Fascinating.

Since I was apparently such a sport about the boat work, my husband offered to take me out to lunch. I did a quick Google search on my phone and found that Fox and Hound Wood Grille and Tavern, a place we had passed on previous trips, was right down the road.

The exterior of the Fox and Hound is super cute, all red and cream and looks like a little old house.

The inside is warm and cozy, with exposed brick and an array of brown accents. It felt comfortable, and was the perfect place for lunch.

As the marathon gets nearer, I am trying to be better about getting all of my nutrients, so, in addition to a Newcastle Brown in a frosty pint glass, I ordered this warm spinach salad. It was topped with goat cheese and a fruit and onion compote, brought together with a warm, lemony dressing. I stirred the goat cheese in so it coated the lettuce, and I dove in. Since I was chilly to begin with, this was  a great option, warming me up but also offering the health benefits of a salad. I loved it.

I also had a cup of clam chowder, which was delicious. It was nice and thick with tender clams and lots of potatoes. You can’t beat a good clam chowder.

Since we had a really hard time deciding on what to order, I also had some of my husband’s fish Reuben and fries. I love Reuben sandwiches, and this one had a creative twist, combining fried fish with Russian dressing, cole slaw, and Swiss cheese. Yum.

The restaurant was pretty quiet for lunch, and our waitress was friendly and helpful. We wanted to try so many menu items that we will definitely be returning.

I am so happy it’s Friday. I have not been a happy camper this week, and all I want to do is sleep. Next weekend we will be away for Easter, and the following is marathon weekend, so this one will definitely be for rest and some time alone.

What are you up to this weekend?

Congratulations to Daisy for winning the Edible Arrangements giveaway! Please email me with the address you’d like the basket shipped to next week, along with a phone number that the delivery person can call. Thanks to everyone who entered! I have another giveaway coming up Monday so stay tuned!

Technorati Tags: chowder, Food, Quincy, restaurant, salad

I started with a bag of whole wheat Israeli couscous from Bob’s Red Mill. I may be a whole grains loving nerd, but I can browse the Bob’s section at Market Basket for a really long time. I am so intrigued by how many different options there are. Melissa mentioned in a comment that Bob’s products are cheap at Ocean State Job Lot; I need to empty out the trunk of the car and head over there!

While I was boiling up some water to cook my couscous, I chopped my fresh asparagus and started thawing my Brussels sprouts.

I also got the oven heated to 425 in order to roast a small head of garlic. I went to a class at Whole Foods River Street last week with Chef Chad Sarno, and he showed us how to roast garlic in vegetable stock. I didn’t have any on hand, so I just filled this little ramekin about 1/4 of the way with water, chopped the top of the garlic off, and popped it in. It worked out really well and didn’t require oil.

Chef Sarno also showed us how to caramelize onions using a really hot pan, then deglazing it with liquid. I have tried this twice in the past week, and I have made the best caramelized onions I have ever made. Again, you avoid using unnecessary oil here but still get a great result. I am all for oil and other fats, but it’s nice to be able to cut back when you can.

While all of that was going on, I was stealing bites of asparagus. I can’t get enough!

When the couscous was cooked, I stirred the asparagus in, letting the heat of the couscous do its thing. I tossed the Brussels sprouts in with the onions and let them cook.

And then it was time to make the “sauce” for the salad. This might be a really weird idea, but it was delicious. I pureed the Brussels sprouts, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions with some salt, pepper, olive oil, truffle oil, and nutritional yeast, then tossed the couscous in it until coated.

This was definitely an interesting dish, and one I would make again. Pureeing the sprouts gave the salad a ton of flavor and nutrition without making it seem overwhelmingly filled with vegetables. It was a good way to use them up!

And it was very nice to have lunch all set for both of us for the next three days!

In other news, you may remember a call for recipes I posted awhile back. Well, the book is now available online:

You can find out more about Where Hash Rules and buy a copy by clicking on the link below.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/144495 or visiting the Amazon page:

Here’s a little bit of information about the book.

Where Hash Rules is the story of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, a cultural landmark in Boston since 1927, with tales and photographs about the many interesting characters who have enjoyed turkey hash and eggs through the years. Named an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation in 2005, the diner has evolved to be as much a part of local folklore as the tea party.

Have a great day, everyone!

Technorati Tags: asparagus, brussels sprouts, couscous, Food, healthy, Lunch, recipe, salad, vegan, Vegetarian, whole wheat

As you might have noticed, I have been blogging a little less (five days a week instead of six or seven) and not always about food. I have also felt that by not having to think of blog-worthy meals, I can focus on fast and healthy. If you have any topics that you are interested in reading about, let me know!

This dinner, which I also ended up eating for several lunches, is worth sharing because it was so delicious, quick, and satisfying.

We often order burrito bowls from our beloved South End spot, El Triunfo. They’re basically everything but the actual tortilla, which I rarely like, so they are perfect. In order to save some money, I decided to make our own burrito bowls, also known as salads.

My burrito bowl was a pretty easy mix:

Chopped romaine (I so prefer eating salad that is chopped into small pieces)

1 1/2 cups of black beans that had been soaked and slow cooked with chili and garlic powders, canned are also fine

1/2 of a ripe avocado

Homemade salsa

Homemade lime crema – This is why I am blogging about the burrito bowls. It is my new favorite salad topper and veggie dip. I added the juice of a very juicy lime to a cup of Fage Greek yogurt, added a few teaspoons of olive oil to get a more dressing-like consistency, sprinkled in chili powder. . . and wanted to lick the bowl clean!

Bright, colorful, delicious, and full of vitamins, protein, and filling fats – the perfect meal for me.

Have you enjoyed any easy, healthy meals lately that really stood out?

Technorati Tags: avocado, burrito, Food, healthy, recipe, salad, salsa, Vegetarian

On the plane back from Ireland and our first night home, I spent a ton of time planning meals to get back on track. I’m not cutting treats out (just got eight bottles of wine to sample!), I am just adding in more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish into my diet.

I had a major craving for grilled zucchini when we were doing a huge Market Basket haul on Sunday, and a dish Cara made for Elina’s party a few months ago had been on my mind ever since. The zucchini roll-ups, filled with goat cheese, raisins, and pine nuts, were one of my favorite dishes of the night, and for Sunday lunch, I decided to turn the flavors into a warm salad.

I started with two large zucchinis, cutting them into thick strips and coating them with olive oil. A hot grill pan did the trick; I just cooked until they were softened, with nice grill marks on both sides.

While the zucchini cooked, I rinsed some salted almonds (an accidental purchase) and roughly chopped them, breaking each almond into about three pieces.

I mixed the almonds with some golden raisins, and topped my cooked zucchini with the mix.

The finishing touch? A handful of crumbled goat cheese that nicely softened with the heat of the zucchini. All of the flavors in this dish worked together perfectly, and it was delicious, satisfying, and filled that salad void without leaving me cold! One of my problems in the colder weather is finding interesting ways to eat veggies in the winter, and I think using the grill pan will definitely come in handy this year.

I have a ton more Ireland posts to come, but there will also be lots of home-cooking so that I can be sure to fit in the nutrition I need. After all, I start Boston Marathon training this week!

Technorati Tags: Food, goat cheese, recipe, salad, Vegetarian, zucchini