My Birthday Celebration

I normally go out to dinner for my birthday locally, but this year I wanted to go out with a group of my friends and it HAD to be in the city. I was craving the city! I knew I wanted to go to one of Jose Graces’ restaurants. He is an awesome and creative Iron Chef that has a bunch of restaurants in Philly. Basically I’m a big fan of his, oh and as a plus he’s very veg friendly! Side note here: A lot of chef’s HATE vegetarian’s period. Take this quote from Anthony Bourdain “Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold.” They think we are void of any fun, but personally I think I have to be more creative as a veg cook than some of these Chef’s are. Since I’m allergic to soy and will not eat processed fake meat junk, I have to come up with fun creative recipes that I like. I also have to be creative because I like to make dishes that are substitutes for meat dishes I loved in the past. Ok I’ll get off my soapbox now! Back to Jose Garces. I’m so impressed with his creativeness and his care for vegetarians. I mean we’re in philly, there is not a HUGE veg movement out here, so kudos to him and his restaurants. I really appreciate a good restaurant that caters to everyone, so I made up my mind and it was either Amada or Chifa. I was leaning towards Amada, but I ate at Chifa when I was a meat eater and the pork belly bao buns were calling to me. So when I learned that they had a tofu version, I decided on Chifa. When I called and made a reservation, I asked if they still had the tofu version of the pork belly buns and they said yes and that they had a full veg menu. Yay!

We had a group of 8 people and there was a lot of variety so I have some pictures, but not all because we were hungry! Oh and the presentation may not look great in all of the pictures because some of us, including myself, dug in before I could take pictures. For the meat dishes, I will provide the commentary I overheard by the meat-eaters of the night.

The menu is basically a tasting menu although, there are a few larger dishes. The waitress recommended 2-3 plates per person. I thought we were all pretty big eaters, but a lot of people were struggling with 2-3 per person and the dishes were staggered well. The veg menu was pretty extensive and it doesn’t come out automatically, so ask for it. Also, when ordering say the dish you want is off the veg menu because a lot of the dishes are adapted from non-veg items on the menu. One of the most exciting menu items for me was the veg ceviche. Sadly, I didn’t get to try it this time.

A great thing about Chifa is that they welcome you by bringing out warm yucca rolls with a sweet and spicy butter. They are one reason Chifa is a must when your in Philly. The warm soft rolls with the butter just melt in your mouth…yumm!

Appetizers

My first dish was the Tofu bao were amazing they actually got better with every bite!  The tofu was firm and coated in hoisin, the pickled veg made a great contrast to the hoisin and togarashi mayo, and the buns that held the tofu were soft like pillows.  I would come back here just for these. 

 Tofu Bao Buns

To my amazement no one got the pork belly buns, the must have dish at Chifa. I was actually a little relieved because I loved them so much. It would have been like watching someone eat the last chocolate bar in existence in front of you. Anyway, my friends got the duck bao buns and they liked them. I was too busy eating my own to get anymore commentary on that dish, but it looked good if you like duck.

 Duck Bao Buns

One of the big hits with the meat eaters was the Thai Beef Salad. It had kobe…enough said… They said it was great with the herbs and the dressing. They would all highly recommend this salad.

 Thai Beef Salad (one of the dishes with a few bites missing) 

Another salad was the House green salad with the sweet chili vinaigrette. I actually got to try this and it was great. It was sweet and then it finished with a kick in the back of your throat.

The Chicken wings are not red flaming wings you get a sports bar. Apparently I should have warned the guys that got them, but they should have read the menu and realized they would be an Asian style wing. From my experience Asian wings are normally fried and are lightly sauced. Domenick enjoyed them, but there was A LOT of garlic on them so if you are planning on kissing anyone or having a romantic evening I would not recommend getting them. Out of the 3 people that got these only 1 would recommend them.

 Chicken wings

A friend was deciding between the squid and the mussels and I had read on a few blogs that the mussels were to die for. He said they were too small for his liking, but the broth was good.  

Unfortunately, the yuca fries came out with so much red chili mayo that they looked and tasted like cheese fries. I totally forgot they came with cilantro chimichurri until my friend said hmm there’s green stuff on this one. Then I tried the chimichurri and it was AMAZING. I was very disappointed that I was saving room for my entrée at this point so I couldn’t eat anymore with the chimichurri. Next time I would get the mayo on the side since it overpowered even the fries.  Everyone else enjoyed these though. Oh and there’s enough to split between 4 or more people

 Yuca Fries

Entrée’s

Four people ended up getting the Lobster bowl, which I remember being amazing from my meat-eating days and they all agreed it was one of the best dishes of the night, if not the best. It’s basically like Fettuccine Alfredo with bacon, peas, and lobster. Now how can that EVER be a bad thing? Well unless you’re a veg of course!

 Lobster Bowl

When the Pho came out I was very jealous. It was basically a noodle bowl if anyone has been to the noodle shops in Hawaii, but it had Kobe! The Kobe was placed on top and it was raw. Then when mixed in with the broth it cooked. So you could “cook” the Kobe to your liking. If I was a meat-eater I would have to try this dish. I really wish there was a veg version of this… I actually may try to replicate this soon because I’ve been craving Ramen.

 Pho

The Pork Bowl was very similar to the pho but with cooked pork, once again I was envious of this dish. I really need to find a place that offers veggie ramen and not the crap out of the packet! 

 The Pork Bowl

I got the veg version, but the “meat” version comes with jumbo lump crab. It was very sweet and spicy like a red curry but I LOVED the addition of edamame and eggplant which I’ve never had in a curry before. 

 Red Curry

I don’t remember the name of the dish but it was a veg version of a tamale with mushrooms. It was a little too bland for me but it was still really good. If you are a veg and do not like spicy, this dish is for you.

Drinks

A big hit with the guys was the Allagash on draft. It happens to be one of my favorite beers but I was in the mood for cocktails.

My favorite and the collective favorite cocktail of the night was the Yuzu & Thai Basil Caipirinha. It was simply amazing. Light and refreshing, it was the perfect summer drink. 

 Yuzu & Thai Basil Caipirinha

I also tried the Freseca. It was like a gin mojito, it was also really good but nothing could compare to the Caipirinha.Then I saw the Spicy Margarita. I love spicy and I love margaritas. Unfortunately, this was worst decision I’ve made, probably in my whole life. It honestly tasted AMAZING, but after two sips I had the WORST heartburn I’ve ever had in my life. Between three people we could only choke down ½ of this drink. Please do yourself a favor and avoid this drink at ALL COSTS!!!! You’ve been warned!

 The Drink from HELL

Dessert

After the fire in my throat, esophagus, and stomach, I didn’t really want dessert but I figured maybe it would cool the fire down. I had the Banana-Passion Mousse. It was alright but I probably wouldn’t get it again. It was a waste of calories.

 Banana-Passion Mousse

Domenick had the Captain Crunch Donuts. Everyone made fun of him for getting them, but they were AMAZING! When it comes to dessert don’t try to do light and refreshing because you will be disappointed like I was. 

  Captain Crunch Donuts

Two people had the Turron De Chocolate. I don’t remember what they said about it and I didn’t try it, but my advice is, get an order or two of the donuts and pass them around the table!

 Turron De Chocolate

Chifa is a great restaurant and I will be back!

After a stop at Walgreens for Tums because I was still hurting, we went to APO because it was closer than Franklin Bar. I wish we wouldn’t have stopped here because Franklin was so amazing. At APO, the drinks were alright. Actually the best drink there was non-alcoholic. Since I was still feeling the burn after eating a ton of Tums, they mixed me up some ginger ale with bitters. It was very yummy and I would recommend it.  As for the alcoholic drinks my advice would be the Whiskey flight. It was a decent price for what you got and it will get your drunk fast, which is critical because of the high drink prices in the city. 

After the disappointment of APO and after I was feeling better, we decided to leave and go to Franklin Mortgage & Investment. Unfortunately, we only had little over an hour to get there and get drinks, well a drink. The damn train’s latest departure to Lansdale is at 11:20…grr…way too early for the city!

Franklin Mortgage & Investment is named after the largest alcohol ring in the country (during the prohibition). It is also modeled after a speakeasy and it was the best bar I have ever been too. But you have to know my style. I was born during the wrong time period….

When we got to the bar which has a very small sign (we actually passed it since it was below a salon) we were asked how many and then the bouncer went down to clear it with the people inside the bar. Our ID’s were checked and then we were led down the stairs into the bar. They seated us at a large table with a comfy booth and chairs. They’re menu is quite extensive, but they are all classic drinks with a new-age twist.  The best part is that they are all made with fresh juices, fresh ice, and REAL ingredients. You won’t get Cranberry Cocktail and Vodka here folks. The drinks we had were all wonderful and unfortunately I do not remember their names, but there are some pictures below.

 

 

For the drinks that were like manhattans the waitress came out lit an orange peel on fire and then rubbed it around the glass. It was a pretty amazing show.

I’m so disappointed we only had an hour here and only 1 drink, but I will definitely be back!

Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas

For some reason I love the combination of pasta and asparagus. My favorite is gnocchi with asparagus, which hopefully I will make soon. This Friday my husband and I wanted to stay in, drink some wine, and watch a movie. I’d been craving pasta with asparagus yet again, so I figured I would make a new recipe. Since it is incredibly hot out, I wanted a light pasta dish. Cream sauce was out of the question and we are running low on homemade marinara sauce so I figured a white wine sauce would work. Here is my new recipe:

½ lb of Egg Tagliatelle (sometimes hard to find so you can sub fettuccine if you’d like)
2 bunches of asparagus tips cut into ½ inch pieces (I actually found tips instead of spears so I just trimmed the very edge off)
½ bag of frozen peas (preferably sweet peas)
2 tbsp of evoo
2 large cloves of garlic
S&P to taste
1 tbsp of fresh chopped oregano
1 tbsp of fresh chopped thyme
½ cup of starchy cooking liquid
½ cup of white wine (I used pinot grigio)
The juice of 1 ½ lemons (try to use fresh juicy sweet lemons)
2 tbsp of fresh basil

Bring 2 large pots of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta al dente to the packaged instructions. In a large pan heat evoo and sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes then add the oregano, thyme and S&P. Once the herbs are fragrant about 5 minutes on low, add the white wine and starchy cooking liquid. Add your asparagus and peas to the other pot of boiling water and boil them until the peas are no longer frozen but still crisp and your asparagus is still crisp. No limp veggies here. Add the juice from the lemons to the pan and drain the pasta and the veggies. Toss the veggies, pasta and sauce in a bowl. If the pasta is not loose enough add some more evoo. Garnish with freshly chopped basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese and then serve immediately. I hope you enjoy this light summer pasta as much as we did!

Lemon Basil Mojito

Clearly from my last few posts you can tell that I’m OBSESSED with herbs. One of my favorite herbs is basil, I eat it almost every day. It’s just one of those flavors that says “its summer”. If you know me at all you know my favorite alcoholic drink is a mojito. Last year I started making basil mojitos and they are a refreshing change from mint mojitos.  I always have a ton of basil in the summer so they are more convenient for me, especially on a Friday night after a long day at work. This time I didn’t have limes so I used lemons, which worked well because I also had lemon basil.

3-4 slices of lemon

A bunch of basil (I used lemon and Italian basil)

2 tsp natural sugar (You can add more if you like it sweeter)

A shot or 2 of your favorite rum (I probably used 2)

Ice

Seltzer or Club Soda

Get a big glass, one that won’t break. Add the lemons, basil, and sugar and then muddle. If you are like me and do not own an actual muddler, use the back of a wooden spoon. The sugar will dissolve with the juice of the lemon and it will also bruise the basil, which will release the flavor. Once you have muddled the mixture fill the glass with ice, pour in your shot of rum, top with club or seltzer, and give a stir. Mojitos are so light and refreshing and are the perfect way to start a weekend. On a side note the pictures all came out blurry. I guess I should take them before I start drinking!

Shells with Neufchatel Cheese Sauce

I had ½ a jar of homemade red sauce in the fridge and a ½ of a 8 ounce container of Neufchatel Cheese (like cream cheese) so I figured why not put them together to make a pink sauce! I also had a ton of fresh herbs from the garden so I decided to add some of them too. It made a great quick and easy dinner.

½ a jar of tomato sauce about 8 oz (preferably homemade)
4 oz cream cheese
A handful of freshly chopped basil, parsley, and oregano
½ lb of whole wheat shells

I added the ½ jar of sauce to a small pot and brought it to a simmer. Then I added the 4oz of Neufchatel until it was fully incorporated. Chop up the fresh basil, Italian flat-leaf parsley and add it to the sauce. Simmer until the pasta is done. Cook your pasta to your packaged directions and drain (NEVER RINSE PASTA). Add the pasta and sauce to a bowl, mix, and then serve. Garnish with more fresh basil.

Herbed Cream Cheese

Over the weekend my friend Britt came to visit and just happened to bring bagels from her local market. We decided we wanted something more than boring cream cheese so I made herbed cream cheese for them. Making your own flavored cream cheese is so much better than buying it because you control the quality and quantity of the ingredients and of course you aren’t going to add HFC, MSG, or other harmful additives. For me making herbed cream cheese is rather simple because we grow a ton of herbs. Honestly there’s not going to be measurements for this recipe because I just grabbed a bunch of herbs, washed and dried them, then snipped them with scissors into my cream cheese (organic valley spreadable Neufchatel cheese), added onion and garlic powder and then viola herbed cream cheese.  I used the following herbs: basil, chives, Italian flat-leaf parsley, oregano, and thyme, but feel free to use your favorite herbs. I did not add S & P to my mixture; instead I spread the cream cheese on my bagel and ground fresh salt and pepper on it. It was wonderful and I also used it as a spread on some good whole grain bread. It would be a wonderful dip for veggies too but in that case I would add some S&P to the spread.

Our Garden

My husband and I put a garden in 4 years when we first bought our house. Gardening is a tradition in both our families, so when we bought our first house we knew that we would put a garden in ASAP. This year I cannot take much credit because my husband did most of the work, but in all fairness, I tried to help and he didn’t want my help because “I wouldn’t do it right”. Men! Anyway, I buy all the seeds and plants because we garden organically, which means without pesticides and other harmful products. I get my seeds and plants from: Whole Foods, Lowe's (seeds only), the Piazza at Schmidt’s (plants), and a few plants at an organic grocery in VA beach. This year we have: carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, a ton of tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, pineapple mint, dill, cilantro, oregano, basil, purple basil, lemon basil, Italian flat-leaf parsley, sage, and thyme.

Here are some pictures of the garden now. I will post more of the garden as it grows.

Tomato Plants

Pineapple Mint

Herbs

 

Basil

Peppers

Some peppers are already on

Lettuce

Carrots

Flower on the tomato plants we have some tomatoes on already but the pictures didn't turn out

Full view of the garden

The lower part of the garden

Cucumbers

Grilled Asian Sirloin Steak with Grilled Asian Veggies, Cilantro Lime Rice, and Grilled Corn on the Cob

Since it’s been so nice and warm outside, I was really in the mood to grill. My new favorite thing on the grill is grilled veggies of any kind, but let’s face the grill makes everything better. I do suggest getting a grill pan if you intend to grill veggies because veggies fall between the grates quite easily. One great tip for the grill is marinating. You can change the flavors of any meat or veggie just by the marinade. When I grilled I was in the mood for hibachi so I created my hibachi style marinade from some of the ingredients I’ve seen Chefs use while making Hibachi. The steak and veggies had a slightly different marinade but feel free to use either whichever one appeals to you.

Grilled Asian Sirloin Steaks

A few splashes of soy sauce. Enough to coat the bottom of a pyrex to marinade the steak. I’d say probably an 1/8 of a cup if I had to guess.

A few splashes of evoo about 3-5 tbs

A few splashes of sake about 5 tbs (this is the key ingredient in the marinade to make it taste like hibachi)

Clearly this marinade is not a science. Just make sure you have enough to cover about half of the steak so when you flip it the other half gets some marinade too.

Sprinkle each side of the steaks with ground ginger, salt, pepper, and your favorite grill seasoning and then place in the marinade. Marinade each side of the steaks for 15 minutes or until the marinade soaks in.

Grill about 3-5 minutes on each side on medium depending on the thickness and your meat preference.  Let rest for a few minutes and then serve.  On a side note if you do not let you meat rest all of the juices will run out and you will be left with a rubbery juiceless steak! Always let your meat rest!

Grilled Asian Style Vegetables.

For this I used a few small zucchini, 2 portabella caps, ½ a medium red onion, and 2 small crowns of broccoli. Trust me this is enough for 4 people with leftovers!

A few splashes of soy sauce once again about 1/8 cup

A few splashes of evoo about 3-5 tbs

A few splashes of sake about 5 tbs (this is the key ingredient in the marinade to make it taste like hibachi)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

About  1tsp of ginger

About ½ tsp of red pepper flakes (this can be omitted if you do not like it spicy)

About ½ tsp garlic powder

Once again make enough marinade to coat the bottom of the bowl or pan. I like to use 2 bowls or pans with vegetables because the marinade likes to settle at the bottom so I transfer the top veg to the bottom of the other pan and then the marinade hits them. Or you can stir frequently.

Put your veggies on grill pan or on in an aluminum pan and grill for about 10-15 minutes on medium. Make sure you scoop out the veg with a slotted spoon because the marinade will just go on the grill and create a lot of smoke. Make sure to save the marinade because after the vegetables are cooked but still crisp toss them back in the bowl with the marinade and serve. It makes a wonderful sauce/dressing.

I can only comment on the veggies but they were really good and a heck of a lot cheaper to make at home than to get at hibachi.

Rice is a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and veggies. Sure you can grill some potatoes or sweet potatoes for a starch but I wanted something light and refreshing. I had some Cilantro in the fridge, so I thought Cilantro Lime Rice would be a great addition to my meal. I’ve had it at a few places including Chipotle, so I looked up how to make it. A lot of people suggested adding the lime and cilantro to the beginning of the cooking process but it wouldn’t be light and summery if you did it that way, so here’s my recipe.

1 cup of uncooked white Thai Jasmine Rice (cook to the packaged directions with water and a few dashes of sea salt)

Once the rice is cooked, stir in some evoo, about 1 tbs, to get the rice nice and shinny and to keep it from sticking. Then squeeze the juice of one lime. My lime was small and not juicy so I popped it in the microwave for 10 seconds before I cut it to get more juice out of it. Stir the rice to make sure the lime juice is distributed over the rice evenly. Then chop about a ½ handful of cilantro and stir into the rice. Fluff with a fork and serve. This rice was very flavorful and the best version of cilantro lime rice Domenick and I’ve had. This will serve about 4-6 people.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

1-2 Cob’s per person

Shuck the ears of corn and get some crushed ice. Cut a piece of aluminum foil and place the corn on the foil and add the crushed ice on the side of the corn and then wrap. Place on grill turning every once in awhile. These will cook in 15-20 minutes. Then add your favorite condiments. I like butter or Earth Balance spread and salt or butter/earth balance spread with Aww Shucks seasoning and parmesan cheese.