What’s for dinner?

This week (August 21-28)  is San Antonio’s first annual Culinaria Restaurant Week.  You can enjoy three-course meals at a variety of the city’s best restaurants.  Full lunches are only $15 and $35 for dinners!  To see a list of participating restaurants, visit www.visitsanantonio.com/eat.

And if you’re feeling adventurous and would like to try cooking your own culinary masterpiece in your apartment, check out this delicious recipe for Garlic Alfredo Tilapia!  Serve it with rice and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Alfredo sauce

(Credit: AllRecipes.com)

Check out green for great vegetarian cuisine

While I usually enjoy a nice variety of veggies on my dish, I am not a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination.  So when my vegetarian sister came to visit, I had to do a little research to find a good place to take her out to eat.

A couple Google searches later, I found a spot called green, a vegetarian restaurant near downtown (1017 N. Flores, 78212).  Anyone been there before?  I was pleasantly surprised to find pretty normal food offered on the menu.  I ended up ordering The Reuben ($8): grilled vegetarian ham, American cheese, sauerkraut and chipotle mayo served on Ezekiel bread.  My sister had The green Burger ($8): a homemade veggie patty with avocado, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo.  We both loved it!

Another cool thing about green is a statement they have on their website…

“green will be a part of San Antonio’s transition from one of the fattest cities to one of the fittest cities.”

I’m assuming they were talking about a recent article that named San Antonio as the third fattest city in America.  Nothing cool about that!  I know I can stand to use the Vista Ridge fitness center a little more too so I’m trying to to my part.

All kidding aside, green is great and I totally plan to go back.  Hope you get a chance to check it out too!

The one dish you can never go wrong with

I’m in the mood to cook this evening and I’m thinking of all of the different classic recipes that I confident in preparing.  Lasagna is probably the first “real” dish that I learned how to make back in college (it always impressed the girls in the dorm).  I haven’t made it in a while the more I’m thinking, the more my mouth is starting to water for it.  Cheeses, meat, herbs, sauce – you can’t really go wrong with it.  Check out this lasagna recipe I found online today.  It’s pretty similar to the one I make, except with a couple small differences.  I’m pretty sure I’m going to try it out tonight…unless I can come up with a better dinner idea.  But I doubt it.

American Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 12 dry lasagna noodles
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 642 | Total Fat: 28.1g | Cholesterol: 170mg

In-Season Produce: Rainbow Rotini Salad

We now know that buying in-season fruits and vegetables, particularly produce that has been grown locally, is better for our environment (and probably our taste buds and bodies too).  But it also provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes!

Check out this recipe for Rainbow Rotini Salad.  If you make it, shoot a picture of your finished dish and upload it to the Vista Ridge Facebook page.  Anyone interested in having a community cooking contest?

In-Season Produce: Markets near Vista Ridge

Do you shop for your fresh food and produce locally? If not, you may want to give it some serious consideration. Although today’s global market allows us to buy foods grown almost anywhere in the world at any given time, this option is not the most sustainable.

Buying in-season fruits and vegetables that are locally grown helps to eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods across the country – and in some cases – the world. Not only does your food dollar go directly to the farmers, but you’re able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, better tasting, unprocessed produce. According to the National Resources Defense Council, in-season foods for the state of Texas (and surrouning areas) include:

Blackberries Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cucumber Grapefruit Greens Herbs Mushrooms

Onions Oranges Peaches Potatoes Spinach Strawberries Summer squash Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes* Turnips

Here is a short list of markets that sell fresh locally grown foods near the Vista Ridge area. If you can suggest any other markets, leave a comment and let the community know!

Markets near Vista Ridge

Going Green: Refresh your face

Check out this easy Do it Yourself recipe courtesy of The Daily Green…

Revitalizing Mask

• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped avocado
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp. powdered milk

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender until they form a smooth paste.  Apply the mask to your face and neck using circular upward movements.  Leave the mask on for 30 minutes, or until dry.  Rinse your face and neck with warm water and finish with a cold water rinse.  This mask will keep up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator if you need to prepare it slightly in advance.  Makes 1 application.

Fogelman Management Group is focused on spreading the word about Going Green, a term that signifies the social movement towards environmental conservation, protection and improvement. It’s all about making simple lifestyle choices that will lessen our negative impact on the Earth. Making and using home products with organic materials is just one way to we can make a difference.

Stay tuned to the Vista Ridge blog throughout the month of April for more tips on how you can play your part.

Feast with the Beasts at the San Antonio Zoo

“Hey Mr. Monkey, would you mind passing the salt and pepper?”

Sounds absurd, right?  Well the San Antonio Zoological Society will provide you with just such an opportunity on Friday, April 9, when they host their Feast with the Beasts Festival at the San Antonio Zoo.  Families will be able to sample different flavors from local restaurants while observing the zoo’s array of exotic creatures.

Additionally, there will be children’s games, children’s games, tattoos, a Silent Auction, a DJ and dancing.

Sounds like a fun event to take the kids to.  What do you think, Vista Ridge?

Tickets Cost: Admission: $25 adults • $10 children ages 3-11 (ages 2 & younger are free) Zoo members: $20 adults • $8 children ages 3-11 (ages 2 & younger are free)
Times: 6:30PM-9:30PM
Phone: (210)734-7184 Ext.1045

Are You Ready for Mardi Gras?

It’s Fat Tuesday my friends. The day to enjoy what we like the most. After today, Lent is observed so we can take a break from all those things.

One of those things that people indulge in a little too freely is food. A Mardi Gras King Cake is a testament to that because that thing just has to be loaded in calories.

Everyday is a day to enjoy though, so make today count. What are your plans?