What's for Dinner?

It's been a while since I posted a foodie blog. I have a ton of pictures of dinners I've been making that I keep meaning to share on here, but life has been busy - as I'm sure you can all relate to - and cataloging recipes has been at the bottom of my to-do list.

Once upon a time I used to love taking my time in the kitchen and getting lost in cooking while I sipped leisurely on a glass of wine and listened to Edith Piaf on my iTunes. Then I had kids. Gone were the days of making Beef Bourignon for three hours or savoring a glass of wine while waltzing around the kitchen to French music. These days I'm lucky if my kids don't barge into the kitchen, run through the galley, or throw a projectile from the playroom at me while I'm trying to get dinner together. I listen to old school rock or alternative licks because the beat keeps me up-tempo while I throw my thirty minute delicacy together.

So I went back through my pics and figured I would start with a recipe that is super easy and delicious, surprisingly quick (don't let the list of ingredients fool you!), and totally filling:

Carne Asada with Beans, Rice and Greens

Marinade & Steak:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cloves garlic minced (or 1 big tbsp. of jarred minced garlic)

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chile powder

1 tbsp. Goya Recaito (culantro cooking base) - in the international food aisle

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cracked pepper

2 lbs flank or sirloin steak (pounded to 1/4 in thickness)

Place steak in a shallow rimmed dish. Combine liquids together and then add all dry herbs and recaito. Whisk together and pour over steak. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate. Marinate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, turning once halfway through marinating.

When ready to cook, lightly oil outside grill and heat to medium-high. Cook steak for about 5 minutes on each side for medium rare. 

Black Beans:

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup pico de gallo

1 tbsp. hot sauce (I prefer Cholula or Franks)

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a simmer on the stove over medium heat. 

Plate:

1 cup cooked white rice (I prefer Basmati)

1 bag mixed green salad of choice 

1 cup guacamole

1 cup pico de gallo

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 lime, wedged

Carne Asada 

Black Beans

Chop up steak into bite size pieces and portion the carne asada, black beans, rice, salad, guacamole and pico de gallo on plate or bowl. Garnish with cilantro and lime (lots of lime!). Eat each section separately, or mix it all together for pure, unadulterated, heavenly deliciousness!

Serves 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 small children :)

Bon apetit!

The Pearl and The Riverwalk North

Well, it's been an interesting week. I went out and about on a little expedition with my littlest last Wednesday to two of my favorite "stroller cruising" venues in the city, and the next day was racked out with the flu. The following day my hubby got struck. Friday night my littlest got it. And last night it struck my eldest. I'm officially over flu season, and it's just started. 

Of course it was a long weekend where we had plans to do a multitude of things with friends and the kids, to include a BYOB paint night, the Khabib vs. McGregor fight, and wandering the hill country at a pumpkin patch. All of those things got eighty-sixed, except the UFC fight, which the hubby and I watched late Saturday night thanks to Twitch, and which didn't disappoint with its post-bout debacle!

So, finally the long weekend is over, as is the plague on our house....I hope! Why do sicknesses always seem to come on days off/vacations/important events? 

Anyways....as I mentioned earlier, I was able to get out and do some exploring last week with "L" before we got sidelined, and got some great photos of a few of my favorite places to take family and friends when they come to San Antonio:

The Pearl

and

The Riverwalk

While the Riverwalk extends for miles along the course of the San Antonio River's journey through the city - starting in the north near the University of the Incarnate Word, and going as far south as Mission Espada - I love walking its northern course. The sidewalks are wide enough for strollers and joggers to share space, the landscape and architecture of its old buildings and museums are beautiful, and there are cool art "spaces" along the route, as well. And while you're walking the northern boulevards of the rio, you can hop off at any time and explore cool sites like The Pearl.

Originally part of the old San Antonio Brewing Assn. and Lone Star Brewery Complex, which operated between 1883-2001 in San Antonio, The Pearl was repurposed and converted into a "mixed-use" retail, restaurant, hotel and entertainment venue for the city around 2009. It's home to tons of quaint boutiques, the third satellite location of the Culinary Institute of America, cute restaurants and lots of green space. It's where all the hipsters hang out every weekend at the city's farmers market, so you know it's cool...(I'm totally raising my eyebrows sardonically while I write that last line). Alas, though, it truly is cool and I love walking the paseos of the old brewery and checking out the shops, the eateries, and the way they totally repurposed everything, to include old mechanical components which now serve as installation art. 

If you haven't been in a while, there's always something going on there, and the vibe is always friendly. And if you ever plan on visiting San Antonio, it's a must for things to see and do in the city!

A Walk in the Garden

Things seem to finally be settling into a routine now that the school year has started. My oldest is in Kindergarten, my middle is in preschool, and the youngest is loving having Mommy to herself for three hours every morning - and so am I.

Truthfully, my middle child, "C," got the raw end of the deal - as is par for the course - because there was always another sibling vying for my time and attention. Once my oldest was in preschool, "C" got some one-on-one time for a bit, but then little sister arrived. And even though I feel bad about that sometimes, I also see all of the benefits of having bookend siblings:

• Isn't afraid to stick up for herself
• Knows what she wants
• Easy to talk to
• Plays well with others (most of the time)
• Extremely outgoing
• Loves to make friends

My youngest, "L," shares a lot of the same attributes, but she's also my most spirited and free child in a lot of ways. She loves to learn and explore, and so do I. So this week I decided to re-energize an aspect of this blog from it's former life and go exploring, with "L" at my side. I've decided to make it a weekly occurrence, and this week I chose to hit up one of my favorite spots here in the city: 

The San Antonio Botanical Gardens

It's a favorite of mine because it offers so many awesome features, and it's also pretty much in my back yard! But proximity aside, it's just fantastic on so many levels. There are so many beautiful gardens, conservatories and areas to view and explore, along with beautiful architecture, learning centers and an abundant trail system that is just awesome and seems to go on forever! Plus it has a fantastic "Family Adventure Garden" that the kids love, which boasts a super cool lazy creek to splash in on hot days, log cottages to play make-believe in, hedge mazes to navigate, and a stage with accessories to put on a whimsical performance! The garden is currently offering an interesting art installation too, of which I'm always a fan! 

Nature Connects: Art with LEGOS by Sean Kenney

Along with a plethora of other awesome events that are coming up: 

Texas to Table

BOOtanica

Moonlight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Wine Down at the Garden

If you haven't been, you should totally go! And if my remarks above and blatant advertising haven't sold you yet, here are some photos that I took to help seal the deal!