The Golden Nugget Gourmet

Whether you love going to your local Indian restaurant for Tikka Masala or you have been curious to try Indian food in general, then you definitely want this recipe  from Kindra at Meal Planning 101 . It's restaurant quality, and my husband Scott would argue it's better. For those of you in the DC area, GNG recommends when you are not in the mood to cook that you head on over to Tiffin in East Takoma Park, MD. I was first introduced to this restaurant by one of Scott's mentors (from UMD) and his wife. I immediately thought that this was a local golden nugget and I love it so much that Morgan and I often frequent the extensive lunch buffet on our way home from preschool on Thursdays. The food and service are topnotch. Morgie would like to recommend it especially for the house mango juice.

Are you trying to cut back on carbs, gluten, or maybe a little bit of both? Portobello pizzas are a healthy alternative to the traditional pizza that can satisfy all of those needs without sacrificing the taste. The only thing this dish is lacking is calories. The possibilities of various toppings are endless. I started with homemade marinara sauce from Budget Bytes and topped with mozzarella, peppers, onions, and some phenomenal Sobrasada from Three Little Pigs in DC. View the Printer-Friendly  Portabella Pizza Recipe Card

Last year I came up with this last minute idea for a unique twist on my presentation of twice baked potatoes. As you have heard me say before "love is in the effort." Now that being said, it took me five minutes to make the hearts but the effort was in thinking out of the box on how to make my husband's dinner extra special. Sure you can buy a Hallmark card or a dozen roses (which will cost you more than these gourmet potatoes) but how creative is that? You get what you give so give your heart on a platter this Valentine's Day. These Valentine's Day twice baked potatoes are extremely easy to make. Just shape the potato mixture into a heart, place cheese on top, and bake as usual. Happy Valentine's Day! I would love to get a pic of your Valentine's potatoes.

Last Saturday night we went iceskating downtown with good friends and then we all headed home for a Chipotle inspired feast. Since we were coming straight from skating I wasn't going to have time to prep dinner so I made  Barbacoa  in the crockpot that morning and assembled my salsas, guacamole , and other accompaniments the night before. It was awesome to walk in from the cold snowy night and be greeted by the savory scent of the hot dinner that was readily awaiting our return. The combination of this sweet pineapple-mango salsa  on a salty tortilla chip is absolutely addicting. Making it the night before allows for all of the flavors to really meld together.