Chicken Bacon Rice Bowls

It's been a while since I've wrote a blog post. Last Tuesday was my 25th birthday so it has been a busy week. We first got some drinks at the Boarding Room next door and the ceiling was amazing! It was made of wine glasses and it looked like bubble wrap. We asked the bartender how they got all the wine glasses up there like that. He said it took a ton of zip ties and wire so they would stay securely.

My birthday gelato! :)

The glasses above the bar.

It was a pretty neat idea! Just glad it's not in California or a state that has a ton of earthquakes! Anyways, Wayne took me out to dinner at Prosecco for my birthday dinner. The food was pretty good. I got the Orecchiette Tartufate which was pasta, wild mushroom, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, white truffle oil and black truffle cream. It was really good but kind of heavy. It must be because I'm trying to avoid grains/pasta/gluten. I did really like the Avocado Salad. It had lobster tail, prawns, basil, sweet pepper and a balsamic glaze. It was pretty good, so now I'm trying to think of how I can make it a little healthier and put my own twist on it! :) We also had Pistachio Gelato for dessert. Wow, that was soo good. It was silky, smooth and creamy but not too sweet. It also didn't have the nutty aftertaste you get when you have pistachio ice cream. It was so good, I had to fight Wayne with my spoon to eat it. :)

I went to see Big Hero 6 with two of my friends. Omg! It was a really really good movie.  I wasn't expecting it to be that good. I always have a soft-spot for Disney/Pixar movies but this one really took me on an emotional roller-coaster ride. One minute I was laughing like a little kid then the next I was getting teary eyed! Overall, it was a very good movie! I think I might get it when it comes out on DVD.  I still kind of can't believe I am now 25. (Yes, I am a 25 year old girl that loves Disney Movies.) I remember when I was like 7 or 8 years old. I would do MASH with my elementary school friends. It was pretty much a fortune telling game, except you used a paper and pen.  Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Number of kids you'd have, Car you will drive, Age you'll get married, Pet you would have, Where you'd go on your honeymoon, the color of your wedding dress etc. You'd then get to write 4 options (2 you wouldn't like and 2 you would like.) 

Anyway, I remember I'd always want to be married at 25 years old.  But I don't want to get married right now. I have loans, bills, health care costs etc. It seems this day and age, worrying about myself is hard enough. I can't imagine getting married and paying for a wedding now. Right now, all I can think is about moving to Seattle. A wedding would just blow my head out of water. That being said, I would like to get married someday...just not now. I am not in a rush which is hard when you are getting asked a lot when will you get married and when will you have kids. I think our parents generation often got married when they were younger. Hence, my belief at 8 years old that I'd get married at 25. But now that our generation has seen the stock market crash of 2008, increase in loan debt, increase in healthcare and increase in college tuition for kids..it just makes sense to wait to put a ring on it. Okay, I'm done talking about weddings. I want to say that I have some pretty cool friends. I got some awesome gifts on my birthday.

A Wiliams-Sonoma gift card!

A Pikes Place Market gift card!

A Starbucks gift card and my own Baymax! I feel pretty lucky to have awesome friends that know me very well. I think I am more excited to get birthday cards. It means a lot to sit down and write a few memories or nice thoughts. :) Alright, let's get started!

First, I took Bacon (with no nitrates) and cooked it in a pot until it got crispy. Once it got crispy, I put it on a paper-towel lined plate. I then removed some of the bacon fat, so there was only 3-4 Tbsps. Sorry for the blurry photo lols. Can't have the bacon burning!

 MMMMM...Crispy Bacon.

Next, I chopped up an onion, garlic cloves and chicken breasts. Then threw it in the bacon fat pot. Yumm, the kitchen started to smell delicious.

Then, I cut up the cauliflower and made it into rice.

Next, I chopped and added some green chilies to the chicken mixture. Then salt, chili powder and some red pepper flakes.

Looks kind of nasty...but it smells really good.

I added a can of diced tomatoes (with no added salt) and the cauliflower rice to it.

Ta-da! Finished Product! It was really good! Next time though, I think I will add adobo chiles or something to make it more spicier. It felt like it needed some type of spiciness. I want my mouth on FIYAA next time :)

Paleo Chicken Bacon Rice Bowls recipe from Paleomg. Found here.

Emma

Tomato Pumpkin Soup

Today, Wayne and I decided to stay in for Halloween. I still feel sick and I don't feel up for dressing up and going out to a bar. I had fun in college going to Halloween parties and such, but now the glamour of getting drunk and wearing a costume doesn't seem so fun. I am instead going to stay inside, wear my pajamas and watch scary movies with Wayne. I chose Sleepy Hallow (with Johnny Depp) for my movie. I forget what movie Wayne chose. But I think I'm looking forward to just relaxing and not doing anything for a night. Tonight I made a Paleo Tomato Pumpkin Soup and also leftover Sticky Chocolate Cups (seriously surprised we didn't devour them all.) 

Flash back...Awwww wasn't I adorable? Yeah, I know. My face has NOT changed at all...FYI - I'm deathly allergic to bees. Like if I get stung, my throat will close up and I'll die. I found out I was allergic when I was in preschool and my mom thought it would be hilarious to dress me up as a bumble bee for Halloween. Gotta give my mom major props though! She sewed the entire costume herself! Not pictured, my big ass stinger. Not joking, this thing was huge. I had fun annoying my older brother with it. :)

Speaking of sweet...These are effing amazing. I'm seriously addicted to these. Okay, okay not a serious addiction but for my go to Halloween candy these are it. There's only three ingredients in them and they taste like a honey peppermint york patty. Plus who doesn't love dark chocolate? 

Let's get started!

First, I heated up some coconut oil in a skillet pan. 

Then I added a chopped up medium yellow onion to the pan.

Then, I added a can of Organic Pumpkin Puree. 

I also added a can of Organic Diced tomatoes. 

It is turning into a wonderful and colorful mess.

Then I added 2 cups of Organic Chicken Stock Broth. 

Some honey...and spices

I ate a Sticky Chocolate Cup... :) Hey, it's Halloween! I am entitled to eat some semi-healthy (Okay not really) treats!

Then I let it simmer for like 20 minutes or so.

After it cooked down, I added some Organic Coconut Milk to the mix.

Ta-da! Finished Product. I topped the soup with some pumpkin seeds and then 

The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking found here.

Juli (from Paleomg) and George made a great cookbook. Their paleo recipes look delicious and I can't wait until I try out more recipes. 

Emma

Sticky Chocolate Cups

My work is having a Halloween party tomorrow. We have a crock pot and baking challenge for the office. It is nice because you get to see what other people make. Plus the proceeds from "Rock the Crock" and "Bake-off" go to a selected charity.I decided to make Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies for the bake off.  To be honest, I'm kind of regretting signing up to bake something. I wasn't really into baking them and I don't think they turned out as well as they could have.

Wayne wasn't feeling 100% earlier this week and I've slowly am feeling run down. I haven't been able to get a lot of sleep lately and my allergies are flaring up from the weather change. Plus I had a really shitty day. While I was making the cookies, Wayne helped me make Paleo Sticky Chocolate Cups with almond butter!

Anyway, let's get started with the steps.

I got these adorable spider web cupcake liners!

First, I mixed all the ingredients together. The almond butter with maple syrup is one of my favs!

Wayne measuring it out.

Then we melted the chocolate in a dish. These are nice since they're dairy, nut and soy free chocolate chips. It would be great to use these if you know you'll be with a group of people that have allergies. 

Then we dolloped the chocolate into the lined muffin tins.

Next, we dolloped the almond butter mixture on top and then added more chocolate on top to make it look like a peanut butter cup. We then frozen them for a couple hours till hardened.

Ta-da! Finished product! OMG these were awesome! They made my day even though I felt like crap and had a shitty day. It was a plus in my book how easy-peasy they were to make too! I think next time if I have an event to bring a dessert into work, I might just do these instead. 

Paleomg's Halloween Sticky Cups Recipe here. 

Emma

Spicy Pumpkin Black Bean Enchiladas

Today I made Spicy Pumpkin Black Bean Enchiladas. I didn't really try to make this one paleo-friendly. But I figure that beans every now and then aren't going to kill me. Well...then again being around Wayne with black beans...Whoo! Might need a gas mask. One time I made a black bean burger and our stomachs were dying with gas. It was pretty bad but also really funny. :)

Ugh, I'm pretty much counting down the days until we look at apartments. I won't know what we can keep or what we need to get rid of until we see the space of the apartments to get a feel of it. I think we'll know which apartment is the right one once we walk in. Most of the places we are looking at are on the pricier end. But they have more amenities. Like a gym in the lobby, in-unit washer and dryer, dishwasher, dog-friendly and roof top communal areas. It makes sense why we are paying a little bit more because we'll have more things in the actual apartment.

Aside from having a nice gym (with a lot of good equipment like kettle-bells, boxes, medicine balls or bosu balls), I know we also want to scope out a good taco joint. Why do I want a good taco place in Seattle? If I have a crappy day at work or want to catch up with someone, I want a good joint where I can go and get a good margarita! It will also depend on what type of utilities are paid for. In Chicago it's nice we don't have to worry about water bills (at least in the city.) While I think out west, they have you pay water, electricity, trash removal and heat. But we'll see.
Anyways, let's get started!

 First, I chopped up two onions and sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil over a big saucepan. 

Wayne helped me by chopping up the jalapeno. We then tossed that in the onion mixture.

I then chopped up four garlic cloves and tossed them in. 

Then I added the spices to the mixture. 

Next, I added a can of pumpkin puree and increased the heat until the sauce mixture was boiling.

A big goop mess.

Then I got the Organic Mexican Cheese out and Trader Joe's Chia seed tortillas. 

I rinsed only two cans of black beans even though the recipe called for three cans.

Next we began making our enchiladas! I put 1 cup of the pumpkin mix in the bottom of my casserole pan. Then added 1/4 cup of the pumpkin mixture on the tortilla, added 2/4 cup of black beans and then a bunch of cheese on top. Wayne makes a good hand model...lols!

Then I squished them together tightly and dolloped more pumpkin sauce on top.

I baked the dish for 30 minutes. It was a bubbly yummy mess. The enchiladas kind of fell apart when trying to put them on a plate. But they smelled really good!

Next, I added some Greek Yogurt on top of the enchiladas. In the recipe it called for sour cream, but I wanted to go for a more healthier route. 

Then I chopped up an avocado to also put on top. 

Ta-da! Finished product with a Strawberry, Cranberry Banana smoothie. I was kind of bummed though. It wasn't that spicy. I think next time I should add the Serrano pepper or double the jalapenos to the recipe. That way it'll give it more of a kick. The nice thing about this was the enchilada's weren't that pumpkin-y. The pumpkin just added the texture and slight flavor to the enchilada. However, I think the avocado and Greek yogurt added more dimension to the dish. The tartness of the yogurt brought the whole dish together. While the avocado added a touch of creaminess to it. In short, not bad! 

Spicy Pumpkin-Black Bean Enchiladas Recipe here. 

Another good one from Foodess!

Emma

Cooking Class - Macarons

This morning I took a Macaron Workshop class at Chicago's The Chopping Block. I've never made Macarons before. I've always had a fascination with them. They're petite meringue-based confection often with a ganache in between. Earlier, French macarons were just made out of almond flour, sugar and egg whites. It was until the early 20th century did they get sandwiched together. Now they come in tons of different flavors, colors and fillings! This was not easy peasy. There were a lot of things you need to remember and I could see this taking a while to make. I wouldn't mind trying them again when I have more time on my hands. I would like a nice KitchenAid mixer and a fine flour mesh sifter...

For class we made Lemon Macarons with White Chocolate Lemon Ganache, Toasted Coconut Crunch Macarons with Salted Caramel Filling, & Chocolate Macarons with Raspberry Jam and Coffee Butter-cream.

I think making the lemon macarons was the easiest. The chocolate ones were my favorite. Most of the class favored the coconut maracrons because of the salted caramel. How do you say caramel? Do you say it like "car-ml" or "carra-mel"? I remember taking a NY Times quiz least year over linguistics in the United States. I found it on the archives and re-took it. I got the same results. My accent is from Grand Rapids, Detroit and Toledo. But I know the Illinois way of saying aunt has rubbed off on me to a certain degree. Growing up, I'd say aunt as in "ant". While Wayne says aunt as in "Ahh-nt." Of course I call a carbonated beverage "pop" as most Michigander's do. 

One of the questions was about "Devils Night" or as some call it Mischief Night. In Detroit, the day before Halloween is called Devil's Night because there was a serious vandalism and arson problem in the 1970's and 1990's. I remember when my older brother was in Boy Scouts, they would go to the elementary school to guard it from vandals.

Anyway, here are some tips/tricks I learned:

• Macarons are delicate and you don't want the cookie portion to have any cracks in it and the shell to be crisp. Yet you want the inside to be chewy. The major ingredients for the cookies are: almond flour, powdered sugar, egg whites, granulated sugar and flavoring.
• How you combine the ingredients is important. Keep almond meal in the freezer. There are a lot of fatty healthy oils in almond meal. Freezing the almond meal bag helps preserve those oils.
• You want to put the egg mixture on top of the flour mixture rather than the opposite. When you mix, you want to make a capital J shape while turning the bowl around. The batter should be smooth and shiny and when you lift up your spatula it should fall off like a ribbon, and not clumps. 
• For piping out the batter, you want to shove the plastic bag into the tip, this way the batter won't drip everywhere. 
• You need to let the macarons dry before putting them into the oven. They should have a plastic feeling to them once they are dry.
• Egg whites need to be perfectly clear of yolks and be at room temperature. They whip up better at the temperature. If you have any fat from the egg yolk in your batter it'll ruin it.
• In France, they leave the egg whites out all the time in the open. That's because their health laws are different over there. 
• Double pan the macarons before you put them in the oven that way it doesn't burn the bottom of the cookies. Put at 400 degrees in the middle of the oven and rotate the pan. 
• When making caramel, you DO NOT want to stir the sugar. Sugar is granulated and will try to keep it's crystallized form. You want to let it darken up in the water until it turns a dark brown around the sides. You should be able to smell the caramel. Then when you add the butter and heavy cream, it'll bubble up and thicken on it's own. 

Macarons!

Another table piping out their macarons.

Piping out our chocolate macarons.

Macarons coming out of the oven.

I was taking care of the white chocolate lemon ganache for our lemon macarons.

Another group doing their salted caramel filling.

Making the Coffee Butter cream filing... yum 

Putting the macarons together! Lightly twist them onto each other. :)

Successful macaron and a selfie! ;) I think I may need to offically try making these on my own when we move out to Seattle so I can explore more macaron pairings!

Here are some cool macaron recipes I found that I wouldn't mind trying:
Black Sesame Macarons with Cherry Chocolate Ganache
Blood Orange Macarons with Blood Orange Buttercream Filling
Cayenne Pepper Macarons
Matcha Macarons with Preserved Brandied Cherries & Mascarpone
Salt and Pepper Macarons
Smoked Paprika Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

Au revoir for now! Stay tuned for more posts!
Emma