Like a Kid in a Candy Shop

A foodie in a natural food store is like a kid in a candy shop: a recipe for disaster. My local grocery store has an organic section where I can purchase most of my goods, but they have a limited selection. I have been reading/hearing about products like Chia Seeds and Coconut Butter, and have not been able to locate them. After some research I found a natural food market near my school that carried some items I have been wanting to try. I haven’t been grocery shopping or made my own meals for nearly two weeks, so my food imagination has been going wild. I paid a visit to the shop before restocking on essentials at my grocery store. The moment I stepped in the store, my eyes became wide and my face lit up. I must have looked so lost, because I was wandering around the tiny store for nearly an hour staring at all of the goodness it contained. I intentionally did not take a basket to limit my spending. My arms were full, but I have some BIG plans to go back for some Barney Butter and Mint Chocolate Macaroons! I ended up purchasing: Artisana Coconut Butter, Chia Seeds, Sesame and Peanuts KIND Bar (YAY!!! I have been looking for this everywhere I go!), Bumble Bar, Galaxy Granola, Emmy’s Organic Granola (vegan, gluten free and raw), and Ruth’s Cranberry Trail HempPower.Can’t wait to try these!! I had to make a trip to the grocery store since I had absolutely no produce in my apartment. I only got a few things, but dreamt of this my entire trip back to school:

Black Sesame Mahi-Mahi

I made Black Sesame Mahi-Mahi with Wilted Greens, Roasted Yams and a Spicy Plum-Apricot Sauce. I think my kitchen deprivation is clear from this dish. I planned on getting a piece of Sea Bass but the only one I could find was frozen and expensive so I opted for Mahi-Mahi. I also meant to get spinach, and in my rush only picked up a bag of mixed greens so I wilted them instead (so sad, I have been CRAVING spinach!). The sauce ended up being really flavorful, but a bit thicker than I had anticipated. I think I simmered it too long, or perhaps I should have cooked the fruit separately? SUGGESTIONS? I started the sauce by heating 1TBS olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of paprika,  ~1 tsp garlic and 1TBS minced ginger in a small sauce pan. I then added 1/4 of a Spanish onion, 1/2 a tomitillo and 1/4 of sliced red pepper until slightly cooked.  I put thin slices of 1 plum and 1/2 an apricot to the pan and some liquid: splash of white wine, juice of 1/2 a lemon, ~1/4 water, a bit of rice wine vinegar and a dash or two of Sriracha hot sauce, brough it to a boil and let it reduce. It was delicious and I ended up adding up the rest of the sauce after I took the picture (i.e the second picture), but it was a bit thick…would have been awesome as a glaze or with rice.

After dinner, I finished unpacking, cleaned the kitchen and decided it was time for dessert. I was still really full but needed something sweet. Hmm…chocolate? Ice cream? BOTH. I couldn’t find my beloved mint chocolate cookie ice cream, so ended up with a vanilla frozen yogurt because I have been dying to melt some Crofter’s on top of vanilla. I was in the mood for chocolate instead of Crofters so I melted a few squares of Green and Black’s Mint Dark Chocolate with a big spoonful of Maranatha’s Dark Chocolate Almond, and drizzled over my vanilla fro-yo and frozen raspberries. It was so good…I may have gone back for seconds 🙂 …plus some!

messy but delicious!

Back At It,

Nora

What are your suggestions for sauce making or new products to try?

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