Recipe Roundup

Last week's highlights....

Tuesday night was set aside for Kev's special request.  As you know, Kev is VERY easygoing when it comes to his meals - so, the fact that he mentioned something he would like to try made me make it a priority.

He got the idea/recipe from The Today Show.  And even though I ended up not finding the exact one he saw, this was pretty darn close.

Tomato Bruschetta

Now I have made bruschetta before, but this recipe used a little different technique - not to mention fresh tomatoes instead of the canned/jarred that I have used in the past.

It was easy, very tasty, and light.  In fact, Kev said that he would be happy to eat it as the main part of his meal with just a salad on the side... which would be perfect for summer.

I ended up serving it with roasted eggplant, soba noodles, and spicy marinara from Trader Joes.

And then I was reminded why I do NOT serve bread often!  It is my downfall times 1000.

I love me some bread.  And I will never eat it in moderation.  In fact, I believe that the more I eat, the less that will be sitting around for me to snack on.

See, I'm doing myself a favor by eating an entire loaf in one sitting.

At least that is what I would like to believe.

On Thursday, we tried out a new restaurant.... Cafe Caturra.

It opened in my center recently and I have heard nothing but rave reviews!

The place was packed for a Thursday night.  Luckily, I was just getting takeout.  I was able to sit and study the menu for a little while and was impressed with all of the different options.

They even let you create your own fruit and cheese plate to go along with your selection of wines.  I love that idea!

For our first taste testing, I went with what I had been told was good.  It seemed like a good starting point.

Pimiento cheese appetizer....

I am a huge lover of pimento cheese - and this cheese did not disappoint.  It was creamy and rich and had a little kick.  I wasn't crazy about the bread, though ( even though I just said that I am bread fiend).  It would have been better toasted.  I just ended up eating the cheese on pita chips that I had at home.

Tuna +white bean + Basil salad.....

Interesting combination but one that I will be making again at home.  Loved how light it tasted, the health benefits, and the fact that it is packed with protein.

Blackened shrimp tacos....

These were good - but probably would have been better had we eaten them as soon as they were made.  That's the problem with takeout... once I get it home and we eat it, it is not always at it's best.

And then there was the margherita pizza... that I accidentally deleted the picture of.  It was, hands down, the very best part of the meal.  It was wood-fire grilled, thin crust, fresh mozzarella, perfection. 

The margherita is my favorite pizza so it is imperative for me to try it whenever it is available.

Overall, I was impressed.  The atmosphere is great.  The food options are great.  And I can walk to it from work.  We will be back.
Our last meal highlight was on Friday... The Pioneer Woman's quiche.

The recipe that I used is out of her latest cookbook.  Unfortunately, I could not find it online but linked to another one of Pioneer Woman's quiches.  It is basically the same thing except that I used proscuitto instead of bacon.

The recipe says it makes ONE 10inch quiche - but as you can see, the mixture was enough to make two.  And I followed the recipe perfectly.

No worries, though.  More for Kev to eat.

He said it was amazing and could quite possibly take the place of the breakfast casserole that I make him from time to time.

It took him four days to finish it.... with a little help from me!

This week's meal plan includes chicken gumbo, Asian noodle salad, and fish sandwiches.

That is if Kev finishes all of the Mother's Day leftovers.  ;)