Dine & Dish: Slotted Spoon

The Salted Spoon meets the Slotted Spoon: A meatball eatery.

A what? Yes, a meatball mecca. An entire shop dedicated to meatballs of all varieties. You pick the meatball, the vessel on which to enjoy said meatball and then choose your sauce and extras. All this comes together to make one customized and enlightened meatball experience.

And in Denver style, the Slotted Spoon serves it up in a 'fast-casual' eatery. They've discovered and honed in on a niche in the ever growing fast-casual market that is inventive and fun. I anticipate we'll be seeing these guys open up numerous locations once the word spreads about their meatball goodness.

We lunched on Salmon Meatballs on a whole wheat hoagie and the Black Bean Meatballs on salad greens. Diner tip: Don't miss the Sautéed Greens which are divinely flavored with cracked pepper bacon and roasted garlic.

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Slotted Spoon: A meatball eatery

Celebrating a mother-to-be friend

My dear friend, Melissa, is pregnant and expecting a baby very soon. Melissa is one of my best friends and I am so excited for her as she is about to become a first-time momma.

Selfishly, I am looking forward to her having the little guy soon so I can hold him! :)

This weekend, my other friend and I got to honor Melissa by throwing her a baby shower. Our shower had all the festive ingredients you would expect from a baby shower – decorations, friends, food and ‘oohing and aahing’ as she opened gifts and help up teeny-tiny onesies. Simply adorable.

Lightened-Up Egg Salad Sandwich

Every year, my adult siblings and I dye Easter eggs. Yes, I said adult siblings. We still enjoy doing this and have convinced our spouses to join in on the colorful creations as well.

Naturally, this tradition leaves us with lots and lots of hard-boiled eggs. The quintessential Easter leftover dish is an egg salad sandwich. But with the common ingredient of mayonnaise, I am sorry to say, such a sandwich makes for a calorie-laden lunch.

To health it up, I swapped Greek yogurt for the mayo. The result, the same great flavor but without the excess calories and fat.

Curry Chicken Salad with Watercress

I have been traveling quite a bit these past months. I spend my days working for a wellness company for older adults and I get the opportunity to travel the nation visiting our partners.

In doing so, I also have many food-related experiences. Some healthy and some not so much. My travel eats inspire ideas about how to make dishes healthier.

This dish was inspired by a trip in which I enjoyed lunch with the team at a senior living community. The menu was much like a restaurant menu and offered several common lunch-time fares, such as tuna and chicken salad.

Dine & Dish: Iggy's Cantina and Kitchen

We went to Iggy's based upon a word-of-mouth recommendation. The newly opened restaurant is located just east of Downtown Littleton.

Inside, you'll find a casual, colorful dining room with a small bar and 8 or so tables. A recently paved patio will double the seating come summertime.

Ham, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup

I had the day off from work and enjoyed the entire day cooking in my kitchen. Here's what I made for dinner...

Ingredients:
2 medium butternut squash
1 1/2 tbs. olive oil
12 c. chicken stock
2 yellow onions, diced
1 c. wild rice
12 oz. Applewood smoked ham steak, cubed
16 oz. corn kernels, drained
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 c. half-and-half
1 tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped
S & P, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and remove seeds from squash. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Place on baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Season generously with S&P. Roast in oven for 40 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool.

Bring 4 cups chicken stock to boil in medium pot. Pour in rice and cook on medium heat until broth has been fully absorbed. Approximately, 45-60 minutes.

Dice and sauté onions in 1/2 tablespoon oil in non-stick saucepan. Sauté until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Cube ham and sauté in saucepan with cooking spray until golden brown. Set aside.

Puree cooled squash in food processor with 2 cups broth until smooth. In a large pot, bring remaining 6 cups broth to simmer. Add squash puree, corn, thyme sprigs, onion and ham. Cook for 20 minutes at slow boil. Reduce heat to simmer, add rice and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard thyme sprigs. Stir in half-and-half and parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Dine & Dish: Waffle Brothers

With the tag line of “Serving one warm waffle at a time,” this little waffle shop is growing a big reputation for serving up fresh, flavorful, and inventive waffles.

This morning we sampled The Huffman and 4 Corners - Both in the All Natural Whole Wheat waffle version. The Huffman was served simply with butter and syrup and offered a true tasting of the waffle itself. The whole wheat waffle batter is sweetened with honey and banana and is hearty enough to stand up to many toppings. Speaking of many toppings, the 4 Corners waffle offers just that – four toppings, one in each corner. My toppings included fresh strawberries and bananas, blueberry compote and Nutella. It was finished off with a sprinkling of cinnamon and as you can see, it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Final word on Waffle Brothers: Awesome, affordable waffles.

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Waffle Brothers

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

After a leisurely morning of watching The Food Network, I was inspired to put on my apron and get cooking. (Before I say more, it should be known that many a time watching cooking shows results in absolutely no activity in my own kitchen.) This time, I decided to try something I’d never attempted before - Pulled pork sandwiches!

While I mixed together the spices for the dry rub, I tried to figure out a way to make the recipe slightly healthier. Then, after diligently trimming the fat from the cut of meat, I realized that was all I could do in the way of making it a lighter version. What was eventually dished onto my plate was an indulgent BBQ pulled pork sandwich with the confirmation that slow cooking builds an unmatched depth of flavor.

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Pulled Pork Recipe

Dine and Dish: Watercourse Foods

Tofu much? I feel confident to proclaim that whether you like Tofu or not, you’d enjoy feasting from this vegetarian menu. In fact, I venture to guess that a first timer would be challenged to narrow it down to one menu selection. Who’s not intrigued by a vegetarian restaurant offering Buffalo Wings, a Ruben sandwich, and a “Grinder” who’s description is reminiscent of a Philly Cheese Steak? For our meal, we settled upon the Portobello Po Boy with Onion Rings, and Thai Peanut Stir Fry with Crispy Tofu.

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WaterCourse Foods