food

Open Faced Summertime Tomato Sandwich {& a Nasoya Nayonaise Review}

July 16, 2013

I haven’t been into cooking during the week. I try to do all my ‘big’ cooking done over the weekend and then just make something simple like boxed mac and cheese during the week. It’s too hot. I’m too tired. I don’t care.

But since I can’t live on boxed mac and cheese alone (or can I?), I’ve been trying to make some simple salads or sandwiches, besides PBJ. One that I have been turning to is a summer time favorite… a tomato sandwich.

I just feel that you can’t beat fresh summer produce so you should take every opportunity you can to enjoy it. And don’t mess around with it too much. Some bread, your favorite mayo, fresh greens, and slices of juice ripe tomato. Plus don’t forget the fresh cracked salt and pepper. Really, enjoy the best of every ingredient since there are only 4.

I recently received some Vegan Nayonsise from Nasoya to try. I’ve really been enjoying it on sandwiches, in dips for fries, and on burgers. Yes, I know. Dumb Dumb puts vegan mayo on a meaty burger. I’m pregnant. That’s my free card to do whatever. But really, because it is so good I’ve been putting it on and in all different things. I think that’s really impressive since I ONLY use Hellmann’s. Don’t try to give me Cain’s or Miracle Whip.

So naturally, I was hesitant to try the Original Nayonaise. But I was really pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. No, this is not your typical mayo since it is Dairy and Egg Free, which means it is not going to taste the same or look the same as a ‘normal’ mayo but it really is very good. I think it is a great solution for someone to enjoy if they are vegetarian, vegan, or have a food allergy.

I had done some side by side comparisons while playing around with the Nayonaise by making some foods with it and some with regular mayo and mixing them up. If you were not really looking out for the difference I think you would not really notice it. The taste is subtually tangier than Hellmann’s, but I don’t think that is a bad thing. I never experienced a funny after taste with the Nayonaise either. I think the biggest difference I noticed was that it has a different texture compared to mayo. When mayo is pretty smooth, it is rather gummy, but I didn’t notice any problems mixing it up or spreading it on my sandwich.

Besides it being a great product for vegetarians, vegans, or people with food allergies, I think it would be great for people who are watching their figure. Compared to the average mayo that has 90 calories, 10 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat per serving, the Nayonaise has only 40 calries, 3 grams of fat, and .5 grams of saturdated fat per serving. The Nayonaise has slightly more sodium with 115 grams compared to 90 grams but overall a very healthy mayo alternative.

For real… look at this amazing perfect summertime sandwich.

Nom, Nom, Nom!!!

Open Faced Summertime Tomato Sandwich

Makes 4 ‘sandwiches’

Ingredients

1 boule of sourdough bread
your favorite mayo, such as Nasoya’s Vegan Nayonaise
2-4 super fresh tomatoes, depends on size
4 leaves of romaine lettuce
salt and pepper

Process

Slice the sourdough into 1/4″ thick slices. Lightly toast, if desired.
Slather on a generous amount of mayo.
Lay on torn pieces of romaine lettuce. Top with 1/4″ thick slices of tomatoes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

*While I did receive this complimentary jar of Nayoniase from Nasoya, these opinions are entirely my own.

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Our Cruise Dining- Carnival Cruise 4 night New England/Canada Cruise

July 25, 2012

Did you know that avg cruise passenger gains one and 1/2 pounds PER DAY?

Yep! Well that is what Cruise Director Josh said during an info session on Friday morning on our first day Fun Day at Sea. Umm, excuse me? 1 1/2 pounds is 5,250 calories. An extra 5,250 a day! How the hell is that possible?!?! As I sat there in stunned disbelief I started to consider that on a cruise people would eat larger, more indulgent meals, eat more often, and drink a lot of high caloric alcoholic drinks. Well that made me immediately want to die. It actually was good to hear that as it made more much more aware of what I was ordering and made me (try to stick to) the 3 bite rule for desserts.

Here is a little run down on the meals we had in the main dining rooms. There were plenty of amazing food that we enjoyed from the buffets and serving stations for other meals but I didn’t bring my camera around for everything. I do really suggest going to the Mongolian BBQ (Stir Fry) station because that was so good… glass noodles with shrimp. yum!

For sit down meals in the main dining rooms there was a menu that had the standard menu items (left page) and the specials of the day (right page).

-Thursday Dinner-

Cream of Sun-Dried Tomato Soup. Must make this at home

Grilled Flat Iron Steak- Price didn’t get to eat this tonight, he had a horrible headache and went to bed. I was tempted to eat 2 dinners, but I didn’t. I swear!

Steamed fish on a bed of tomatoes & onions, a teeny tiny portion of mac & cheese, and steamed, glazed carrots. Everything about this was perfect

-Friday Lunch-

The weather was crappy and it was the first day at sea so we decided to have a long lunch in the dining room instead of the various stations on the lido deck.

My California roll sushi and Price’s Mongolia Hot Pot. We both loved our appetizers. The sushi roll was made with real crab, none of that imitation junk!

Shrimp and crap sandwich. Not what I expected but it was good. I did find that all of their tomatoes were not a great quality and/or under ripe and didn’t eat any on the cruise.

Creme Caramel. ‘nuf said

-Friday Dinner-

Must hydrate after an afternoon lying out by the Azure Lido (adult only) Pool. We split a bottle of wine for dinner. (Maybe that’s why I fell asleep during the show that night!)

Stuffed mushroom starter. This was very light and so good! Mushrooms stuffed with spinach and topped with some cheese.

Broiled lobster and shrimp with mashed potatoes and broccoli. I heard some people swapping out the shrimp to get some steak instead- wow!

Melty chocolate cake and a carmel apple napoleon. The chocolate cake was insanely rich and the portion was insanely large. I honestly think they should make it half the size, which is what we had and that was pushing it. The napoleon was great and will be easily recreated at home.

-Saturday Breakfast-

Just as the woman next to Price said ‘No, thank you. It’s too early for a drink.’ I ordered one for us. That is just how we roll. It was 8.10 in the morning.

Worst eggs benedict that I have ever had. I had a side of hash. I ignored at as well as I was so turned off from the meal in general. At least that meant I had room for a great lunch in Saint John.

-Saturday Dinner-

ah-MAH-zing french onion soup

Penne with shrimp, scallops, calamari, and mussels. This reminded me of penne al la vodka, but with very fresh sea food.

We always ordered different desserts so we could always have a taste of each other’s. We shared the date and fig cinnamon cake with rum raisin ice cream and a diet lemon cake.

-Sunday Dinner-

My starter: Maryland crab cake | Price’s starter: small portion of the grilled chicken breast over pasta with a mushroom cream sauce

I did not like this as it had olives- which the menu did not say. I picked out all the olives but I could not get past it to enjoy it.

Orange souffle with a vanilla cream sauce. This was the after pic.

I give a lot of credit to the chefs and staff on board for preparing and serving such wonderful dishes. I’m proud of myself when I can cook for a party but I can’t imagine cooking for THOUSANDS of people. Amazing job.

Best Pancakes Ever- Polly’s Pancake Parlor

July 9, 2012

We don’t typically have pancakes at home. I tend to burn them or ruin them in the flip. Plus I tend to enjoy waffles more. Mitch Hedberg and I would have been best brunch friends as we share similar views on pancakes and waffles.

That being said Polly’s Pancake Parlor is the only place that I LOVE for pancakes. We typically only go there when we are camping in the Whites, as a 2 1/2 hour drive just for breakfast is a little tough. So while we were in the area to see the sunrise at Mt. Washington, Price planned on us going there to have breakfast. sweet!

While they have a large menu we each go to the pancake sampler when we are there. Price went with plain blueberry, whole wheat walnut, and cornmeal coconut with a side of bacon.

I had cornmeal (no add-in’s), whole wheat blueberry, and plain chocolate chip with a side of sausage. nom nom nom!!!

They bring the pancakes out in 2 batches so that by the time you are nearing the finish line your pancakes are not cold!! The pancakes are so good and are such a treat but they still got the best of me and I left defeated- ha!

This cat found Price and had some fun running around after him as he was making a call. Clearly the cat knew Price is highly allergic and knew it would be much appreciated to rub its body all over him.

Well, obviously…

Polly’s Pancake Parlor

672 Route 117 (Sugar Hill Rd.)

Sugar Hill, NH 03586

603.823.8849

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Filet Mignon Eggs Benedict @ Cafe Mirage, Port Chester NY

June 20, 2012

In the past my mom has ventured up to Boston to spend mother’s day up here but for the most recent one Price and I went back to G-town to spend the weekend there. It was a whirlwind weekend, as per usual, because my nephews were also performing in a local performance of Beauty in the Beast. So Saturday quickly became Sunday and we found ourselves at Cafe Mirage in Port Chester, NY.

I had called all around for Mother’s Day brunch reservations and thankfully we got one at Cafe Mirage. They don’t normally do brunch so I don’t think a lot of people thought of them for the typical M.D. brunch. We were able to get a table for right when they opened. Score! I was so glad that I thought about Cafe Mirage because it is one of my favorite places in the area. We’ve gone there to celebrate my birthday in the past as well as just go out for a great meal.

My mom and I both ordered the Filet Mignon Eggs Benedict that Chef Dave Haggerty created for the brunch. As soon as I saw that as an option I knew I would have to have it!!! (Price had the Chicken and Waffles and loved it.) And I was so happy that I made that decision when it was brought out to us. The pieces of filet mignon sat on toasted cutouts of hearty multi-grain toast and on that set two perfectly poached eggs and a spicy hollandaise sauce. The eggs has to have been so fresh since the yolks were so bright. The hollandaise was also very bright, but it was studded with fresh peppers and tiny piece of vibrant green chives.

Hello lover…

Each steak medallion was rather large and carefully seasoned. But in general the steak really spoke for itself, which I really appreciated. I had ordered it medium-rare and it came out medium but it was still so very good. I guess it was good that it came out medium anyway as the foundation of the eggs benedict was a piece of toasted multi-grain bread. It was nicely toasted and tasted really good. I would have enjoyed it more on a sandwich (oh my gawd thinking about a chicken salad on that… drool!) more than the eggs benedict. I just think that it did not stand up to the steak juices and hollandaise very well, but that is just me.

The eggs benedict did not come with a side but the meal itself was more than enough. Hello!?! Steak!!! But that made me even more glad that I did order a bloody mary. Our waitress told us that co-owner Katy is a pro at making bloody mary’s and that were in luck that she was there to make it for us. Thankfully it did live up to the hype! Plenty of horseradish and lemon, and just a tiny bit of pepper.

Rating

Multi Grain Toast– 12 pts

Filet Mignon– 18 pts

Poached Egg– 25 pts

Hollandaise Sauce– 25 pts

Bloody Mary– 9 points

Total: 89/100

While Cafe Mirage does not always serve brunch you should still give them a try for lunch and dinner. Some of my favorite dishes are the Bangkok Mussels, Old School Chopped Salad, and Coconut Curry Shrimp. They have a great selection of dishes you can try out. Give them a call when the next holiday approaches and see what they have up their sleeve for brunch.

Cafe Mirage

531 North Main St

Port Chester, New York 10573

914.937.3497

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Garlic Butter Noodles with Scallions and Sambal

June 18, 2012

When the cat’s away the mice will play. Or in this case, when Price is away, Nicole will eat garlic noodles. And Price was just in Vegas for a guys trip so I obviously made these!

Years ago I saw a post on White on Rice Couple for Garlic Butter Noodles. They were sharing a recipe they adapted from Jaden’s new The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. Umm, big whoop! I’m Italian so I grew up on pasta with butter and a bit of garlic. Well, shutthefrontdoor this is totally different and amazing. I knew I would have to immediately make this recipe. The noodles, garlic, butter, some sugar, and fish sauce were all calling out to me.

I was hooked from the start. Price, not so much. So this is now a dish that I make when he is working late or away. When he works late the second he opens the door he exclaims ‘YOU MADE GARLIC NOODLES!!! NOOOOO!!!” Why does he protest so much? Because no matter how many times I brush my teeth I still stink of garlic. I don’t mind but I’m not on other end of it. So you have been warned, but I swear it is worth it.

The combination of the butter, garlic, and brown sugar is out of this world. The garlic is slowly cooked in the butter just enough to bring out the flavors. (Don’t burn it! If you do, start over!) Then when you add the brown sugar it becomes caramel-y with the butter. That alone is great but then you add the fish sauce and soy sauce and the whole thing get a 1-2 punch with umami flavors. The scallions are a nice touch for flavor and texture. I add the sambal bajak for some some heat and spice, which I can’t get enough of in this. The recipe is quick, addicting, and will be a favorite in no time!

Garlic Butter Noodles with Scallions and Sambal

serves 1

Ingredients

4-6 oz spaghetti pasta
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1-2 tablespoons of sambal bajak

Process

Bring water to a boil in a medium size pot. Cook the pasta until al dente. Before straining set aside a 1/4 cup of pasta water.
In the empty pot that you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter over medium- low heat. Add the garlic. Stir constantly to prevent the garlic from burning. Once the garlic is golden brown add the brown sugar in. Constantly mix the sugar until is starts to bubble. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and pasta water. Turn up the heat to cook until it just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Add the pasta back to the pot with the scallions and mix until all the noodles are evenly coated. Enjoy with some sambal bajak (and a breath mint!)

What do you make when your significant other is away? Seafood? Wine and cereal? Dinner becomes eating cake while standing over the sink.

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