Guacamole + Everything Bagel

Rating: 9.5/10

Been offline awhile, but back with a vengeance now! And wouldn't think of starting the summer without some avocado in my belly. Anyway, totally my new obsession this awesome guac dip. Wholly Guacamole, indeed. It's got all of what I love about guacamole (avocado, garlic) and none of what I hate (cilantro, lime). And of course, why go for chips when you got everything bagels lying around. As much as I despise sesame seeds on anything, if they're the price I have to pay to get caraway seeds, poppy seeds, and garlic all on one bagel then so be it, everything bagel it is. So when you put perfect guacamole with near perfect bagel: voila mouth happy amounts of flavor, chew, and easy on-the-go chow. Just break, dip, bite, and smile.

Nutrition:

• Wholly Guacamole (6 spoonfuls) = 180 Calories, 6g fiber, 330mg Sodium, 540mg Potassium
• Einstein Bros. Everything Bagel = 270 Calories, 2g fiber, 620mg Sodium, 20% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 470
Decent amount of fiber and Sodium for sure. Decent breakfast material.
 

Giant Pizza + Pirate's Booty

Rating: 6.5/10

Giant pizza topped with Pirate's Booty cheese puffs. What's an afternoon of TV and games with friends without a giant pizza and junk food? Because I can't stand plain-ness of any kind, I must impose toppings on plain pizza even of the giant variety. And what's at hand? A bag of Pirate's Booty. Not bad as toppings go. The crispy, airy, cheesy puffs add some bite to the chewy, salty, saucy pizza. Plain-ness gone! Mission accomplished.

Nutrition:

• slice of giant plain pizza = 720 Calories, 1319mg Sodium, 6g fiber, 70% of daily Calcium, 40% of daily Vitamin A, 30% of daily Iron, 20% of daily Vitamin C
• Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Corn Puff (handful) = 130 Calories, 140mg Sodium

Total Calories = 850
Not the worst thing you can eat when it comes to junk/fast food. More than half the Sodium you need in a day, but decent supply of Calcium, Iron, and vitamins.

Pierogies + Soup Noodles

Rating: 8/10

Instant noodles and pierogies in a bowl. Addicted to pierogies I am and eating it in any form imaginable. Was in need of a quick noodles and soup fix, so thought I'd combine the three and savor the possibility. Turned out rather delectable, abeit not the most interesting in flavor sensation. Spicy, salty, chewy noodles with chewy, soft, potatoey pierogies.

Nutrition:

• 6 Peter & Pat's Pierogies Potato & Onion = 390 Calories, 450mg Sodium, 1.5g fiber, 15% of daily Iron
• Six Fortune Instant Broad Noodles = 500 Calories, 2000mg Sodium, 2g fiber

Total Calories = 890
Wow that's a shitload of Sodium, and really not much else of nutritional value.

Potato Chips + Fennel Arugula Salad

Rating: 8/10

Tried this new cheesy garlic bread flavored chips, a bit overwhelming on its own and needed companion foods to balance out the taste. People put cheese on salads, so why not cheesy potato chips? Viola, awesome pairing and balance of flavors.

Nutrition:

• Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips = 290 Calories, 250mg Sodium, 610mg Potassium, 2g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin C
• bowl of fennel arugula salad = 140 Calories, 4g fiber, 23% of daily Vitamin C, 12% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 430
Got in some fiber and vitamins.

Pumpkin Seeds + Pasta

 Rating: 8.5/10

Tomato-based rotini pasta topped with roasted pumpkin seeds in shell. The pasta was kind of boring to eat by itself, and the seeds were right nearby, so I decided to sprinkle them all over like Parmesan.  The combo gave just the right amount of tough, salty bite from the seeds and soft, saucy chewiness from the pasta. And always eat pumpkin seeds with shells, adds extra flavor and texture.

Nutrition:

• bowl of rotini pasta with tomato sauce = 450 Calories, 5g fiber, 10% of daily Iron, 10% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Vitamin C
• handful of Trader Joe's In Shell Pumpkin Seeds Dry Roasted and Lightly Salted = 180 Calories, 2g fiber, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 630
Rough estimates here but decent amount of Iron and fiber in this meal.

Pizza Crust + Babaganush + Cello Radish

Rating: 8/10

Pizza crust dipped in babaganush and eaten with fresh whole cello radishes also dipped in babaganush. I am not a crust person and generally am of the opinion that crust should always be cut off everything because it's hard, tasteless, and possibly carcinogenic. But dipping it in the babaganush has given it newfound purpose. Besides, this crust is rather fluffy and not dry or burnt. As for the cello radish, it's like my new obsession. Random but it's just so tiny and adorable and crunchy I can't help myself. Looking for any and all reasons and ways to eat it. And when in doubt, dip it in babaganush. All together, we have a great mouthful of chewy, doughy, salty pizza crust, plus the crunchy, lightly spicy radish, topped with creamy, garlicky amazing babaganush.

Nutrition:

• 2 Pizza Hut Supreme Pizza crusts = 100 Calories, 246mg Sodium, 10% of daily Vitamin A
• Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip (4 tablespoons) = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber 
• 2 cello radishes = 5 Calories

Total Calories = 265
That radish is pretty devoid of both Calories and nutrients. Eh.

Pizza + Peach

Rating: 7/10

Slice of cold supreme pizza eaten with a fresh white peach. Trying to make a meal out of leftovers from earlier in the day. Normally pizza's like a 5/10 for me, so I'm always looking for something to make it a better eating experience. Well, adding the lightly sweet, juicy, crunchy peach to the chewy umami of the pizza did the job. My taste buds are satisfied. Odd since I'm not a fan of pineapple on pizza and generally don't like fruits mixed with meals. But I guess peach isn't as strong a flavor as pineapples and it just worked. The peach also sort of quenched my thirst that usually follow eating pizza while I was still eating, so two birds one stone.

Nutrition:

• slice of Pizza Hut Supreme Pizza = 280 Calories, 2g fiber, 650mg Sodium
• peach = 59 Calories, 2.2g fiber, 285mg Potassium, 16% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 339

Pigs-in-a-Blanket + Salsa

Rating: 7/10

Fresh baked pigs-in-a-blanket dipped in spicy salsa. Ideal companion to a night of beer pong. The spicy, sour, salty, juicy salsa added the perfect kick to the flaky, buttery, chewy, savory, hot mini dogs wrapped in croissant. Me likey, and not even a wee bit drunk 'cause me playz to winz.

Nutrition:

• Tostitos Hot Salsa (4 tbsp) = 20 Calories, 2g fiber, 500mg Sodium, 20% of daily Vitamin C, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• 4 pigs-in-a-blanket = 280 Calories, 1g fiber, 430mg Sodium, 10% of daily Vitamin A, 10% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 300
Not bad, some fiber and vitamins, go figure.

Babaganush + Multigrain Flats + Cherry Tomatoes

Rating: 9/10

Oven toasted multigrain flatbread dipped in babaganush and eaten with yellow cherry tomatoes. After I ran out of naan, I went on a semi-mad search for a suitable partner for the magically delicious babaganush. Seriously like nothing can beat this dip, it goes with everything and makes them better. But the toasted outside chewy inside multigrain flats top it. So much texture in this flatbread with actual "you can feel it, taste it, and see it" grains and seeds all over. Then add in the sweet, sour, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Wham-o! Killer combo, so simple yet so complexly rich in flavor. Not to mention, quick and easy breakfast for someone on the go.

Nutrition:

• Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip (4 tablespoons) = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• OneBun Multigrain Folded Flats = 130 Calories, 2g fiber, 80mg Potassium, 230mg Sodium, 10% of daily Calcium, 6% of daily Riboflavin, 6% of daily Folate
• NatureSweet Sunbursts Sweet Golden Snacking Tomatoes (1/2 cup) = 45 Calories, 3g fiber, 250mg Potassium, 35% of daily Vitamin C, 15% of daily Vitamin A

Total Calories = 335
Pretty light and packed with a bunch of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Pesto + Steamed Buns

Rating: 9.5/10

Sliced Chinese steamed bun slathered with pesto and pan fried. Like garlic bread but awesomer! I'm so in love with this creation and myself for coming up with the notion of uniting this unlikely duo. It's rare when I'm this self-satisfied about food, I'm going to savor this moment. Ah... Okay so the oily, savory, fragrant punch of pesto plus the fluffy, light bun over fire and pan equals crispy, flavorful fried goodness surrounding a soft, warm, chewy core. Words don't do this thing justice.

Nutrition:

• Trader Joe's Genova Pesto (1/2 cup) = 520 Calories, 2g fiber, 270mg Sodium, 40% of daily Vitamin A, 20% of daily Calcium, 16% of daily Vitamin C
• Chinese steamed bun = 160 Calories, 5g fiber

Total Calories = 680
Basically a meal's worth but worth it.

Soft Boiled Eggs + Potato Chips

Rating: 7.5/10

Mashed soft-boiled eggs with black pepper and potato chips. Nothing beats a nice hearty egg breakfast (and I'll take soft-boiled if I can't have poached). Part of the way to start a long, sweatt day of mountain hiking. The crispy, crunchy, salty chips gave the gooey, chewy, peppery eggs some added texture and kick. Hey, just brought two otherwise unremarkable foods together into a scintillating combo. What more can you ask for? 

Nutrition:

• 2 soft boiled eggs with pepper = 140 Calories, 24% of daily Vitamin A, 14% of daily Iron, 10% of daily Calcium
• handful of Lays Classic Potato Chips = 75 Calories, 1g fiber,

Total Calories = 215

Fried Catfish + Jambalaya Pasta

Rating: 9/10

Fried catfish eaten with jambalaya pasta. Cajun style, baby! The crispy, tender, and savory catfish rocks with chewy, saucy, spicy, and savory pasta. Who knew catfish could tastes so good? Or jambalaya could be in pasta form? Well, day of firsts today. I say if you travel to a new place, try some new food. Otherwise, what's the point? Catfish, looks like chicken tenders but way more moist in texture than chicken and not even the least bit fishy tasting. I also tried the jambalaya with some fried alligator but not as rockin' a combo as with the catfish. Alligator meat is surprisingly rubbery, interesting but not worth repeating.
(eaten @ Pier 424, New Orleans LA)

Macadamia Nuts + Spicy Ramen

Rating: 8.5/10

Salted macadamia nuts eaten with spicy soup ramen. Ever since I bought a bag of this my favorite nut yesterday I've been trying to work it into everything I eat (Nutella, chop salad, danish, etc.). Macadamia truly makes everything better. So while I was eating some ramen this morning/noon, I thought why not, no reason this won't work. Yep haven't disproved my theory that there's nothing edible macadamias don't go with yet. The salty, soft and crunchy nuts only added to and enhanced the otherwise bland experience of instant ramen despite its savory, spicy, soupy, chewy palatability. Me likey.

Nutrition:

• Savanna Orchards Gourmet Dry Roasted Macadamias (1/2 cup) = 420 Calories, 4g fiber, 230mg Sodium, 8% of daily Iron
• Nissin Demae Satay Flavor Ramen Noodle = 480 Calories, 1380mg Sodium, 3g fiber

Total Calories = 900
Damn that's a lot of Sodium and Calories to start the day. Tasty though. And got in a decent amount of fiber.

Fried Egg + Super Chop Salad

Rating: 10/10

Fried egg dripping in yolk tossed over a salad of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, basil, mozzarella, garlic croutons, dried cranberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sautéed tofu, and thousand island dressing. Been totally obsessed with salad creations lately. Funny I've never been much into salads until I realized I can add anything I want into it and still call it a salad as long as it has some basic raw vegetables in the mix. So began my awesome salad journeys. First up, topping a super-salad with a crispy, yolky sunny-side up egg. So much taste and chew in this masterpiece. The key to deliciousness is really to chop it all up with a giant knife while in a giant bowl to get all the flavors mixing before tossing it with the dressing. Can't wait to try more new salad combos!


Nutrition:

• 2 cups of Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach = 14 Calories, 2g fiber, 112% of daily Vitamin A, 28% of daily Vitamin C, 10% of daily Iron
• cup of Nature Sweet Cherry Tomatoes = 27 Calories, 2g fiber, 25% of daily Vitamin A, 32% of daily Vitamin C
• 1/2 Calavo Avocado =  140 Calories, 5g fiber, 15% of daily Folate, 13% of daily Vitamin C, 10% of daily Vitamin B6, 10% of daily Riboflavin
• sprig of Lucinda's Specialty Produce Basil = 1 Calorie
• thick slice of Formaggio Fresh Mozzarella = 160 Calories, 300mg Sodium, 30% of daily Calcium
• cup of Fresh Gourmet Seasoned Organic Croutons = 280 Calories, 560mg Sodium, 16% of daily Iron
• 3 spoonfuls of Kirkland Signature Fruit & Nuts = 150 Calories, 2g fiber, 11g sugar
• 2 spoonfuls of America's Choice Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds = 170 Calories, 115mg Sodium, 3g fiber
• 1/2 block of Soonyeowon Soft Tofu sautéed = 270 Calories, 2g fiber, 32% of daily Iron, 20% of daily Calcium
• 6 spoonfuls of Walden Farms Thousand Island Dressing = 0 Calories, 870mg Sodium, 30% of daily Vitamin B12, 30% of daily Vitamin E
• fried egg = 95 Calories, 15% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 1,307
Not skimping on the Calories here. But totally worth it. Super nutritious and kept me full for half the day. A lot of Sodium though, no wonder I was so thirsty afterwards.

Jambalaya + Pierogies

Rating: 8.5/10

Creole jambalaya eaten with potato pierogies. This is kind of feeding my two new food obsessions of late: colorful rice dishes and dumplings of any variety. Plus, the contrast between the strong flavor of the salty, savory, chunky jambalaya and the mild, soft, and chewy pierogies only heightens the experience of both in my mouth. Makes me want to stalk befriend more Caribbean and Polish people so they'll invite me over for dinner.
(eaten @ Hell's Kitchen Lounge, Newark, NJ)

Leek Boxes + Ranch Dressing

Rating: 9.5/10

Hot off the stove leek boxes dipped in ranch dressing. Love leek boxes, sans shrimp flakes of course. Just the name is adorable. I've heard they're like a Shanghai specialty or something; only in China would food be called boxes. I can still remember the first time I tasted one. I was 19 and hanging out in the basement of some guy's house where slasher films, ping-pong, and DDR were taking place. Then there they were on the kitchen counter, best midnight snack surprise. So began a life-long craving. Anyway, the hot, crispy, chewy, juicy, salty savory, leek boxes rock so hard with the creamy, sour, salty ranch dressing I could kill.

Feta Cheese + Naan Bread + Babaganush

Rating: 8/10

Naan bread dipped in babaganush eaten with feta cheese. I like flavorful cheese because otherwise you're just eating a tasteless block of goo. I'm no fan of cheese texture-wise unless it's melted. The salty, sour cheese goes so well with the salty, chewy naan and savory, garlicky creamy babaganush. Not as good as naan and babaganush with rotisserie chicken but worth the re-eat.

Fried Dumplings + Babaganush

Rating: 5/10

Had some stale pork fried dumplings lying around. Thought I'd try to dress it up a bit with babaganush. This turned out surprisingly bland. It wasn't terrible but certainly not worth repeating. The light savory of the dumplings and the savory, garlicky babaganush sort of cancelled each other out. The creamy vs. crispy-chewy difference between the two doesn't even register. Blah.

Vodka Sauce + Feta Cheese + Naan Bread + Avocado

 



















Rating: 5.5/10

A lazy homemade pizza with random ingredients I found in the kitchen. First we have the kick of creamy, tomatoey vodka sauce poured over the chewy fluff of naan bread. Then cover it with chunky, salty-sour feta cheese crumbles and bake it in a toaster oven before topping it with the buttery, green lightness of sliced avocado. This turned out really salty, which I didn't particularly expect. But I guess basically everything combined here is salt-based and when you put them together it all adds. The avocado did nothing to calm the strength of  taste here. While not as much variety in flavor as I would prefer, still a somewhat pleasant experience. May work better with mozzarella and arugula instead of feta and avocado.

Nutrition:

• 1/5 Bertolli Vodka Sauce = 150 Calories, 730mg Sodium, 2g fiber, 15% of daily Vitamin A
• scoop of President Feta Crumbled = 70 Calories, 260mg Sodium, 10% of daily Calcium
• Reya Tandoor Baked Naan = 280 Calories, 740mg Sodium, 2g fiber, 16'% of daily Iron
• avocado = 240 Calories, 10g fiber, 25% of daily Vitamin C

Total Calories = 740
Kept me full for the rest of the night. Wow looking at the Sodium count, that's almost a whole day's worth. But hey also got over half a day's worth of fiber too. Win some, lose some. Plus some Vitamin C & A, Calcium and Iron.

Rotisserie Chicken + Babaganush + Naan Bread

Rating: 10/10

Creamy, garlicy eggplant babaganush and savory seasoned rotisserie chicken wrapped in hot-off-the-toaster-oven fluffy, chewy naan bread. It's basically the lazy man's chicken gyro. The babaganush is the glue that holds it all together and ramps up the flavor. This is like my favorite meal concoction right now and the last two meals I've had. Add in some fennel and/or arugula, this may be unstoppable.

Nutrition:

• 1/6 Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken = 140 Calories, 460mg Sodium
• 2 large scoops of Golden Taste Eggplant Babaganush Dip = 160 Calories, 280mg Sodium, 2g fiber
• Reya Tandoor Baked Naan = 280 Calories, 740mg Sodium, 2g fiber, 16'% of daily Iron

Total Calories = 580
Wow that's a lot of Sodium. No wonder I drank like 3 bottles of water afterwards.