Chicken and guacamole

Another yummy beer dinner! This time, spicy baked chicken and guacamole with  a very unlikely pairing - oatmeal stout. But no, this does not go together.

Oatmeal stout was my favorite drink for a year or so back around my college days. I was into beer then and this was my very favorite one. I haven't had it since, so this was a nice trip down memory lane.

 

You know what goes really well with stout and with the Belgian Trappist style beers? Chocolate. Yep. A really good combination! 

The spicy chicken and the guacamole were an excellent combination as well. Gosh, I love guacamole!

Have a wonderful day!

Office breakfast

 Sometimes I enjoy breakfast in the office, sitting at my desk. Today I scrambled two eggs in the microwave and added some green olive tapenade for flavor excitement. It was really tasty!

To go along with the egg goodness, I made an espresso con panna. Yes, you can make whip cream in a mug using a plastic fork! It takes a bit of wrist stamina but it is super easy. Now I can have my fav beverage at work. WOO!

Have a great day!

Chicken and kale

Another simple, yet tasty meal with random things from the refrig. In one pan! I haven't been planning my shopping too well, obviously!!!

In the freezer I had leftover shredded chicken from making my last batch of chicken broth. I heated that up and sauteed with some dino kale, onion, garlic and false chanterelle mushrooms. Red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon on top. OOH yummy! (that's a small plate btw)

I couldn't resist finishing off that bottle of St Bernardus. Dang, that stuff is so good! Smells like honey! Tastes sweet and rich. I am going to have THE BEST TIME in Belgium I tell you. !WOO!

OK my friends, enough out of me. Have a great day!

Pork and veggies

Happy Friday!

I got some organic, free-range ground pork at the farmer's market a while back and threw it in my freezer. I was happy to find it and make some delicious pork patties out of it!

I chopped up a bunch of garlic and mixed it in with the meat. Fried the resulting patty in some bacon grease, of course. Alongside, a little stirfry of broccoli, red pepper, onion, and some really interesting mushrooms I also got at the farmer's market. I have no idea what they are, I'll have to get some more and take a photo for you next weekend. They are blackish and look kinda gross but they are pretty tasty!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends! xoxo

Beer

I don't usually drink a lot of beer, I'm more of a wine drinker. But a friend loves this Belgian beer and recommended it so I thought I'd give it a try. We are planning a Europe trip with a stop in Belgium so I figured I should become familiar with the local beverages! Hehe!

This beer is fantastic! Complex and delicious! However, at 10% alcohol it packs a punch! It also has about 200 calories per 12 oz, a bit more than Bud Light but a heck of a lot more tasty!

Do you like beer as an occasional treat? What are your favorites?

Farmer's Market

Hi everyone! This weekend we had a break in the rain so I made a foray down to the farmer's market for some fruits and veggies. I thought I'd take a few photos of our winter offerings for you.

Colorful chard

 Beautiful berries

Fractals! Romanesco broccoli

 

Near the farmer's market there is a deli that has all kinds of yummy charcuterie and cheeses. I went there to get my latest addiction - espresso con panna. I am so addicted to those!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Leftovers mash-up

Good morning friends! We are enjoying some wet rainy weather here in California. I like it!

Check out my orchids - they are blooming like MAD!

 Last night I made a simple dinner, somewhat a repeat of the other night but with slightly different flavor. And let me tell you, it was super delicious! Sometimes random leftovers can just make the tastiest meals, right?

I had a red bell pepper and broccoli left over from the other night. I also had part of a baked chicken left in my fridge. I shredded the meat and threw it in a pan to saute with the bell pepper, broccoli, and a big shallot. Added some salt and some red pepper flakes. Just before it was done cooking I added a heap of chopped garlic. I've been loving the raw garlic lately. (sorry for the crap picture! My memory card on my camera is all full so I used my iphone in low light)

A simple and easy meal made with leftovers. Yum!

Have a great day!!!

Burmese food

Happy Monday my friends! I hope you all had a nice weekend!

This weekend I wasn't in the mood to cook so I decided to stop by a little hole in the wall place near my house. I thought it was a kabab place but it turned out to be Burmese food!

Have you had Burmese food before? Tasty!

I got some chicken and a stew made with ground beef and veggies. Both were yummy!


I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Dinner and DVD

Happy Friday my friends!

Had a wonderful evening last night enjoying my new obsession - Californication - on DVD. A little vino and a nice meal doesn't hurt either!

Cut up a chicken breast and sauteed with sliced red pepper and chopped broccoli. For some added flavor and excitement I threw together a quick basil pesto with hazelnuts. Yum!

I hope you all have a terrific weekend! Any big plans? Not me, I'm doing a ton of laundry!!! :)

Lamb salad

Hi everyone!

Sorry I have been away - work has been busy, I'm trying to hire a new assistant. Ugh I hate interviewing people. Why do people lie on their resumes? If you can't use Excel, don't say you are an "expert"!!! Why???

Anyway, rant over! I hope you are all doing great!

Last night I made a simple salad but it was tasty so I took a blurry photo for you. I quickly sauteed the lamb chunks in bacon grease and added cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pimenton de la vera. Tasty! Threw it over some lettuce dressed in olive oil, pimenton de la vera, more cumin, lemon juice and a sprinkle of cotija cheese for saltiness. It was yummy with a glass of Malbec, and ready in less than 10 minutes! I even made it while gossiping on the phone! ha!

Have a wonderful Wednesday my friends! xoxo