It's been a while and tapas

Hello out there!  I return with no promises of consistent writing patterns, but a promise to always share things I feel are worth sharing.  In today's case, I thought I would tell you about Spanish tortillas.  No, I am not talking about what gets wrapped around a burrito.  A Spanish tortilla, or tortilla española, is a combination of eggs, potatoes, and optional fillings in the shape of a big, round disk.  It is so simple, but if it is done right, it can be out of this world.  I grew up eating Spanish tortillas and have distinct memories of having it packed in my lunchbox at school (thanks ma mere!).

Spanish tortilla is often found on menus at tapas bars and can be served warm or at room temperature.  When a friend asked me to bring an appetizer for her dinner party, I thought that a Spanish tortilla would be the perfect treat.  This first attempt was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination.  I slightly charred both the bottom and top of the tortilla and had to cut them off, but without the crust to stabilize the filling, many of my tortilla cubes fell apart (I was cutting them into cubes to make an easier to eat appetizer).  Although it did not look nice, the flavor was all there, and people at the dinner party enjoyed it.

A little crispy around the edges... not bad but not ideal

My second attempt, however, resulted in a much better looking meal.  Hubby had just run in the Fort Worth Zoo Run 5k, and I thought I would treat him with a fancy breakfast.  I started cooking up some potatoes and threw in some onions and cubed ham.  I was at a crossroads... I could easily serve the potatoes with eggs over easy, or I could go a step further and make a Spanish tortilla.  Hubby said go for it, and I added the eggs to the potato mixture.  I made sure to lower the heat and watch it carefully this time.  I was also making a smaller batch, which may have played a role in my success.  Regardless of the reason, the tortilla turned out perfectly.  Hubby enjoyed every bite of his post-race meal. 

Tortillas are filled in the pan, though not like pancakes

Here's a look at the inside of a slice... a mosaic of delicious-ness

Cheesey Evening

I know that I have been remiss in writing, especially after promises to write more often.  Well, there will be no more promises... hopefully, the writing will just magically happen.  Hubby and I have been busy with work and life and not exploring Fort Worth as much as we should.  In an effort to take advantage of our time here, we decided to go out to dinner somewhere new.  Magnolia Ave in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood is Fort Worth's Brooklyn, bustling with new restaurants and a hipster vibe.  Although we didn't spend too much time in Brooklyn while we lived in NYC, I have a feeling it would have been totally up our alley.

I had read about the opening of Magnolia Cheese Company and knew it was a place I had to try.  Their motto is "Cheese, Wine, Learn & Dine" which I knew would be a perfect fit for a delicious dinner.  Although I was excited about checking it out, I wasn't sure what to expect besides cheese and wine.  Hubby and I were pleasantly surprised by the small menu of fresh and healthy offerings including sandwiches, salads, and a quinoa of the day. 

We decided to start out with a cheese plank... it is a cheese place after all.  The menu listed three plank options: the local, the traveler, and American artisan.  Since we were in a local mood, we decided to check out a selection of cheeses from nearby producers.  Each cheese was more delightful than the next with delicious accompaniments like wildflower honeycomb, curried pecans, and a spiced date compote that I almost licked off of the wooden plank.

Although it doesn't look like much food, the flavor explosions in our mouths left us satisfied and worried that we wouldn't make it to the main course.

Knowing that the possibility of a Dairy Queen blizzard was in my future, I played it safe and had a mixed greens salad for dinner after our cheese course.  The salad was fresh and made me feel good about my dinner choice while still feeling decadent.  Hubby even remarked that he would come back for lunch just for the salad.  While I stuck to greens for dinner, hubby tried a sandwich (please don't ask me to remember which one it was because, unfortunately, I don't... though I want to say it was the cheddar and turkey one).  The sandwich was served with a side of kale chips, which we both found surprisingly delicious.  The chips were salty and crunchy and almost melted in your mouth... it makes me wonder if all kale chips are that good, though probably not.  Hubby also got the quinoa of the day, which had beets and goat cheese. 

Hubby's healthy plate was not only good for you but just plain old delicious

Overall, the meal was outstanding.  Everything was fresh and tasty without being heavy.  The atmosphere at the Magnolia Cheese Company was laid back and welcoming, which only enhanced the eating experience.  It will definitely be a place that hubby and I return to... nothing wrong with a little wine and cheese.

Quick and Light

We spent last weekend in NYC visiting hubby's family.  It was so nice to be able to see everyone and to get a moment in the city.  We visited some old favorites like my favorite cupcake shop (Molly's Cupcakes... try the birthday cake) and the best bagels (Absolute), and we got to try new places like La Bota for tapas and sangria.  I do miss eating in NYC, but I don't miss crowded subways and hour long wait times at restaurants.

After another weekend away, hubby and I returned home to a fridge with no food.  Well, not actually nothing.  We had some cheese, an onion, and salad mix.  Since we had just gotten back from a weekend away with delicious food, we thought this is the perfect opportunity to make something light.  A quick search led me to this onion soup recipe.

Good onion soup comes from deliciously caramelized onions.  To make the soup quickly, I chopped the onions and put them in the pan to start caramelizing before preparing the rest of the ingredients.  While the onions caramelized, I made some homemade croutons with stale bread.  The last time I made these hubby went wild for them, and this time they didn't last too long either.  Once the onions were ready, the rest went by quickly.  I added in the remaining ingredients and put it to reduce.  As the soup simmered and reduced, I threw together a salad with tomatoes and omemade balsamic vinaigrette, and before I knew it, dinner was ready.

Croutons waiting to be topped with warm soup

 Dinner is served!

We enjoyed leftovers throughout the week while we slowly stocked up the empty fridge.  Although I didn't cook anymore dinners for the week, I did do some baking.  In my mind, any reason to bake is a good reason to bake, and when one of my fabulous coworkers had a birthday coming up, I knew what I had to do.  I baked up some triple chocolate pistachio cookies for after Friday's birthday lunch and mini margarita cupcakes for today's analyst BBQ.  Both turned out great!

The cookies turned out amazing... so chocolate-y and rich!

More lime-y than margarita, the cake is delicious and makes a great light bite

Also, Maui got her first haircut... she looks so different!

February Adventures

This month has been a whirlwind of adventures.  We began the month saying goodbye to football and hello to travel.  Hubby spent much of the month traveling to Southern California for work (I'm a little jealous that he's been enjoying the great weather).  Then hubby and I went on our first ski trip together in Taos Ski Valley.  We both had a great time, and I have a feeling there will be more skiing to come.  We also spent a weekend in Austin meeting up with some good friends from New York.  It was a delicious trip as we restaurant hopped through Austin. 

The slopes in Taos Ski Valley

Hubby and I all bundled up

Boot shopping in Austin between meals

 All you can eat BBQ at the Salt Lick

As February comes to a close, our traveling is also taking a break... giving me enough time to finally write a post.  Between our weekends away, I barely had enough time to come up with anything to cook and somehow managed to keep from eating out everyday.  My one special meal from all of February was the Valentine's day dinner I made for a hubby a week after Valentine's day... better late then never.

I made the most delicious mac-n-cheese concoction either of us had ever had.  It came from none other than the Pioneer Woman herself.  This fancy mac and cheese is filled with layers of crumbled bacon, caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, and 5 fancy cheeses.  Every bite was heavenly with the perfect combination of creamy cheese sauce, salty bacon, and sweet onions.  Even as leftovers, this dish did not disappoint.  It will definitely be a recipe I look back to for special occasions to come.

I only made half the recipe but it lasted for days

A little messy but every bite was heavenly

Football Food

Hubby's pop came to visit a couple of weeks ago.  He was here during the AFC/NFC championship, which meant football themed food for watching the games.  Hubby was thrilled to have a buddy to watch the sports with... and I was thrilled to have some dinner inspiration.  And now with the Super Bowl upon us, I remember back to the super yummy chili meal.

The chili was delicious with a kick of spice... and very easy once I got everything chopped up.  Central Market had stew meat on sale, which made my inspired dinner also budget friendly.  I had found the recipe in a blog recently and thought it would make the perfect accompaniment to a football game.  I cooked it in the slow cooker all day, and it was ready in time for dinner.  Topping it with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives helped subdue some of the spice.  Even though I left out some of the more spicy ingredients (cayenne pepper, jalapenos), the chili powder was enough to give it quite a kick.

Our chili spread with sour cream, freshly grated cheddar cheese and chives... oh and don't forget some cornbread just to sweeten things up a little bit.

Hubby and his pop were very happy with their game day dinner.

For the Super Bowl today, we are going to a friend's Super Bowl party.  It's great that hubby and I are meeting cool people in Fort Worth... and they also love to cook!  We are both looking forward to a great meal and good fun while watching the game and commercials.  I never let an opportunity to make something sweet pass me by, especially when there are people to share the calories with.  Hubby and I are bringing sweet and salty super bowl brownies to the party.  I have had the recipe for two years and have been dying to make them.  A sneaked a quick bite as they came out of the oven, and I'm doing my best to restrain myself from eating the whole tray... chocolate-y goodness!

Can't wait to devour these tonight... yum!

Leftover Bananas

Hubby eats a banana as a snack everyday of the work week.  On the weekends, we buy five bananas, and throughout the week he'll eat the five bananas.  When I was growing up, this was never the case.  We would buy a bunch of bananas and eat some, but there were always bananas leftover.  When this would happen, my mom would take the over ripe bananas and make banana bread.  Hubby went out of town for work this week, and I was lucky enough to have some leftover bananas.

These are the type of bananas I'm talking about... I've actually used bananas that looked much worse than these.

I grew up making the Fannie Farmer cookbook banana bread with my mom.  At one point, I had actually memorized the recipe (though now I look it up just to double check).  What I really like about the recipe is the lack of fat.  There are eggs and sugar, but there is no oil or butter or shortening.  Instead, the mashed bananas help provide moisture to the recipe and result in a dense loaf of banana love.  Hubby is actually not a fan of this recipe since he prefers recipes that use half a stick to a whole stick of butter.  While I agree that butter-y versions have an added lightness and flavor, I feel just a little better about myself when I have my butter-free version.  It's moist and hearty with banana flavor and a good crumb.

Fannie Farmer Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, well mashed (I've used 4 before for added banana flavor)

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan.  Mix together the bananas and eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.  Add the nuts and blend.  Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.  

 Yum!

The recipe is very easy to whip up (though the hour cooking time is something to take into consideration).  I usually make mine without nuts because I don't usually keep them on hand while the other ingredients are staples in my kitchen.  It's the perfect use for your unwanted (but still good) bananas.

Enjoy your snack!

Don't Judge a Restaurant by its Cover

I heard about this restaurant just Northeast of Fort Worth in Watauga, TX a few months ago.  It had appeared on Diners, Drive-in, and Dives on the Food Network, which obviously made us a little curious.  The food was delicious with complex flavors and extreme richness.

We started our meal with What Nots, which are cheese stuffed mushrooms in a garlic butter sauce.  Hubby and I savored every bite of the decadent morsels.  Then hubby had a Stuffed Brave Heart New York Strip, which is stuffed with Canadian bacon and smoked cheese.  It came with roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables, which were fresh and cooked to perfection.  Although the steak far exceeded expectations, hubby was a little jealous of my choice, the Blackened Stuffed Chicken that was filled with pepper jack cheese and crab meat before being topped with an asiago cheese sauce all set over angel hair pasta.  It was outstanding!  The sauce was creamy and complemented the subtle heat of the blackened chicken.  I obviously could not eat it all in one sitting given the size of the portions, so I shared a bit with hubby.  We finished the meal with bread pudding, which I was looking forward to most.  It was moist and tasty, but I feel like it was missing texture and depth... but I am bit picky after living in Louisiana.

Our cheesy stuffed mushrooms were the perfect start to the meal.

This was hubby's meal... a healthier choice than mine.

My asiago sauce drenched dish was out of this world.

Although we thought the bread pudding could use a little something more, we finished every last bite.

After seeing the pictures of the food and hearing the description of the dishes, you might think we were in a fancy restaurant.  While Chef Point Cafe does serve fine dining food, it is located at a gas station.  When hubby and I drove up to the Conoco station, we knew we were in the right spot.  There is obviously a story behind this unique pairing of gas and fine dining, which had sparked our curiosity.  The owner married an American and came to live in the States with dreams of opening his own restaurant.  When they went to the bank to get a loan, the bank would not give them a loan for a restaurant... but they would give them a loan for a gas station.  They opened up the gas station and started a fine dining restaurant where you would normally find day old hotdogs and fritos.  It was a crazy but delicious experience.