DC Restaurant {DGS Delicatessen}

Last night we went to the newly opened Jewish deli "DGS Delicatessen" south of Dupont Circle. We were so excited to hear that DC finally got a good deli (Taylors you were our fave and then you opened multiple chains and it's just not the same anymore.)

Usually, when you think of a deli, you think of a small space where you walk up to the counter, order, and be on your merry way. DGS, however, has a full menu and bar with table service. When you first walk in, DGS incorporates the typical DC restaurant thing to do right now - showcase pickled veggies in jars. And I LOVE pickled veggies. You can either be seated at a table, or choose to sit in the back in the bar area.   We decided to skip the alcohol last night (how dare us!) and decided to stick to ordering sandwiches.

I ordered:  "Eggplant Reuben with Gruyere, Sauerkraut and Russian, Double Baked Rye" which came with a pickle - OMG - this sandwich is amazing. The sauce was pouring out, Sauerkraut in heaping amounts - if you go to DGS I highly recommend this sandwich. You can also order this with corned beef instead of eggplant, but I am a sucker for eggplant.

Alex ordered the "DGS Corned Beef Creekstone Farms Brisket, House Made Mustard, Double Baked Rye"

Excuse the picture of the sandwich with a bite in it - he was very excited. This sandwich was also tasty, however, I found that the Reuben was more to my liking - maybe because it was nice and warm on a cold night?

We also ordered a side of the "Potato Latkes with  Creme Fraiche & DGS Apple Preserves" - this side comes with 2 Potato Latkes which was enough for the two of us + our sandwiches. I ended up taking home half my Reuben because the sandwich is so big.

If you were like us, and frustrated that there weren't any GREAT delis, in DC, times are a changin'!
DGS also offers a lunch menu and a dessert menu (we skipped out on dessert but I did see Hungarian doughnuts on there with toated almonds - I will most definitely have to go back and try those.)

Enjoy! XO

{Healthier} Homemade Chicken Nuggets

I haven't made chicken in awhile - mostly because I found that fish is healthier and takes about half the time to make. (Lazy? Sometimes.)

When I do make chicken, I usually make a breaded chicken with some sort of vegetable side. Sticking to this recipe, I changed things up just a bit so I made chicken nuggets and paired it with asparagus. It was delicious! This is great alternative, (and healthier) option than buying frozen chicken nuggets (And hello, I'm not 8) -  And a great recipe to make on the weekends for football parties!

Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients
Chicken Breast, cut into nugget sizes pieces (obviously)

Italian Bread Crumbs

Egg Whites

Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Dipping Sauces
I bought Stubbs BBQ sauce from Whole Foods

and also had Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat oven to 350-375F

In deep dish pan, pour 2 tbsp of olive oil - you will bake the chicken after it's been on the skillet for a few minutes.

In one small bowl, put about a cup of egg whites. In another bowl, put a mixture of Parmesan cheese & Italian bread crumbs (you can also put in panko if you want.) 

In large skillet, pour 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat

Dip chicken breast pieces into egg whites, then dip in the bread crumb mixture. 

I then put the chicken on the skillet for a few minutes, browning the outsides.  

You could continue cooking the chicken all the way through on the skillet, but I prefer to bake them.

Bake the chicken for about 15 minutes, flipping them over at least once. If you need to, you can sprinkle on more of the bread crumb mixture.

I paired the nuggets with Stubbs BBQ sauce and Dijon mustard - but you could even go for a healthier dip and make a balsamic vinegar/olive oil dip.

Asparagus with Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients
1 lb Asparagus

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspooon Sea Salt

Asparagus Prep:

Clean off your asparagus (who knows what bugs have been on it)

Break off the ends of the asparagus wherever it feels most natural. 

In deep dish pan, lay out tin foil.

Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil on foil.

Place asparagus on oil and rub around to cover the asparagus

Sprinkle on Sea Salt (or skip the salt if you want)

Bake in Oven on 375 for about 7 minutes
**I recommend putting this in the oven while you are preparing your chicken nuggets

Lemon Cream Sauce

This was a total bitch to make. Excuse my language, but there is no better word for this process. 

1 lemon

1/2 C light cream

3 tablespoons of butter (use "I can't believe its not butter" to make it seem healthier)

1/4 C egg whites

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Sea Salt 

In a skillet, add in the light cream, butter and salt. Bring to a boil stirring frequently so it won't stick to the pan. Once it starts to boil, bring the heat down to low.

Now this is where shit hit the fan - literally - if I had a fan on my ceiling. My sauce kept curdling no matter how low I put the heat. And you don't want it to curdle -  A) it ruins it and B) it looks gross.
And mine started to curdle so I grabbed a wooden spoon really quick to mix it and part of the cream flung to the ceiling. True story. 

I ended up pulling the skillet up from the stove to make sure it cooled down a little bit. Then, in a small bowl, take 2 tablespoons of your cream mixture out of the skillet, and mix it with the egg whites. (Some people use the egg yolk - but that has a lot of cholesterol in it so I went with egg whites - but what do I know?) Slowly put the egg whites and cream mixture back into the skillet, stirring frequently (again, don't want it curdle.) 

Squeeze your lemon into the mixture. Taste it and if it's a little off, add salt and nutmeg to your liking. 

Drizzle cream sauce over your asparagus and serve. Even though it was a pain to make, it ended up being really good - I'll have to practice this sauce again.

Enjoy! XO

DC Restaurant {Founding Farmers}

A favorite "farm to table" restaurant in DC, Founding Farmers offers an array of fresh items on its menu - and the ambiance is perfect for group conversations. And let's be honest - any restaurant in DC that offers mac n' cheese catches my eye...and stomach.

I've gone for both their dinner and brunch - and I have to admit, I don't like their brunch very much (I ordered their waffles and literally got one big waffle on a plate and that was it) but their dinner is wonderful. Each dish gives you a heaping amount and I feel like I have to get rolled out of there every time (Makes you wonder why they skimp on their brunch?)

Last week my mom was in town from Florida so we decided to hold a small Thanksgiving dinner together since I couldn't make it home. Every dish we ordered was delicious - and we had enough leftovers for 2 more dinners.

We started off with their bacon wrapped figs and blue cheese. You MUST order these if you go. It is one of my favorites.

Then we ordered their corn bread which comes out in a medium sized iron skillet and served with butter & honey--OMG. To die for.

For our meals, we ordered:
-side salad of iceburg lettuce, tomatoes & blue cheese (this "side" salad is a meal in itself)

We also ordered their mac n' cheese with ham - this is a heavy dish and we ordered this to share with the table. Unfortunately, I got too hungry and forgot to snap a picture but it came out in a heaping plate - I would be amazed if one person could finish this dish on their own!

I ordered the meatloaf with redskin mashed potatoes and a side of the Brussels sprouts.

Their homemade lemonade is also a favorite of mine - and if you aren't lactose intolerant like me - then try one of their milkshakes!

I definitely recommend Founding Farmers for a group dinner - and because they offer so much food for one dish, it's a great way to share and make it your own family-style dinner. 

Mom and I @ Founding Farmers- and pickled veggies behind us!

Enjoy! XO

Thanksgiving Side Dishes & Occasions Caterers infamous Corn Souffle

Thanksgiving is a day of being full, fat, happy...and thankful.  This year again I will join my boyfriend's family in Baltimore. I usually bring a few side dishes and I have to share a secret with you---it's ordered from a caterer. No, I'm not lazy...the dishes are just so darn good. But, this year,  I will make 2 of my own.

Last year, I ordered Pumpkin Soup, Corn Souffle and Brussels Sprouts from Occasions Caterers. And it was delicious! OMG - their corn souffle... - according to Occasions Account Exec., Kate Brannack, "Occasions this holiday season will produce over 5,000 demitasse cups, 800 timbales and 750 oval gratins of corn souffle." --- And, unlike the recent study that says Americans will waste 200 million pounds of Turkey (seriously, what is wrong with people) - this is one dish you and your family will definitely finish! Unfortunately, it's near impossible to get your hands on this recipe, so for now, we can just order from Occasions.

Occasions Caterers Corn Souffle

I also will order the Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pancetta-Balsamic Vinaigrette again. *The nice thing about this Brussels Sprouts dish is that it's served at room temp. so you don't have to fight over oven time with the turkey.











I will be making two items: the Butternut Squash/Apple/Soup that I previously posted in October and my family's Double-Stuffed Apple Pie recipe. I'll post the Apple Pie recipe later---this is one dish we don't have written down anywhere so I need to converse with my mother first :)


Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xoxo

Lemon Pepper Fish with Avocado and Tomato Salad

This is by far my FAVORITE dinner dish to make. Not only is it healthy and absolutely delicious - but it takes me less than 20 minutes to make and I spend less than $15.00 at Whole Foods for the main ingredients!

Recipe

Lemon Pepper Fish
lemon pepper spice
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
tilapia (or whatever fish you would like to use)
olive oil

Heat oven to 375F.

Lay out aluminium foil on a deep dish pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the foil. Place fish on top and spread a little Dijon mustard on the top side - this adds a little more taste and the spice sticks better to the fish. Sprinkle the lemon pepper spice on the mustard. Flip the fish and repeat spreading the mustard and sprinkling on the lemon pepper. Close the tin foil up so the fish is enclosed - bake for 12 minutes or until the middle of the fish can flake off with a fork.

 While the fish is in the oven, you can start making the salad.

Avocado & Tomato Salad
1 Avocado, diced
12 Grape Tomatoes, diced
Feta Cheese (optional)
Balsamic Vinegar
Pinch of Salt

In a bowl, carefully put in your diced avocado and tomatoes. If you want, you can add in feta cheese - although cheese is my favorite food, I actually don't care for it too much in this salad, but others I have served this to love the feta in it. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt. Be careful - the balsamic vinegar can be strong so start with less and add more if you need to.

Carefully mix the salad so the balsamic vinegar and salt are evenly mixed in.

And that's it! Pair the fish and salad with a nice piece of fresh bread - I mix up a little olive oil and a flavored balsamic vinegar. I recently purchased flavored vinegars from Sapore in Capitol Hill, DC.  (Try their Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar - its to die for!) Enjoy!

Sapore - White Balsamic Vinegar

Gold & Sparkle Accessories

I love the Holidays - it's a perfect excuse to add sparkle to your outfits xo

Jean-Michel Cazabat "Eris" pump / Kate Spade NY "Glitter Bow Belt" / Kate Spade NY "I kissed a frog multi clutch" / J.Crew "Crystal Cupcake" necklace

Eggplant & Tomato Pizza

I told you, I have been craving veggies lately - and especially eggplant. In lieu of calling up Domino's again (I have their app on my iPhone), I decided to head to Whole Foods so I could make my own (healthy) pizza.

Recipe:
1 Pizza Crust (I bought the pre-made wheat crust from Whole Foods)
1 Eggplant, Sliced
Minced Garlic
Basil
Mozzarella Cheese
Feta Cheese
2 Tomatoes, Sliced
Olive Oil

Preheat Oven to 375.

I first roasted the eggplant over medium heat on a skillet. - To do this, put olive oil on a pan, add in minced garlic stirring for 2 minutes; then add the sliced eggplant. Roast until the white part of the eggplant is a light brown.

Lay out pizza crust and drizzle olive oil all over. Sprinkle Feta and  Mozz. Cheese (add as much as you like). Then spread on the roasted eggplant.  Place sliced tomatoes on top of eggplant. I then added more feta cheese (cheese is it's own food group in my book). Add basil.

Bake until the bottom of the crust is a little brown and the feta cheese is melted (about 12 minutes).

Enjoy!

Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

One of my favorite fish dishes - Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Cheese. If you love Mediterranean food like I do then you'll love this.

How cute is the fish dish!?

1 lb Salmon
Few pinches of Dill weed
Lemon Pepper
Feta Cheese
1/2 jar of Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Lay out tin foil on a deep baking dish allowing about 4 inches of extra tin foil on the sides (to wrap fish after you sprinkle the ingredients).

Place salmon, skin down on foil. Sprinkle lemon pepper all over the fish. Then sprinkle a small amount of dill weed  Carefully place sun-dried tomatoes on fish - some people prefer to have their sun-dried tomatoes diced - whatever floats your boat. Then sprinkle feta cheese all over.

Take extra foil from the sides and gather together so the fish is completely wrapped in tin foil and keeping all the toppings on the fish.

Salmon over Brown Rice

Bake for 25 minutes or until the middle of the fish is fully cooked (take fork and scrape the middle - if it easily scrapes off, your fish is done).

I eat mine over a bed of  brown rice - enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

Lately I have been craving vegetables - crazy but definitely not a bad thing!  This week I was contemplating putting together vegetable enchiladas but I wanted something quicker to make - so quesadillas it was. These would be great to serve as a snack during a football game!

Vegetables used:
Eggplant
Red Pepper
Orange Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Grape Tomatoes
Minced Garlic
Basil

Slice the Eggplant, Red Pepper, Orange Pepper, Yellow Pepper and Tomatoes into thins slices. Fold aluminum foil on a baking sheet then add the vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over all the vegetables; sprinkle garlic and basil on top and bake at 400F for 30 minutes.



At this point, once the vegetables are done, you really could eat them by themselves, add them to a spinach or arugula salad or even add them to pita bread. I chose to make quesadillas so I could also add in my favorite food group - cheese and sour cream. Yes, in my life, they are their own food group.

I placed a wheat tortilla on the skillet; then added shredded white cheddar cheese; then the roasted vegetables until the tortilla seemed crisp. I then added the top tortilla, and flipped it until both sides were nice and crispy.


For the sour cream, I squeezed in some lime juice to give it a little kick.

Enjoy!

Vote Today and get Free Yoga

Metro area yoga studios are offering free yoga classes if you vote! Just another benefit today :)

See a list of studios around you: 

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/election-day-yoga/

Time To Vote!

If you haven't done so already ---get out and vote!

If you need to find your polling location in the district, visit: http://www.dcboee.org/voter_info/find_pollingplace/