Crunchwrap Supremer

I can't tell you the last time I ate fast-food. I've watched one too many documentaries about what might be in the deep fryers and ovens of America's beloved fast-food chains, to forever defer me from my nearest drive-thru. That, and I have this "thing" about knowing exactly what is in my food. The nutrition charts many chain-restaurants provide show only the disturbing amount of calories in their meals, not ingredients.

But lets be honest, there are no fries that have quite that addicting taste like McDonald's do. And when it comes to totally non-traditional, yet strangely satisfying Mexican food, Taco Bell really hits the spot.

Which leads me to my fast-food vice-- the Crunchwrap Supreme. For some reason, I think the crunchy and soft meal is completely wonderful. But since my health kick began and I became more creative in the kitchen, I knew that if I wanted a Crunchwrap, I'd have to make it myself.



And boy, did I.

Ingredients:
1 extra large tortilla (used wheat)
1 tostada shell (substituted with three crushed chips)
1/2 small chicken breast
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 lime juice
1/4 cup tomato
1/4 cup lettuce
2 tbs. sour cream (used fat-free)
2-3 tbs. grated cheese (used 2% milk, reduced fat cheese)

-In a skillet on medium heat, cook chicken for two minutes. Add salsa and lime juice and cover with lid.
-When chicken is finished cooking, shred with two forks on a cutting board.
-Lay out tortilla and spread sour cream in the center-- the width of the tostada.
-Place diced tomatoes and chopped lettuce on top of that.
-Place tostada shell (or chips) on top of veggies.
-Put chicken and then cheese on top of shell.
-Fold over tortilla six times. Each flap should over lap the next.
-Place crunchwrap on a skillet on medium-high heat. Press down firmly with spatula to add weight. Flip when the first side is golden to your liking.

For a vegetarian option, substitute the chicken for black beans.
Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 clove garlic
1/2 lime juice
3 tbs. salsa
Pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients together using a mixer (I use my blender) then heat in a pot over medium heat.

Enjoy! I served it with blue corn tortilla chips and roasted red pepper salsa, yum.

Good, better, best

I have made some changes these last couple weeks. I have stopped working at Seattle Children's Theatre. What I wanted out of an internship wasn't what they wanted from an intern. It wasn't a hard good-bye, rather something both SCT and I knew needed to be done. I came to Seattle and put my life on hold to apply my skills and gain PR work experience. After my departure from SCT, I didn't waste any time trying to find a company that would meet my expectations. Lucky for me, I found one that has exceeded them.

This time around, I found a business that is more closely related to what I now know I want to pursue, something in the culinary industry. I am the PR intern for Dish it up!, a cooking school, wine, kitchenware and counter design store, and I couldn't be happier. I'm thrilled to work for Dish it up!. I'm doing work I love in a fantastic environment. I get to walk through cupcake liners when I need a pen; I sit at a kitchen counter where blueberry pies were made the night before. The staff is warm and the work is applicable to my PR degree.

SCT started my summer in a direction I didn't want to go, but my new internship has completely changed its course. I have learned what I don't want in a job and what I do. I don't, in any way, think that makes this experience lackluster. Dish it up! came along and put a lot into perspective-- better late than never, right?

I am also helping my long-time friend, Liz Bateman, doing PR for her sister's wedding cake company, Cake Couture. Their cakes are incredible and I am honored to help her family in any way I can.

Life is good.



New recipe to come.. soon. :)

www.dish-it-up.com

Mamma, Mia

Nick and I celebrated a year and a half of lovin' yesterday. Because he insists on taking me out on our big, year-averseries, I decided that I'd wear the pants on our half-years and take him on a date to celebrate.

Nick loves Italian food, so Italian food we got. We went to Mamma Melina, a restaurant that a few locals told us is incredible and authentic.

When we first walked in, we admired the unique interior design. The furniture and linens are all white, the walls are gray and oil paintings are tacked to the ceilings. It was comfortable, "smart casual," as their website calls it. I'm not sure how smart the guy in basketball shorts and a Fubu shirt was, but hey, if anyone there got the memo for the casual part, it was him. We got there around 6 pm. I made a reservation so we were seated immediately, but there wasn't much of a wait, anyway. The place was fairly full, though, with a steady flow of people coming in. As we got closer to our table, we noticed a few things that just didn't quite fit. The chairs were plastic and had an outdoor, pool-side feel. When Nick pulled out my chair for me, he could have easily lifted it up and brought it to the nearest recreation center. The salt and pepper shakers were also plastic and so clearly could have been from any market nearby. It was close, Mamma was on the right track, but putting the salt and pepper in a different container would have made all the difference. The same goes for the table linen. While it was white and clean, it needed to be ironed. The pleats in it came up and looked like it had been crumpled in a bag for weeks. Two brothers own the restaurant, but I know Mamma Melina must have taught them to iron. Come on, guys, you could even put them in the de-wrinkle cycle in a dryer-- the ultimate bachelor trick.

But, it's all about the food, right? We ordered the prosciutto, caprino e rughetta pizza and gnocchi di patate con pomodoro e mozzarella. The pizza had a thin, wood-fired crust and was topped with tomato, goat cheese, rucola and prosciutto. The potato gnocchi was topped with sauce (organic tomato), mozzarella cheese and parmigiano. The pizza was great, no complaints there at all. For 12 dollars we each had a generous half. It was light and full of flavor. Thankfully, that flavor wasn't from just cheese or just sauce; both of which were surprisingly light, letting other flavors come through like the strong rucola and salty prosciutto. The gnocchi, however, well, it wasn't as great as the locals talked it up to be. I lost the taste of the cheese in the heavy marinara sauce it was filled with. The dish was just alright. It was gnocchi, and that's about that. Not worth the 13 dollars for the taste or portion, that's for sure.

I think we'll go back, though. The couple next to us got a great spinach fettuccine dish I'd like to try, and I could go for a variety of their other pizzas anytime. I've learned to take care of my pizza cravings the second they come. Otherwise, I'll eat a whole box, literally, again.

http://www.mammamelina.com/