Food Truck Hopping

Today, my bestie and I decided to hop on the shuttle and go to Farragut Square in DC for some Food Truck hopping. This was my first time at Farruget Square and I loved it. If you’ve been to DC, you know how the weather always plays a major role in any outdoor activity. Luckily, it was gorgeous out! We had to make a few minor seating adjustments by running away from the sun and hiding under those enormous trees.

Once we got there, a few of the vendors were still setting up; therefore, we decided to take a walk around the Square and check out what everyone had to offer. There were more than ten food trucks in that area. After observing all those trucks, we made a decision!

We chose two trucks: Far East Taco Grille and Korengy Bibimbap.

We had: Chicken, Pork, and Steak Tacos with variety of toppings. We took the owner’s advice with what goes well with each protein. It turned out to be delicious and perfect!

We got the Beef Bibimbap with the works. Just perfect!

 

I can tell you that we made the perfect decision. Both meals were amazing! The Tacos were spot on and the Bibimbap was so fresh and perfectly made. This is definitely one of the many times I am planning on visiting the Farragut Square. If you are ever in the DC area, do yourself a favor and stop by those food trucks.. Hey, you might find me there!

You can click here to check out the expanding list of all those Food Trucks around DC, their location(s), and schedules.

Well, we couldn’t leave without having a little bit of Froyo!

Happy it is Friday tomorrow!

What are you snacking on today?

Miso Soup

BBQ Leftovers to Makeover? Easy

Many times, we tend to grill enough chicken to feed an army! So what do we do with the leftovers when we realize that?

BBQ chicken leftovers are not the best on the second day. The chicken tends to become more dry as it loses some of its juice and marinade. Well, no problem, I got a solution: Creative BBQ pizza!

It is quick, easy, and very DELICIOUS!

Here are the steps and ingredients:

1. Shred the leftover bbq chicken.

2. Decide what vegetables you’d like to have with it. I used: Spinach, Organic Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled onions, and on some, I used olive spread.

You will also need some BBQ sauce, your favorite cheese, and a few Pita/tortilla bread.

First, spread the BBQ sauce along with the olive spread on top of the Pita or Tortilla bread.

Second, add the spinach on top.

Then, add the BBQ chicken pieces and the grilled onions.

Then, add the cherry tomatoes on top and cover with a layer of cheese. In this case, I chose Chipotle Gouda Cheese.

Place it on a tray lined with aluminum foil, put it in the oven for 4 minutes on Broil (The time can change depending on your preference. I like to take it out when all the cheese melts and can hear and see the sauce sizzling) .

Now, ENJOY the delicious, quick, and easy BBQ chicken makeover!

Easy Organic?

So over the weekend, I got a delivery package from Arganica. It is the mid-Atlantic’s premier locally sourced food club. It grants you access to a variety of local farm-fresh and organic foods. However, it doesn’t stop there, they deliver it to your footstep every week on a day you specify!

 

It is a great service, especially for those with tight schedules and who like to have organic food in their household, yet do not have the time to shop for it.

I stumbled upon Arganica on Living Social. They had a deal for One-Month Membership, One Mixed Organic & Local Produce Crate, One $25 Gift Certificate, One Issue of Flavor Magazine and all for $45. It sounded appealing and decided to try it out.

 

When buying a crate, you have two options: All Local or Mixed crate. The difference between the two is the source of the produce. I went with the Mixed crate as it was ten dollars cheaper.

The crate was delivered Sunday morning at 9:45am. The produce looked so fresh and beautiful! Some of the items I received were apples, pears, strawberries, onions, green onions, broccoli, Kale (I think), tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. I also received the Flavor magazine.

 

I am not so much of an organic buyer; however, I am working on becoming one. Therefore, I cannot really judge the price, but to me it seems very reasonable as it was delivered to my house, I received great quality produce, and not to mention it is all organic!

 

I will be using the $25 gift certificate soon for my next crate.

I definitely recommend checking their website to see if they deliver in your area. I think you should give it a try, especially if you are a busy person.

 

 

Stay healthy and beautiful!

Arki

 

 

 

TJ’s Haul & Favorites

So if you don’t know yet, I am a fan of Trader Joe’s! I love to do most of my grocery shopping at that store because the quality is great, they have a variety of food and organic options, and the prices are great compared to other organic stores (i.e. Whole Foods).

I will share with you my favorites as well as the new finds. Every time I go there, I buy a few items that have made it to my staples list, and %70 of the purchase would be new items to try. Shopping at TJs is like a treasure hunt. Some things you might find again, and other things, unfortunately, disappear!

I love using Coconut Oil in cooking. It adds a slight sweet flavor and is great for stir fries. Plus, coconut oil has so many uses to it other than cooking. It can be used for the hair and skin. It is a great product! I will do a separate post on it.

Their Sesame Oil is amazing. I love the flavor it adds to the food you’re cooking. All you need is a tiny drop to achieve a great flavor.

The  Chile Lime chicken patties are so flavorful and delicious. You can either pan fry them or grill them. They are such a great source of protein with low carbs and low fat. It is a great choice, if you are watching what you are eating. Grill a patty, brush some mustard on a whole wheat/multi grain Arnold Sandwich Thins, add some lettuce and maybe a couple slices of avocados, and enjoy the healthy deliciousness! The Chicken Quesadillas is another delicious choice. It only takes a few minutes to be ready. It is great for those of us who are busy and rarely have time to prepare dinner from scratch.

TJ’s frozen section is a treasure to me. I lease to work at 6a.m. and usually do not get home till 6p.m. If I were to go to the gym that day, I wont be home till 8p.m. So, when can I ever cook or prepare dinner from scratch? NEVER. That’s when TJ’s come in place and help me out. TJs has a great selection of healthy options that fit easily in my busy and rushed life style. That’s why I am obsessed with it.

Here are more of our favorites. The vegetable Bird’s Nests are basically vegetable tempura. They are not the healthiest choice, but having one at lunch certainly doesn’t hurt as they are super delicious. The Lemon Grass Chicken are great as a snack with a home made mustard and Sriracha sauce. The Channa Masala chickpeas are so flavorful and make a great side dish with grilled chicken and rice. One other favorite is the Potatoe Pancakes. They make a great side on your breakfast plate, served with a fat free spoon of sour cream. Deliciousness.

More of our favorites are these:

The Sea Salt & Lemon Ppper grinders. TJ’s has a wide range of these grinders and each is less than $2. The Low Calorie Lemonade was one of my first items I ever bought at TJ’s and it’s been a favorite ever since. We love it as it is a bit sour and very refreshing! The Saffron is a great spice to have and add to your chicken marinade. And finally that Rustic Pan Bello bread is magnificent. Super tender, yet with a crunchy crust. It is one of our new favorites.

Both the Mixed Berry and Mango Passion Granola Cereals are the hubby’s favorites. They are so crunchy and the fruits actually taste like fruit. Great source of fiber!

I fixed dinner last night using the Marinated Chicken Breast and the Kimchi rice. Oh don’t they sound so wonderful together or what? We loved them! The Rice is on the spicy side, but so flavorful. Oh boy, and the chicken came out so juicy and tender. Here you go, more things are getting added to our favorites. Keep in mind that they were both very low in fat! TJ’s is such a treasure box.

The next three pictures are new items that we haven’t tried yet. However, I am pretty sure they will end up to be part of our favorites.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope I inspired you to go do your own treasure hunt at Trader Joe’s!

Arki

What’s for Breakfast?

I love Mondays!
Everyone starts their work week on that day, except me. So I decided to start this day with a delicious breakfast.
Plate breakdown:
1 egg fluffed with olives.
Half of an avocado sprinkled with salt and lemon peppers.
2 mini potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and scallions from TJs.
A slice of home made bread, made by my momma, topped with light cream cheese and TJs olive tapenade spread.

I hope everyone is having a great Monday!
Arki

TJs haul coming soon..