When I am low on ingredients to make a meal that will last me days, I love to get creative with what I have in the fridge. I had mini-tortillas, cooked shrimp, roasted red bell peppers, spinach and shallots. I hit the quick meal jackpot, since these ingredients made for one delicious healthy gourmet burrito!

Saute’ the shallots in a either a tablespoon of grapeseed or olive oil. Add the shrimp, peppers and then dust Old Bay seasoning as it sautes. I had some Goats Do Roam Rose’ in the fridge, so why not? Instead of water, I poured about 1-2 tablespoons in the saute’ pan and then added the spinach to cook down. Let the spinach cook down though be sure it is still a bright green color. 

Once done, scoop up some onto a tortilla, roll and enjoy! This type of burrito can be modified so many ways depending on what you have in your own fridge or what you are in the mood for. By the way, this Rose’ was better to cook with than sip, just sayin’... 

I don’t know if any of you watch cooking shows or competitions. I happen to be a pretty big fan of Top Chef, Chopped and Iron Chef America. I tend to learn a lot of little things from these shows. Sometimes they are very subtle like interesting ways to break down a cucumber or a new knife technique. Sometimes they are a little larger. You see, one of the dishes that constantly gets people in trouble is risotto. 30 minutes to prep and make a risotto is just not enough time. So sorry, please pack your knives and go.

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So last Tuesday Ms Cocktail had made me Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup as a wonderful surprise. The trick with soup though, isn’t the first day you have it, it’s what you do with it the next day because let’s face it, there is always leftovers when you make soup. So I spent some time thinking about the soup and came up with the fact that it is much more Thai in flavor than Chinese and I wanted to make something that would work well with Thai flavors. This gave me the inspiration to try making something I’ve always wanted to but never quite got around to trying, Pad Thai.

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By Lisa M. Comento

Winter time makes me crave every kind of squash from acorn, butternut to spaghetti. I used to fear them when I saw their hard skinned shells at the grocery store. I would admire their crazy shapes and walk on by until five years ago when a friend and chef taught me the way of the squash. Once I learned how to cook them, I realized they are a bunch of softies inside. 

Squash have both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, and when these two are combined studies show they aid in cancer prevention. These nutritious veggies are great blood sugar regulators and contain five B complex vitamins. High in Omega 3 fatty acids, which feeds the muscles, heart, and other organs with energy. 

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Way back in the day when I first started learning how to cook, I began by learning Asian cuisine. You see, I had gotten married and one of the neat things about Ms Cocktail is that she is a fantastic cook. It was she that gave me the bug to learn more about food and all that goes into it. It was then that we discovered Martin Yan and his national Public Television show, Yan Can Cook. We promptly went out and bought a slew of his cookbooks (farther back in the day a group of friends and myself came to the somewhat logical conclusion that a slew is four of something just like a couple is two and several is three) and proceeded to learn the art of cooking through his eyes.

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I usually spend my special holidays at a particular inn out here in Virginia but this New Years, Johnny Softball and I decided we would try something different. He had been to the Inn at Meander Plantation once before about 7 years ago for New Year’s and really enjoyed it and suggested we’d try as long as I had no problem that he had been there in the past. I had no issue and immediately hopped on the website and did some research and liked what I saw.

The Inn at Meander Plantation is a full service bed and breakfast with a restaurant on site. I was excited that they only served Virginia wine and was dying to see the wine list. I looked and saw that they had not updated in probably about 5-6 years (most whites were 2002 and reds were mostly 2000-2003) but if they still served only Virginia wines I would be happy. We planned to arrive New Year’s eve and leave the next day. I could not wait to book a room and a dinner reservation.

Once we decided we were going we tried to book our room. The website posted that there is a two night minimum and dinner at their restaurant at lease one night.  I was assuming there wouldn’t require the second night stay if their restaurant wasn’t open New Year’s Day.  Johnny Softball agreed that I should call the next day and make the reservation over the phone. I called and found out that the restaurant would not be open New Year’s Day. I asked the inn keeper if she would waive the two night minimum this time since they were closed as was every other nice restaurant in downtown Culpeper. Her response was “Well I bet the Chili’s in Culpeper will be open”. My mouth fell open. She expected me to pay $220 a night to stay and then eat at Chili’s. Not my idea of a special weekend out in the country.  I hung up without making a reservation and pretty upset at the lack of customer service. She also suggested I change my dates of arrival if I had an issue with eating at Chili’s. I immediately called Johnny Softball, who is always quick to give someone a second chance, he booked the room online for two nights and said we would bring lights snacks along with wine for Sunday evening.

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What a week! We've added not one, but three new authors to the mix. Please join me in welcoming both Suzie Linville and Lisa Comento to the authors here at At Least I’m Enjoying the Ride! Both ladies have a wide range of interests not the least of which are food and wine. Lisa spends time with me one the weekends pouring wine for Fabbioli Cellars and will be talking about stuff here in the DC area. Suzie is currently residing in Scottsdale, Arizona and will be bringing news from the American Southwest.

Let’s make them feel at home!

When I think of game day snacks lots of cheesy, spicy, comfort foods come to mind.  But who says we can't get a little gourmet on everyone? 

I got the idea of taking the basic baby backs to the next level for my party goers after coming across a great recipe from a friend. Sure, everyone loves a slow cooked, sweet and savory rack of ribs, but i opted for braised short ribs over a potatoes and apples "risotto style" filler. 

The beauty about this recipe is that it can be made the night before.  The longer beef is cooked (at a slow and steady pace) the more tender it becomes, especially a slow cooked short rib.  The juices from the yummy apples also tenderize the meat so serving it next day makes it 10 times more juicy. Listed below are the ingredients you will need: 

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