Tomato and Chickpea Salad

Here's what I did over Memorial Day weekend:

1. Picnic in Virginia wine country

2. Burgers and beers at various Clarendon bars

3. Nachos and margaritas by the water in Annapolis

4. Trivia night and more bar food at Whitlow's on Wilson

Do you see any trips to the gym on that list? Nope. Any big leafy salads? Absolutely not. Needless to say, my body was not pleased with me come Tuesday morning. There's no way to undo an entire weekend of eating poorly and barely moving, but I was determined to try.

I went to Whole Foods and picked up as many vegetables as I could fit into my eco-friendly grocery bag. When I got home I began chopping for a delicious tomato salad. I like to put cheese in all of my salads and luckily I had a whole ball of fresh mozzarella left over from our picnic so I threw some of that in. It was the perfect dish to kick off my week of healthy eating.

Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

serves 1 as a main dish

1 tomato (I like from the vine), diced

3/4 cup canned chick peas

4 basil leaves, ripped

1/8 cups red onion, diced very fine

2 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed

Dressing:

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

Toss all of the ingredients except the cheese into a medium sized bowl. Dress to your liking and toss again. Add the cheese on top of the salad. You're done…easy peasy, lemon squeezey.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Everyone knows that it's impolite to show up at a party empty handed. When I was little I brought a present for the birthday kid. When I was in college I brought a plastic handle of vodka (gross). Now, my go-to host/hostess gift is a bottle of wine. I always keep a few in the apartment so I can just grab one on my way out the door.

I've never heard anyone complain when I show up with alcohol but, what's even better is to surprise everyone with a delicious dish. My favorite crowd pleaser? Buffalo Chicken Dip. I could eat an entire platter of this in one sitting. But, I'd probably have a massive heart attack immediately after so I suppose it's better to share with friends. Thanks to my good friend Dana for sharing this with me so many years ago!

Dana's Buffalo Chicken Dip (no picture, sorry)

2 cups shredded chicken

3/4 cup diced celery

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese

1 cup blue cheese dressing

12 oz. hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot is best)

Sautee the celery with a little bit of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once it's softened add the chicken and hot sauce and cook for one minute. Add the cream cheese and blue cheese to the pan and let the cream cheese melt half way. When it has melted transfer the mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

Coffee + Wine = Heaven

When I first moved to Arlington almost four years ago my favorite weekend spot was Murky Coffee. Sure, it was kind of a dump. The couches were falling apart, the stairs were creaky, and I wouldn't dare use the five second rule if I happened to drop a pastry on that filthy floor. But, it had a certain charm...mostly from the heavenly cappuccinos which were by far the best in the city. So, when they closed I felt a bit homeless. I tried desperately to find a few place to call my own. Java Hut, while conveniently two blocks away from my apartment, put too much foam in their cappuccino and didn't have ample seating. Cosi had plenty of tables and free wireless, but their coffee was terrible and, as my sister put it, "their bread smells so corporate". Ick. No thanks.

I had pretty much resigned myself to using my stove top espresso maker for the rest of my life when I heard talk of Northside Social opening up in the old Murky Coffee space. Joy! They had a lot to live up to, so I dropped by during their opening week to check things out.

The smell of coffee is one of my favorite things (you can smell it from about a block away as you approach Northside Social), but combined with the intoxicating aroma of the breads, muffins, and scones they bake in-house…well, words cannot describe. Not only does it smell awesome, but they did a great job sprucing up the place. It has all the charm of Murky Coffee (and then some) without all the grime. Plenty of natural light and beautiful wood furnishings make the space warm and inviting.

Now, the big test. How does Northside Social satisfy the taste buds?? It passes with flying colors! The cappuccino was strong yet slightly sweet from the milk…basically perfect. On a second visit I ordered the most ooey-gooey grilled cheese I've ever had. I've heard rave reviews about the Pork Belly Sandwich, so that's next on the "to order" list. You don't have to limit yourself to just breakfast and lunch, though. After 4pm the evening menu offers affordable main dishes like Poached Gulf Shrimp ($8) and Duck Confit ($10). And…drum roll please…there's a wine bar upstairs! The folks responsible for this (and for Liberty Tavern AND the brand new Lyon Hall) are clearly geniuses…and probably mind readers since I'm sure I've thought about wine and coffee under the same roof a gazillion times. I'm definitely becoming a regular...and you should too!