Unicorn Invasion
It seems like every other recipe that pops up has to do with unicorns. I understand the fantasy aspect and the recipes are really cute, but everything is coming up unicorns. (photo courtesy Pop Sugar)
Now, unicorn doesn't just mean a little horse with a horn and those squinty eyelash eyes. It also refers to pastel swirls of color with sprinkles. Or twisted pastels made into a bread. Or pastel-colored bagels. There's even a unicorn cookbook (at least one). This one is by Alix Carey.
But wait, last but not least, unicorn popcorn!!! (photo by Life Love Liz)
Cute craze, but enough, please. I'm starting to have unicorn nightmares.
Oh wait. Maybe I need to talk to my therapist about that.
Spiral Crazy!
Everyone's gone vegetable spirals crazy! I had spaghetti at a friend's house not long ago and there was just something not quite right with the pasta. It was spiralized squash! OK, that was weird....but actually pretty good.
There are even special spiral-making devices you can now buy in abundance of styles and prices:
I think it's a great idea and probably gets kids to eat more vegetables by tricking the little darlings. I wonder if you can chocolate coat them successfully? Hmm. Not a bad idea.
This is a big fad that will probably stay around awhile until everyone decides that pasta may not really be that bad for you. I do, however, like to be able to identify my vegetables. How am I supposed to tell sweet potatoes from carrots? What a dilemma. Now if I can get people to stop calling them veggies...
Remember When Ramen Cost Twenty Cents?
Well, then, you're stuck in the eighties, sweeties. You can still find packages of Ramen in the grocery store for 4 for a dollar on a good day, but now there's an entire Ramen industry in the food world! Everyone is crazy for it and restaurants have come up with clever ways to present it so they can charge you ten bucks (at least)!
I thought I was really working it and wild when I added a whisked egg to my pennies-per-serving package of soup, but apparently that's far too basic these days. It's now a gourmet concoction that's actually very good when gussied up. It's comparable to Pho that we enjoy from our favorite Vietnamese place, but a different texture and broth.
Here are some reviews and pictures from Hanabi Ramen and Izakaya in Fort Worth if you're interested in sampling some good Ramen. I still get this feeling there's a chef in the kitchen snickering when he adds that bag of twenty-five cent noodles to our ritzy-priced dish....
Salad in a Jar...I don't get it
Salad in a jar is hot, hot, hot on Pinterest. There's an entire hierarchy of women who excel at stuffing salad in a jar and squeal with delight when a new combination comes along. The golden rule of layering salad in a jar - keep the dressing away from the lettuce. Hmmm. I don't really get it - why not just make a salad in a bowl and save washing the jar? If it's for ease of carrying, then Tupperware seems to make a little more sense. Not feelin' it.
Welcome Cauliflower - Kale is so yesterday!
One of the hottest vegetables around is Cauliflower. Recipes using it are invading the internet and health nuts are cheering! Although not quite as packed in nutrition as broccoli (broccoli kicks butt in calcium, Vitamin C and Vitamin A), cauliflower has fewer carbs, slightly fewer calories and more potassium. Plus, it tastes good when cooked. Come on, does anyone really like raw cauliflower?
Cauliflower is being ground and used almost like flour in light pizza crust recipes - good for those who are going gluten-free, too. Cauliflower poppers, casseroles, mashed like potatoes, soup, or simply roasted. It's tasty and healthy and can even be disguised for the wee ones who don't like anything resembling a vegetable.
Here are a couple of links to interesting recipes, including two on my site:
https://myrecipereviews.com/2014/03/01/cheesy-cauliflower-casserole/
Crispy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets
http://skinnyms.com/gluten-free-grain-free-cheesy-garlic-cauliflower-bread-sticks/
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/cauliflower/