Recipe of the Week: The quest for the perfect burrito

Burritos are great! I'm always trying to create the perfect burrito. Really, perfect depends on what I am feeling at that particular time. It's very hard to beat the Seven Layers of Heaven Burrito, which has thus far stood the test of time. So, here's another attempt at burrito deliciousness. Actually, this was more like a burrito bowl, because the whole grain tortilla wraps, while healthy, are crap when it comes to staying in one piece. But, the photos are pre-eating and it appears that the burrito is in-tact, which it would be if I had used regular tortilla shells.

1 Chicken Italian Sausage (with pieces of peppers already in it, totally tasty!)

Refried Black Beans

Green Chilies (from the can)

1/2 Small Zucchini, sliced

1 Small Bunch of Broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 Avocado, Sliced

Handful of Shredded Cheese of your choice, I used a Cheddar-Jack combo

A few slices of an Onion

1 Tortilla Shell

Optional: Sour Cream

Slice sausage and saute in a skillet. Simultaneously blanch broccoli and zucchini.

While these things are cooking, heat up a serving of refried black beans and mix in green chilies.


Warm tortilla and spread bean mixture on it. Add the ingredients in the following order:

Sausage

Zucchini & Broccoli

Onions

Avocado

And voila! There's your burrito.

Also, here are some random pics that make me happy.

Pretty flowers to brighten up the apartment.

My ladies breaking it down. They've got such great moves that they coudn't be caught on camera!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of June 22, 2009

It's actually Monday! I can post an honest Menu Plan Monday this week! Woo hoo!

Monday

Breakfast: Chai Latte, Nuts & Raisins

Lunch: Tuna Pita

Dinner: Huevos Rancheros

Tuesday

Breakfast: Bagel with Cream Cheese

Lunch: Salad

Dinner: Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Wednesday

Breakfast: Yogurt & Almonds

Lunch: PB&J and crackers

Dinner: Tuna Salad & Crackers

Thursday

Breakfast: PB Toast & Banana

Lunch: Turky & Avocado Sandwich

Dinner: PB & J Sandwich

Friday

Breakfast: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich

Lunch: Salad

Dinner: Sushi

Menu Plan Monday...er...Tuesday: Week of June 15, 2009

I really meant to post this last night. But sometimes it seems like I just don't have enough time in the day. After my workout I HAD to watch the second half of The Reader (I feel asleep watching it the night before. It's what I do - falling asleep during movies. No matter how good.) It's a good thing though, to write this post after a few days into the week, to see how much I have diverted from the menu. It happens. Chaos is a part of life, and no matter how hard I seem to try, I cannot avoid the changes (okay, sometimes I try harder than others :). Essentially, I eat all of the meals on the list, but not always when I plan to.

So here's the plan for week. Monday and Tuesday are truly accurate. The rest is variable.

Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Almonds
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich and Salsa Sun Chips (they taste a little like Doritos, but better!)
Dinner: Sushi leftover from Sunday's dinner - I made Tuna/Avocado and Avocado Rolls

Tuesday
Breakfast: Blueberry Waffle with Peanut Butter
Lunch: Salad with Tuna and Avocado
Dinner: Burrito

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt & Banana
Lunch: Burrito
Dinner: PB & J Sandwich

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich
Dinner: Pasta with Zucchini, Onion and Garlic

Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
Dinner: Out with friends

I am famous!

Recently, I wrote an article for my zen center's newsletter. It was about my inability to stop drinking soda and how I used my zen practice around that. The newsletter has since been published and you can see the article, as well as the rest of the newsletter, here. Mine is entitled, A Tall, Cool Glass of RAIN, which I give my friend Ian the credit for. He also took the photo of the fizzing glass of soda.

Recipe of the Week: Lentil and Rice Casserole

I got to use my crock pot again! And this was a simple but tasty dish. I found the recipe online, of course. Where else do you find recipes? Again, I took it to a potluck at my zen center. I forgot to add the cheese, but it was still pretty good. The first time I made it I remembered the cheese and it was better.

Lentil and Rice Casserole

3 tsp powdered chicken bouillon (I used vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)

2-1/2 cups very hot water

3/4 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1 cup white or brown rice

1 small to medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp dried sweet basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp minced garlic

Two handfuls or so of shredded cheddar cheese.

Combine everything but the cheese in a crock pot and cook on low for 3.5 hours. Add cheese and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of June 8, 2009

I got this exciting new magnetic paper pads do-hickey at Barnes and Nobles recently. There are three pads of paper. I use them for my grocery list, my to-do list and my menu plan.

As you can see from the picture, the days of the week pad is perfect for my menu every week. And it goes right on the refrigerator, where I can see it everyday.

This is very exciting to me. Is that sad?

Anyhow, without further adieu, here is my menu for the week (you didn't think I would make you read it from the pictures, did you?):

Monday
Breakfast: Luna Bar and Iced Chai (so good!)
Lunch: Turkey and Avocado Sandwich
Dinner: Enchiladas (leftover Stouffer's family-size dish from Sunday)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Yogurt & Banana
Lunch: PB& J Sandwich
Dinner: Salad with Tuna and Beets

Wednesday
Breakfast: Luna Bar
Lunch: Turkey and Cheese Sandwich
Dinner: PB & J Sandwich

Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Almonds
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
Dinner: Out (Going to see Alvin Ailey!)

Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Almonds
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich
Dinner: Dinner out

Eating Lunch in Midtown Manhattan

Okay, so I like to support cooking your own food and eating it, especially when it comes to lunch. Dinner, at times, calls for going out and trying something new. I usually try to bring my own lunch to work, as it saves me money and tends to be healthier. But sometimes, I do go out and get lunch. Luckily, I found this website about where to get cheap lunch in Midtown Manhattan. If you are one of the many, many, many people who work in this area of NYC (which I am), then this website is a must-have! For those of you who are not, just know this: Midtown Manhattan is not a culinary hot spot. Midtown is famous for a) annoying tourists who walk very slowly and stop in the middle of the sidewalk, b) theater, and c) bad expensive food. In fact, whenever I am in Midtown and looking for food, I usually make my way over to Hell's Kitchen, where there is good food at reasonable prices. Hopefully, this website will be useful to us working in Midtown.

I have added the site to my blog list on the left.

Recipe of the Week: Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

I love peanut butter! I am declaring this first and foremost. I also very much enjoy a good Asian dish with a (non-spicy) peanut sauce. It's so tasty and filling! So, of course I decided, after having a delicious dish with a peanut sauce at a Tibetan restaurant, to try to make the sauce at home. Here's what I did.

Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
Combine several tbsps of peanut butter, a couple tbsps of peanut oil and a dash or two of soy sauce in a pot. Cook on medium heat until it becomes a sauce-like consistency.

I cooked some broccoli, and edamame. Then mixed in some raw carrots, red cabbage and bean sprouts. Add any vegetables you wish.

Mix the sauce into the veggies. I topped the dish with Gomashio, as I do.

This dish was seriously filling. The food in the bowl (about 1 cup) pictured above was all I could eat. If I could have, I would have kept eating. I didn't even eat any rice with it. But I was so full after the one bowl. Hooray!

Menu Planning Monday: Week of June 1, 2009

It's June, which means it's almost officially summer! It's already been feeling like summer here in NYC. The last two weekends were warm and sunny. It was great! Luckily the rain has kept mostly to the week days. Summer also means lots of great seasonal food. I'm trying to incorporate it more into my meals. Some days are better than others. Here's my menu for this week.

Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: Chicken and Avocado Sandwich
Dinner: Pasta with Meatballs

Tuesday
Breakfast: Luna Bar
Lunch: Leftover Pasta
Dinner: Tuna Salad with Beets and Garbanzo Beans

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt
Lunch: PB&J
Dinner: Egg Salad Sammie

Thursday
Breakfast: Hot Cereal with Bananas and Strawberries
Lunch: Egg Salad Sammie
Dinner: Burrito

Friday
Breakfast: Breakfast Sandwich
Lunch: Burrito
Dinner: Stir Fry (broccoli, peas, zucchini, cabbage, and carrots) with Peanut Sauce