50 3 oz pours of wine Monday-Friday 4-7 pm and a Bloody Mary bar on Sunday mornings. The restaurant itself has 3 separate seating areas as well as an outdoor patio.  The drink list (boasting tons of wines as well as cocktails) is extensive and has anything for any taste and the food menu has appetizers, pizzas, pastas and grilled items in addition to daily specials. 

We were seated in the elevated seating area right by the window facing Central Avenue which was perfect for people watching! C'mon readers you know people watching is the best sport there is. 

We ordered a bottle of red wine (I honestly couldn't tell you which one but doesn't it just seem so fancy to order a whole bottle? I felt like Leo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wallstreet! Not the hookers and narcotics by the way...just the money...). To go with our delectable red wine, we ordered Piatta de Formaggi, a platter of cheeses and water crackers. Last night's selection was goat, sheep and cow's cheeses - fresh mozzarella with herbs (soft and flavorful), drunken goat (my personal favorite! It was a semi-hard cheese with a mild wine flavor and went perfectly with the soaked apricots on the platter), and some other cheese that I never determined...(that was was good but not terribly memorable). 

For dinner I ordered Spaghettini olioe Aglio con Gamberetti. It was beautifully sautéed shrimp, garlic, dried chili, sundried tomato, parsley, and peas in a white wine butter sauce. Nate ordered the pasta special which was sautéed chicken and salami in a spicy marinara sauce. 

For dessert we split a delicious and creamy vanilla gelato. 

Decor: excellent, the restaurant is minimally decorated with just a few tasteful pictures and neutral paint on the wall. 

Cleanliness: excellent, tables were turned over quickly, and our empty plates were taken away almost immediately after they were emptied! 

Food taste: excellent, absolutely everything was delicious, beautifully cooked and I wish I could go back in time and eat it again and again. 

Food appearance: excellent, obvious care is taken in terms of attention to detail. Seriously, just look at those pictures and tell me honestly you're not trying to eat your computer/phone screen. 

Service: excellent, our waitress was funny and animated as well as attentive. Our waters were never empty, our orders were right and food was brought in a timely manner. 

Total: 15/15 

Wow readers, I just gave out my first perfect score! This is a momentous occasion! But believe me Scalo earned this score. Everything they do exceeds expectations and they definitely deserve a visit from you. 

This post is dedicated to my wonderful husband. He never fails to amaze me and make me feel like the only woman in the world. I love you, Nathan, forever and always.  Thank you so much for a great date night, butt.

Lavender Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

This is so weird, I very rarely bake but I've baked 3 times in the past week. Tonight I'm baking for my wonderful hubby's homecoming! He's been gone for a whole week, well not whole technically, he left Sunday afternoon, came home late Tuesday night and then left again early Wednesday morning so for all intents and purposes, it's been a week. 

To celebrate his homecoming, I'm making him (and anyone he wants to share with) lavender cupcakes with lemon buttercream. 

As you all know, Nate and I are newlyweds, yes we're gross and in love and gushy and probably disgusting to be around because we see through the rose colored glasses of love, I suppose this description makes me sound cynacal and disenchanted but that's what we're like. We were married by a Deacon and his wife after completing about six months' worth of marriage preparation classes. These two people became like surrogate grandparents. They were so warm and caring and truly wanted our marriage to succeed. Anyway, for our wedding gift (in addition to marrying us, of course) they gave us a small satchel of lavender. It has that wonderful and relaxing lavender smell, you know like walking into a massage parlor (not the type that gives you a happy ending. I've never been to one of those but I picture them smelling more like bleach than relaxing aromatherapy). 

I wanted to use this lavender to make something special and that would remind my husband of how much I love and adore him. 

Lavender Cupcakes 

1/2 C milk 

1 Tbsp lavender

1 2/3 C cake flour

1 1/4 tbsp baking powder 

1/4 tbsp salt 

1/2 C butter, softened 

1/2 C and 2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp honey

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla 

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a food processor, pulse together milk and lavender for 2 minutes. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. 

In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add in half the milk mixture, an egg and honey. After these are combined, add in the rest of the milk and the second egg. 

Add half of dry mixture to half of wet mixture and whisk, repeat step until fully incorporated. 

Line muffin pan and fill each liner about 2/3 way full. Bake for 25 minutes rotating the pan halfway through. 

Lemon Buttercream

You can find my recipe for lemon buttercream in my blog post for "Baking (Again)" 

Enjoy these tasty treats, readers! 

Baking (Again)

Once again, I am baking out of necessity rather than anger (do you really want Hulk in the kitchen? Think of the mess!). Today I am throwing a surprise baby shower for my friend/coworker (does that make her a co-friend? Bad joke...sorry readers). Now unfortunately (for me anyway) she came into work Monday morning and said she feels like she's about to pop so I had to act quickly. 

Now, not to toot my own horn or anything but...TOOT! I threw together a shower in 3 days flat (hold your applause, please. Pictures and autographs available in the lobby. Tip your waitress.) there is food, there is a plan and there are some damn good cupcakes. 

I'm making one batter for the cakes (vanilla, in case you were wondering) but making two separate buttercreams for some variety. 

Vanilla Cupcakes 

1/2 C flour 

1/2 tbsp baking powder 

1/4 tbsp salt

2 eggs

2/3 C sugar

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted 

2 tbsp vanilla

1/2 C milk

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk together sugar and egg until foamy and light (about 2 minutes). While mixing, add in the butter and the vanilla in stages. 

After combined, gently mix in half the dry mixture and all the milk, then finish with the rest of the dry ingredients. Once again, DO NOT OVERMIX! 

Portion about 3/4 C into each cupcake liner and bake on center rack for 18-20 minutes rotating halfway through. Do the toothpick trick to test for done-ness. 

Cool completely before frosting. 

Vanilla Buttercream 

3 C confectioners sugar 

1 C butter 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

1-2 Tbsp whipping cream 

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar and butter on low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. 

Add vanilla and cream and beat for 1 minute. Add more cream if necessary for spreading consistency. 

Now to go the extra creative mile, I'm using blue food coloring to dye the frosting blue because my co-friend is having a baby boy. 

Lemon Buttercream 

So this is totally a cop-out (why is it called that? Has anyone ever wondered?)  but all I'm doing is adding lemon juice and zest to the vanilla buttercream recipe to make it lemon. 

3 C confectioners sugar 

1 C butter 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1-2 Tbsp whipping cream 

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar and butter on low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. 

Add vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest and cream and beat for 1 minute. Add more cream if necessary for spreading consistency. 

The cupcakes were already rigged in plastic wrap before j remembered to take the picture so that's why it looks funny. 

Who doesn't love cupcakes? The answer is no one. Pretty sure it's not money that makes the world go 'round, it's cupcakes. 

Enjoy readers! And feel free to leave me a comment every once in awhile...seriously...I'd like to know you actually exist...or if you don't... 

Banana Bread Muffins

There are only two situations in which I bake: 1) there's an event that necessitates it and 2) in pissed. I don't know why I associate baking and being angry...there's probably some psychology associated with that but tonight I am baking for Nate and his friends who will be making a 12 hour trek to Texas A&M and probably be sustaining themselves on fast food and gas station snacks. These muffins are relatively healthy so that's a plus? If you're into that? 

Banana Bread Muffins

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 tbsp baking soda

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

2 C smashed bananas (this was 2 1/2 naners) 

1/2 C canola oil

1/2 C milk

2 eggs

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 425. 

In a bowl wisk together flour, baking soda, brown sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix together bananas, oil, milk, eggs, salt and vanilla. 

Create a well in the dry mixture and pour in 1/3 of the wet mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon (or silicone spatula because you don't own a wooden spoon). Repeat this step until the wet is fully incorporated into the dry. DO NOT OVERMIX! This will make your muffins dense and thus you (and anyone subjected to your muffins) will be sad. 

In a muffin tin (that you could line with wrappers or not but if you don't make sure to throughly grease your tin) portion about 1/3 C of batter into each wrapper...or non-wrapper. Decrease oven temperature to 375 before you bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the pan after 15. 

Do the toothpick trick to make sure muffins are all the way baked. Place on a cooling rack. 

Enjoy these non-anger associated muffins, readers! 

P.S. they make your house smell like cinnamon which is just fantastic.  

Some Real Stick-to-Your-Ribs Cookin'

Tomorrow, yeah I mean Easter Sunday, Nate is leaving to a college visit at NC State in Raleigh and then he's going to a conference at Texas A&M. It sucks. I'll be husband-less. 

Sorry for that aside, anyway, so since my husband is leaving and I know he'll be on a steady diet of Kirkland Light beer and maybe peanuts or Corn Nuts (are those still around?), I decided tonight to make him something extra special for his last home cooked meal for a week! 

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy 

This recipe is courtesy of my favorite published home cook, Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman. 

The steak:

1 C whole milk

1 large egg

1 C flour

2 tbsp seasoned salt 

1 Tbsp Black pepper

3/4 tbsp paprika 

1/4 tbsp cayenne 

1 lb tenderized round steak 

Kosher salt 

1/4 C canola or vegetable oil 

1 Tbsp butter 

Sure up an assembly line of dishes; mix the egg and milk in one dish, the flour with the seasoned salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika in another. 

Sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper, coat with flour mixture, dredge in milk and egg and then back in flour mixture. 

Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat. To test the heat of the oil, sprinkle a little flour in the oil and if it brown too quickly turn the heat down to medium. Fry the steaks for 2-4 minutes on each side (depending on how rare you  want your steaks and move to a paper towel to drain. I fried my steaks for about 3 minutes each side and one was rare/medium rare and the other was medium so I guess just make sure you pay attention to your steaks.

The Gravy: 

1/4 C reserved grease

1/3 C flour

3-4 C whole milk 

1/2 tbsp seasoned salt

Freshly ground black pepper

After pouring the grease out of the skillet (other than the 1/4 C) pour the reserve grease back into the skillet and heat it through. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the grease and wisk until golden, if the mixture is too clumpy just add a little more grease. 

Pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Add in the seasoned salt and pepper to taste and cook until gravy is smooth, thick, and creamy. If gravy is too thick add more milk. 

So as you can see in the picture, my gravy was a tad more golden than the typical white pepper gravy served with chicken fried steak, while the flavor was the same the cause was the oil being a little too hot and all the delicious crusty bits left in the skillet after the steaks were fried. 

Mashed Potatoes 

3-4 Idaho potatoes, washed and quartered 

1 quart water, for boiling 

3 Tbsp butter 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1/2 C heavy cream 

Boil potatoes over medium-high heat in water until tender, should take roughly 30-45 minutes. Drain off water and mash with a potato masher to desired lumpiness. Personally, I like semi-lumpy potatoes, don't know why they just are a pleasant texture I guess but this is totally up to you. 

Add in cream, butter and spices and mix to combine. 

This meal is very stick-to-your-ribs, comforting (hopefully) and will (with any luck) make my husband miss me and more importantly the delicious food his wife prepares. 

Sushi Gen

One of my favorite foods to splurge on is sushi. It's delicious, it's surprisingly filling, but unfortunately can be pretty darned expensive. 

Due to the fact sushi can set a person back roughly $50 per trip, Nate and I have been planning a trip to our favorite sushi joint - Sushi Gen for about 3 or 4 months now and last night was the big night. 

Sushi Gen isn't much to look at on the outside, it's located in an empty strip mall at 5210 San Mateo Blvd, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109. The first time I ever went here (about 6 years ago) it kinda made me think I was going to a front for some kind of Mafia. However regardless of all that sketchiness, Sushi Gen is still my favorite place to get delectable raw fish and rice concoctions. 

Decor: good, like I said the outside looks horrible and pretty shady but the inside is actually pretty nice; there is a live fish tank, decorative dividers, and a fountain.

 

Food appearance: excellent, the sushi is served to you in a boat and cut cleanly and served with a side of pickled ginger and wasabi. 

Food taste: excellent, I absolutely love the way their sushi tastes! They have sushi rolls, sashimi, miso soup, fried rice and some other entrees. Everything is super fresh and honestly if I had the money I'd eat here every single day for the remaining 4 months I'm in Burque. 

Cleanliness: poor, unfortunately the bathrooms were a little too big for me to ignore. The bathrooms consist of one stall in which the laminate tile is bubbling and the wall paper is peeling from what was probably water damage. Even more strange (and possibly disturbing) is the non-functioning toilet outside the stall, yes, I mean out on the open in front of God and everyone else. However, they're not technically unclean just...unsightly. 

Service: excellent, you are greeted by the hostess and the sushi-makers (is there a technical term?), sushi is continuously served as long as you want it, and your drinks are never empty. 

Total: 12/15

While Sushi Gen is not much to look at and their bathrooms leave much to be desired, the service is sublime, the sushi is all you-can-eat for $20.99 (which in the world of expensive raw fish is practically unheard of!), and the sushi tastes damn good. My advice to you, dear readers, is to venture to this spot (maybe go to the bathroom before you get there) and have some of the best all-you-can-stuff-in-your-facehole sushi you can get in the City. 

Green Smoothie and a Little Soul Bearing

I feel like at 22 I finally have begun to get a handle on my body issues but it hasn't always been that way. From a young age (perhaps 8 or 9) I viewed my body as disgusting and a disappointment. I became obsessed with being thin and this obsession, I'm ashamed to say, resulted in an eating disorder. 

I've been on a fitness journey for the last 2 years with the goal not to be "thin" but to be healthy and have found the best way to lose or maintain weight loss is the combination of exercise and healthy diet. Well, I already run around 20 miles a week so now I'm trying to revamp my diet by jumping on the "green smoothie" craze. 

Green Smoothie

1 1/2 C fresh spinach, packed 

1/2 C milk (I used 2% since it was open but prefer skim) 

1/2 banana, sliced

2 tbsp black chia seeds 

1/2 C frozen fruit 

1/4 C water 

1 tbsp wildflower honey

Put everything in a blender and let 'er rip! If the smoothie is too thick add a little water (to save yourself from extra calories). Drinking spinach in a smoothie may make you a little...well...apprehensive! But fear not! The flavors of the fruit overpower the spinach flavor, just make sure that the spinach is blended throughly so you're not chomping on spinach.

The nutritional info for this smoothie (2% milk and skim milk) are below: 

Green Smoothie (2% milk) 

277 calories 

5.5 g fat 

7.3 g fiber

46.6 g carbs 

170.8 mg sodium 

12.2 g protein 

Green Smoothie (skim milk) 

213 calories

3 g fat 

7.3 g fiber 

40.5 g carbs 

107.5 mg sodium 

8.1 g protein

The best part about green smoothies is you can put pretty much anything in them. Fit Magazine offers a recipe for building your smoothie:

Liquid base (they suggest milk or flavored water) 

Lean proteins like plain nonfat yogurt, silken tofu or unflavored protein powder

And healthy fats like avocado, seeds or nuts high-fiber carbs like raspberries, blueberries, spinach and cucumbers,

If you'd like to read the article yourself  here's the link: 

www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/drink/smoothie/diet-smoothie-recipes/