Showing posts with label yum. Show all posts

Yum: #Yona

If you know me then you know two things:

1. I have a sickening obsession with HGTV
2. I can eat Ramen until the day I die (which will hopefully be in my sleep at 90 years old)

I finally got to Yona after hearing el BF rave about the Ramen and me secretly wanting to kick him in the shins for not taking me to enjoy said Ramen.  Anywho...I crossed the bridge over to NOVA to gobble up the buns and the Miso Porky Ramen. After eating at Yona I can totally see why Chef Jonah Kim won the Rammy for Rising Culinary Star of the Year. The food is delicious. It was hard not to devour all of the small plate offering but I had to save room for the Ramen after all that is what I came for. The broth was pure happiness, the pork cooked to perfection (totally ask for extra pork btw), and the poached egg took it over the edge (lol). 

  Yona definitely makes it into my top 5 Ramen spots in the DMV area. 




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Mel's Life: What I ate for my Birthday Dinner

I turned old 29 this past Tuesday and decided to try Masseria with my good friend and fellow food enthusiasts (aka literally eating money) Naddia. Masseria is located in the old Florida Ave Market side of the newly renovated Union Market here in DC. It is an oasis amongst warehouses and a pleasant surprise if you are not searching for it.

The cuisine is coastal European and takes you on a blended journey through Italy and Greece. A clear nod to Chef Nicholas Stefanelli's background. For dinner I decided to go with 4 courses because I decided to devour loaded baked potato fries at Bar Deco because I am a savage.
 Anyway...I digress.... 
I almost had a near death experience straight out of the gate because I was half listening to the bread plate description. Of course the first thing I decided to eat had seafood in it. So I had to hightail it to a nearest pharmacy and inhale a Benadryl. Long story short...I scared our server to death but I survived. 

For my first course I had Pinzimonio which is a light and refreshing vegetable salad. My second course I had the Carne Curda which is veal tartare with black truffle and parmigiano.  AMAZING...
For my third course I had the BUE, aged sirloin steak. The Texan in me couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy a well cooked piece of steak. My fourth and final course was dessert. I believe I had the Torta Al Cioccolato, I am not exactly sure because the Benadryl had kicked in at this point. However my dessert was eyerollingly good.








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Mel's Life: Brunch in the Burbs

On Sunday, I went to brunch at Del Frisco's Grille (not to be confused with the other Del Frisco's) at the new Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda with my friend Naddia (hey girl!). We each had the Chicken and Waffles (mehh) and decided to share the Grit Cakes (you have to try these!!!!) and a side of scrambled eggs. After brunch we headed over to the coffee bar at Summer House to indulge in cookies and coffee. I need to take a second to honor the chocolate chip cookies there....

So
So
So 
GOOD!
(word)






If you ever find yourself in North Bethesda be sure to check out the shops and restaurants at Pike & Rose. It's urban oasis in the sprawl of suburbia and you won't be disappointed. 
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Food: Central - Sunday Brunch

Brunch is one of my favorite meals even before it became a millennial cliche (ugh). I recently tried Central's Sunday brunch and it was fantastic. For $25 you can choose three courses from a pre fixe menu and for an additional $10 you can enjoy bottomless drinks while you dine (woot woot mimosas!). I had the French Onion soup (eye rolling good), Fried Chicken and Waffles (I swear i'm not typical), and the Chocolate Mousse. If you're ever in DC on a Sunday and have a hankering for brunch stop by Central. You're welcome in advance.




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Food: Beef and Broccoli

I made a quick and easy beef and broccoli with quinoa the other day and decided to share the recipe with you guys. I pretty much followed the Honey Beef and Broccoli  recipe from the Food Net work but added my own spin on it aka Sriracha and red peppers.



Ingredients
1 lb sirloin
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (I used flower because I didnt have cornstarch)
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sriracha
Directions
  1. Cut onion, red peppers, and beef into thin strips (beef should be bite size).
  2. Add two tbl oil to hot pan or wok.
  3. When oil is hot and swirly, add garlic and onions. Cook two minutes or until onion is lightly browned.
  4. Add florets and cook two minutes.
  5. Add sirloin and stir fry until cooked through. Don't overcook or florets will be mushy!
  6. Meanwhile, Combine sherry, cornstarch and soy.
  7. Turn heat off and drizzle honey all over stir fry. Add soy mixture and stir.(and add Sriracha to taste)
  8. Stir in red pepper.
 
I also pre-seasoned the steak with onion powder, fresh black pepper, and sea salt. Which I think it really needs or the meat would've have been kind of on the bland side.
For the quinoa I washed the quinoa and cooked it according to the directions. However, instead of water I boil my quinoa in chicken stock for added flavor. 

Enjoy ;)
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Rosemary Chicken w/ Sauteed Spinach and Onions


If you have follow me on instagram then you know that I cook it up sometime especially now that I am trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. I made this amazing chicken the other day and I thought i'd share the recipe with y'all.

You will need:

Quarter Chicken
Spinach
Onions
Minced Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Poultry seasoning 
1/3 cup of Olive Oil

In a bowl with the chicken add olive oil mix seasoning to your discretion (i have a tendency to over kill on pepper lol)

Make sure all chicken is covered with the marinade.

Insert Chicken in a 350 degree oven and cook through

Baste chicken in the last 15 minutes of cooking to get a crisp skin. I also raise the temperature to 400 to make sure i got the skin crispy (be sure to watch the chicken however)


For the spinach

heat skillet over medium heat
add 1 tsb of unsalted butter
when butter has melted add chopped onions and heat until translucent
add spinach
salt and pepper to taste
 when spinach has wilted you're done


Enjoy! 







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