Taco Thursday: Carne Asada Steak + Padron Peppers + Cabbage Slaw

IMG_3764Sometimes you just need a taco. Or a glass of wine. Or…both.

Thursday was a “both” day. Whether it be in celebration or on consolation, there’s something about a good taco that calms and comforts like a chat with a good friend or a glass of wine. You can also make them out of pretty much anything in the cabinet! Anyone can find a way to eat a taco whether you be vegan, vegetarian, or carnivore. The preparation is also a variable whether basking in simplicity or it’s own braised beauty!

Tonight was a much needed “comfort” night, including some home cooking which always has a way of reminding myself that there is something worthwhile that I can do, and do quite well. In addition to home cooking, include a challenge to overcome and a hearty pour of wine. For my challenge I chose the chopping jalapeños without staining my fingers in the fire juice and promptly wiping my eye which seems to be a habit of mine. For the home cooking, Carne Asada Steak Tacos, oven roasted Padron Peppers and some good old  Grilled Cabbage Slaw. For the wine, honestly whatever was open on the counter would do but at this point. I looked for Rioja to make the complete “spanish” experience but settled for a glass from the bottle of open Chianti that always has a home on my counter.

The result, a masterpiece that both soothed my mind and filled my belly. You can’t go wrong with a taco!

Do you have “taco + wine” days?

 

Spaghetti Squash- A simple fall meal

Photo from Roost
Spaghetti Squash (Photo from Roost)

Fall is on its way… leaves are turning colors, the air is crisp and the pumpkin spice latte signs abound. Today it feels like a cozy grey blanket was spread across the city, and it’s tucked up under my chin making me feel like I’ve found the warm part of the bed and don’t want to rustle the covers. You know what I’m talking about? It’s the same feeling as the morning when you wake up and the mattress is perfectly indented with your body and you can feel the cold air in the room on your nose but under the covers it’s all warm! Well, that’s how today feels.

I LOVE fall! Boot season, reaching for scarves, leaves turning, impending holidays in the planning… I love ALL that fall brings with it but mostly I LOVE Fall cooking! I can’t walk past a pumpkin without sizing it up for how much pumpkin it would yield for after roasting, mentally creating a cutting plan in my head of how I would slice it to fit on a roasting sheet!

One of my fall favorites is spaghetti squash. It is such a simple and warming dish to make for those nights you don’t want to spend your night in the kitchen making dinner! I love to make extra and pour cinnamon and soy milk over it the next morning for breakfast or pack some for lunch sprinkled with cheese! I was going to write my own recipe and include pictures BUT as luck would have it one of my favorite food blogs to read, Roost, posted this very day (yep you guessed it!) Spaghetti Squash!

Caitlin is the author and creator of Roost, and her photography is out of this world! I want to curl up and live in every picture she takes while I devour ALL of the lovely food! She created Roost when her husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s and focused on all things gluten-free. In this recipe, She makes her spaghetti squash with meatballs and sauce, but I love to make my Roasted Fennel and Tomato Dressing and Homemade Turkey Meatballs!

So,  head on over to Roost for the Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Meatballs recipe and gawk at her lovely photos and let me know how you dress up your spaghetti squash! Feel free to post your own recipes in the comments!

Happy Fall Everyone!