Friday, September 19, 2014

NomNom: Moroccan Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

A habit I've been trying to get better at is snacking healthier. I used to snack on chips if I had to be at work all day and other not so good for you things I could get my hands on but have made a proactive decision this year to swap out those chips for something healthier like...baked chips. Kidding. Kind of.

Fortunately I love legumes and chickpeas/garbanzo beans is no exception and when I came across a recipe that roasted the beans, which turns them into something crunchy, I was intrigued. Story of my life.


Lately, documentaries and roasted chickpeas have been a thing in my life. I've been watching lots of documentaries on Netflix (it all started with watching Jiro Deams of Sushi to prep for my trip to Japan 5 months ago) and since I like to munch on something as I watch movies, or these days, documentaries, these crunchy, healthy, protein packed snacks have been fitting for the occasion...along with a glass of wine because you know, wine is always a good idea.

Have you guys seen the documentary Somm? It's about the road to becoming a master sommelier--who knew it would be that intense to become one?! My God. I have a new found respect for them if I see one listed at a restaurant. The documentary is fascinating in that it takes you into the world of professional trained sommeliers. The most recent documentary I've been loving these days has been The Mind of a Chef which spotlights on a specific chef and his culinary adventure on how he approaches food and dishes along with glimpses of his friendships with other well respected Chefs. I recently hung out with a good friend of mine last weekend who watches the show as well and we were discussing about one of the episodes from the first season where Chef David Chang makes gnocchi out of packaged ramen. WHAT. Mind blown. Such a fantastic documentary series if you are interested in food and cooking.

But back to my beloved chickpeas. Don't say I didn't warn you when I tell you that these are a-d-d-i-c-t-i-n-g. When I first made them, I used one can and finished it all by myself. In a day. Hello gluttony. The second time around, I made 3 cans worth. You live and learn folks, you live and you learn.

A couple of things to note about this recipe. Make sure the beans are super dry before putting them in the oven (helps with the crunchy texture) and have fun experimenting with different spices. These can be just as good with using simple ingredients such as olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder or if you want to go the sweet route, try this recipe for honey cinnamon roasted chickpeas.

Cheers to roasted chickpeas and good documentaries. Have a good weekend. Xo.


Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons Ras El Hanout spice (spice recipe from my harira soup)


Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Rinse and strain beans under cold water thoroughly to remove starch. Spread them out on baking sheet and pat dry with paper towel. Remove any of the skin from the beans that may peel (not necessary but I like to remove them). Let it air dry for 10 minutes.

3. Once they are dry, place baking sheet of chickpeas into oven for 15 minutes and roast them. Remove from oven and drizzle olive oil and spice mixture, making sure all the chickpeas are evenly coated.

4. Place back into oven and roast for 25 more minutes until crispy. Remove baking sheet and transfer to serving bowl. Store at room temperature.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Working Girl

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Button down-Ann Taylor
Skirt-Loft 
Pearl necklace-J.Crew
Cardigan-J.Crew
Sunglasses-Karen Walker


For me, one of the hardest things to find that fits me well and meets my criteria (not too tight, respectable length, etc) is a basic black pencil skirt for work wear. Often times, I come across skirts that are either too long (goes way past my knees), doesn't fit well on the waist, or the cut accentuates my hips. Fortunately, I finally found one that fits well when I bought this skirt online from Loft. I ended up ordering this skirt in different colors after finding the black colored one fit so well but oddly enough the camel and grey colored ones accentuated my hips--definite returns since my hips do not need to look wide. However, if you are in the search for a basic black work appropriate pencil skirt, I highly recommend this one from Loft:)


Have a great week. Xo.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Sleeveless Trench

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sleeveless Trench-Ann Taylor
Tee-J,Crew
Cuff-Hermes
Sunglasses-Karen Walker
Scarf-J.Crew (old, but similar style HERE)


Happy Friday everyone! The past couple of weeks have been busy and a bit stressful but things are winding down now and I'm just happy the weekend is finally here so I can finally relax and catch up with old faces I haven't seen in what seems like forever. 

The weather is finally cooling down and the hint of cool air is starting to make it feel like Fall which means trench coats, leather jackets, and blazers--all of my favorite timeless pieces that should belong in the closet. I recently added this sleeveless trench to my closet when Ann Taylor was having their Friends and Family sale a month ago and finally got the chance to wear it recently. It's the perfect transitional piece for Fall because it's easy to layer and incredibly versatile. Will post another way to wear this sleeveless trench soon!

Enjoy your weekend. Xo.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

All Year Round

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Shirt-Ann Taylor (currently on sale)
Jeans-Zara (old but similar style HERE)
Cuff-Hermes
Hat-H&M (old)
Clutch-Saint Laurent
Sunglasses-Karen Walker



The outdated notion of not wearing white after labor day is exactly that--outdated. White is chic all year round and doesn't have to be seasonal;)

Have a great week. Xo.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Weekend Snapshots



This weekend I….

1. Took a 2 day trip to Philly. The primary reason for going was to check out Morimoto restaurant, owned by Iron Chef Morimoto and decided to optimize that time to explore the city. The first stop was walking around Penns Landing which reminded me of Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD and Spruce Street Harbor Park. It is a pop up that features a hammock garden and boardwalk.

2. Also checked out the huge LED display of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water at the Comcast Center. The wall changes into a video display and Im not sure how often the themes change but currently what is showing is Falling Water. It's a great visual experience and best of all, it's free!

3. Did the Omakase at Morimoto Restaurant. It is an 8 course chefs choice menu which is a mix of cooked and raw dishes. all of which were incredible. My least favorite dish of the night was the lobster dish which was heavenly seasoned with Old Bay. I love Old Bay seasoning but if that's all you can taste on a lobster then that's a problem; however one mediocre dish out of all the other fantastic dishes presented is not enough for me to state that it's not worth the experience. I highly recommend doing the Omakase option. This would fall under my top 5 favorite restaurants. Be aware though that it is pricey so this would be great place to dine for a special occasion.

4. Wanted to check out High Street On Market since Bon Appetit recently ranked it no. 2 as one of the best new restaurants of 2014. I went here for lunch and ordered their popular pastrami sandwich and a side of their artisanal breads which they are known for. The breads were excellent but the sandwich was nothing to rave about. They are generous with thick slices of well seasoned pastrami which is in between thick slices of soft bread with crispy edges but I would not deem it as the best pastrami sandwich I've ever had. However, I would come back to check out their dinner menu.

5. Had some downtime after getting back from the trip and relaxed with the September issue of one of my favorite fashion magazines. This definitely gets me excited for Fall fashion.


How was your weekend?