Lariol Plaza

god i am so behind. it is not even funny. i have about 20 billion posts to write…its been a busy few weeks for BOOF dining with buddies as summer 2010 sets in.

best buddies of BOOF who were previously featured in the trip to Zaytinya were back for our last gathering in this great city together before we all set off for the next adventures in our lives. it’s been a great year and it has gone too fast but it is funny how these things work out. who would have thought that we not only would remain so close after meeting on another continent but then we would end up in the same city. i miss this already.

it has been a long time coming since my last trip to lauriol and i honestly think that i have been craving it since then. there have been ample opportunities for me to get to go to lauriol since but it has never seemed to work out, so when were looking for somewhere to enjoy our last dc dinner, it was only natural that i through out the idea of lauriol and everyone was excited. i mean what is summer without a swirl margarita?

lauriol is located on the dupont circle/adams morgan border in a seemingly quieter part of both dupont and adams morgan. lauriol is known for their great space but also very very very busy dinner hours. it is a HUGE restaurant which is necessary as they always have a wait after 6:30 on any given evening. It has a very modern flair and we opted to sit outside on this warm early summer evening, but their outdoor seating is wonderful because it 1) is covered (barring the numerous impromptu sun showers) and 2) has ceiling fans to take away some of the DC humidity.

first things first we started off with a pitcher of swirl margaritas (1/2 strawberry 1/2 regular) which never disappoints. we also munched on some complementary chips and salsa which is a typical and delicious staple of any mexican restaurant.

onto the entrees. hugdoll ordered the brazilian salad which consisted of Grilled marinated chicken, spinach, avocodas, palmittos, other regular salad veggies, zucchini, olives and topped with an olive oil vinaigrette. She enjoyed it, thought the chicken was cooked well and enjoyed the variety of vegetables other than the typical salad staples that it included.

kb ordered the spinach quesadillas which also looked delicious. by ordering the regular size, she had a plateful of deliciousness with a super reasonable price tag. she enjoyed the flavor of the quesadillas and although there was nothing special about them, they did the trick.




sio ordered the cheese enchilladas and she thoroughly enjoyed those as well. They were filled with Monterrey jack cheese and topped with a chile ancho sauce and served with rice and frijoles a la charra. another mexican staple done well with good taste and seasoning but nothing too special.




i ordered my typical mexican meal in the veggie fajitas. i really enjoyed this because they had a real variety of veggies which is a nice departure from the typical onions and peppers. They included other veggies such as zucchini, carrots, eggplant and the winner of the evening, plantains. that definitely put these veggie fajitas on the map because the plantains added such a nice sweet taste to the typical salt and pepper seasonings that are standard in a meal such as that. surprisingly delicious.

all in all, a trip to lauriol never disappoints. although the food is nothing too special and mind blowing, it is well done cheap mexican. i believe that they could make their flavors a little more complex and could add a “kick” to their meals. but i guess you get what you pay for. furthermore, the ambiance is great and the swirl margaritas are always delicious. i recommend getting there as early as possible or even maybe going for lunch. if you wanted to get seated in a timely manner on an evening after 6pm, lauriol is definitely not your place. furthermore, they do not take reservations so although it is an ideal location for a large group, this can be very difficult because you are not sure when you will get a table. you could be waiting for a very very very long time but they will supply you with an endless supply of chips and salsa while you wait…and clearly, a drink if you so desire.

Overall Grade: B+ (ambiance/service/restaurant)/ C+ (food)

Stir-Fried Tofu with Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas and Onions

you are probably all like “why is she eating so many sugar snap peas”? because they are uber delicious, that’s why. well really, it’s because i found two fantastic recipes that used them and they are quite delicious, so I thought why not? I should cook them before they go bad anyways!
so i took to epicurious again for this absolutely spectacular recipe. the recipe is super easy but it does take some time (marinating tofu), and I do believe that shockingly as a vegetarian, this was my first successful attempt at making tofu. POINT, me.


Ingredients
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil *Substituted with olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 12-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps quartered* I just used regular white mushrooms
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger* I mean, i just don’t keep ginger in the house…
4 green onions, sliced on diagonal* I just used 1 regular yellow

Directions
1) Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add tofu and stir to coat; let marinate 30 minutes.
2) Drain, reserving marinade in small bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup water and cornstarch into marinade.
3) Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer tofu to plate.
4) Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to skillet and add mushrooms and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes.
5) Add sugar snap peas; stir-fry 2 minutes. Then add onions and garlic and stir-fry about 30 seconds.
6) Add tofu back to skillet and drizzle reserved marinade mixture over.
7) Stir-fry until marinade thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.8) Enjoy and Share! :-)

Additional notes: the actual epicurious recipe calls for green onions and ginger but I didn’t have any of those in the house, so I just used what was at my disposal. Remember to buy EXTRA-FIRM tofu because on my last tofu attempt a long time ago, i didn’t buy the extra firm and then my recipe was a disaster. Hence, I have not cooked it since. But, extrafirm= wonderous. oh by the way, this recipe is SUPER delicious. SUPER.

Recipe adapted from:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Tofu-with-Mushrooms-Sugar-Snap-Peas-and-Green-Onions-109075#ixzz0pTf3SPyS

Couscous with Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta

so this wasn’t completely off the book but i made some changes to make this nice little Epicurious gem into my own. let’s be serious, i made the changes to use what i actually had on hand and make sure that it was protein-filled deliciousness. in my previous couscous veggieventure, i mentioned was how easy it was and that was also appealing about this recipe. i find that couscous can go well with pretty much anything and if you need some meat in your entree, i recommend making this couscous+veggie as a side to your meat entree (chicken, steak…whatever you prefer).


Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous (6 to 7 ounces) *I just used the regular whole wheat couscous from TJ’s
1 3/4 cups (or more) vegetable broth * I just boiled my couscous in water
14 ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup shelled fresh green peas or frozen, thawed * I used 1 can of garbanzo beans instead
3/4 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives * I omitted b/c I didn’t have them on hand
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese * omitted because i didn’t have it on hand— don’t really think it was also necessary BUT I added 1/2 cup of feta instead
Directions
1) Cook couscous according to directions on package
2) Meanwhile, whisk 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, and lemon peel in small bowl; set dressing aside.
3) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, and remaining garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large bowl with dressing.
4) Add garbanzo beans to the bowl and then add couscous to bowl with vegetables.
5) Add feta to the mix and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
6) Enjoy and Share!!! :-)

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Beans

Wow. I was too excited for this. When I found pre-made Gnocchi at Safeway last week, I was so happy. So unbelievably happy. That delicious potato pasta that you see in Italian restaurants was finally going to grace my kitchen. Not really knowing what to do with it besides a simple tomato sauce, I got to searching on epicurious and found this doable, simple and delicious looking recipe. With some minor modifications (the recipe originally called for peas and not beans), I was on my way.



Ingredients
1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)— Or 1 Can of White Cannelli Beans

1/2 cup heavy cream (i used whipping b/c that is what we had in the fridge!)

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, smashed

3 cups packed baby spinach (3 ounces)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound dried gnocchi (preferably De Cecco)

1/4 cup grated parmesan (I used a some mozzarella— no Parmesan in the house!)

Directions
1 ) Simmer peas (beans) with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.


3) Add spinach to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

4) Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary.

5) Enjoy and Share! :-)









Additional Notes: As previously mentioned, I wanted to ensure that I was going to get my daily protein, so I substituted the peas for the beans and I really enjoyed that (i also didn’t have the peas :-D ). I also added some mozzarella instead of parmesan which I think helped make it a little thicker, but I think both would be equally delicious. I’m a little obsessed with this recipe and I think you will love it too.
VIA http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Gnocchi-with-Spinach-and-Peas-240959#ixzz0p6IFKTvj

Maine Avenue Seafood Market

so although you have only really seen me engulf masses of vegetarian delights through this blog, i am in fact a…PESCATARIAN! shocker, i know. i could never give up seafood, it is really in my heart. i come from a family who believes in seafood of all sorts, so i knew that i could give up everything else but seafood…never. and i am so happy that i didn’t.

this brings me to last weekend’s BOOF adventure to the MAINE AVENUE SEAFOOD MARKET. i have been to the seafood market a couple of times before but buddies of BOOF, cc, tr, kh, and cc(yes, there are two) decided that we adventure down to this DC staple on a saturday afternoon for lunch.

the market is located on the SW waterfront off of Maine Avenue sitting across from Haines Point. It is a picture perfect spot on the water to watch some yachts go by (or convince someone to let you go on theirs!).

the girls and i opted to order the crab cake lunch from “The Wharf” and the crab cakes were very tasty. the lunch time special was served with two sides and a fountain drink so I opted for the macaroni and cheese and the green beans. the mac and cheese was quite good but the green beans tasted as though they were canned aka not good at all. a few of the girls had the corn on the cob and they all remarked on how good it was. I personally think that was in large part because they cooked it in the husk (try ittttt) which traps the flavors in and gives it a delicious bite.

all in all, i love the seafood market and i am sure that unless you don’t like seafood (which is so unfortunate), you will love it too. you can find me frequenting this summer. :-)

there are also restaurants on the SW waterfront but i definitely recommend to bypass the restaurants and just go to the market.

Overall Grade: A-

the biggest minus i have for the seafood market is its lack of seating. there is some standing tables but really, with that seafood, you just want to kickback, enjoy the day and watch the boats ride by. I do think they are building more seating…so we’ll see.

Elephant Castle and Pub

nothing special.
for good buddy of BOOF, rp’s birthday, a large group of us set out to surprise him at elephant and castle for the occasion. he was suprised but unfortunately, the surprise itself was a little less than stellar. nevertheless, it was a great evening with a bunch of buddies that i see too little of.
elephant and castle is a well known chain restaurant and offers a classic restaurant/pub feel and vibe to it. it is not really a place to go to eat a good meal but rather it’s a place you go to either drink or just enjoy the company of friends over a burger.

needless to say, the only type of burger i eat is veggie or salmon, so i usually get nervous about going to places like e&p because i can make my own salad for dinner. they did offer a veggie burger and i opted for that but there was nothing special about it. It taste like every other frozen/unthawed/grilled veggie burger; however, the fries were good.
i don’t think anyone had a particularly outstanding meal (mostly the opposite) but buddy of BOOF, hh, had the crab cakes and she said that those were quite tasty.her little mountains of mashed potatoes also looked delectable.

nevertheless, e&p is a great place to accommodate a large group of friends (so you can be loud and not worry about it), but you may want to eat dinner before or after going there because it really should exclusively be a pub with just pub food. during the week, i hear that they also have a good happy hour, and that seems like more of the ideal setting to head there.

Overall Rating: C-

Penne with Roasted Eggplant, Squash, Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

i am getting so bold and I love it. going off the book again. the thing i love about pasta is 1) it so easy and 2) you can throw whatever you want in it and it will be tasty. yup, i said it. WHATEVER. for the grad party of BOOF friend, AH, I needed to throw something together that was quick and delicious and gluten free (AH is the roommate of BOOF best friend Mo—the gluten free buddy). I was able to pick up some gluten free pasta from safeway (yup, it does exist) and then I was just going to use some fresh veggies that I had in my fridge. I opted for the eggplant, squash and cherry tomatoes, all veggies that grill very well and are perfect for a summer pasta salad. here we gooooo.

Ingredients

1 Large Eggplant
1 Summer Squash
1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
2 oz of Goat Cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Ideally, I would have loved to throw these veggies on the grill but I unfortunately had no time for all of that so I just used a grill pan on the stovetop.

1) Boil entire package of pasta according to directions

2) Heat grill pan (because they are made of a thicker metal, they take a little longer to heat up)

3) Cut Eggplant in quarters and chop into cubes.

4) Cut Squash length wise in half and then chop into slices.

5) Cut cherry/grape tomatoes in half

6) Toss both eggplant and squash into a large bowl and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.

7) Transfer the eggplant ans squash into the grill pan and grill for about 5-7 minutes flipping occasionally.

8) After about 4 minutes of heating, add cherry tomatoes to the pan and grill for about another 2-3 minutes.

9) Remove veggies from heat and set aside

10) Drain pasta and transfer to bowl and add grilled veggies. Crumble Goat cheese in bowl and mix well.

11) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

12) Enjoy and Share!!!! :-)



Additional Notes: You could essentially use any type of cheese but I would stick to either feta, goat cheese or gorgonzola. You could also add some other veggies but the only one I would really consider with this recipe is bell pepper. You clearly don’t have to make it Gluten-Free but it wasn’t bad at all!

Penang

After not seeing close buddy to BOOF, ea, for a while we decidedly made plans for dinner last Wednesday. Realizing that i need to start actually using my groupons, i threw out the idea of trying Penang, and EA agreed on the choice for the evening.

Penang is located on the south end of Dupont Circle/West End/Foggy Bottom area. It sits above the Chipotle at 19 & M and close by to other good eats such as Nooshi, Luigis, and Smith & Wollensky. Penang is a Malaysian restaurant and it was a cuisine that I neither EA or I had ever tried before. I heard that it is almost a cross between Thai and Indian, so I definitely knew that it could be something that I would thoroughly enjoy. Then again, restaurants that are very veggie friendly always get a plus in my book.

Walking into Penang, you take note of the very modern decor filled with reds, low lighting, hardwood floors and a nicely open restaurant. You are met with the bar when you walk in and then you proceed to a "two" level restaurant but more like 1 1/4 level. It appears to really only be a restaurant suited for an older crowd, you don't really get a lot of college kids or anyone younger for that matter.

For starters, I opted to get a soup so I tried the Seafood Tomyan Soup which had Shrimp, squid, scallops and mushrooms in a spicy tomyam broth. It had a really good and well seasoned flavor and definitely helped warm me up on a cool rainy evening.

We then ordered the Roti Canai which is a Crispy Indian style pancake served with a curry chicken dipping sauce. This came out with our entrees (we ordered it late), so I did not actually eat it with the dipping sauce. EA tried it with the dipping sauce and said it was quite tasty and I actually fell in love with this little bite of heaven. Although this wasn't actually Malaysian and it was Indian, Penang does an outstanding job with this bread. Surprisingly, I had never had it before (I say this because I am a BIG fan of Indian food/restaurants), but I guess because I am so used to automatically ordering the typical delicious Naan bread, I had always overlooked the Roti. Trust me, I won't make that mistake again.



We both opted to order some of the "Fried Noodle" entrees but this is a term used to just illustrate that they were pan-fried at some point but they are not actually "fried". EA ordered the Penang Char Mee Hoon which is a Rice vermicelli with chicken, egg, bean sprouts, julienned red and green peppers, lemon grass, and dried red pepper.

She really enjoyed it and said the flavor was really great and seasoned just right. I went for the Penang Char Koay Teow which is their famous flat rice noodles with shrimp, squid, eggs, chives and bean sprouts in a spicy black soya chili sauce. I was really impressed with how flavorful this dish was and how it had the perfect amount of spicy kick that I was still able to enjoy it while my sinuses were definitely being cleared out. Sorry if that was too many details.

Because she didn't get an appetizer, EA opted to order a desert to go, the Peanut Pancake which is a crispy pancakes stuffed with ground peanuts, Crispy outside, moist inside. After talking to her later that week and asking her how it was, she said it wasgood and definitely something that she had never tried before and pretty unique.

All in all, we had a really great experience at Penang. After reading other reviews, I take it that your experience can be pretty hit or miss with the restaurant but for us, the flavors and seasoning was well balanced and decently complex. I've also heard that apparently on thursday-saturday, Penang turns into a dance club, so if you plan on going one of those nights, I recommend you go earlier lest you want a dance party to break out during your meal. however, that may be exactly what you want. I recommend Penang for both a date with your significant other or unformal dinner with friends after work. The vibe is very relaxed and apparently, they also serve up some great happy hour cocktails. If going on a weekend, I would pair this with maybe a trip to the National Geographic Museum a few blocks over.

Grade: B+

Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Feta and Walnuts

yay for Veggieventures. this was me going offbeat. no 101cookbooks, no smittenkitchen, no epicurious….just me and my flavor palette. oh snap. I was hungry and wanted to create…what I wanted to create. So I took to my kitchen and threw some favorites together in what ended up being a very tasty dish, if i may say so myself.



Ingredients:
1/2 box of Whole Wheat linguine
2 Cups of Brussels Sprouts (halved)
1 Cup of Chopped Walnuts
2/3 Cup of Feta
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
1) Cook Pasta in Boiling Water on Stove top for 8-10 minutes (until al dente)

2) Meanwhile, halve the brussels sprouts

3) After halving the brussel sprouts, add oil to a large non-stick sauce pan and pan fry the brussel sprouts for about 6-7 minutes total. Toss brussels sprouts every couple of minutes or so until they brown.

4) Once they begin to brown, add chopped walnuts to the frying pan and turn heat on low.

5) After mixing in the walnuts for a couple of minutes, add al dente pasta to the pan and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and add a little olive oil, if needed.

6) Once mixed well, remove from heat and transfer mixture to bowl. Add feta and a touch of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

7) Add feta to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.

8) Enjoy and Share!!!

Additional notes: For the non-vegs out there, you could add some chopped chicken to this mix to satisfy the need for meat. For gluten-free buddies: this recipe is easily adaptable by just using gluten free pasta. It would also probably taste good with rice. Maybe i’ll try that next time… :-)

Cafe Berlin

good friends. good times. good weather. good bier.

welp, another weekend came and went and biergarten haus has still yet to open. nevertheless, we were determined to have some spring/summer fun, so BOOF buddy Sho and I got to googling to find some Saturday fun for our other buddies to engage in with us. we found options throughout the city but nothing really caught our eye until we found Cafe Berlin. essentially, we were out to find the closest thing to a german beer garden as possible, so after the prospective location was “ok”ed by our resident german, we decided on this capitol hill gem.

it was a picture perfect afternoon that you dream about and we were scheduled to meet at 1pm to begin an afternoon of fun. i arrived about 15 minutes after one (i had to make a pitstop at the sporting goods store…more on that later) and BOOF buddies, sho, ss and js had already begun to enjoy the wonderful outdoor patio and Hefeweizen. I quickly joined them and all was right in the world. unfortunately, the german buddy was deathly ill and was unable to make it so we made it a point to consume some Hefeweizen in his honor. well, not really but we’ll pretend. our two farthest buddies, kk and ak (no relation) were running RIDICULOUSLY late but they both eventually showed up to enjoy our saturday fun.

to start off, sho and I decided to split a KARTOFFEL PFANNKUCHEN (potato pancakes w/ apple sauce and sour cream), as did ss & js and they were quite good. although our german was unable to really attest to how good they were, sho is also a potato pancake expert and thoroughly enjoyed them. they were well fried, a little greasy, but nicely seasoned.

onto the meals. only kk was feeling particularly german so the most of us ordered very american lunch items.

ss ordered the cafe berlin cheese steak sandwich which was topped with mushrooms, onions and peppers. although this item was a little late (they lose a point for not bringing out all the food at the same time), ss really enjoyed it and said that it was well seasoned and very tasty.


js ordered the cajun sandwich was blackened chicken with Monterrey jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and honey mustard. this was a big surprise of the afternoon because it was really really good. i don’t think js or anyone else for that matter thought to find a cajun sandwich at a german restaurant so tasty, but it was. everyone mentioned that it had a very nice kick to it.





sho and i both opted for the vegetarian sandwich, which included a roasted portobello mushroom with bell pepper and goat cheese. the flavors and ingredients were simple but they worked together very well and it was a delicious sandwich. that is a sandwich that i can definitely and will replicate at home. i also love restaurants that make it a point to include a vegetarian option on their menu. although the german buddy was slightly disappointed in me because i did not order anything off of the asparagus menu, i was pleased with my choice. i would, however, definitely go back to order off that special menu because i do love me some asparagus.

kku was the only member of the crew to order something uniquely german and she ordered the bratwurst and said that it was also very good and enjoyable. every one’s meal also came with those little mountains of potatoes and they were ok. depending on the flavor of your sandwich, it either went well or not so much. they tasted as as though they had a hint of either vinegar or sour cream because they had a bit of a bitter taste but they weren’t bad. however, it is definitely a criticism because the items on the lunch menu all taste very different and the side item should compliment the main entree, not take away from it.

when ak FINALLY showed up, he also ordered the cajun chicken sandwich and enjoyed it as well. then we got back to drinking more Hefeweizen and kk was determined to order a boot, so we did and it was glorious. although our MIA german buddy has told us that the BOOT is actually not a german thing, we pretended as though it was and enjoyed the moment.

all in all, our meal at cafe berlin was pretty great. the food was tastier than expected and very reasonably priced. cafe berlin is located on capitol hill a few blocks up from union station on mass ave and is the last of three restaurants between 4th and 5th. although i only went inside to use the bathroom, it appears to be a split level townhouse type feel with the bottom level being more of a pub space and the top level being more of a cafe/nice dining space. however, the key to cafe berlin is the large outdoor patio that is located in the front of the restaurant which allows for people watching, but yet it is enclosed so you don’t feel like your conversation is being shared with all passerby tourists and locals alike. outstanding space. i recommend cafe berlin for a group of friends who want more beer for their buck and a simple meal to go with it. i also think its a great spot for a more casual date but nothing more formal than that. lasting thoughts: food was good but not great; service was good; beer selection was really unimpressive. they only have three beers on tap and hefeweizen was the darkest of them all, so you can already tell what that means. the only “Stout” that they had came in a bottle, so I definitely recommend that they increase their beer menu and their drafts if they want to give a truly german experience. location-location-location= perfect.

Grade: B

Activities! so our afternoon was not over after lunch. originally, we had planned to play bocce ball in the park but js and ss had just ordered their set and it wasn’t going to come in until tuesday. so, i stopped in at modell’s and picked up a frisbee and a wiffle ball bat & ball. after a whole series of events, we (even BOOF buddy ml made it by then!) ended up a block away at stanton square park and played for a little bit and had a wonderful time. I recommend playing in the park, going for a walk around capitol hill or even heading over to union station or the postal museum and taking a look around.

quick veggie mexican pitas

really? you are probably like what is this girl thinking? i’ve never seen mexican and pita go together. Or maybe you have?

anywho. i was hungry one evening and had some veggies that need to be cooked before they went bad, and I had initially thought i had some whole wheat tortilla wraps but I was mistaken. however, i improvised and found some whole wheat pita in the freezer and decided to put it to use.



Ingredients
1/2 Yellow Onion Chopped

1 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms

8 oz of Baby spinach

1 Chopped Bell Pepper

2 Whole Wheat Pitas

1/4 Cup of Shredded Cheese


Directions
1) Heat frying pan on medium with olive oil

2) Saute onions with a pinch of salt and pepper

3) Add bell pepper and mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 4-6 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Meanwhile heat pitas.

4) Add spinach for 2-3 minutes before it wilts

5) Remove veggies from the stove top

6) Insert veggies into pita and add cheese

7) Enjoy and Share!
NOTES: You can really add whatever you want to this mix. I was just trying to use up what was getting ready to go bad in my fridge :-)