What I Ate Wednesday #59: Ten Years Gone

I mentioned on Friday that Nathan and I were going out to Birroteca for dinner to celebrate 10 years together. We had heard so many fantastic things about this restaurant and decided this was the perfect time to cross it off of our bucket list [more on that later!] and I’m so glad we did. Every dish was absolutely wonderful! I think we might be experts on the menu now because we went all out!

Drinks

We got to the restaurant a little early so we took advantage of their happy hour drink specials. Wine for me, beer for him. The cocktail list looked awesome but we were waiting until we were seated for that.

His

Andrea Gail – Blackwell Spiced Rum, Ginger Beer, Boston Bittahs’

Hers

St. Germain, Sparkling Wine, Grapefruit

Cheers!

Appetizers

We couldn’t decide on one appetizer to split, so we had to get our own. They all sounded so good!

His

Italian Wedding Soup

I know, it doesn’t sound so exciting, but those tiny meatballs were packed with flavor! The broth had a little bit of a kick, the tomatoes were so fresh, and the barley had the perfect bite. I’d never had Italian wedding soup before, but this would have me coming back again!

Hers

Chopped Tuscan Kale, Heirloom Beets, Pumpkin Seeds, Radishes, Gala Apples, Apple Vinaigrette

Again, it may not sound like the most exciting appetizer, but the flavors blended so well. And that vinaigrette was something special. I’m definitely going to be trying to recreate it at home!

Veggies

No more his and hers. From this point on, we shared everything!

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Black Garlic Aioli

Whenever I heard anything about Birroteca, the crispy brussels were always mentioned. And how could I say no to brussels sprouts?! The aioli was so flavorful, you only needed a little on each bite and we were pleasantly surprised to find slices of salami throughout!

Eggplant Fries with Red Pepper-Caper Mayo

We hadn’t planned on getting the eggplant fries, but when we saw an order come out we knew we had to try them! Again, the aioli was packed with flavor and we were using it for everything! The eggplant was breaded and the crust stayed nice and crispy, even when we reheated them!

Entrees

Pasta

Homemade Pappardelle with Wild Boar Bolognese

If we’ve learned anything in the past few months, it’s that we must order homemade pasta whenever we see it on the menu. And with a wild boar bolognese? Like there was any doubt!

The dish was a bit saucier than I had expected from other meat sauces we’ve had in the past. The sauce was also thinner than I expected too, but we loved it nonetheless. The chunks of wild boar were tender and the homemade pasta was cooked perfectly.

Pizza

Duck Duck Goose – Duck Confit, Fig-Onion Jam, Balsamic, Fontina & Asiago, Duck Egg

Oooooh the pizza! The crust was soft but not too chewy. The fig-onion jam mixed with the balsamic gave the pizza a little barbeque flavor. The duck confit was meaty and rich, but didn’t overpower the rest of the flavors. The fontina and asiago mix was flavorful so the pizza didn’t need a lot of cheese. And what’s better than topping all of that with a nice, dippy egg?! It just made it feel extra special.

Dessert

Gluten-Free Apple and Pumpkin Cake, Pistachio Ice Cream, Toasted Pepitas, Pistachio Butter

I told Nathan that I was “comfortably full” before dessert came out knowing that would probably change! He said to me “it’s gluten-free so it’s good for you, right?” Luckily I knew he was joking. I took one bite, looked at him and said “yea. Tell me that’s healthy!”

It was so amazingly worth every single bite! The cake, topped with an apple ring, was so buttery and rich. The simple flavors were set off by the nuttiness of the pistachio ice cream and creamy pistachio butter.

Knowing that we were going all out, we planned ahead and got food boxed up as the next dishes were brought to the table. I’m sure people were laughing at our tower of boxes!

HELLOOOOOOOO LEFTOVERS!

But I bet they wouldn’t be laughing when they realized we got to have an awesome lunch on Sunday 😉

Best. Lunch. Ever.

I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate 10 years with Nathan. We gushed over all of the food the whole night, even after we left the restaurant. It was so fun experiencing something new with him again and it was almost like taking another little trip back to Italy. Any reminder of the honeymoon is a good time in our book!

Food for Thought

If you had to choose one dish from our menu, which would you choose?

Do you ever go out to dinner with big plans of trying wayyy more than you know you can eat, knowing you’ll take home leftovers?

What I Ate Wednesday #23 – Catching Up & Thanksgiving Brews

Holy slacker, it’s been a while since we’ve chatted! It’s been a crazy week and a half that unfortunately included a back injury. I subsequently dubbed last week the week of eating everything in site, which makes this week the week of getting back on track. I must be crazy thinking now is a good time to plan on getting back on track with Thanksgiving being Thursday, but hey, no time like the present, right?!

And speaking of Thanksgiving, as the resident “beer snobs” of the family, Nathan and I are always asked for beer pairings. We’ve been doing our Thanksgiving beer pairing research and I’m happy to share with you our top 5 finds! But first.. the eats.

[Breakfast]
Back to basics. My Tone It Up pumpkin protein pancake with banana slices and peanut fluff [2 tbsp peanut flour*, 1 packet stevia, & water to reach desired consistency]

[Lunch]
Kale salad with spaghetti squash, lots of veggies, and Powercakes Tahini Nooch sauce. This has been my favorite go-to dressing as of late. It’s packed with tons of protein and flavor.. think garlicky kale from Whole Foods. YUM!

[Dinner]
Roasted salmon with honey almond spaghetti squash. Simple but full of flavor!

[Snacks]
Grapefruit. (Not pictured)
Green Protein Piña Colada.. a Greeña Colada, if you will 😉

Quick recipe! Protein Greeña Colada
– 1 Premier Protein vanilla shake
– 1/2 frozen banana
– 1/4 cup pineapple chunks
– 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
– 1 cup spinach
– 2-4 ice cubes

Throw everything in your blender and froth up! This baby packs a 32g protein punch! Perfect for your workout days.

Apple and peanut fluff*.

*Peanut flour can be found on iHerb.com. Use code ZAF482 to receive $5 off of your first order.

Thanksgiving Brews

When pairing beverages with food, most people immediately consider wine. Beer is often an afterthought, but not in our house! I’ve been researching the top beers to pair with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and I think I’ve found the list that’ll make even your pickiest beer-drinker happy!

1. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
   

   Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen

   This is an easy-drinking, copper-colored beer that isn’t overpowering. It will compliment everything on your table from sweet potatoes to a hearty sausage stuffing, with its notes of caramel and smooth, subtle hops. At 5.8% ABV, this will be an all-around crowd-pleaser.

   Can’t find Ayinger? Look for Paulaner or Sam Adams!

2. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
   

   Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

   If you’re looking for a beer with a little more punch to stand up to your stuffing, SNPA is the way to go. A touch of citrus flavor and a slightly bitter, but balanced, taste provides a crisp, clean finish.

   Can’t find Sierra Nevada? Look for Flying Dog or Lagunitas!

3. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
   

   Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

   A beer that’s always found in our house, Kellerweis will satisfy any drinker’s taste. This fresh, crisp beer is a great way to start the evening paired with a creamy goat cheese or brie (which should definitely be on any list of appetizers!) It’s also the perfect way to end the night; with its subtle notes of banana and clove, you have the perfect companion to spiced desserts like pumpkin pie.

   Can’t find Sierra Nevada? Look for Paulaner or Victory!

4. Ommegang Abbey Ale
   

   Ommegang Abbey Ale

   You can’t go wrong with a Belgian-style beer; especially if you’re talking Ommegang Abbey Dubbel. Another beer that can stand up to the lighter dishes as well as heavier, this well-balanced beer with notes of fruits and molasses will pack a punch at 8.2% ABV.

   Can’t find Ommegang? Look for New Belgium or Chimay!

5. Rogue Chocolate Stout
   
   

   Rogue Chocolate Stout

   For those guests looking to go to the dark side, this chocolate stout is the way to go! It’s a silky, smooth beer with notes of chocolate and espresso. It is a perfect compliment to dessert, but can also stand up to the heavier dishes.

   Can’t find Rogue? Look for Evolution or Sam Adams!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Do you prefer beer or wine paired with your dinner? What is your favorite beer?

What I Ate Wednesday #22 – Election Day Eats

The day after a presidential election is always a good day. Whether you’re please with the result or not, I think we’re all glad the ads are over!

All politics aside, the day after election day means it’s time for another WIAW!

[Breakfast]
Poor, poor planning on my part of not requesting an absentee ballot, not changing my voting place to right down the street from where I live now as opposed to down the street from my parents house, and not attempting to vote early resulted in an early morning for this gal. Knowing this, I planned accordingly. Cinnamon overnight oats adapted from my Overnight Oats & Quinoa recipe made me quite happy while I was waiting in line to vote.

[Lunch]
Trader Joe’s has some awesome boxed soups. If you haven’t tried them yet, I’d highly recommend you get on it! I added some edamame and nutritional yeast* to my tomato and roasted red pepper soup. Delicious and full of protein!

[Dinner]
Thai red curry chicken with roasted broccoli, sweet potato, red onion, and turnip. I’ve become a big fan of Sharwood’s sauces and since finding a reasonably priced bag o’ garam masala, I’ve been looking forward to breaking out the Thai red curry. I’m happy to have leftovers 🙂

[Snacks]
A (not pictured) grapefruit in the morning and Gnu Espresso Chip Bar in the afternoon are added to the list. But the snack to top them all is my current favorite (clean eating) dessert. Vanilla greek yogurt with mini chocolate chips and peanut fluff (peanut flour*, stevia, & water). This has been satisfying my night time sweet tooth and has a good amount of protein to make it a great snack for after workouts. Sometimes when I need a little crunch, I top it with a few bunnies 😉

*I get my peanut flour and nutritional yeast from iHerb.com. Use code ZAF482 for $5 off of your first order.

Look out Friday! I have a delicious treat coming for ya that I can’t wait to share.

And big thanks to FitSugar for sharing my Pumpkin Protein Souffle with Cream Cheese Filling & Frosting!

Food for Thought

Did you stay up all night watching the election results roll in or did you find out this morning?

I zonked out at 11, but woke up at 2am and checked twitter to find out. Because really, where else do you go to learn about current events?! 😉

What I Ate Wednesday #13 – Birthday Edition!

It’s my birthday!

Or, at least it was yesterday. And what better way to celebrate then with some of my favorite foods and sharing them with you today.

[Breakfast]
For such an important day, I had to make sure to have my most favorite breakfast. Chocolate protein Coach’s Oats, topped with Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Spread and a fig, plus my Bombshell Spell on the side!

And no worries, I would never keep something so delicious from you. The recipe is coming soon 🙂

[Snack]
Grapefruit (not pictured)

[Lunch]
My lovely friend, Jessie, offered to take me out to lunch for my birthday. I decided to check out Brio, which happens to be right around the corner from both of our offices. I’d never made it over there, but I will definitely be going back! I got the Wood Grilled Salmon Salad, exchanging grilled chicken for the salmon. I was shocked when it came out; so many times I’m disappointed in the size of “entree” salads at restaurants, but this salad was huge! And super delicious. And the steaming hot sourdough bread to start out didn’t hurt either!

[Snack]
Vega One Chocolate Nutritional Shake. I have to say, I was quite impressed with the flavor of this shake. It was my first time trying this brand, and really any vegan brand of protein for that matter, and I’m looking forward to trying the other flavors!

[Birthday Flowers!]
He done good. Real good 🙂 Nathan definitely knows me well enough by now (almost 9 years!) to know that I’m not interested in a bouquet of roses. I just love all of the colors!

[Dinner]
Oh heyyyy awesome birthday dinner!

In the spirit of trying new things, we went to Dogwood for dinner last night. Neither of us had ever been there before, but we’ve heard so many good things about it over the years and I’m so glad we finally made it!

The meal started with a deliciously dense homemade bread served with mango butter; a little bit of sweet and a little bit of savory. I ordered the Summer Squeeze, a cocktail of watermelon juice, lemon juice, basil, and house-infused citron vodka. I’m a sucker for any kind of watermelon or cucumber cocktail so I had this one picked out before we even sat down!

For my first course, I chose the Grilled Summer Ratatouille.

Local summer squashes, eggplant & tomato, fresh basil

Nathan described this as a “hug in a bowl.” It was so fresh and flavorful; it was really the perfect comfort dish for a summer evening. Not to mention, it is vegan and gluten-free. For those of you Baltimorian’s out there that are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, I would highly recommend Dogwood; everything on their menu is noted, and they even have an entire vegan prix-fixe menu!

For my entree, I was between a few options, but landed on the Pan-seared Wild-caught Swordfish per our waiter’s suggestion.

North Carolina swordfish served with ruby grapefruit, jicama and avocado salad, baby arugula and yukon gold potatoes

He definitely did not steer me wrong! The fish was cooked perfectly, the salad was light and fresh, and the potatoes were creamy and flavorful. And those sauces were divine. I topped off my entree with a glass of white wine recommended, again, by the waiter; a little sweet to play off of the sweetness of the fish.

Dessert was an amazing coconut cake. And if you’re like Nathan or me, you immediately just thought of the coconut cake episode of Good Eats. I will be trying Alton Brown’s recipe very soon.. I couldn’t get enough of the cake!

Oh, and that glass of prosecco? On the house.

As if the food wasn’t wonderful enough, the service at Dogwood was the icing on the (coconut) cake! They were all very attentive and friendly, and always willing to share a recommendation. This restuarant gets a huge Barr & Table seal of approval. I can’t wait to go back!

[Summer Staples]
FIGS!

I completely forgot how much I love fresh figs and have reminded myself in the past week. I could have eaten the entire box in one sitting, but instead I decided to space them out and savor them. Oh, and Nathan doesn’t like them. Darn.. more for me!

Speak Up!

What is a food for which you’ve recently re-discovered your love?

What I Ate Wednesday #6 – Heavy Seas Ale House

I love nothing more than trying new things.. especially when it comes to food! I’ve been mixing up my meals a bit this week and trying new easy recipes. I also got to try a new restaurant in Baltimore; Heavy Seas Ale House. The food was delicious and the drinks were even better! So let’s get to it, shall we?!

Breakfast

Perfect morning quinoa with blueberries & almonds and a Bombshell Spell. All directly from the lovely Tone It Up Nutrition Plan!

Sensible Snack #1

1/2 grapefruit sprinkled with stevia. Alright, so not everything is getting mixed up this week, but what can I say? I’m a fan of the grapefruit!

Lunch

Summer shrimp salad.. another one from the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan. This is such a great meal for warm days! It’s so light and delicious and frankly, I’m a fan of topping anything with avocado!

Sensible Snack #2

GT’s Guava Goddess Kombucha is one of my absolute favorite drinks lately! If you have never heard of or tried Kombucha, get on it! And I would highly recommend the Guava Goddess, Gingerade, and Gingerberry flavors.

I was also so excited to try The Good Bean Chocolate Berry bar. These bars are full of fruit and no nuts! Typically I love almonds and cashews and other nuts in my bars, but this one replaces that crunchy texture with chick peas. So delicious and you really don’t miss the nut! (And how can you top dark chocolate and berries?!)

Dinner

We celebrated my parents’ 35th wedding anniversary at Heavy Seas Ale House. Nathan and I had only been there once before for drinks, but had been wanting to return and try the food; we’d heard so many good reviews!

Heavy Seas has become known for their beer cocktails. The first time we went there, I got the Gold Ale Cucumber Margarita. Holy yum!

“Heavy Seas Gold Ale”, resposado tequila, fresh lime juice, cucumber and house made golden ale syrup with a salted rim.

This time I had to try something new.. here we haveAny Port in the Storm. Again, holy yum!

Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, house made ginger syrup, lime juice, and “Heavy Seas Gold Ale”

We started out with 1/2 dozen raw Washington oysters. I’m not a big oyster fan, but I always try one when we get them. My parents loved them! I much preferred the Spicy Beer Nuts. I would definitely recommend them, but watch out.. they’re addicting and the spice builds!

Pecans tossed with sweet spices and “Marzen”

My mom and I both got the Crispy Rockfish Special over mussels and cockles, topped with zucchini, roasted corn, & bacon in a tomato broth. Delicious! I was happy to learn that crispy didn’t mean fried. It was cooked in a pan, skin on, so the skin was nice and crispy, but the fish was not at all oily.

We finished off with a lovely Flourless Chocolate Cake with bay leaf chantilly creme on a beautifully (and deliciously!) decorated plate. And to our surprise, every table gets to end their meal with these wonderful homemade mini chocolate chip cookies with a touch of spice! I have to say, I think I preferred the cookie to the cake!

I will definitely be returning to Heavy Seas to try some more delicious food! I hear the burgers and oyster po boy sandwiches are out of this world, so I think next time we’ll be trying out their lunch dishes. Can’t wait to report in on that!

Speak Up!

What’s the best dish you’ve had a restaurant recently?

What I Ate Wednesday #5 – My Favorite Sensible Dessert

Another week, another What I Ate Wednesday post! But this one has a recipe.. check it out!

Recently my eats have been looking rather similar on the day-to-day front. And I’m perfectly ok with that! Breakfast is looking something like this..

A Tone It Up pineapple protein pancake (and dare I say, I’ve totally mastered the flip!), topped with a drizzle of maple syrup, a couple diced up strawberries, some blueberries, some unsweetened shredded coconut, and a little extra sprinkling of cinnamon. Along side of that, I have the Bombshell Spell, which is a deliciously wonderful way of getting a little shot of apple cider vinegar into your life. These recipes come directly from the Tone It Up Beach Babe plan that you get when you purchase their membership plan, and are a part of the 5 Day Slim Down that I did last week. Since mastering the pancake, I’ve been craving it like no other. I could seriously eat it everyday.. sometimes twice a day!

Snack #1 is 1/2 grapefruit sprinkled with Stevia or Truvia and some coffee with almond milk.

For lunch, I’m loving some teriyaki marinated tofu with homemade pineapple salsa all wrapped in collard greens. It’s a relatively new-to-me idea to use the collard greens as wraps, but it’s wonderful!

My absolute favorite afternoon snack is my new Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake, and the past few times I’ve made it, I put 1 cup of spinach in. You don’t even taste it and you get that little bit of extra veggie.

For dinner, I mixed it up a bit. This delicious bulgar wheat salad with asian slaw and chicken really hit the spot! I found a recipe awhile back for Asian Quinoa Salad, but when I found myself at the store looking for quinoa that wasn’t there, I grabbed the bulgar wheat and went to town! Other than being a wheat product as compared to a grain, bulgar wheat has many of the same nutritional aspects as quinoa. It’s high in protein, low in calories, and low in fat as well! It also has a little bite to it that I really enjoy. Please excuse the not-so-lovely picture..

And now onto my favorite sensible dessert. I’ve pretty much made it every night for the past couple weeks.

Apple Pie Parfait

1 serving

Ingredients
1 apple – I prefer fuji
1/4 cup fat free vanilla greek yogurt
Cinnamon
Walden’s Sugar-Free, Calorie-Free Chocolate Syrup

Directions
Chop up apple into bite size pieces and toss with a little cinnamon. Put the apple in a glass and top with half of the yogurt, a little sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of the chocolate syrup. Repeat for the other half of the apple and yogurt, and devour!

If you really want to get fancy, throw some dark chocolate chips in there or even a little unsweetened shredded coconut.

I really love this as an after workout dessert because the yogurt gives me a little bit of protein, but it’s not too heavy before bed.

Speak Up!

What’s your favorite sensible dessert?

What I Ate Wednesday #4 – 5 Day Slim Down Edition!

Tone It Up has become a way of life for me and when this month’s WIAW theme of Sensible Snacking, I knew I wanted to share a regular day’s worth of eats. This week I’m doing the 5 day slim down, which essentially is a way to give your body a break from processed foods and helps you slim down. I’ve done it a couple times before and I love it! It’s not too intense and I feel so refreshed when I finish.

This week’s pictures are through the eyes of Instagram.. enjoy!

Breakfast

Tone It Up pineapple protein pancake with slice strawberry, some blueberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a little drizzle of maple syrup, and some unsweetened shredded coconut. Hello heaven! You wouldn’t believe this delicious pancake is so healthy and loaded with protein!

Mid-Morning Snack

My usual snack in the morning is 1/2 grapefruit sprinkled with stevia or truvia while I’m sipping away on my coffee with almond milk. Talk about sensible snacking.. grapefruits are so good for you! In fact, the lovely ladies at Tone It Up wrote an entire post about them!

Lunch

The slim down plan includes recipes for tons of delicious collard green wraps, but seeing as how I ran out of collard greens, I decided to make my wrap into a kale salad. So delicious!

To combat the bitterness of raw kale, I always try to marinate the greens overnight with a touch of EVOO, vinegar (white wine, balsamic, ACV all work!), lemon juice, salt, and pepper. This helps to soften the kale and gives it great flavor for your salad!

I topped my marinated kale with a fresh pineapple and red pepper salsa, and a homemade teriyaki turkey burger.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

A cup of almond milk and a Tone It Up bounce back smoothie. This smoothie tastes much better than it looks! Another example of sensible snacking, this smoothie, filled with tons of raw fruits and veggies, really fills you up and isn’t heavy at all.

Dinner

More turkey burgers! Nathan and I went to Sam’s club on Sunday and really loaded up on ground turkey so Sunday night I went to town! I made about 20 burgers.. half teriyaki and half herb.

I had 2 small herb turkey burgers topped with some delicious mango habanero salsa with a side of roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes. I roasted the veggies with coconut oil, which is rather new to me, but reading all about the benefits, I knew I had to try it. Kasey, Ms. PowerCakes, herself, uses coconut oil all the time and you just can’t argue with those results!

Dessert

One thing I love about the 5 day slim down is that it offers you a nice little dessert. I was just sticking to a piece of fruit, but after reading Kasey’s post on what to eat before bed, I’ve been adding 1/4 cup of fat free cottage cheese or vanilla greek yogurt to my dessert. And while this may look rather indulgent for a before-bed snack, I’ll assure you that the delicious chocolate syrup seen here is Walden Farms Sugar-Free, Calorie-Free Chocolate Syrup, as seen here, gifted by my foodie penpal last month! That stuff hits the spot!

I enjoyed my delicious yogurt with a drizzling of chocolate syrup, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and a kiwi on the side. A wonderful way to end the day!

And all of this on a “diet?” Well, that’s what is so wonderful about Tone It Up. It keeps me full and satisfied, and never bloated! I couldn’t ask for much more!