Monthly Review: January 2013

First monthly review for 2013!  What photos did I capture with my iPhone this month?

Interested what we did in the past?
2012: May, June, July, August, November, December

We make pizza at home regularly.  This was a shaved pizza recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  I went to see her at Politics & Prose in November, and now I can’t wait to try out more recipes from her book.

We also made some pizza for our friends who have a newborn.  We came prepared: dough, chopped ingredients, pizza stone.  What a fun nigh!

Need pizza topping ideas?  Try these: Apple & Smoked Cheese Whole Wheat Pizza; Mushroom & Broccoli Pizza.

I was trying out a recipe to post for the Chinese New Year– which will be in February this year.  Look forward to a delicious post in the next couple of weeks!

Need Asian-inspired recipes for your Chinese New Year party? Asian Vegetable Rolls with Peanut Sauce; Pear Sorbet with Sesame Wonton Crisps; Asian Noodle Bowl; Spicy Asian Salad with Sunflower Seeds; Veggie Stir Fry.

Sam and I are really excited to run the Rock ‘n Roll DC 1/2 Marathon in March!  This is a photo from one of our long runs in Rock Creek Park.  Are you running any upcoming races?  What distances?  Where do you do your long runs?

One beautiful Sunday afternoon, Sam and I went ice skating.  It’s been on our bucket list for some time, and we had a great time.  We went to the Sculpture Garden Ice Skating Ring!  What are some of your “to-do” activities for 2013?

Recently, our favorite bar has been Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights.  They have a large selection of beers, and some good food.  Have you been there before?  If not, definitely add it to your list!

We spent a fun Saturday afternoon people watching and eating sandwiches from Paul, the delicious French bakery.  Stop in: buy a sandwich, pastry, or coffee and read a book- it’s a perfect weekend afternoon!  There are a number of DC locations: Penn Quarter, Farragut North, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, and soon there will be one out in Tysons Corner.

Back in May, Sam and I tried Kushi for the first time.  This time around I tried the lunch version with my friend Alix.  The dish pictured above was my Ocean’s Oyako Don (salmon & roe), and she had the Spicy Zuke Don (spicy soy sauce tuna).  The lunch dishes come with miso soup, salad and pickles- most within a $12-$15 price range.  What’s your favorite sushi place?

The 2013 Presidential Inauguration was held over Martin Luther King weekend.  This photo is from the day before, where you can see they covered up that fresh grass that had been growing.  I think everyone was a little worried it’d get trampled up with so many people walking all over it, but it’s good thing they had a Plan B!  Did anyone attend any fun Inauguration Balls?

I won a set of AirBake cookie sheets from a giveaway Olga, of Mango & Tomato, was having on her blog!  I’m excited to bake some delicious cookies- any suggestions or recommendations?

Olga and I met at the Eat Write Retreat DC Blogger Conference back in May.  It’s been great making a new friend, and fellow food blogger.  I love her recipes, so definitely check out her blog for more giveaways and her fun stories!

I also received Breakfast for Dinner, the new cookbook by Lindsey and Taylor, of Love and Olive Oil.  We got this signed copy for helping out with some recipe testing earlier this year.  This was one of the first blogs I started reading, long before Fifth Floor Kitchen started, and I was so excited to help them out!  Can’t wait to try more delicious recipes from this book (in bookstores on February 12)!

Lastly, we finished off the month by trying out the Moroccan Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew from A Couple of Cooks.  They have some fabulous vegetarian recipes, so definitely check out their blog- this particular one was easy and delicious, makes for great lunch leftovers!

We’ve got exciting news coming in February, so come back soon!

Spicy Asian Salad with Sunflower Seeds

This past weekend, my friend PB* (Happy Birthday!) and I took a walk on the Theodore Roosevelt Island.  If you live in the D.C. area, or are visiting- this is definitely a relaxing walking/running path that does not make you feel like you’re in the city.  We got to see the flowers that have bloomed, and the leaves with their deep green colors.  We also got to see some animals:

All the greenery made me think of foods that take you back to basics.  Earthy flavors.  So, this is a different type of a salad which we had this week (it’s a green one!).  I’ve actually made this for a couple of friends before (C* this is for you, but I’m sure you already know the recipe by heart!), and decided we needed to have it for lunch because it was that delicious.

I’m sure recipes like this one are floating around somewhere.  From a nutritional standpoint, many salads miss out on the flavor and the nutritional boost.  This salad definitely does not lack on either.  I don’t always feel like making a salad, no matter how easy it might be to make.  I love to eat them out, but at home I feel like they are a little too much work?  (I know, this sounds silly).  But when you see how good this is for you, and take the first bite, you’ll start to crave it!

One of the distinct changes I had made from the original recipe was that I used sunflower seeds rather than pumpkin seeds.  Both are delicious, I just couldn’t find pumpkin seeds in the store- come October it’ll be the perfect addition.  Until then, find the seeds that you prefer!

Spicy Asian Salad with Sunflower Seeds
Adapted from: Vegetarian Times

Salad:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp Asian Stir-fly Oil
1/2 tsp sriracha chile sauce
1/4 tbsp ginger, grated

Coat a skillet with cooking spray, and heat it over medium heat.  Pour eggs into the skillet, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until firmly set.  Transfer the omelet to a cutting board, and let it cool.  Once it’s cooled, chop the omelet into 1/2-inch strips.

To make dressing, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Add the spinach leaves, bean sprouts, carrots, sunflower seeds, green onions and egg pieces to a large bowl.  Finally, add the dressing, and toss to coat.