Tag Archives: dinner

Viva la Bastille!!! French-inspired veggie-full recipes…

14 Jul

Allons enfants de la patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’etendard sanglant est levé
Entendez vous dans les campagnes,
Mugir ces feroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Egorger nos fils, nos compagnes!

That’s all I know about La Marseillaise, the French National Anthem.

But I do know that I have a secret love affair with anything French…  last year, about this same time, I was in Paris for the 3rd time enjoying my first ever international vacation all by myself.  It was a great experience and something I recommend anyone to try at least once in their life.

To celebrate… I would like to recap a few of my favorite French-inspired vegetarian remakes for all of you who might think French food can’t be made vegetarian and delicious and authentic at the same time…

Crepes can be made without eggs… and even without gluten.  

You just need to be patient and buy the right ingredients.

Crepe Stack - Copy

Crepes for Lunch or Dinner

Fill them with Spinach, Potato and Broccoli or just plain Cheese… Crepes are France’s version of the sandwich.

Potato Broccoli Crepe KFC

Crepe Fromage 1

Photo Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

 

Crepes for Dessert

Fill them with macerated fruits or even a dulce de leche, sweet crepes are the gold standard of street-food decadence.

Egg-free crepes

crepe caramel beurre salee

Ryan Lochte’s Open Dinner Invitation…

3 Aug

Ryan Lochte is one of the hotties in the USA Swimming team… he should need no introduction by now, as he has been one of the faces of the London 2012 Olympics. And with all the coverage of the Olympics I have been watching, you get to know these athletes in more ways than you ever imagined.

 

I learned yesterday that Ryan’s mom is CUBAN!!!! And that Ryan looooves his Cuban foods fix – Bistec Empanizado, Ropa Vieja and his favorites, croquetas. He was interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning in the Today Show and all I was thinking was how I would love to speak with him in Spanish and to invite him over to dinner…

Today Ryan celebrates his 28th birthday and has already finished his tour in London with his 5 medals – 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze – so I think it’s appropriate and good manners to invite him over to my house for a nice Birthday dinner. It’ll be vegetarian, but it’ll be delicious and lots of fun.

Here are a few ideas for the menu:

Eggplant Milanese

Spinach Croquetas

Tuno Antipasto

I know this is not Ropa Vieja, but I think he will like it!!!!

antipasto-1.jpg

With some rice and tostones on the side

So, in the spirit of a very cool video prepared by the USA Swim Team, I can only use Carly Rae Jepsen’s Summer anthem to extend Ryan the most proper invitation to dinner…

I’d trade my soul for a wish,
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn’t looking for this,
But now you’re in my way
 
Your stare was holdin’,
Ripped jeans, skin was showin’
Hot night, wind was blowin’
Where you think you’re going, baby?
 
Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here’s my number,
So call me, maybe?
 
It’s hard to look right,
At you baby,
But here’s my number,
So call me, maybe?

Ryan??? Are you game??? Call me… 😉

%d bloggers like this: