A Girl & Her Mutt — A blog dedicated to Food. Wine. Fun!

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo a little early…

by agirlandhermutt on May 2, 2012

Hello friends! Yesterday was doom and gloom in Boston and it made me just want to crawl back under my covers and nap the day away. Unfortunately I have a job and they would probably frown on “napping” as my reason for not going to work. Instead I trucked my butt into work and secretly was glad that if I had to be at work that at least it wasn’t a beautiful day outside that I was missing.

I ended up having a good day and by the time I got home I was feeling festive, but ready to chow down. Fortunately I had some beans in the slow cooker and it turned into a Mexican Fiesta. Early Cinco de Mayo celebration?! Sure, why not?!

Any time I’m feeling a little hungry for tacos or Mexican food I whip up my favorite “Taco” Salad. It is super easy, full of healthy eats, and really filling!

Start with the base. Throw together whatever veggie goodies you like. I typically go with 2 c. of bibb lettuce mix, 1/2 c. chopped peppers, 5 or so grape tomatoes, a few slices of red tomato and 1/4 avocado. Always apply black pepper liberally.

While this looks delish, it isn’t quite there yet. Add 4 oz. ground turkey mixed with 1 tbsp of homemade taco seasoning or premade reduced sodium taco seasoning.

Eh. Alllllmmmmoooost there. Mix together 2 tbsp plain non-fat greek yogurt with 2 tbsp of your favorite salsa. I ran out of regular salsa so I added salsa verde this time. So creamy and a little savory!

Usually this would make the meal and I’d be settled on the couch watching People’s Court at this point. BUT! I thought ahead and put together some refried beans.

Slow Cooker Non-Refried Beans
In the mix (Serves 8, 1/2 cup servings):
-2 cups dry pinto beans
-1/2 onion, diced
-1/2 jalapeno, diced (or several jalapeno slices)
-2 garlic cloves, diced
-2 tsp cumin
-3 tsp salt
-2 tsp pepper
-1 tsp chili powder, optional but great for a little more heat
-8 cups water

*Throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours. Drain bean mixture, but reserve the liquid. Mash to desired consistency while adding in reserved liquid as needed.

However, if you are running short on time you could always do my K.I.S.S method for non-refried beans. No, these are not authentic, but they taste great and work in a pinch for when you are trying to satisfy a serious refried beans craving.

Lets just put this out there…refried beans DO NOT photograph well. Yes, I have lighting issues in general, but these just look disgusting. Kind of like baby poo? Ugh. I promise they tasted much better than they looked. I’m trying to cut down on my dairy intake so I skipped the shredded cheese this time and added a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

All together now…

Glorious. Healthified. Ole!

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In addition to this epic combo, I wanted to share some of my other favorite Cinco de Mayo recipes from other bloggers. All of these recipes and tips are sure to quench your thirst or satisfy your taste buds without adding inches to the waistline. You best believe that some of these will be on my plate this weekend!

-Skinny Beergaritas from Eat Yourself Skinny

-Mango Guacamole from Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen

-Grilled Fajita Tacos from SpaBettie

-Mexican Pizza from Beth’s Journey to Thin

-and some great tips on how to celebrate outside of the house from the Tone It Up girls!

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I hope you guys are having a great day! Tonight I am treating myself to some piloxing and a massage. How about that for fun Wednesday night?!

Will you be sipping a margarita at any point this weekend?

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Pop-Up Dinner: Barrio!

by agirlandhermutt on May 1, 2012

Hi friends! I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I was going to a pop-up restaurant for dinner and I couldn’t wait to tell you all about it. I got an email a few weeks ago asking if I was interested in two tickets to Barrio, a pop-up dinner from Wheeler del Torro, the guy behind the vegan treats at 3 Scoops. He was pairing up with Ex Momofuku chef Tim Maslow, who I happened to be aware of because he is now the chef at Strip T’s, a restaurant in my own neighborhood.

I immediately said yes!

Not sure what a pop-up dinner is? The idea of a pop-up restaurant or dinner is that the chef sets up shop in an unusual and unexpected space. Places like coffee shops, abandoned commercial spaces, and in our case, an ice cream shop, open their doors for diners to come together in a community style. There is no requesting the best table in the house or looking over a menu before you arrive. There is an element of surprise that is unlike any other restaurant experience. In most cases, the pop-up location is secret up until the night before the dinner. Surprise!

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The Scientist and I arrived Thursday night to 3 Scoops to see that the shop had been transformed into a lovely dining space with decorated tables, lovely floral arrangements, and a super friendly staff. Around this time is when I realized that my camera battery was dead. iPhone photos FTW! Ugh…bad food blogger.

All the little touches were in place, including mint and lemon in our own water carafe. I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal to most, but I can down around 32 oz of water in a typical dinner no problem so I love when the water is on the table.

We took our seat and were immediately poured a glass of Dom Perignon champagne. Gettin’ fancy… CHEERS!

Our first plate was a sampling of crostinis. Each was topped with a different vegetable, spread, fruit or cheese.

1: Red pepper hummus, blue cheese crumbles, and cantaloupe. I’m not a fan of melon, but I do love blue cheese and hummus!

2: Smoked fish spread, truffle, and mango. I loved the smokiness of the spread with the sweetness of the mango. It was a lovely combo!

3: Eggplant bruschetta with manchego cheese. I could eat both of these separately for a full meal (true story!) so the combo of these two was a winner on my plate.

4: Goat cheese, unidentified but slightly quinoa like mix, and grilled zucchini. This was my favorite of the entire plate. I love the hidden goat cheese and the softened zucchini was the perfect texture to finish off this bite.

Next up was the Wicked Small Caesar…or in my case a mixture of unique greens. I had mentioned that I wanted the vegetarian version of the whole because I don’t eat pork or red meat. It just is easier that way. I am assuming that the caesar salad was made with anchovies so I was given the alternative. Which was just delicious!

Next up…more greens! Of all the courses, this was my favorite. A soft poached farm egg was paired with early peas, ramps, and sesame. I used to think I hated peas. I realized that I don’t like mushy peas. These peas were slightly crunchy and when I had a bite with the runny yolk of the egg I was in heaven. There was a sweetness to this dish from the peas that was perfectly matched with the sesame and egg savory flavors. Must create at home! First I have to figure out how to poach an egg. Eh. Minor details. Winking smile

Our entrée for the night was a grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, roasted sunchokes, fried maitake mushrooms, and pickled peppers.

Veggie version was the same but without the skirt steak. I had never had roasted sunchokes before, but you can believe I will again. I loved the texture and the slightly sweeter taste when compared to the savory and crispy mushrooms. The pickled peppers were the perfect topper.

I guess The Scientist must have had a hungry look on his face or “I’m a big ol’ meat eater” sign on his back because our wonderful server offered him a second portion of the entrée. He said yes…of course. SERIOUSLY. That portion size is nuts.

The finale for the meal was unlike any other I have had. It was a chocolate and shiitake pot de crème with thyme butterscotch, crouton and lemon confit. There was something so delicate about the creaminess of this dish with bits of crunch from the croutons every now and then. The addition of thyme was genius and gave this dessert just a touch savory.

I was secretly hoping they would come by and offer me an additional portion of this dessert. No such luck though!

Our night at Barrio was wonderful. Our glasses of champagne were never empty and The Scientist and I got a chance to experience a meal that isn’t ever going to be replicated. The excitement of not knowing what was next or what to expect made for a fantastic night!

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Have you ever been to a pop-up restaurant? Do you they have them in your area?

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On a Quest for Beer

by agirlandhermutt on April 30, 2012

Hello friends! Did you all have a lovely weekend? I’m always surprised at how quickly a weekend with no real plans becomes so busy. A few of my girlfriends were in Florida for a beach/girls weekend and I was feeling a bit down the beginning of Friday since I wasn’t with them. I wouldn’t say I wished rain on them, but I would say that I was wishing I was at the beach rather than keeping up with work and life in Boston. Fortunately, I was able to fit in a few moments of fun over the weekend. No it wasn’t as fun as a weekend at the beach, but lovely all the same.

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Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to pick up my buddy, Meg, to head out to a Zumba class. My regular Zumba instructor at the gym has opened up her own space on Saturday mornings only ($12/class) and I wanted to give it a try. Her classes never have less than 100 people in them and sometimes that much sweat all up on me is a little too much for me. This new space only holds about 60 so that means fewer people were booty poppin’ on my arm.

The class was just as hard as ever. We heated that place up so much that the windows fogged up. You can see by the woman in the top right that you really get your $$$ worth in this class.

Locals, if you want to check out Jill’s class it is Saturday morning at 9:30am in Waltham at the Acrobatic Academy on Main St. clip_image00161_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb1_thumb[1]

After class we headed down to down the street to pay a visit to one of my fave Waltham restaurants, In A Pickle.

They are known for their ridiculous pancakes filled with candy. As delicious, and sugar coma inducing, as they sound I’ve never actually had these.

I went for something completely healthy and nutritious. Ha. Eggs in a Basket with cheddar cheese and jalapenos with a side of homefries. I managed to lose 6lbs last week but no worries…I gained it back with this breakfast.

Meg went for a slightly healthier option. I gave her a dirty look.

I spent the rest of the day doing some work, getting Korky all prettied up and catching up with household duties. At what age does that happen? I don’t remember having anything to do at my apartment when I was in my early 20s!

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Dinner was a night out with The Scientist. When we were in Vermont for my birthday in February we made a visit to a brewery called The Alchemist. They had the most perfect beer, Heady Topper. We brought a few cans home to drink and have been dreaming about it since then. Then The Scientist came across an article about Eastern Standard, a restaurant in Kenmore Sq, that had cans of our favorite elixar on hand. DATE NIGHT!

We split a bibb lettuce salad to start. I love when restaurants split the salad for you. We each got our own version on a little plate!

We also split the mussels. They were plump and cooked perfectly. I loved the addition of sundried tomatoes, but I wish the broth had a bit more flavor.

For my entrée I had the roasted chicken with red potatoes and mushrooms. The chicken was ENORMOUS! There was plenty to take home.

The Scientist went out of his normal choices and ordered the baked rigatoni with lamb sausage and topped with ricotta. The dish was huge and he had plenty to take home too.

We both sipped on the reason we went to Eastern Standard in the first place. Classy in a can. Delish!

Oh, and the best part of the night? You know, besides getting to spend some time with my love while eating a beautiful meal…my awesome new clutch! This bag is actually neon orange, or crossing guard orange as The Scientist calls it, and it is wonderful in every way possible.

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Sunday was spent getting ready for the week including meal planning and grocery shopping. Last week’s experiment with Tone It Up’s 5 Day Slim Down was quite successful (lost 6 lbs!), so I am hoping to keep up all the clean, green and lean eating this week.