Redwood

DC Restaurant Week happens twice a year in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia, for those not from these parts), and as a bit of a foodie, it is one of my favorite things about late August.  We always try out a new restaurant and splurge a little on the $35 prix-fixe three course dinner. Some restaurants also participate in a $20 prix-fixe lunch, which is equally as fun.

This week we went to Redwood, and I am SO glad that we did. We've been meaning to try this spot for a very long time, so restaurant week was the perfect excuse. Also, we were celebrating my husband finishing up his psychiatry clerkship. Hallelujah! 6 down, 3 to go!

A few things stood out:

1) The happy hour. We arrived a little early for our reservation, so we went to the bar for a drink. The happy hour menu was very well priced and pretty extensive. We will definitely be going back for this.

2) Good service. We were seated outside (by choice), but never felt forgotten. The water glasses were never less than half full.

3) Unique and yummy food.  The menu was a mix of classics as well as more inventive dishes. Everything was delish.

4) Food allergies were labeled. Whether you are vegetarian, gluten-free or have a nut allergy, this restaurant had everything nicely labeled as such. Makes for easy ordering, and definitely a place I would take my in-laws.

The finale of the prix-fixe meal- chocolate peanut butter cake and chocolate mousse with strawberries.

Just lovely...  

Sour Cream Pancakes

Alrighty, y'all... as promised, here is my recipe for the best ever sour cream pancakes! Seriously, since I started making these a few years ago, my husband won't ever order pancakes when we go out to breakfast because they are never this good.

However, don't be shocked out of your britches by how ridiculously thick these pancakes are... we aren't making crepes here, people!!

Side note: I really hope this recipe converts some of those Bisquick or other mix users out there. It really is SO easy to make pancakes from scratch, and this way, you have total control of sodium, sugar and fat content! Also, I haven't tried it yet, but I bet this recipe would work wonderfully with gluten-free flour!

Ingredients:

1 Cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs sugar

2-4 Tbs flaxseed meal (optional, just to add a little more nutritional value/fiber)

1 large egg (or two egg whites)

1/2 Cup sour cream (fat free, low fat and regular all work)

1/3 Cup skim milk (plus a splash or two)

2 Tbs oil

Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk vigorously for about 15 seconds, until everything is combined.  The batter should be very thick, but not doughy. If the batter seems doughy or tough, add a splash of milk or two.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium low heat. Coat pan with a little butter or cooking spray. Add about 1/3 of the batter to the pan, and spread into a 4 inch circle with the back of your spoon.  These pancakes take a little while to cook, so be patient. Keep the heat on low/medium low and wait until bubble start to form and the edges begin to look dry before flipping.

This recipe makes 3 hearty, yet light and fluffy, pancakes... you REALLY don't need more than one! Each should end up being a 5 inch circle that is about 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.  Serve with real maple syrup! 

Nationals Baseball

I guess I will start at the end of the story for this post: THEY WON!! The game we went to, at least... which, lets face it, is just about all I care about when it comes to baseball.  I'm very invested that way.

In all honesty, though, I really do love Nationals baseball. I have never been one to enjoy baseball on TV, but I get immense enjoyment out of going to a real live game! Because going to a game means that you have to enjoy all aspects: the junk food, the beer, and the entertainment.

This was the scoreboard after the game... Jayson Werth (who most of the time looks more akin to a mountain man/homeless person than a MLB player) made his 1,000th hit, which just happened to be a home run. It made it even more fun to be there! Side note- the woman interviewing him there is about to get the residuals of a Gatorade/ice bath that Werth received from his teammates. Poor thing... she looked like she was ready to spruce up her resume after that...

Our view from section 222... not the best, but we could see the entire field as well as the massive jumbo-tron for all of the cool replays and instructions about when to display 'natitude' (I take this very seriously). Also, we were near section 136, which is where all of the gluten-free food for the stadium is kept.  Since going to this game was part of my father-in-law's birthday celebration, this was important!

Overall, what made this game the best was that my parents...

My mother-in-law (and me)...

My husband and his dad...

and I think you know who these people are...

all were able to spend time together! It was fabulous :) Go NATS!!!

Lunchbox Laboratory

Going to dinner at Lunchbox Laboratory was one of the last things we did in Seattle. This majorly retro burger place was fabulous! Not only was the food spectacular and creative, but Lunchbox Lab was gluten-free and vegetarian friendly. Why do I care, you ask? Although I am neither gluten-free or vegetarian, my father-in-law has Celiac Disease and I am a lover of veggie burgers (a leftover habit from when I really was a vegetarian for 7 years), so I am always on the lookout for both!

Now let me tell you why this veggie burger was the best I've EVER had... and I consider myself to be somewhat of a connoisseur! 

Most veggie burgers are veggie burger flavored- meaning that the usual suspects accompany said burger: lettuce or sprouts, tomato, onion, some sort of spread, various cheeses, and the occasional avocado slices. What made this veggie burger so remarkable is that I was able to have it with the accouterments of "The Tear Jerker" aka the spiciest burger on their menu. I LOVE mega spicy food, so a burger with some jalapenos, a little habanero mayo and "Satan's tears ketchup" was right up my ally. 

It actually hurt my mouth a bit to eat this magnificent veggie burger (it was that spicy!!!), but that is how I like things.  I'm a little wild sometimes...

My husband stuck with the traditional beef "Burger of the Gods," and I think he was nearly equally pleased with his selection.  

This is my main man with the yummy shake we shared for dessert!  Speaking of which, the shakes are why we ended up at Lunchbox in the first place. We came across this article and decided it sounded good enough to check out in person.

We ended up (at the suggestion of our wonderful waitress) getting the Boston Creme Pie shake with a shot of vanilla vodka... they call this 'boozy'! The small size was more than share-able for the two of us, but then again, I had just eaten the best veggie burger of my life. The shake was a great cool off for my mouth fire, not to mention extremely delicious.

To sum it up, this quirky (did I mention that most of their cocktails involve Tang? They take hipster/retro to a whole other level!) burger place exceeded my expectations.  Even the atmosphere- we sat outside in a sweet patio garden, across the street from a cute Lutheran church- was perfection. 

I wish Lunchbox Laboratory was on the East Coast!!!

Glazed Summer Sausage

This is my go-to recipe for when my husband gets together with his friends, and last night (remember, the one where I made my awesome pasta salad?... I should really work on being less humble) was no exception.  It is so incredibly easy to make, but first I must clarify something.

For this recipe, you can use a summer sausage or a salami.  I've discovered that they are basically the same thing, but you don't want either of them if they are very 'hard' in description or texture.  They won't bake well and become all caramelized and delicious.  Hebrew National makes a good salami that I found at Trader Joe's when we were living in Bethesda.  Again, the important quality of the salami or summer sausage is that it isn't hard or dry. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the salami/summer sausage three-quarters of the way through. Each slice should be between an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick, depending on your preference.  I probably go with about a sixth of an inch slices most of the time.

Place the sliced salami/summer sausage on a foil lined baking sheet with raised edges (so the glaze doesn't spill over).

The Glaze:

1 Cup apricot jam

1/3 Cup dijon mustard

1/3 Cup brown sugar

Stir the three ingredients together. Carefully spoon the glaze over the salami/summer sausage, using your fingers to get it in between each slice.

Bake for 1 hour.  If you have time, you can baste the salami/summer sausage every twenty minutes while it's in the oven.  Allow to cool before serving with water crackers and cheddar cheese.

"Orange" Juice

This morning I am really craving a pick-me-up that doesn't come in the form of a caffeinated beverage.  I'm talking about juicing, people!! Just trust me, the little 'high' you get from your body absorbing all of those yummy vitamins is way better than any Starbucks fix (although who doesn't give in to their soy chai addiction every now and again... I guess that's my issue. Sorry, y'all!).

Getting back on track to juicing! If I was able to juice this morning, I would start off with an "orange" juice.  For those that are just starting to juice or wanting to begin juicing, I think this is a really good beginners juice.  My husband will even swap out his morning Indian River OJ for my version! This is saying something, y'all!

Recipe for "Orange" Juice

7 Large Carrots
1 Pear
1 Green Apple
5 Celery Stalks, with leaves
2 Oranges, peeled
1 Lemon, peeled
Ginger, to taste (Approx 1-2 Tbs)

Just some of the vitamins in this juicy goodness: A, B, C, E, Calcium, Iron, Folate, Thiamin, and Zinc.

Push everything through your juicer, in this order. Stir.

Makes enough for two servings that come in around 200 Calories each. Drink up with a Carrot Muffin, and you won't be hungry again for quite awhile... it is surprising how filling this juice can be!

This juice can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 2 days, but everything is better fresh.

So give it a try... your body will thank you!!

Carrot Muffins

Once known as "Refugee Muffins" (long story short, the word "refuse" does not belong in the title for anything edible), this is the recipe for muffins that I came up with when my MIL and I started juicing.

When we were making our "orange" juice, we just hated to see all of that carrot pulp go to waste.  Therefore, I created a healthy (read- the healthiest ever) recipe for yummy, gluten-free, and nearly fat-free, carrot muffins. 

Healthiest Ever Carrot Muffins

1 Cup Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour*

1/2 Cup Flax Meal

1/2 Cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup Unsweetened, Reduced-Fat Shredded Coconut**

2 Tbs Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 Cups Walnut pieces

1/2 C. Brown Sugar OR Brown Rice Syrup

1/2 C. Unsweetened Applesauce

1 Medium Banana, mashed

2 Cups Carrot Pulp OR Grated Carrot

1 Small Can Crushed Pineapple

2 Eggs OR 4 Egg Whites (1/2 Cup)

I Tbs Vanilla Extract

2 Tbs Canola Oil

*This is the best gluten-free flour on the market, in my opinion.  It is pricey, and you can find it at Williams-Sonoma. Otherwise, use any gluten-free flour you like.

** The most important aspect of this ingredient is that it is unsweetened.  Whole Foods carries the unsweetened, reduced-fat shredded coconut, but I realize it may be impossible to find in a regular grocery store.  Just go with any unsweetened shredded coconut in that case.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, without over stirring. Add oil or flour as needed to get a thick batter consistency.

Spoon batter equally into 12 well oiled muffin tins.  Bake for at least 25 minutes.  It is difficult to test for done-ness with these muffins, so make sure to bake them for the full time if not longer. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack.

These little guys are so packed full of goodness that they are practically a meal! Great for a quick breakfast!