Emily

by Emily

Keepin’ it Light: Southwest Quinoa Salad

Now that the holidays have passed and things are calming down, I’ve been trying to focus on easy, nutrition-packed meals, like this one! This super simple quinoa salad is a lovely mix of flavors and textures. Cool, creamy avocado and spicy squash are folded into a protein packed mix of quinoa and black beans. With some other vegetables and a bright splash of lime for good measure.

This particular creation was actually dreamed up thanks to a bunch of leftovers I had the other night. I had some friends over to watch The Bachelor (don’t judge—criticizing sobbing drunk girls on TV is amazing) and I prepped homemade burrito bowls for our dinner. This is the salad that came out of all the remaining components. There is literally NOTHING bad for you here. 100% health. Tons of protein, tons of vegetables, and some good fats from coconut oil. You’re welcome.

Now That’s a Spicy Wine!

As we all know, my local HEB grocery store is a treasure trove of inexpensive novelty alcohol products and this weekend I stumbled upon the latest discovery. At first it appears to be just another bottle of mid-range cabernet sauvignon, but take a closer look. This isn’t cabernet, but cabanero. Yes, as this delightful wordplay suggests, this is wine infused with habanero.

While I enjoy a nice, full-bodied red with my spicy BBQ or other red meat, I don’t know what I think about spicy wine itself. Obviously I love Fireball, which is semi-spicy, but that’s more cinnamon-y than actual heat. I’ve had pepper-infused vodka before and hated it. What to do!

Rob and I were strongly tempted to buy a bottle, but I sadly resigned myself to the fact that a habanero-infused spicy wine would give me instant heartburn. I saved the $8 and walked away. Sigh. If any of you spice-lovers out there pick up a bottle, make sure to drop a comment and let me know how it is! Olé!

by Emily

Food Porn of the Day: Taco Time

Tacos: what CAN”T they do? These are two of the most delicious varieties from the beloved Texas taco purveyor Torchy”s. The Brush Fire, on the right, is especially Vi har listet mange pokerrum og andre hjemmesider for poker, spillemaskiner online og betting, og de skifter deres kampagner, regler og regulativer. exciting: Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapeños, mango, sour cream, cilantro, and a mysterious condiment known as “diablo sauce.” It”s sweet, spicy, citrus-y, and amazing.

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by Emily

Artsy Photo of the Day

I’ve always loved sushi, but ever since I worked for a sushi restaurant during college in my early 20s and got used to eating it on a daily basis, I’ve been even more obsessed. I crave raw fish. One thing I don’t really like? All that rice. I usually pick off most of it, to the disgust of my dining companions.

Anyway, this leads me to search for rolls with little to no rice so I can pack in the protein. I found my new favorite sushi roll at Pirhana Killer Sushi in downtown Austin. It’s the Vietnamese Summer Roll: salmon, tuna, crab, greens, mango, and asparagus wrapped with rice paper. Tons of fish, tons of fruit and vegetables, and no rice! Sushi heaven.

in Fish / Photos 0 comments

by Emily

Spicing up 2014 with Chicken Curry

Made a New Year’s resolution to diversify your culinary efforts? Try cooking a curry! I’m not gonna claim that my Indian cooking is the most authentic in the world—I’m not grinding my own whole spices here—but it’s tasty and pretty easy to make. If you don’t have the spices I listed, check out the bulk spice bins at your local Whole Foods or other healthy market. Buying just a few teaspoons in bulk is waaaay cheaper than spending like $12 on a whole container if you don’t think you’re going to be using it frequently.

I’ll also take a moment to give a shoutout to my peeps at Stonefire. In my opinion the Indian food experience isn’t complete without some delicious naan to sop up all the sauce, and the Stonefire brand makes some of the best store-bought versions I’ve tried. They reached out and asked me to whip up some recipes to pair with their products, so here’s a fairly simple curry to get you started. If you want to make this one vegetarian, never fear, just don’t include the chicken.

Spicy Indian Chicken Curry

Food Porn of the Day: Ultimate Hangover Killer Edition

If you drank too much champagne on NYE, you’ll need a serious remedy, preferably something deep-fried. Take some inspiration from this meaty morsel spotted at Frank restaurant in Austin.

This isn’t just any chicken-fried steak. Oh no, this is the Pig and Eggs: Chicken-fried wild boar with jackalope cream gravy. Served with two runny-yolk eggs and perhaps best of all, not just potatoes, but a creamy-crispy hashbrown casserole. And yes, of course it tastes as awesome as it looks.

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by Emily

Top 10 Champagne Cocktails for New Year's Eve

What”s the best part about New Year”s Eve? Spending time with friends, reflecting on the great times of the year past, dressing up in fun outfits? NO! It”s drinking champagne until you black out, obviously.

In honor of the year-end holiday encouraging America to drown all its sorrows and joys in an everlasting river of champagne, here are ten of my favorite champers recipes I”ve found floating around the Internet, including some memorable champagne posts from ES days of yore.