Muffins & More

Cheerio Sizzlers! I am leaving day.after.tomorrow. get. excited. As for me, I've been busy as a fox in a henhouse trying to get everything ready for my departure. However, I am stopping to take a breather and share some nomtastic recipes with you. 

As summer comes to an end (kind of but we all know in Houston it's going to stay hot till November) people start to get tired, worn out and weary from the heat. That's why it's important to feed yourself healthy #nomz to keep you up and running. 

Recipe Número Uno- VEGAN BERRY BANANA SORBET

So the heats got you hotter'n a hen in a wool basket; before you stick your head in the freezer, stick your hand in and grab some of this here sorbet. It's so easy to make and quite healthy. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

-1-2 Bananas. I change my opinion on whether or not I like bananas pretty much every full moon or so. Use 1 if you aren't feeling banana-ish, use 2 if you're super excited. 

-3 cups of your berries of choice. You can use frozen berries, but I used fresh cherries, blueberries and strawberries. 

- 1 can of coconut milk. Not coconut water, ya hear?

- I added a dash of rose water because I was feeling adventurous but you can skip this. You can also add cinnamon, vanilla extract, or whatever little add in you choose. 

WHAT YOU DO:

-Put everything listed above in the blender. It should be pretty thick. If necessary, add a little more coconut milk (I keep 2 cans handy just in case I get too excited and add too many berries.)

-Blend it. 

-Pour it into a container. 

-YOU ARE DONE. 

-Give yourself a hug. Put it in the freezer. Check on it. Check on it again. Make sure your freezer is frozen. Ok, finally. Dig in. 

Easy as pie. Except it's sorbet. 

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Recipe Deux- POWER MUFFINS

I love muffins. But I don't appreciate a muffin top. So, I decided to make these little treats to eat for breakfast, or for dinner if I don't feel much like eating. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

This recipe makes 12 muffies. 

- 2 cups of dry oats

-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder. (I went to the store and just bought a little pouch of Source of Life energy powder. In my opinion it tastes great and has extra nutrients that keep you bouncy). 

-2 bananas

-4 egg whites (I was naughty and used the whole egg. I'm not into wasting half of the egg)

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tb vanilla extract

-1 tsp cinnamon

-Optional: I added some fresh halved cherries, but you can add nuts, raisins or whatever else your little heart desires. 

WHAT YOU DO:

-Pre-heat oven to 350 

-Mix all your stuff in a bowl 

-Divide mixture into your muffin pan

-Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

-Muffin miracles. You're done. Hug yourself again because you made some tasty stuff. 

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And there you have it folks. Tasty, healthy and EASY. 

Tomorrow I'll be posting another recipe and some restaurant recs. Peace out for now!

Scallops and Lobsters and Oysters, oh my!

Cheerio Sizzlers! I hope this finds you well, I'm chugging along these days, counting down the minutes for my trip! We're currently at the 6.5 day countdown. 

So I need to let you in on a new place in Houston that you should hopskipjump on over to. Like...now. 

If you like delightful cocktails, particularly of the Julep persuasion, and if you're a lover of all that comes from the sea, or a bay, or a gulf, river, stream etc, then you must try Julep. Don't mind the fact that I'm a bit biased since one of my close galpals is dating the Chef. Bias or not, this place is great. Adam and Lauren handpicked the cutlery, plates, stemware and helped customize each tiny detail.

I'm not typically a fan of anything on Washington Ave. Like...anything. But alas, Julep was a refreshing break from the hair gel, Ed Hardy and untz untz untz clubs that have taken over that stretch of Houston. 

So let us begin. Girl's night at Julep started with a cocktail and ended in a gluttonous seafood festival. (Not pictured were the amazing hand cut fries, fresh hush puppies and East coast oysters). 

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I arrived parched and ready for a bev, so I opted for the "Sparkling Julep" which is garnished with mint and a lovely sprig of berries. This one is all the umph of a mint julep with some prosecco added for some fizz. 

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My personal favorite from the night: Creme fraiche topped with smoked bluefish, farro, butter braised radishes, a lovely arugula salad with vinaigrette and ever so thinly sliced beets. This picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice. 

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Another highlight were the bay scallops served atop a mint/pea puree, and topped with speck and microbasil. The scallops were juicy, sweet and ever so tender. Chart topper. 

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Because what's a meal without the mandatory artsy intagram shot? We were anxiously awaiting our seafood tower and all we knew is that if clarified butter was an option, this would be gooood. 

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Le seafood tower. Holy mackerel. Littleneck clams in white wine parsley, gigantic prawns, another serving of the scallops, but this time they were raw and perfectly seasoned. Dipping sauces included a house made mignonette, and two others that I was too excited to write down. 

The crowning jewel. Lobstaaaaaah. I can eat lobster all.day.long. 

Not pictured was the top tier which had fresh East coast oysters. Delightful

All in all, Julep is destined for greatness, and with Chef Adam Garcia in the kitchen, you know it's going to be an experience. 

So, mosey on over to Julep, have yourself a cocktail and slurp down some oysters. You can thank me later. Happy Friday dears, hope it's a great weekend!

A Tropical Storm called Life...

Aloha amigos. So here we are. Life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, forks and narrows; and it's a beautiful thing. There has been packing, unpacking, repacking, transitioning, staying put, and moving forward. And this is all good. So I hope you're all good too. 

But let's get back to what TheSizzle is really all about. Really good thangs. Food, tunes, treats, surprises, trips, adventures and the ever so random post. 

About a bajillion years ago, I brought you Hawaii Part 1. Well folks, it's time for Part 2. And so we begin:

Hawaii Part Deux:

My mind was already blown from the absolute perfection I experience at Ono Seafood. I still crave that Poke on.the.reg. But MS had more in store for moi. We lazed on the beach in Waikiki, had a few cold cocktails, and watched the world go by. But then it was time. For SASABUNE. 

I'm a sushi person. And I feel like a lot of people say that, but I think my appreciation goes a little deeper than the average bear. 

MS and I decided to walk to our dinner destination. We found a groovy little spot on the way, stopped and had a cocktail to rev up our appetites. Pint + Jigger was a great place, low key vibe with #nomz that looked quite tempting. But we pressed on and refused food to save room for sushi. 

MS had made a reservation at Sasabune and we decided to order "omakase" style. Where you sit, and they bring you food. Forever. And you want it to stop because you're so full, but you don't want it to stop because it's just UNreal. 

COURSE 1: Albacore Tuna Sashimi Style. Creamy rich albacore served in a delicate, light ponzu sauce. I'm hooked already. 

Course 2: California baby squid stuffed with blue crab. Tender, sweet, NOT chewy WHATsoever. The dream continues...

COURSE 3: Toro. What else can I say other than it's a fatty part of the Tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Divine. There were two sauces glazed on top, but my eyes were totally glazed themselves and I couldn't type it into my notes fast enough (cold sake wasn't helping my motor skills much either...)

COURSE 4: Halibut and Red Snapper (from left to right). Fresh, light, incredible. Again, I couldn't type the sauce quickly enough. So feast your eyes....

COURSE 5: Hamachi 2 ways. Whatever ways these were, these were one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly creamy and buttery. I'm pretty sure the left piece had a ponzu ginger concoction but I was having a hard time keeping up with the amazingness. 

AND THEN MY PHONE DIED. I'm not kidding. And we needed to conserve MS's battery to get us home. SOOO......I didn't take any more pics and I decided I really just wanted to enjoy the experience and enjoy the company. Amazing. 

If you get to Honolulu, you've got to try this place. It's small, unassuming, and only takes reservations. The waiters know their stuff, and they take their sushi seriously.

FOR EXAMPLE:

At one point, I was getting so full, that I was about to pull the fish off the rice, and go riceless. The waiter SWOOPED over, and said "Maa'm, please do not upset the chef. Eat the whole piece, it's an insult." So I felt silly and wasteful, and put the whole thing in my mouth and thought I was going to burst. But it was worth it. Later on, we had South African Rock Lobster, sweet Japanese shrimp, hand rolls, and more incredible culinary delights.

MS and I left thoroughly impressed, full as ticks and already looking forward to doing it all over again. 

Next on TheSizzle.... Hawaiian Delights, sneaking into state parks, and being rrrrreally awkaward around a (notveryfamous) celebrity right before running 13.1 miles. Oh and some pretty #nomtastic San Diegan (is that a word?) meals....Until then, adios amigos. 

Spring.Sprang.Sprung.Sp...aghetti.

You've already learned that I like the foods. Now I get to show you my food love. 

I made this dish a while back; it reminds me so much of Springtime, even though Houston has most recently been like "sauna time" or "I can't even decide what climate I want to emulate" time. 

That being said: I give you linguine con crema di basilico e parmiggiano reggiano. Say whaaaa? I just spoke Italian to you. #Nomcity.

oh yes.

If pasta is your "thang", then look no further. And here's how it's done folks:

INGREDIENTS:

-Some fiiiiine linguini. If you go outta the box, that's cool, but if you use something fresh (ahem Central Market has fresh hand-made pastas) then you'll notice a significant taste 'bump'. 

-2 Bunches 'so fresh and so cleanclean' Basil.

-1 Carton heavy whipping cream. (um yeah, you thought this was going to be 'skinny'? Get outta here)

- 2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic (See?! This recipe is vampire proof too. I'm always lookin' out for ya)

-1 Plastic box thingie (the smaller one) of Gran Padano cheese. You can sub fresh grated parmesan or reggiano but TRYYYYY not to use Kraft powdery stuff, k? 

PROCEDURE/SCIENTIFIC METHOD/THIS IS HOW WE DOOOO IT (to be sung to the melody of Montell Jordan's song, because duh). 

-Separate your cream into halves, and put half in a saucepan and start to simmer. NOT boil. You don't want it to clot or break, because then you're in trouble and I can't save you. 

-While the water for your pasta is getting hot, put your garlic, and basil leaves into the food processor. Add a drizzle of olive oil (a LIGHT drizzle, just enough to make a 'paste' of your garlic and basil). 

-Cook your pasta, I do it a little al dente style because it's mo' bettah. 

-Add the cream that was NOT in the pan to your food processor 'paste'. Let it blend and become smooth (operator).

-THEN. Add your basil/garlic/cream concoction to the simmering cream in the pan. Make sure you slowly incorporate it in, and here is where you can add your salt/fresh cracked pepper to taste. 

-Add a robust (love that word) handful of your cheese to the sauce, and stir stir stir. 

-Once the sauce is BARELY bubbling, you're good to go. (HINT: If your sauce become TOO thick, add a tablespoon at a time of your pasta water till you reach the perfect saucy consistency)

-Pour the sauce over whatever amount of pasta you choose to eat, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top, and VOILA. You can even be super fancy and add a basil leaf for garnish. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you cook, you must have music. (And probably a side glass of wine) Otherwise it tastes bad. It's science. SO head on over to Spotify and make a playlist. I'm a HUGE fan of listening to the Rat Pack and oldies while I cook. It works. Promise. Here's a link to my "Starred" list on Spotify. From there, you can browse around my other lists; #holla.

Actually, I lied. Check out THIS Starred list which looks #weaksauce right now but give me a week and your mind will be blown. #trustme

And now you know. If you make this recipe, let me know what you think!! And as always, feel free to leave your questions, comments, concerns.