Jeg har tilbringt lørdagskvelden hos Elise, og vi har spist både taco og godis. Elise hadde lyst til å ordne hår å sminke på meg, så det fikk hun lov til. Det meste av tiden gikk til det, og hun er flink altså
Det var en veldig koselig kveld, som nok kommer til å gjentas.

Hvordan har du tilbringt lørdagskvelden din?

Meg og Elise. Dette er et av flere bilder vi tok, og resten av bildene kommer i morgen

I går blev jag bjuden av familjen på Taco gratäng när jag komm hem från jobbet.

En bra början på helgen. Sen landade vi i soffan och kollade på Idol, Jihde och Mr Bagge som äntligen va tillbaka i rutan.

Erik va överläset bäst den här kvälle och fick verkligen arenan att gunga med.

I dag har det inhandlats Hyasinter, Halmbock och Amaryllis så nu börjar det bli advents fint här hemma.

Vikingen drog till Bruket med farmor och farfar och lugnet och en nästa ödslig tystnad lade sig över Borgmästargatan.

Ska ärligt säga att jag blev lite rastlös och började rota runt blad mina recept och hittade ett på Inbakad fläskfilé ( peter älskar inbakat) som jag bara va tvungen att prova på familjen.
Så nu är vi nyätna och alla tyckte det va gott.

Tänkte bjuda er på detta goda recept ( som jag tyvär inte minns var jag hittade på nätet)

Thanksgiving was great.  All the dishes and more importantly family I remember were there and then some.  There were even a couple of new dishes there that I may have to try and make.  My mom hosted and did an awesome job for over 30 people.  I however was not feeling well.  Blah.  I think it might be one of the worst things to wake up on Thanksgiving and not be able to swallow.  I had lots of hot beverages and was luckily able to eat my Turkey Day feast…  well, at least some.  We watched the parade and my daughter loved seeing Abby Cadabby, Dora, and even Santa.  Loving my DVR BTW.  It means no commercials.  Ah, bliss.

I first heard of this dish from a friend who was bringing it to a work party for a football game.  Even at work southerners like to celebrate football.  She told me it was simple and that she made it in a crockpot which was ingenious for the party which lasted all day.  Usually I think of this last minute though and it comes together very quickly hence my nod to Speedy Gonzales in the title.  I have made it with ground beef, chicken, or turkey.  I have even used leftover chicken or turkey which would make it a good Black Friday dish.  If you use the leftover turkey or chicken make sure you cut or tear the meat to around spoon size about an inch across or so.  You want to be able to eat the soup without a turkey leg on your spoon.  You can feel free to leave out things you don’t like, add more of what you do and even throw in extras. I will give you the basic recipe that I elaborate on all the time.  These days we often do not have a dish more than once because I am always changing something about it.  I often use things that are running out as long as they match the flavor profile.  This soup is great for a cold night and quite healthy: mostly lean meat and fiber.

• 1 lb. or 2 cups of meat (ground beef, chicken, or turkey OR leftover chicken or turkey)
• 1 cup or 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP garlic salt and 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of whole kernal corn (some people use shoepeg, but I think regular corn is fine), drained
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 package of dry ranch dip seasoning (I use Hidden Valley)
• 1 package of taco seasoning mix (I use whatever is on sale), the seasoning contains things like chili powder and cumin.  nothing too hot.

1. Brown meat in a skillet.  Once it is brown add in onions and cook 7 minutes or so until soft.
2. Season with garlic salt and pepper and give it a stir to combine.
3. Add tomatoes, Ro-Tel, corn, and beans to soup and stir to combine.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Great served with sour cream and cheddar cheese on top.  Some times I put a squirt of lime juice on top too.  Others put oyster crackers or fritos on top.  Anything you would use to garnish your chili you can use for taco soup.  Leftovers freeze well and are great on a baked potato.

If you want to prepare in slowcooker, cook ground meat and onions before adding them to slow cooker.  If you are using the leftover cooked poultry just throw it in.  Add all ingredients, stir to combine and set for 4 hours on high or 7-8 on low.  Honestly all the ingredients are cooked so it should be ready to eat in an hour or so.  The longer it cooks the better it gets as with most soups.

Some variations: this time I added about 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree because it was leftover (this makes the soup thicker), a few squirts of ketchup because the bottle was almost empty and a little hot sauce because I know my family likes it hot.

Hope you all enjoy it.  I bet Speedy would…

Taco Soup

Kid Approved

So yesterday some buddies from work and I hit up Mt. High for some holiday slashin. Super fun! It was good to be back out there after a month hiatus. It was so fun that we decided to go back out today, and this time Sugar came along. Yeah! We even made a new friend. His name is Jesse and he lives in Chino Hills. He’s a surveyor for some private company. He also rocks some pretty sweet Holden outerwear. If you see him, say what’s up! I think Sugar’s over-zealous excitement came off too strong for the newcomer, but I still think he was having fun. At least, we were!

You want to know what’s not fun, though? Getting hung up on a pole jam. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it kinda looks like this:

Except the one at Mt. High is way bigger and you don’t go straight off; you air off the side so you do it like a hip jump. Too bad for me I never made it that far. I didn’t even make it to the end of the pole. Instead, I had some guy snake the run-in, then throw me off track. Many words can describe my actions that ensued. I taco’d the pole. Got hung up. Gave it a bear hug. Paul even went as far as saying I mounted it. No matter how you call it, I ended up riding the pole more with my belly than my board and had the wind knocked out of me. I wish I had a picture to show, but like all the riding I do, the good shots are never caught on film (video or photo). Still a fun time, though, and it was just laughs at the end of the day.

Super pumped to go back in a couple days and officially kick off Sunday Funday! Maybe this time I’ll bring a camera…

Where: Taco Bell
What: A Cheesy Gordita using a Blackjack or Volcano hard tortilla shell with Blackjack sauce, nacho sauce & Lava sauce
Cost: $1.90
Success: No

Here at Eating the Road we’ve got a new feature called Will They Build It? We will attempt to have the workers at various fast food establishments build whatever concoctions we can come up with in our sick twisted minds (we’re also open to any suggestions readers might have). There are not any steadfast rules but it must be “off the menu”, price is not a consideration (we know in some cases they may be extremely ridiculous) and going into the restaurant we must have the item in mind and not try to tweak it at the counter. We really want to see if they can and will make strange item requests.

The first foray was to Taco Bell for the Nacho Cheesy Blackjack Volcano Gordita Crunch. The new Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a hard taco layered with melted cheese and a soft Gordita. It is a very reasonable $.89 but it needs a little boast. In step the Blackjack and Volcano tacos. The Volcano taco is your standard taco but with a red shell and Lava sauce. The Blackjack taco is a standard taco with a black shell and Blackjack sauce (which apparently is just Baja sauce but I’ve also been told it’s a Pepperjack sauce depending on which Taco Bell you’re at).

I placed my order and the cashier stared blankly at me for a second and paused. She put up her index finger, told me to “Wait a sec,” walked back to her co-worker and said, I’m not joking, “We’ve got a creator here.” They talked it over a bit and figured they would try their best.

Unfortunately they no longer had either of the red or black taco shells. What the end product came out as was a Gordita tortilla, melted cheddar, a regular hard taco shell, beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, pepperjack cheese, Lava Sauce, nacho cheese and Baja sauce.

It was quite close but not what we had in mind. We have failed in our first attempt at Will They Build It? Pricewise it was extremely cheap considering. She only charged me for one addition and it rang in at under $2 for quite a hefty item. With a little Fire sauce as well it actually wasn’t too bad, although I bet it clocks in at around 600 calories.

Nacho Cheesy Blackjack Volcano Gordita Crunch

Nacho Cheesy Blackjack Volcano Gordita Crunch

picture: dunno. lol caption: Laura&Jon

We r adding favorite buttons 2 sum classic lolz, so u can favorite dem!

Check awt sum other classic lolz dat nao have favorite buttons!

Buy One Get One Free (or BOGO) Del Taco Coupon for a Big Fat Chicken Taco. Click the image to go to the coupon’s website. Coupon expires January 5, 2010. Limit one per customer.

Central Florida Future – http://bit.ly/8KleHL

By Cassie Turner

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Published: Friday, November 20, 2009

Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009

Caitlin Bush

"Most Americans do not know slavery not only exists in the world today, it flourishes," said Ron Soodalter, co-author of The Slave Next Door, in his presentation in the Pegasus Ballroom Monday morning.

"Somewhere around 27 million people are in bondage in the world today. Now, that’s over twice the number as were trafficked in chains in the entire 350 years of the African slave trade."

Soodalter, an active abolitionist and historian, kicked off International Education Week at UCF as the keynote speaker for the Second Annual International Breakfast. The Slave Next Door presentation concluded the three-part series on "Slavery’s Resurgence" facilitated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and the International Services Center.

The series began with Somaly Mam, a Cambodian human rights activist, former slave and author of The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine, when she shared her experiences in September.

In October, Micheline Slattery, a human-rights activist and former restavek, or domestic child slave, in both Haiti and the United States, addressed about 300 attendees.

Modern-day slavery includes around 800,000 men, women and children trafficked each year around the world. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site, about 17,500 of them end up in the United States, with a high percentage received in Florida.

Soodalter suggests a simple Google search on human trafficking for astounding results.

In spite of major federal legislation and anti-trafficking laws passed in 43 states, 103 human-trafficking convictions have resulted, Soodalter said.

Trafficking remains hidden, is largely unreported and difficult to identify. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons, or TIP, report, published by the U.S. Department of State, forced labor/involuntary servitude represents the majority of human-trafficking cases in the world. The co-author of Soodalter’s book,  Kevin Bales, wrote the original 156-page TIP report, titled “Trafficking Persons in the United States — A Report to the National Institute of Justice.”

“The whole thing is disserving and extending,” said retired UCF foreign language professor David Gurney. “It contributes to the antagonism from people in underdeveloped countries to Western civilizations or Western countries.”

In the 1850s, purchasing a slave ran roughly $1,200, the equivalent of around $40,000 in today’s money. The reality is purchasing a slave today costs as little as $100, which makes them affordable and disposable, Soodalter said.

A trafficking victim lives in fear of violence or the threat of violence daily, he said.

Shawn Cox, victim witness coordinator and licensed clinical social worker with the United States Attorney’s Office, advocates that trafficking is a crime of absolute power over someone. According to the report Cox co-authored, “Victims of Human Trafficking and Trauma,” the psychological consequences of a victim are similar to the consequences of severe or chronic child abuse or experiencing acts of terrorism.

"In case you thought slavery doesn’t touch you, guess again," Soodalter said. "Chances are, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, has been touched by slavery."

The good news is there have been some inroads made recently in the area of agricultural servitude, Soodalter said. When Taco Bell refused to stop buying produce picked by enslaved workers in an effort known as the "Ban the Bell" campaign, it set a precedent that several other companies, including McDonalds, A&W, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut, Whole Foods, Chipotle and Burger King, have followed, Soodalter said.

"The message is clear," Soodalter said. "Slavery and worker abuse will not be tolerated. Not here, not now, not ever."

Mark Freeman, public affairs coordinator for the Global Perspectives Office, said they are hoping to continue the series next spring since response has been incredible. Because of the series last spring, students on campus were so spurred into action they formed the unofficial student group “Students Against Slavery @ UCF,” Freeman said. “Students Against Slavery @ UCF” has a Facebook page, and Harry Coverston serves as the faculty advisor for the group.

"Spreading the word is the most important thing," said Frank Hegedus, a senior political science and international relations major. "There is only right now."

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/abolitionist-historian-wraps-up-global-perspectives-series-1.2093273

Whenever I’m home (and wake up early enough, I like to make breakfast).  Breakfast is great – it just starts your day right.  In the Filipino culture, breakfast is just as important (and big) as the other meals.  Rice is often served, sometimes leftover rice that’s sauteed with lots of garlic.  Spam is very popular, along with sweet sausages called “Longanisa”, and of course eggs.

Yesterday morning I woke up early enough to make breakfast right before work, so I looked through my fridge and found I had enough ingredients for a breakfast taco. A breakfast taco is sort of like a breakfast burrito,just smaller and less carbs.

Ingredients:
2 Small (taco) soft tortillas
2 eggs, beaten
1 small tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) spinach
1/3 cup sliced sausages (optional, you may also use bacon or ham)
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce (optional)
1/4 cup “Mexican Blend Cheese” (I use Sargento’s Fancy Shredded 4-cheese Mexican Cheese)

Instructions:
1. In a small frying pan, heat a bit of oil and sautee the garlic and onions together.
2. Once the onions turn slightly clear, add the tomatoes and the sausages. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and continuously mix and cook until spinach is cooked (about 3-5 minutes)
4. Set aside.
5. Cook scrambled eggs on the same pan, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
6. Turn heat to medium and heat flour tortilla in pan for approximately 1 minute on each side.
7. Once tortillas are heated, add cheese, eggs, and spinach/sausage mix. Serve with sour cream and/or salsa.

And I love cooking, prepping everything just takes time…

Soy chorizo con huevos

por Vitor Oshiro

Bets? Taco? Beisebol dos países de Terceiro Mundo? Modalidade daqueles que não são bons no futebol? Bom, todos estes nomes são usados para falar daquele esporte em que uma dupla tem que rebater a bola e a outra deve derrubar a “casinha” – geralmente feita por uma garrafa de refrigerante de dois litros.

E é exatamente um campeonato deste esporte que vai rolar entre o dia 25 e 27 de novembro na Cidade Universitária (CU). A organização é dos alunos de História e Ciências Sociais e o objetivo é arrecadar dinheiro para realizar a semana da calourada!

upload.wikimedia.org

As inscrições custam R$ 3 pilas por dupla e podem ser feitas no RU ou lá pelo CCH. E você acha que só vair suar a camisa e correr o risco de ser atropelado? Não, vai rolar até premiação de um José Cuervo (1º), Balalaika + Tang Uva (2º) e Toddynho + 2 canudos (3º) - se beber, não dirija.

Se interessou? Achou a idéia muito legal?Achou uma porcaria? Bom, fale com o organizador do evento, André, do 1º Ano de Ciências Sociais, pelo telefone 8832-6566.

I was reading Wittgensteins’ Tractatus last night.  Ok,  even I wouldn’t actually pick it up and snuggle down by the fire–even if we had a fireplace–and curl up with the Tractatus for the evening. The fact (more about ‘facts’ in a sec), that the Tractatus has its own definite article preceding only the first part of the title belies the specialness of the text.  Calling it the Tractatus is worthy of an ironic chuckle…this is pure  ironic familiarity, kind of like calling Jean Paul Sartre ol’ Johnny.  You just have to know the power of this book to appreciate the irony.  Those of you unfamiliar with the Tractatus Logico Philosphicus,  check out a copy at the local library.

When you do, take heed of the proper awe the Tractatus inspires.  The correct treatment of this odd little wisp of a book is to slowly take it down from the shelf, open to its first pages, inhale deeply, close the book, and return it to its place on the shelf.

Beware, it’s power is awesome and strange. It will have you pondering the familiar:  Facts and Things.  How often do you, while, say, folding a load of laundry, stop to ponder how that act defines our immediate reality? What’s at issue here?  The towel before you, or the act of folding it.  I mean, really.  Here, I’ll show you what I mean.   Take a gander, (and this is only its opening few sentences):

The world is the totality of facts, not of things.

The world is determined by the facts, and by these being all the facts.

I was looking for one of my mom’s cookbooks when I found my old copy of the Tractatus from college.  I picked it up, nostalgic for the days when thoughts filled with more than the ideal order of cleaning: First, to vacuum or dust?  I read the above lines and they got me to thinking, if a fact being a irrefutable assertion about a thing…for example, “The table is flat,” is a fact, in that I am making a irrefutable assertion about the table — it IS flat.  Could the Tractatus relate to things culinary? Could one possibly make a similar statement about what we eat?  Kinda like this:

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl of chili powder
1 tbl of McCormick’s hot Taco Seasoning –use mild if you don’t do hot food
1 16 ounce jar of Newman’s Own All Natural Salsa

6 Tortillas, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, shredded cheese…any toppings you normally put on your tacos.

• Put thighs in large pot, cover with water
• Add the salt, whole garlic cloves, quartered onions  and bayleaf to the water
• Bring to a boil and reduce to a medium simmer
• Simmer for a 2 hours (adding water if necessary)
• When the meat is falling off the bone, remove from heat
• Put the chcken, onions and garlic cloves in a bowl and refrigerate to cool enough to handle
• Drain the liquid, save about a cupful
• When cooled, use your hands and remove all the bones and the skin (I keep the skin on because it really imparts more flavor)
• Shred the meat and slice the onions and if necessary, smash the garlic cloves
• Heat a tbl of oil in a frying pan,  
• Add the garlic and onions to dry out–do not scorch 
• Add cumin, when  fragrant, add the chicken
• Cook on low to absorb most of the liquid
• When the meat looks pretty dry, add 1/2 of the jar of salsa and some of the reserved water
• Sprinkle the taco seasoning and continue to cook for about 5 mins or until the chicken is hot.
• Serve on warm tortillas with the toppings of your choice.

Enjoy!

As ridiculous as it sounds, I am so much happier now that I’ve admitted to myself that I love oatmeal for breakfast. I love it. And I’ll shout it to the world. I’ve been resisting having oatmeal on Tuesdays and Thursdays and other days when I simply wouldn’t have much time for one reason or another. But a quickie with some oats is much more satisfying than spending long, hellish time with anything not in the morning. Perhaps that’s why I wasn’t very hungry when I got out at noon yesterday. Instead of eat immediately, I went to check my mail where I had something amazing waiting for me.

Amazing Grass Sampler

Amazing Grass that is. The folks at Amazing Grass were kind enough to send me all these goodies to try and review. This could not have come at a better time. As I slowly feel myself getting sick, I realize it’s probably because I rely on the dining hall for all my veggies and when they don’t have good ones I just don’t get them in me. With these products, hopefully I’ll be feeling 100%. I also picked up a lunch on my way back to the dorm and had a ball making a bowl.

Taco Bowl With Lettuce, Spinach, Shaved Cucumber, Shredded Carrot, Vegan Taco Filling, Peppers, And Full Fat Voskos Yogurt

Taco Bell, Q’doba, BoLoco, all those places ain’t got nothing on me. And would you believe that most of this came from the dining hall? All I had to do was put it together by making the base with salad bar fixings and plopping the vegan taco filling on top. It was delicious! In the filling was tofu, tempeh, molasses, tomato puree, and seasoning. And topping it with the yogurt was sooo good. Even though it’s full fat, I’m going to pretend like it was healthy because it’s yogurt But I would definitely opt for that in place of cheese any day.

Well you can’t say I didn’t warn you that this would be how I would spend my day:

Resting

I only had a bad sneezing bout for about an hour. The rest of the time was mostly a runny nose. It was definitely a good day for daytime tv, though. There was actually a plot progression on Days Of Our Lives this week! Can you believe that? And Rachael Ray made a sweet potato casserole with bruleed bananas on top. Um, yum? I also did some major behind-the-scenes blog working and you can expect some product review summaries coming your way real soon. At some point, I decided I needed more green in my diet.

Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

I’ll admit: The green innards of this freaked me out a little. But oh my God was this good! I’d much rather have this than any Snickers bar or anything, plus it has incredible(avoiding overusing the word amazing) nutrition. You can read my full review here. Now I can’t wait to try others. Did anyone else catch Oprah? It was all pretty adult material for something on at 4pm. Jenna Jameson and Oprah in the same room was not something I expected. After getting more work done I had another snack.

Plain Chobani With Strawberry Conserves

This new jam, excuse me, conserve is ok. I guess it’s size and price and the fact that it’s organic made it a steal. I’m just happy whenever the fruit is the first ingredient. This was my last individual yogurt, so afterwards I went to all the open school facilities I knew of that sold yogurt, and none had another plain Chobani. It was a bit of a disappointment(mainly because it was too cold to be walking around like a nut), but I was able to grab dinner on the way back.

Asparagus Spears, Honey Ginger Vegetables, Veggie Marinated Tempeh

Apparently when my dining hall does tempeh they like to do it all out. I was just happy to have another meal where I didn’t need to provide any ingredients. I love it when they have asparagus; that’s one of my favorite ingredients and I literally took all the ones they had out. Definitely some good cold-fighting vitamins in that, right? The tempeh just kind of tasted like vegetables, if that makes any sense, but it was good enough. What it wasn’t was fulling, so after I went out and came back from buying coffee and flavored Chobani, I grabbed another bar.

Amazing Grass Chocolate Whole Food Energy Bar

I’m not going to lie. I could have just eaten the chocolate shell off and been just as happy As much as I hate that feeling of still being hungry after dinner(oh, and I do, a lot) I now know it’s better to just honor your hunger and accept you’re still hungry rather than pretend otherwise. You can read my review of this one here. I don’t think it was as nutritionally good or flavorful as the peanut butter one but it was decent. I was not expecting(and really enjoyed) the hint of peppermint–so seasonal!

The Biggest Loser didn’t blow me away last night. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just not as entertaining without the awesome orange team anymore? That must be the case. Instead I did some Greek and snacked.

Oatmeal With Smart Balance And Baking Chips

Along with my morning oatmeal revelation, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like oatmeal at night. I don’t like cleaning the bowl, but I like oatmeal and that’s enough(plus if I’m eating it in the morning who needs a perfectly clean bowl anyway?). I’ve also come to grips with the fact that I like TJ’s baking chips the best; they aren’t as “healthy” as the grain-sweetened ones nor are they vegan, but since when do chocolate chips need to be healthy? Bring on the sugar and dry milk powder, baby.

Pumpkin Oatbran With White Chocolate Chips

Correction: I really like oatmeal at night. Except I’ve learned you can’t cook the pumpkin and oats at the same time, or it comes out rather gritty. Still, this pumpkin and vanilla chip combo is awesome. Someone should make a bar like this *hint*hint*.

This morning I woke up with a really dry throat, but otherwise energized. After guzzling down coffee and water, I felt good enough to run. I didn’t know how far I’d go, but I could feel it would be a long one so I grabbed a bar.

Berry Whole Food Energy Bar

Really? Were you expecting anything else at this point? I don’t have a chance to review it this morning but when I do it will be available here and I’ll be sure to start tomorrow’s post with it. I got going fairly early(around 6:45) so time was not an issue this morning. I just ran and ran. And I kept running all the way to 15 miles in 2:01:06! It felt great and I felt great. My previous record, by the way, was 14 miles set last Monday, but after that I was dehydrated and exhausted. Today I felt super and energized.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Mighty Maple And Maple Syrup, Eggnog Yogurt

I won’t pretend like these aren’t the same flavors I always have; they just taste so good! But I had to make the Nog yogurt twice. Note: It doesn’t work well if you use vanilla yogurt to start instead of plain because the consistency otherwise is absolutely soupy. Now hopefully I’ll find more plain yogurt around the campus today or otherwise today will be very low-gurt. I could try to squeeze in a Whole Foods trip between the end of class and sunset but on these legs I’m thinking not.

Here’s a contest by Nature’s Path for some of their great products!

How about a Chocolate Covered Giveaway?

Empower. Yoga. Jesus. Stretch. Breathe. Relax. Hummus. Salad. Taco Bell dressing. Shorts.

This week’s theme was a toughie: SONGS TO MAKE SANDWICHES TO was inspired by a forum on music mag Word’s site. While Word readers couldn’t take the subject seriously I figured there was room for someone who did. And who better than little ol’ obsessive me? So sandwiches it was, but I made it easier by also including hamburgers, hot-dogs and the like. I even allowed songs about stuff that goes into a sandwich, like honey, tomatoes, chicken. Still I suffered some abuse. Impossible, you emailed. Why not make it broader and include all food pleaded Lynden. Crap theme, too hard, moaned Zoe. Oh you listeners of little faith.

We opened with a novelty song: SANDWICHES ARE BEAUTIFUL from Bob King, but in case you’re worried about this setting a tone for the rest of the show, be assured – rockers, r&b artists and especially the alternative pop singers all delivered some edgy songs on sandwiches.

Do you know where the word sandwich was born?  London. 1762. An English nobleman, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was hungry for some food. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his gambling while eating his snack; and from that incident, we have inherited the fast-food product that we now know as the sandwich.

Today, our favourite version of meat between bread is called a hamburger. So we got the show rolling with the Whitlams’ brilliant  I MAKE HAMBURGERS followed by The Flaming Lips and SHE DON’T USE JELLY. New York based, Japanese duo Cibo Matto were next with LE PAIN PERDU. The name of the band is Italian for crazy food and the title of the song is French for Toast. The lyrics in their songs are all primarily concerned with food, well seemingly anyway, and I liked them so much I also played another of their tunes, KNOW YOUR CHICKEN later in the program. Here’s the crazy video clip of that track and, although he doesn’t appear in the clip, that’s Sean Lennon on bass.

Two items that elevate ordinary old toast to dessert status are marmalade and honey. So any excuse to play Patti Labelle’s LADY MARMALADE and Aretha Franklin’s HONEY and I’m there. Yum yum.

Louis Jordan loves his BEANS AND CORNBREAD while Lil Johnson pushes metaphor to it’s limits with SAM THE HOT DOG MAN. Neil Young is partial to TUPELO HONEY on his sandwich, while  Jimmy Buffet can’t stop singing about a CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE.

When it comes to cheeseburgers, whether we like it or not, the burger with the highest profile has got to be MacDonald’s. Hell, there was a whole conversation about their burgers in the film PULP FICTION. Ah yes, how could we not include that iconic scene where John Travolta and Samuel Jackson discuss the merits of the French McDonald’s – ROYALE WITH CHEESE?

Two tunes that pay homage to the fact that a good cuppa is needed to wash down a sandwich or piece of toast were next.  Canadian Jeff Healey, gave Gertrude Lawrence’s A CUP OF COFFEE, A SANDWICH, AND YOU a burl and  then it was TOAST AND MARMALADE FOR TEA, a nice piece of bubblegum from the band Tin Tin.

Kaiser Cheifs reminded us of that vital sandwich ingredient – tomatoes –   with TOMATO IN THE RAIN. And then it was the hilarious TOAST from Paul Young and the Streetband. Classic. Take a look at this clip from 1978.

In Mexican cuisine, a sandwich is either a taco or a burrito. Beck didn’t sound too happy when he sang SATAN GAVE ME A TACO. It seems taking delivery of that snack had all kinds of repercussions. Meanwhile, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention went CRUISING FOR BURGERS. As you do.

All girl group Care Bears on Fire let loose with the precautionary BARBIE EAT A SANDWICH. Nice animated clip too. Check it out:

Let’s talk chicken. Here’s a question: What’s a chicken sandwich without MAYONNAISE? Smashing Pumpkins offered up a track dedicated to the condiment of all condiments. Mmmmm mmmmm: chicken, lettuce and mayo on white bread – can’t get better than that. The Detroit Grand Pubahs reinforced the fact that all songs, but especially those about food, are really about sex. The tune? The very cheeky WE CAN MAKE SANDWICHES. Here we go: another crazy video clip:

Out of the disco and out on the road: Little Feat are sang all about HAMBURGER MIDNIGHT and then John Mellencamp reckons that life is like choosing between HOTDOGS AND HAMBURGERS, (not sure what he’s getting at there).

Comedian Mitch Hedberg does a great skit on sandwiches and I particularly liked the bit about the Club Sandwich. We followed that with a dangerous piece of radio: Metal band Psychostick with THIS IS NOT A SONG, IT’S A SANDWICH!

After Psychostick we needed to calm down and what better way than with Feist and a song about the calming qualities of HONEY? You wouldn’t exactly call The Sugarcubes, (with Bjork), a calming influence. They can’t decide what to put on their sandwich and are threatening to EAT THE MENU. Check out the very young Bjork and a fabulous floating burger, all in one clip!

We closed the show with an oldie but a goodie: I LIKE BREAD AND BUTTER by the New Beats. Check out the clip from 1964:

Next week the show will feature Songs about Elvis; not by Elvis – although that would be good too – Songs about Elvis. Come on this one is easy, so start sending those requests in.

But for now, here’s this week’s playlist:

This is the best taco ever made…..you are wrong if you think different

This recipe was surprisingly delicious, flavorful and filling (and I hate to say this) for a vegetarian recipe.  I thought it would be good, I just didn’t think it would be this good.  The key, I think, is the corn tortillas, which you toast in the pan so the cheese melts and the tacos because crispy.  Even if you don’t love corn tortillas, I suggest trying them in this recipe because they really do make the difference.  I served this with some black beans on the side and it took no more than 30 minutes, start to finish.  This recipe comes from Bon Appetit, with a few alterations.  Makes 10-12 small tacos.

Ingredients:

3-4 T olive oil

2 packages sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms

1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 t ground cumin

1/4 t ground chipotle chili

salt and pepper to taste

block of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin slices

10-12 corn tortillas

Toppings: salsa, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, Cotija cheese

Directions:

Heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet and saute mushrooms, poblano and red pepper strips until soft, about 7 minutes.  Stir in cumin, chipotle, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Clean out pan and heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat.  Place 4 tortillas in the pan, draping them up the sides of the pan to fit.  Spoon mushroom filling into tortillas (about 2 spoonfuls) and place 3 strips of cheese over the top.  Using a spatula, press side of tortilla over the top and press down to close.  Brown each side for 1-2 minutes, then serve with toppings on the side.

I won’t write about school, so I’ll post a bit about anything besides school I’ve been involved in recently.

1. Good shows. Narrows and Trap Them played last night (along with other bands I missed, including one with a harmonica player) and I’m glad I decided to go! Promotion was terrible so hardly anyone was there, unfortunately.

2. Bad leasing companies. Mine is awful! I’m about to stop paying rent. Had a meeting with them 2 weeks ago, no show, no call, phones were turned off and mailboxes full. Same thing happened today when we agreed to meet and I called multiple times to confirm with no answer. Came home today to find the owner of the building in my kitchen and puddles on the floor (?). He’s trying to retire and “make me a deal” on the house though, so that could work out favorably in a few years.

3. New roommate. Nicole came to visit! After many online chats and a facebook friendship (as well as many wonderful real-life mutual friends), I felt confident we’d get along well but I hadn’t yet met her, so it was a big relief to do that before she actually moved into my house!

4. Dollar taco night. $5 for three tacos and some gross rice, but great company as well as the opportunity to see a bunch of friends there as well.  Heard the story of two (now-married) friends’ first awkward meeting- pretty adorable.

5. School. I lied, I will blog about school.  It’s impossible to not think about at this point.  My biggest paper is partially due tomorrow at 11am, my fingers are cramping, and all this girl wants to do is sleep!  Caramel popcorn cakes with peanut butter will hopefully fuel a few more hours of work.  I considered coffee, but it’s been confirmed that I’m already a wee bit tweaked.

I went to see Modeselektor, Basement Jaxx, & MSTRKRFT at the Congress in Chicago earlier this month. I got my ticket for $10 so I wasn’t too upset, but the show kind of sucked. Modeselektor was on first and did the best job. Basement Jaxx was sucking most of the time, except when they threw in their old song ‘Where’s Your Head At’, which was at least recognizable. MSTRKRFT & Basement Jaxx both just mushed different tracks together, with no attempt at blending or anything. I think they were nothing but high and/or drunk. We chilled in the balcony so we could get a good view of everything. The video work for Modeselektor was also really good – they had  VJ who actually matched his work up with the DJ’s, instead of just throwing random pictures up like the other 2 groups.

We left before MSTRKRFT even finished because people watching at Arturo’s Taco’s seemed more interesting.

And it was.

I will be making these in class tonight and tomorrow. Come back for pictures and amendments to the recipes.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup onion, quartered
• 2 cups plum tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 corn tortilla, cut into short strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, toasted, finely chopped
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• Salt and black pepper, tt
• 2 cups chicken meat, cooked, julienned
• 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup avocado, peeled, pitted, cubed
• 1 cup corn tortilla, fried strips

Procedure:

1. Rub the onion and tomatoes with the oil and grill on all sides until well charred, 15 to 20 minutes. You may also do this on a sheet pan under the broiler.
2. Put the tomatoes and onion in a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil. Add the tortilla, garlic, and chile and saute for 3 to 4 minutes
4. Add the bay leaf, cumin, and stock; bring to a boil.
5. Stir in the tomato mixture and the tomato sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Season and strain through a coarse strainer. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Heat the soup and serve. Garnish with the chicken, cheese, avocado, and crisp tortilla strips.

Refried Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pinto beans, dried
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 ounces bacon, 1/4 inch dice
• 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and black pepper, tt
• 1 cup queso fresco, grated

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak beans overnight.
2. Drain the beans and add the stock. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat, and simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours , or until tender.
3. Render the bacon over medium heat, until almost crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook 4 minutes.
4. Add the beans. Using the back of a large wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the beans into the bottom of the pan, stirring frequently so they do not stick. When the beans are broken up but still have visible pieces, simmer for a few minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with grated cheese.

Grilled Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 4 flour tortillas
• 2 cups Mexican cheese
• 2 tbsp. Poblano Chile, roasted, peeled, 1/4 inch dice
• 2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted

Procedure:

1. Soften the tortillas by heating a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Put tortillas in a skillet one by one, turning each once until soft.
2. Prepare a grill.
3. Place some cheese on half of each tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border.
4. Top with chile and cilantro, and fold over.
5. Brush both sides liberally with melted butter. Place on grill. When marked, turn over and continue to cook until cheese melts.
6. Serve with Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 serrano pepper, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. cilantro, minced
• 1 cup tomato, peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• Salt and pepper, tt

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, chile, and cilantro. Toss and remove from heat. Let cool.
2. Combine onion mixture with remaining ingredients and correct seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, ripe
• 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded, deribbed, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup tomato peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch dice
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

Procedure:

1. Peel and pit the avocados
2. Place the avocado pulp in a bowl and mash to a chunky texture.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season to taste.

Crab Quesadilla with Green Chili Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. shortening or lard
• 1 cup masa harina
• 1 tbsp. AP flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the filling

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1/2 cup tomato, peeled, seeded, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 chile, seeded, finely dice
• 8 ounces crab meat
• Epazote, several leaves
• Salt and black pepper, tt
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Procedure:

1. Mix the lard, flour, and masa harina well.
2. Add teh stock and salt. Knead until the dough is pliable and leaves the sides of the bowl failry clean. Cover and let the dough rest about 1 hour. Heat the 2 tbsp. oil and add the onion, tomato, and jalapeno. Cook until mixture is soft and begins to dry out.
3. Fold in crab meat and epazote. Correct seasoning. Set aside.
4. Press out tortillas. If rolling out tortillas between sheets of waxed paper, it is fairly easy to peel the paper off one side, fill the tortilla, and use the other sheet of paper to help fold the tortilla dough around the filling.
5. Add 1 tbsp. stuffing to the middle of each tortilla. Fold in half and press edges together to seal. Repeat until all stuffing is used.
6. Heat oil to 375F
7. Fry the quesadillas, turning once or twice, until golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then serve immediately.

Green Chile Chutney

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces chiles
• 2 jalapenos, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 ounce slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 6 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Equipment:

1. Combine all ingredients except cilantro.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Allow to cool, add cilnatro, then serve cold.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• Confectioners’ sugar, to roll the cookies in

Procedure:

1. Cream the butter and sugar, and then add vanilla.
2. Sift the flour and salt together and stir in by hand.
3. Add pecans; stir to combine
4. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400F
6. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake until set, but do not brown, approximately 15 minutes.
8. While still warm, roll in additional sugar.
9. Cool, roll in sugar again, and serve.

Lone Star Chicken-Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 beef round steak, trimmed, and tenderized 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Procedure:

1. Combine the eggs and milk, beat well.
2. Separately combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
3. Dip the steaks into the egg mixture, then into the seasoned flour.
4. Pan-fry steaks in hot oil until browned on both sides.
5. Drain on paper towels.

Calabacitas con Maize

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 inch
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 cups zucchini squash, 1/2 inch
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, diced small
• 1/8 tsp. oregano, dried
• Salt and pepper, tt
• 1/2 cup tomato, peeled, seeded, diced

Procedure:

1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat
2. Add the onion and garlic. Sweat onion
3. Add the zucchini, corn, and chile. Cover, lower the heat, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
5. Just before serving, add the tomato and toss until thoroughly heated.

Annatto Rice and Queso Fresco

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup carrot, 1/4 inch dice
• 1/4 cup celery, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 tbsp. annatto powder
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper, tt
• 1 cup queso fresco, grated
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Procedure:

1. Rinse the rice in cold water and drain.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the rice and annatto powder and stir for 3 minutes, until the rice is well coated with the oil.
4. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
6. Add the cheese and cilantro, and stir into the rice with a fork.

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup liqueur, frangelico, brandy, or chambord
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and flour a 9 X 13 inch baking pan
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside
3. Cream the butter and half the sugar together until fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and half the vanilla. Beat well
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 stages, mixing well until blended.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.  When cake has finished baking, pierce it in 8 or 10 places with a fork or skewer, and let it cool.
7. Combine the milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and liqueur and pour over the top of the cooled cake.
8. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
9. When ready to serve, combine the cream and the remaining vanilla and sugar, whipping until thick. Spread over top of cake. (Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.) Serve chilled.

Marinated Dried Bean Salad Colorado

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce red beans, dried
• 1 ounce lentils
• 1 ounce pinto beans, dried
• 1 ounce anasazi beans, dried
• 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 inch dice
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, diced
• 1 cup green bell pepper, roasted, 1/2 inch dice

Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp. sage leaves, cut in chiffonade
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper, tt

For the salad

• 2 cups tomatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups leaf lettuce
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper, tt

Procedure:

1. Presoak each type of bean individually overnight
2. Cook the beans individually in salted water unil tender. Drain and cool, reserving the liquid from the red beans.
3. Roast, peel, seed, and dice the jalapeno and green pepper.
4. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
5. Toss together the cooked beans, chiles, pepper, onions, and dressing. Let the mixture marinate.
6. Clean, dry, and trim the lettuce and green onions. Chop green onions finley.
7. Combine the cream, vinegar, green onion, and salt and black pepper in a bowl.
8. Toss the lettuce in the cream mixture, divide by 4 onto salad plates, and shingle 5 slives of tomato from rim to rim down the center of each plate. Season the tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper.
9. Serve about 1/2 cup of the marinated bean salad with the greens.

Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients:

4 poblano chiles

For the filling

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup onion 1/4 inch dice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 1/8 tsp. oregano, dried
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup queso fresco
• salt and white pepper, tt

For the batter

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1/4 cup, ap flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

Procedure:

1. Roast, peel, and split the chiles on one side only. Cut out the seed pod but leave on the stem; let cool.
2. Heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft but not brown.
3. Add the corn and salt, then cover the pan and cook until corn is tender (if corn is dry, you may have to add some water). Add the oregano and adjust the seasoning. Set aside and cool.
4. Blend in the sour cream and cheese; season.
5. Stuff the chiles with the cheese mixture. Reshape and chill for 30 minutes.
6. Beat the egg yolks and water until foamy. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. White the egg whites to soft peaks; fold the egg whites into the egg yolks.
8. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350F
9. Dip the stuffed chiles in flour and then in the batter, and fry them until golden brown on one side. Turn over and fry until golden brown on the other side. Drain on paper towels.

Marinated Grilled Quail on Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper, tt

Salad

• 2 cups spinach, cut in chiffonade
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, julienne
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, julienne
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, julienne
• 3/4 cup tomato, julienne
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water
• 4 quails, split at the back

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a blender and process until smooth. Correct seasoning.
2. Place each quail on 2 skewers i a straight line to hold its shape.
3. Liberally brush the quails with half of the dressing and allow to marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour.
4. Prepare grill.
5. Grill the quail for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until the quail are completely cooked.
6. Toss the salad ingredients with all but 2 tbsp. of the remaining vinaigrette.
7. Place the salad in the center of the plate. remove the skewers from each quail and place on top of the salad.
8. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the quail.

Tex-Mex Fajitas

Ingredients:

Marinade

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1 tsp. oregano, dried
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, minced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Marinade 2

• 1 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

For the fajitas

• 1 pound skirt steak
• 8 flour tortillas

Procedure:

1. For marinade 1, combien all ingredientsa nd mix well. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours. For marinade 2 , combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, onion powder, lemon juice, and ginger. Mix well and let stand refrigerated overnight.
2. Marinate the steak in either marinade for 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from the marinade and dry with paper towels.
3. Preheat grill
4. Sear the outside of the meat, then cook until medium rara- it should take 3 to 4 minutes a side if the meat is 2/4 inch thick or less. Brush meat with marinade 2 or 3 times while cooking.
5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let sit 5 minutes
6. Cut the meat into thin strips.
7. Serve meat strips with warm, sot flour tortillas and pico de gallo and guacamole.

We’ve been trying to cut back on our carb intake lately (brief stint on South Beach).  Just to be completely clear, it has not been fun.  Not fun at all.  I really like carbs!!   Eliminating them from meals is….difficult.  Take something as simple as a taco.  Can’t have the taco.  Now what?!  Lettuce leaves have never played such an important role in cooking.

I did some searching around on the web for carb free meals and phase one South Beach meals.  I came across some interesting ideas.  One of which was this taco, using lettuce as a vessel to hold the taco filling.  Genius.  I love using Boston lettuce for this, the leaves act as perfect little cups.  I serve the tacos with salsa and guacamole.  You can certainly use any toppings you like!

I have to say, I really like this meal.  Even in the lettuce cup!  But I’ll tell you what I love most… the leftovers!  (Yes, again with the leftovers.)  I use the taco filling in an omelette for breakfast.  Super genius.  It’s SO delicious.  I spread guacamole over the top and I swear it’s almost as if I’m eating a burrito, but in an egg! 

So, if you are trying to cut back (or cut out) carbs give this recipe a try and be sure to make an omelette with the leftovers, if there are any. 

Here’s what you will need to serve 4 people…

2 pounds ground pork (or turkey, or sirloin)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large jalapeno, minced very fine

2-3 large plum tomatoes, diced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1-2 tbsp chili powder (start off with one and add to suit your taste)

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1.5 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp paprika

1/3 cup (plus 2 tbsp) fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 tbsp lime juice

boston lettuce (one head)

In a large skillet saute the onion and red pepper flakes in some olive oil for about 3 minutes.  Add jalapeno and diced tomatoes, saute for another 3 minutes.  Slide the onion mixture to the side of the skillet and add the chop meat, breaking up the meat.  If you are using sirloin you will probably need to drain out some of the fat in the skillet.  Using turkey and/or lean pork doesn’t yield as much fat.

To the meat mixture add the fresh cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne and paprika.  Mix around and cook until slightly browned and cooked through.  Once cooked, turn off flame and add remaining 2 tbsp of fresh cilantro and lime juice.

Meanwhile, remove any outer/damaged leaves from the head of lettuce and discard.  Carefully break inner leaves away from the head and rinse and pat dry.  Personally, I prefer using the inner leaves that are smaller, they are more sturdy and therefore much less messy. 

Arrange lettuce cups on a platter and fill with taco mixture.  Give a good dollop of salsa and guacamole to each one and serve.

My inspiration for this meal came from Kayln’s Kitchen http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/turkey-lettuce-wrap-tacos-with-chiles.html

Tonight has been a nice full day. It took me 30 minutes to talk myself into getting out of bed though, and the only reason I got up was because I had to if I wanted to make it to church on time.

In the few minutes before we needed to leave for church I decided to make breakfast. I decided to attempt to make a “Green Monster” that I have been reading about on Oh She Glows . This would have been okay if I had a normal blender, but all I have is an immersion blender. I ended up using my food processor too.

There were definitely chunks of spinach leaves floating around in there.

I used 1/4 c frozen strawberries, 3/4 banana, 3 TBSP vanilla Oikos, and a handful of spinach. All in all it tasted pretty good, but it would have been better if it would have been blended better.

Maybe that is an item for the Christmas list.

The smoothie held me over through church but I was ready for lunch by 11. I wanted to get out of the Lake Norman area so we headed to Canteena on East Blvd. And we ate on their patio, the weather was so nice!

Of course we filled up on chips and salsa.

We ate about 3/4 of the basket and of course ruined our appetites.

I ordered the tilapia tacos.

The fish was a little bland. I only ate one of the tacos.

Brian ordered a Chorizo Burrito from the brunch menu. I took one bite and it was delish.

The grits were creamy and amazing.

After we were done eating we spent some time driving around Dilworth admiring the bungalow style houses. We would love to live down there but it is way out of our price range.

I munched most of the afternoon. I started off with my Canteena leftovers. Then I had some peanuts and cashews.

After my snack I decided to do some housework. I vacuumed and steam mopped our bottom floor. I hate cleaning, but I love the end result. There was so much dog hair! Ick.

A little later I ate a black bean burger with 2 strips of turkey bacon, come shredded colby jack cheese and some ketchup and mustard.

Then I had a Kit Kat.

All of a sudden it was 5:30 and time to go to small group. Brian wanted to leave a little early to stop and get a smoothie.

It is some mango flavor and super yummy so of course he had to share with me.

By the time small group was over I was hungry, again. In anticipation of my work week starting tomorrow I started craving another one of my go to stress foods, Chef Boyardee ABC’s & 123’s with meatballs.

The can says that there us a serving of veggies and grains , but there is some sort of fine print related to that. But they are yummy, and comforting.

I planned on only eating half the can, but that did not work out for me.

Then I ate a can of green beans. My fave.

While all of this was going on  had some chips baking in the oven. I took off a chunk of my thumb with the mandolin slicer. I will spare you the photo.

I also made some onion dip with plain Oikos and onion soup mix. I only had a few since I had already eaten a can of ABC’s and green beans.

Then I rounded out the night with a Coca-Cola that I am sipping on as I type.

It is getting late and time for a soak in the tub. Starting tomorrow my alarm is getting set for super early so I can try to get myself out of bed early enough to do at least a mini workout before work. Baby steps, right?

Tonight has been a nice full day. It took me 30 minutes to talk myself into getting out of bed though, and the only reason I got up was because I had to if I wanted to make it to church on time.

In the few minutes before we needed to leave for church I decided to make breakfast. I decided to attempt to make a “Green Monster” that I have been reading about on Oh She Glows . This would have been okay if I had a normal blender, but all I have is an immersion blender. I ended up using my food processor too.

There were definitely chunks of spinach leaves floating around in there.

I used 1/4 c frozen strawberries, 3/4 banana, 3 TBSP vanilla Oikos, and a handful of spinach. All in all it tasted pretty good, but it would have been better if it would have been blended better.

Maybe that is an item for the Christmas list.

The smoothie held me over through church but I was ready for lunch by 11. I wanted to get out of the Lake Norman area so we headed to Canteena on East Blvd. And we ate on their patio, the weather was so nice!

Of course we filled up on chips and salsa.

We ate about 3/4 of the basket and of course ruined our appetites.

I ordered the tilapia tacos.

The fish was a little bland. I only ate one of the tacos.

Brian ordered a Chorizo Burrito from the brunch menu. I took one bite and it was delish.

The grits were creamy and amazing.

After we were done eating we spent some time driving around Dilworth admiring the bungalow style houses. We would love to live down there but it is way out of our price range.

I munched most of the afternoon. I started off with my Canteena leftovers. Then I had some peanuts and cashews.

After my snack I decided to do some housework. I vacuumed and steam mopped our bottom floor. I hate cleaning, but I love the end result. There was so much dog hair! Ick.

A little later I ate a black bean burger with 2 strips of turkey bacon, come shredded colby jack cheese and some ketchup and mustard.

Then I had a Kit Kat.

All of a sudden it was 5:30 and time to go to small group. Brian wanted to leave a little early to stop and get a smoothie.

It is some mango flavor and super yummy so of course he had to share with me.

By the time small group was over I was hungry, again. In anticipation of my work week starting tomorrow I started craving another one of my go to stress foods, Chef Boyardee ABC’s & 123’s with meatballs.

The can says that there us a serving of veggies and grains , but there is some sort of fine print related to that. But they are yummy, and comforting.

I planned on only eating half the can, but that did not work out for me.

Then I ate a can of green beans. My fave.

While all of this was going on  had some chips baking in the oven. I took off a chunk of my thumb with the mandolin slicer. I will spare you the photo.

I also made some onion dip with plain Oikos and onion soup mix. I only had a few since I had already eaten a can of ABC’s and green beans.

Then I rounded out the night with a Coca-Cola that I am sipping on as I type.

It is getting late and time for a soak in the tub. Starting tomorrow my alarm is getting set for super early so I can try to get myself out of bed early enough to do at least a mini workout before work. Baby steps, right?

I see Sarah Lawrence students all over my neighborhood, including at the taco place serving lunch today. I’ve also now been at LIU long enough that I see LIU students all over my neighborhood too. Different kinds of students, their paths to my neighborhood different, I’ve been here for pretty much a dozen years, how’d I get here, is it my neighborhood? I thought about all that a little while I was eating, but only a little. I was taking the whole day off.