Restaurant: Mai Thai 2

Heeelllloooooo! Is it Spring yet?! Well, as you may know, scientifically it is... But have you looked outside!? Yuck. I cannot wait till the 50 and 60 degree weather comes!  I was actually on "spring break" all last week and it was wonderful; regardless of the weather!  I had so much time to COOK and try out new RESTAURANTS!! Holler!!
One of the places that I tried was a restaurant called Mai Thai in Aksarben Village!  It's actually considered "Mai Thai 2" if you search it on the internet because it's a spin off of the first original Mai Thai (kind of like Blue and Baby Blue).  I was excited to try out this restaurant because I have never really had Thai food before!  Although I have had foods similar to it, I was pretty pumped to see what this restaurant had in store!

Walking into the restaurant I LOVED the atmosphere and decor! It was really pretty and the colors blended well!  Because of the atmosphere I my hopes became even higher!  To start off, I ordered some typical egg rolls (a good test to see what their made of) and then for the main course I had the "Pad Thai."  It was interesting to me that they ask every customer "on a scale of 1 - 5, how spicy would you like your dish?"  I of course, chose NUMERO 5!  I asked the waitress what they spiced their dishes with and she said that it was mainly some Asian peppers... Now, if you're at all familiar with my choice in dining, or peppers, you will know that I LOVE spicy food!  BUT, I do know that there are different types of spice.  Everyone is sensitive to different types of spice... You have your mild, medium, hot and downright FIRE.  I would not consider the Asian peppers to be as hot as say... a Habanero, and definitely not a Ghost (yes, I know it's a hybrid pepper, but still.. YOW!), so that is why I was not hesitant to choose a 5 on their spicy scale.

When I the dish arrived it looked great!  I dug right in and it was... Good.  I have to say, I was disappointed.  It had a nice flavor, but I felt like it lacked originality, and it was definitely not spicy.  It tasted like a basic stir-fry type dish with rice noodles.  I could probably make the same thing at Hu-Hot, pay a lot less, and get seconds!

Pad Thai with Rice Noodles

It was filling and it was a good meal, but I felt that it was very Americanized and was lacking creativity.  Here's my rating:

Atmosphere: Great! This was probably the best part of the restaurant!  I loved the decorations! Although, it was a tad bit noisy in there once everything got going!

Cost: Not the best.  The plates are about $10 each; as I mentioned before, I felt I could get the same thing at Hu-Hot plus more!

Food: Overall, I was not impressed.  The Egg Rolls were pretty good and the dish was good too, but I would probably not go back by choice.  My guest diners enjoyed their dishes, but they were not "head-over-heals."

Care: Great! Their service was really good!  Even on a Friday night they kept up on their customers and were very friendly!

Overall I would rate this restaurant at about a 5.5; their service and atmosphere saved them some stars!

I would not recommend bringing kids into this restaurant on a Friday night.  It was a bit loud and crowded, but on a regular weekday I'd say go for it!  They also offer take-out... Which may be sign about their food... *note to self*
They do not have their own website for that specific location, but the menu is available on Urbanspoon.com and you can find it by googling their restaurant.  Here is their location address and phone number if you want to give it a try! Maybe you'll have better luck than I did???

14618 W Center Rd, Omaha, NE 68144

Phone: 402-333-0506

Guest Diner's Dish: Curry Chicken Soup

Cake Anyone???

Bavarian Chocolate Cream Cake

Making cakes has never been one of my fortes, probably because I like to mess with recipes too much!  I had to tell myself over an over not to tweak the recipe and to be precise.. Which was really hard!  When baking cakes or really any type of baked good you have to make sure to measure everything!!! Otherwise you may turn out with flat cakes, hard pastries or lumpy creams.... But let me tell you, my willpower paid off this time!!  No lumps, no flat or hard cake and it even tasted great!

I will tell you, this recipe is a process and took about 2 - 3 hours in total time to make (baking time included).  I found the recipe online and I found out that it was adapted from the Better Homes and Garden  magazine.  Here is the recipe if you're interested in making it - remember there are tons of steps and 3 separate items to make before assembly: The cake, the Bavarian cream and the buttercream frosting.

Cake Recipe:

3/4 cup butter, softenend       3 eggs

2 cups flour                            3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda                  3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt                            2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla                           1 1/2 cups of milk

1. Grease and flour 2 eight or nine inch round cake pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheight.  

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 min.).  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 min. total).  Beat in vanilla.  

4. Alternately add flour and milk to the mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition.  Beat on medium to high for 20 more seconds.  

Cooling Cakes

5. Spread batter evenly in each of the prepared pans so you have two nice cakes.  Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes (mine took about 40).  *Make sure to test the center with a toothpick until it comes out clean!*  

6. Remove from ovens and let cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool.  

Bavarian Cream Filling

3/4 heavy cream     1 (1/4 oz.) envelope unflavored geltain

Whipped Cream

3 egg yolks             1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup milk               1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1) In a large bowl, whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks.  Chill until needed.

2) Soak the gelatin in 2/3 cup cold water for 10 minutes.  In the mean time, beat the egg yolks with the confectioners' sugar in a large metal bowl until blended and it has a thick, creamy consistency. Set aside.

3) Bring the milk and the vanilla to a boil in a saucepan, stirring often so the milk does not burn.  Remove from the heat and slowly pour the milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.  

Stirring over boiling pot of water

4) Place the egg and milk mixture in the metal bowl over top of a gently boiling pot of water.  Continue to stir until the mixture coats the spoon.  

5) After removing from over-top of the boiling water, place the metal bowl on top of ice cold water in a separate bowl.  Gradually stir in the dissolved gelatin.  Make sure the mixture is lump-free.  Continue stirring until the cream starts to cool and stiffen (about 5 min.).  

6) Fold in the whipped cream and place mixture in fridge until ready to use.

All finished cream after stirring over ice water

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - Okay... So I lied a little... I did tweak something... But not because I wanted to... I HAD to do it because it wasn't turning out right... So ha!

1 stick of butter, very soft but not melted!

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

3 - 5 cups confectioners' sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, vanilla and cream for 30 seconds. 

2. Gradually add in the sugar, beating constantly and occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl; until the frosting reaches desired consistency.  

Okay, so those were the directions for the frosting... Well, I added about 3 cups of sugar and it was extremely thick.  It also tasted like pure sugar!  So I decided to make it a little more thin, by adding milk.  I also wanted more butter flavor since all I could taste was sugar, so I added probably a teaspoon of butter extract. 

This is the part YOU get to play with!  Depending on how you like your frosting, thick or creamy, you can add as much or as little milk as you want, but be careful!  Add it slowly because it has a HUGE affect on the frosting.  A little goes a long way!

Bottom layer filled with Bavarian Cream

Now that you have your three parts for the cake, it's time to assemble!  

1. Place one of the cooled cakes on the platter/ dish that you will be serving the cake on.  

2. Use a sharp spoon, knife or mellonballer to gently remove 1/4 inch from the top of the cake - avoid scrapping of the very edge - what you want to create is a very shallow well across the whole area of the cake that the Bavarian cream can fill without being squished out by the top cake.  

3. Spread the Bavarian cream in the well, taking care not to drag to much.  

Finished frosted cake, decorate with your own personal touch!

4. Place the top layer on the cream and position to be in line with the bottom cake.  Ice the whole thing with the buttercream and decorate as desired!!

5. Place in fridge until ready to serve! Enjoy!

All done!!

One slice of cake comin' right up! 

It was delicious!

I hope you enjoy this cake just as much as I did!! Let me know how it went and be sure to ask questions if you have them!

I Need a Wok!

So, I think I have a new goal... Yea, I'm pretty good at setting those!  This one though, I believe, does not have an end... So think of it more like... a new habit??? Sure. We'll go with that.  By now I'm sure you're wondering what this new "habit" is going to be, well here it is!  Every time I go to the grocery store I am going to try and pick out something that I have never tried before! Whether it's something new to cook with, or something already pre-packaged, if it's new and interesting I am going to test it out!

So to start off this new habit, I picked up an eggplant!  Okay, not something entirely new, I have had it before, BUT I can say that I have never really cooked with it.  I have had it fried before, but never IN a dish.    So tonight, that was my goal: To incorporate Eggplant into a dish; and I did it!  (The picture below shows the Eggplant chopped up.)

I have had stir-fry on the brain for about a week now, and so I decided to try one out!  Whenever I attempt a dish that you can tweak or add more ingredients to, that's what I tend to do.  The only problem with making a stir-fry is that they always tend to turn out bigger than you expect them to.... In this case, I ended up cooking with TWO skillets... The largest ones I had, until the veggies cooked down.  I searched stir-fry recipes with Eggplant in them on the internet and this was the recipe that I found and used as a starter (I say starter because it ended up nothing like the original).

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Szechuan-Spicy-Eggplant/Detail.aspx

It basically contained 1 Eggplant, oyster sauce, ginger root, ground beef, shrimp, onion, garlic, chicken stock and spices.... I omitted the oyster sauce, ginger root, ground beef and shrimp! I told you, I can't leave a recipe alone! Ha.  So here is how I made my Eggplant stir-fry:

1 Eggplant                          2 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tablespoons olive oil                1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons soy sauce             1 Cup stir-fry sauce (one you like!)
1 teaspoon sugar                         1 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons cornstarch            8 Tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic                             1 Small bunch green onions
1/2 Red onion                             1 Palm full of fresh basil
2 Peppers ( I used 1 orange & 1 yellow)
About 2 cups of fresh spinach
1 Cup of fresh bean sprouts
2 Large carrots
Pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken stock, stir fry sauce, sugar and ground black pepper. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water in another separate bowl, and set aside.

2. Coat a LARGE, deep pan with oil over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic, onions, carrots and peppers, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown. Stir in the chicken and cook, again stirring constantly, until browned.

3.. Pour the eggplant, spinach and bean sprouts into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally, stir in the sesame oil and red pepper flakes.

Serve over cooked rice or noodles, whichever you prefer. (I made white rice.)

So as I noted above, I used two skillets until the very last minute when I had to mix everything together... Because of making this recipe, I REALLY, really want a Wok... I mean hey, I need to be official and everything!  Maybe I'll even be able to mix the food by flipping it in the air while cooking, instead of using a stirring utensil! *NEW GOAL!*
Anyways, I liked my concoction, I would have preferred it a bit more spicy, but I had to tone it down for the other diners that just couldn't handle the heat! *whimps* I mean... Just kidding.  I could have probably added a bit more of the stir-fry sauce or more seasoning to bring out the flavors.  But it was still good and contained loads of veggies!!  I'm sure the soy sauce brought the sodium level up pretty high, but I still felt slightly healthy eating this meal!
Well, after a hearty dinner, fro-yo (Edy's fudge brownie frozen yogurt in the purple container to be exact), and Dancing with the Stars, I'm out for the night!  I will be dreaming of a wok and thinking about what I will buy next when I go to the grocery store!

As always, feel free to ask questions, make suggestions or just read!
Buenos Noches!

Stereotypes: Sushi and Quinoa

    If you would have met me about 3 years ago and asked me out for some Sushi, my answer would have been a flat-out "NO."  I would have probably replied with, "you think I'm gunna eat raw fish!?.. And besides, it has vegetables in it, yuck."  Well... The times have changed and my attitude towards vegetables and raw fish has improved.
    The first time I tried Sushi was at Blue, one of Omaha's favorite Sushi hangouts.  There was so much to choose from and honestly, I tried the cooked kind (fried and heavily seasoned). It was delicious!  I mean, anything fried and seasoned has to be right???? Well, after my first few baby steps in the sushi direction I finally manned up and tried the full-on raw kind!! It was amazing!  Btw, if you're interested in trying out Blue here's the link to their restaurants, there are two locations in Omaha:  http://www.bluesushisakegrill.com/

    This got me thinking... Why had I never tried Sushi before?? I like fish, I kinda liked vegetables, and I like rice... I think society has molded our minds into thinking that we cannot eat raw foods!  Now don't get me wrong, I don't suggest that you go out and start eating raw meat... But if it is prepared correctly and kept properly, why are we so against it?  Countries all over the world eat raw things, yes yes, I know that there are harmful bacteria and diseases in raw meats, if untreated correctly; but if you do it right (sushi) why is there so much hostility??
So, 3 years later (today) I am enjoying Sushi, whether it's in the University's food court or at a restaurant, I am full-on for Sushi!
    Another misconception: Foods with weird names are gross (especially when their in the healthy section).  Let's take a look at Quinoa: "The word Quinoa is pronounced 'KEEN-Wah' and it comes from the Spanish word 'Quinua'."
    I have known what Quinoa was for a while now, but I had never tried it until about a month ago when a co-worker brought it for people to try. *Shoutout!* :) Anyways, I did some research about Quinoa and found out that it is quite the healthy food; and it is NOT a part of the grain family... Weird. So tonight, I made my own Quinoa for the first time... It was delicious!
    To make the Quinoa I brought 1 cup of Quinoa and 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then reduced the heat to simmer for about 25 minutes.... After that, it was done!
But I couldn't just eat it plain... So, you know me, I had to come up with my own concoction...
I sliced 1 red pepper,
1 small bunch of green onions, &
1 tomato and threw them all into the iron skillet with about
1/2 tablespoon of Olive Oil.  I let that cook for a while... Then I realized I had some black beans in the fridge... YUP, those went in the skillet too... Along with
1/2 teaspoon of cumin,
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder,
1 teaspoon of pepper,
1 Tablespoon of Lime juice, & a few                                                                                              
 shakes of dried cilantro.  When it was all done cooking I put some of the cooked Quinoa on my plate and the concoction on top... I wasn't sure how this was going to taste, but it was alright!! I had to add a little more pepper for my taste, and I put an Avocado on the side; I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars!  The good thing about this recipe??? NO salt and 100% natural ingredients, HEALTHY!
    SO, moral of the blog: TRY NEW THINGS!  Even if there are some mis-conceptions about some foods, try them!! AND don't be afraid to try foods you have deemed "too healthy" or "non-fried."  You may find that you've been missing out on something great, like Sushi or Quinoa!
  

If you would like to learn more about Quinoa here's more information: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice#descr

Restaurant - Rivera's Mexican Restaurant

Here's to the first restaurant rating on my new blog!! Cheers!

Friday night my family and I went out and tried Rivera's Mexican Restaurant!  I had never heard of the restaurant before, probably because it's a little far from my house: 120th and Blondo.  So... A little drive... BUT let me tell you, it was worth EVERY SINGLE SECOND in the car!!! I have to say, this is honestly the  BEST MEXICAN food I have had since Oaxaca, MX!  It was amazing!

Their menu features some really authentic Mexican dishes that you would not be able to find just anywhere.  For example; I ordered the Pollo en Mole Poblano (Chicken in Pepper Mole sauce), "Mole" is a very intricate sauce that I had while I was in Oaxaca a few years back... Oaxaca happens to be known as the "land of the 7 moles."  Mole is basically a sauce made out of tons of spices!  There are 7 main moles and they range from chocolate, pepper, red and yellow.  If you were to watch someone make an actual mole sauce by hand, it could take anywhere from 15 hours to 2 days.  It is a very long process because they grind the spices by hand...
Anyways, this Mole Poblano was the BEST dish I have had in ages!

Cost: The nice thing about this restaurant is that you can order anything from about $8 - $20.  They do have a kids menu which has $5 options... Although I would not recommend bringing children because it was so crowded and loud... Maybe on a weekday?
Care: I will tell you that the atmosphere of the place was very crowded and loud.  The restaurant only seats about 50 people, making it a tight squeeze. I don't know how crowded it usually is on other nights of the week, but Friday night was pretty busy (about 25 min. wait).  But the service was top-notch and our : Good! I didn't notice anything dirty or out of the ordinary, the waitress was very friendly!

Cleanliness: I would give this restaurant 11 out of 10 stars! It was incredible.  You just have to remember to be adventurous when you try these new places and order something besides a taco!  I would recommend the "Pollo en Mole Poblano" (it is a tad spicy) and definitely order the Guacamole for an appetizer (which is also spicy)!  I have to say, their Guacamole is very spicy for Guac, but very intriguing and delicious!

Here's the link to their restaurant if you would like to check out the menu before going!

http://riverasmf.com/index.asp

I will definitely be going back... probably three times a week! Ha. (Okay, that's wishful thinking)...
Buen Provecho!!

Post Detox Don'ts...

It's been 2 days of eating "normal" since the detox ended... I can definitely tell the difference!  Last night (first day off detox) I ate out for dinner... Club sandwich, french fries, you know, the works... because I wanted it, and I wasn't thinking... BIG mistake!  After only eating fruits and veggies for a week solid and having no sugar or salt or anything that contains the word "grease," I can tell you with certainty that my stomach can talk! It was angry.  I didn't get violently sick or anything, but I was not hungry at all for breakfast this morning.
Not that I didn't know this already, but I just didn't realize how much grease, salt, and sugar really affects our bodies!  Sure, it's alright in moderation, but when you down french fries *cough cough* and nachos, *cough cough* and a Twix bar *hint hint* and some Thin Mints *hint hint* (8 year olds + cookies = persuasion at its finest btw) all in one day, it can have some intoxicating effects.... Hey now, I had to make up for 7 days! Don't judge. Ha.

Anyways, today I was not very hungry at all, and I wasn't really craving any of the bad foods... I was actually craving blueberries and bananas!!! Surprise surprise!  So today I ate pretty nicely and even got a work out in! Holler!
So, note to all you detoxers: DO NOT eat what you normally ate before the detox in high amounts the day after.... Your stomach will start talking!!!


Btw, anyone actually trying out the detox??? :)

I Made It: Day 7

I just finished my LAST lunch of the 7 day detox!! I am sooooo pumped! I can proudly say that I have had no salt, sugar (except the soy milk ordeal), chocolate, soda, red meat, processed carbs, or artificial sweeteners for 7 days!

The first few days (1 - 3) were rough, but I encourage anyone who is willing to try it to do it!  You do feel great in the end and have all the energy that you need! The first few days I felt sluggish, but now I am doing just fine!  [Disclaimer: As always, contact your physician or health care provider before any sudden change in diet... side effects include anything and everything from sneezing to death] :)
I would not condone using this method as a weight loss program diet (because I'm not a dietitian by any means) but I will tell you that I lost 5lbs! Hopefully those pounds stay off! lol

I am definitely going to eat healthier after this, I may replace a couple of meals a week with either just fruits or just veggies.  I think a lot of what we eat we consume out of habit, but I am fully convinced that you can survive on just fruits and veggies for at least 3 days solid; and you can feel satisfied by only eating them.  I had to keep reminding myself that I don't have to feel completely full or stuffed after a meal, food is supposed to be fuel, satisfaction is the goal.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading about my 7 day adventure! Who knows what's coming up next! Stay tuned! If you have questions about the detox or suggestions let me know and I will be happy to respond!

Day 6: AHHHH

Day 6 of the detox is DONE! I cannot believe it!! The week went by super slow in the beginning but now it's been flying by!  It definitely gets easier as the week goes on, especially when you're allowed to eat lean proteins.  Today for lunch I made some Tilapia and it was soooooo good!! Here's the recipe that I kind of made up, since I'm not allowed to use salt I had to think of some kind of combo for some seasoning:

Easy No Salt Tilapia

2 Tilapia Fillets
1/2 t. dried basil flakes
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. black pepper

1. Mix all of the seasonings together into a small bowl.
2. Cook the Tilapia on low for about 5 - 7 min. on each side.
3. While the Tilapia is cooking, sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture on one side. After the first 5 - 7 minutes, sprinkle the other side of the fillets with the rest.
Enjoy!

I cooked the Tilapia in my iron skillet and just sprinkled the seasonings on top.  I also had some asparagus with the Tilapia which added to the mixture.  I think I will definitely use this recipe from now on just because it's quick and healthy!

I am feeling like I have lots more energy now, at first I was dragging, but since I have been sleeping so well and eating good, I think I am feeling more energetic!

FINAL DAY TOMORROW!!! AHHHH!!!!
*So Happy!*

5 Days Too Long

Well... Day 5 is officially complete!  The day started off great, it's the first day that I was allowed protein so I was elated!! An egg for breakfast has never tasted so good!  Day 5 says to only eat tomatoes and protein on this day... It didn't exactly go this way... I kind of ate whatever fruits and veggies I wanted; I really don't see the point in limiting myself to only tomatoes... lol.  Oh well.
Lunch was even better! Fish, tomatoes and asparagus was on the menu and I was lovin' it!  I decided to cook the tomatoes in with the fish so it ended up a little sauce-like. (My brother was in complete disgust when he saw this.. he was in the kitchen heating up his leftover pizza.)  The completed picture may look a little nauseating, but believe me, after 4 days of no solid proteins, it was heaven!

I seasoned the fish and tomatoes with garlic powder, onion powder, basil and pepper... I still haven't had salt!! Fish is so delicate that I decided to crush it up with the tomatoes ( I really wasn't going for presentation).  

Anyways, it's a been a pretty easy day because I could have protein.  Tomorrow is the same kind of day so I don't think it will be too bad.  Thennnnnn SUNDAY! The LAST day! I cannot believe that I actually made it this far, if I make it till then I will be one happy camper.  But you better believe it, Monday I'm downing some hardcore Diet Pibb Xtra sided by some Natural Cheetos! Cheers!