Baseball, BASEBALL
It’s a transition year.
I’ve said it before. As a matter of fact, I’ve said it enough times that I actually think it’s unintentionally becoming my mantra.
But you guys know I love the Cubs, and regardless of our less-than-perfect record (and the promise of plenty more losses to come this season…I’m a realist, I won’t deny that fact) I will still go to as many games as humanly possible.
Especially when this one hooks us up with seats that can be accessed through this tunnel:
Oh, no big deal. The seats weren’t THAT close.
Oh, wait. Yes they were.
When we walked up to take our seats I almost peed myself. THIRD ROW.
For a diehard Cubs fan like me who doesn’t have a lot of disposable income to devote to tickets, this was almost as good as Christmas morning. So thank you, Molly.
The insanely rainy weather Chicago has been having over the last week or so even dispersed for a few innings and warmed things up at the field. If you know Wrigley, you know that the field temp (without any sun) almost always feels a good 5-10° colder than anywhere else. So the sun helped.
And the Cubs won!
And I got a hot dog!
As if there was any doubt.
Oh, and by the way, if you let your friends look at the photos on your camera and you are a food blogger and have recently photographed your hand holding a hot dog, your friends will absolutely think that you’re weird.
And maybe even a little pervy.
The things I do to document my life, I tell ya.
Fajita Rice Bowls
Every year, I get so freakin’ excited about cinco de Mayo.
I have not a shred of Mexican heritage in my blood, but look- they’ve got good food down there.
And margaritas.
I realize how shallow it is to look forward to a day solely for the way it is celebrated rather than what it signifies, but…
I really like margaritas.
So in honor of the holiday, and because I need some vegetables to balance out aforementioned tequila drinks and enchiladas oozing with cheese (oh, did I not mention those? Well, they were implied), I threw this dish together.
Fajita Rice Bowls
serves 2
1/2 cup dry brown rice (or rice of choice)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup chicken stock or broth (or use vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used a frozen bell pepper medley)
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup zucchini, julienned
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1 t olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t oregano
salt, to taste (I used about 1/8 teaspoon)
2 T plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 T mayonnaise (optional)
1 T favorite hot sauce (I used a Trader Joe’s brand), or to taste
1. Combine rice and broth in a pot and cook according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until almost rippling. Add all vegetables except for corn to the skillet and stir fry until they begin to develop some color.
3. Add corn and spices and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until tender.
4. Combine yogurt, mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl, mixing well.
5. Once rice is cooked, add cilantro to the pot and fluff with a fork.
6. Spoon rice into a bowl, top with veggies and sauce.
This is not my most beautiful dish by any stretch of the imagination.
And then I went and mixed it all up to make it even less attractive.
I’m sorry I’m not sorry for that photo.
This is a great, simple way to make healthier Mexican food, and let’s face it- we could probably all use something healthy before this weekend.
PLUS, the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday! What is a girl to choose? Bourbon? Tequila? BOTH?
I’ll figure that one out after I finish my veggies.
Zucchini Mushroom Burgers
There was a time- a time before I started consciously trying to eat healthfully- that I was a vegetarian.
It was during high school, and I decided that meat was not my thing.
This decision was highly disturbing to my parents, especially my dad, as both were raised (and had raised my sister and me) on almost any kind of meat that could be found. My dad willingly eats liver and my mom dreams about the klub (Scandinavian blood sausage) of her childhood.
My fourteen-year-old self decided it was high time to publicly proclaim my separation from these yucky things. (To be fair, we mostly just ate beef and chicken. But still.)
Of course, becoming a vegetarian at the same age as a person could plausibly be expected to cook a full meal meant that my dad often told me, “I don’t know what to make you. YOU make dinner.”
Fine.
Maybe I will.
…but what?
It was at that time that I discovered the joy of homemade veggie burgers. One of my stand-by cookbooks had a wheat germ burger made with zucchini and mushrooms and it quickly became a favorite- not just of mine, but of my whole family’s.
Of course, these days I’m cheap and don’t have such things as wheat germ often laying around. So I made some changes, added some spices, and came up with these beauties.
Zucchini Mushroom Burgers
serves 5
2 small-medium zucchini
3 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
1/2 small onion
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t salt
cooking spray
hamburger rolls
1. Grate zucchini (you should get about 3 cups worth) and onion with a box grater or with a food processor attachment.
2. Using a paper towel or cheesecloth, squeeze excess moisture out of zucchini and place in a bowl with onion, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs and spices.
3. Form mixture into 5 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
4. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Carefully place burgers in skillet and fry, flipping once, until golden, about 3 minutes per side.
5. Serve with condiments of choice on a roll.
I served these simply back in the day and that’s how I serve them now. Some ketchup, a pickle.
Even though I’ve re-embraced my carnivorous ways, I still love these burgers of my past.
I just wish Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper was still on the air.
