I leave for a week, and the building next door skyrockets.
April 20, 2015
I leave for a week, and the building next door skyrockets.
April 19, 2015
I’m fairly offended, but mostly because I war with the impetus to crawl up my own ass.
Avocado Chicken Burger
This recipe makes a nice light burger that’s juicy, delicious from the fat, and a nice change from beef. It’s perfect with a sriracha mayo or asian-inspired dipping sauce, too.
Gluten-free, paleo, whole30
Avocado Chicken Burger
Based off the Chicken Avocado Burger recipe by Laughing Spatula
1 pound ground chicken
1 avocado, chopped
Juice of half a lime
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. onion powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. – 1/2 c. almond flour
2 big pinches Kosher salt & a few grinds black pepper
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Knead all ingredients together but the almond flour and avocado chunks. Your mixture should look really wet. Add half the almond flour, check to see if your mixture holds together (loosely is fine). Add the rest if needed.
Once your mixture is burger-able, gently fold the avocado into the mix.
Portion into 4 burger patties and pan fry over medium-high in 2 Tbsp. coconut oil 3-4 minutes per side (until cooked through and browned).
Serves 4
April 18, 2015
My DH surprised me with a farmers market tulip 🙂
April 17, 2015
Azaleas
April 16, 2015
Yay! I did hot yoga and didn’t die! Thought I was going to pass out a couple of times, but I made it through – and it was fantastic.
April 15, 2015
A quick from-the-road shot of the house my grandmother built with her husband from the root cellar up. She would be horrified to see that the paint isn’t immaculate and there’s junk on the side porch.
Not shown: the beautiful faux stained glass windows she designed and made, the brick floor shellacked to a high gloss shine, and the lovingly hand stained woodwork making up the two-story wall of bookshelves and catwalk.
April 14, 2015
We took a mini vacation from our vacation today at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach.
April 13, 2015
A very crappy, very hastily taken picture of a small portion of the spread we had at Raleigh’s Poole’s Downtown Diner this evening. In short: it was amazing, and the empire 2014 James Beard Award winner Ashley Christensen is building is not only exciting but exactly the kind of passionate, progressive business Raleigh needs – and deserves.
Before having the opportunity to dine at Poole’s, I had already gotten the distinct impression from the interviews I’ve read featuring chef Christensen, that Poole’s (et al) was a restaurant/concept/chef I could get behind and I’m happy to say I was right. Her passion for her adopted home and commitment to the revitalization of Raleigh’s downtown is inspiring, to say the least.
Poole’s local seasonal fare with a Southern lean feels like a love letter to Raleigh, highlighting what’s good in the Triangle – we had pork dishes, a variety of great greens, the best pimento cheese and chicken liver pate my husband and I had ever eaten, Mac and cheese that has edged out my DH’s as my favorite, and some truly wonderful takes on classic desserts. The staff was obviously excited about where they worked and were knowledgable, friendly and efficient.
The AC Group currently has seven open restaurants ranging from Poole’s Downtown Diner, to Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s (burgers), Joule Coffee + Table, Bridge Club (special events), rotating chef space Death & Taxes and Fox Liquor Bar. Aux Kitchen is coming soon.
This same evening, I waddled over to Fox Liquor Bar for after dinner drinks and was made to feel more than welcome by the bartender and server who helped pick the perfect drink(s), despite my being overwhelmed by the menu and so full from dinner that I could barely move.
On this trip, I also visited Joule for a delicious breakfast and the best almond milk I’ve ever had.
Next time I’ll make sure to book a spot at Death & Taxes and finally try Beasley’s’ chicken & waffles I’ve heard such good things about.
Primal Chicken Carbonara
Mmmmmmmm….. carbonara. How I have missed thee.
Carbonara was the very first dish I learned to make – the one dish, according to my mother, that one should always have in her back pocket to be broken out at a moment’s notice.
Short notice dinner guests and no time to make some sort of roast beast? Carbonara. Need a quick (but better than pizza and beer) way to say ‘thank you’ to the house full of dudes that just helped you move? Carbonara. Want to impress a boy? Carbonara. The in-laws? Carbonara.
Needless to say, this dish was an absolute favorite growing up and made appearances at my house often.
“My” version has changed over the years – first with fresh ingredients (no more shakey parmesan for me!), then to include veggies (peas, asparagus and spinach are all fantastic), then fresh pasta (to die for), and now a primal version. Not full paleo – I still love a touch of a nice salty cheese (sheep in my case) – but close.
If you’re squicked out by the raw egg, I’ll tell you what my mother told me over arched eyebrow when I first heard that IwoulddieifIateraweggsandtheworldwouldexplode: You’ll be fine. Rocky didn’t die when he ate all those raw eggs, now did he? You’re much less likely to expire from salmonella than getting hit by a bus.
Gluten-free, primal, paleo-ish
Primal Chicken Carbonara
1 spaghetti squash
4 pieces bacon
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. flat Italian parsley
2 Tbsp. pecorino, romano or parmesan (I used sheep)
1 egg
Green olives (pimento stuffed is best)
First, prep and cook your squash to make “noodles”. To prepare, lop off the ends of the squash so it can rest stably on a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed guts.
Place cut side down in a shallow dish or bowl, add a few Tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave on High for 14 minutes or until soft. Pull from the microwave and let cool.
Next, crisp your bacon in your largest skillet over medium heat.
Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and chop the garlic.
When crisp, remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Add the chicken and garlic to the bacon fat in the pan and hit with a big pinch Kosher salt and couple grinds black pepper. Sauté until cooked through.
While the chicken is working, halve your olives (the quantity varies – I love olives and will happily eat half a cup in mine; my husband doesn’t like them at all and wants nothing to do with them), chop the parsley, and scrape the spaghetti squash out with a fork to form noodles.
Lightly beat your egg.
When the chicken is cooked through, add the spaghetti squash “noodles” to the pan along with the parsley, cheese, and crumbled bacon. Toss to combine.
If everyone in your party loves olives, add them; if not, add them to the individual bowls.
Remove from the heat and make a well in the middle of the noodles. Add the beaten egg and toss quickly to coat everything – make sure to work quickly to combine and that your pan is off the heat, you don’t want scrambled eggs.
Divvy up and serve.
Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch
