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McMuffin copycat make-ahead breakfast sandwiches
Updated: July 12th 2015

I like to think of myself as an organized, structured and generally speaking a planner. Of course, the downside to that is that I also tend to take on way too much and then stress myself out about actually being able to finish everything on time. So I’ve had to come up with a few shortcuts to maximize my time and one tiny change has made a big difference in my daily routine: make-ahead breakfasts.

I always tell myself that I’m going to get up extra-early to make myself a big, healthy (and filling) breakfast that’ll get me through the morning, but that happens once a week (okay…once a month?) I’m not really a light breakfast kinda girl, so I definitely need something substantial first thing in the morning to get me going. These are perfect because I can make a bunch of them over the weekend, then have a healthy and filling breakfast ready to go every morning in under ten minutes.

Ingredients:
- English muffins, not toasted*
- Eggs, cooked**
- Cheddar cheese
- Turkey bacon
- Mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup, combined
Instructions:
- Place your toasted muffins face-up, then slather on the mustard-mayo-ketchup mixture.
- Next, add the egg and bacon and finish with the cheese.
- Wrap in aluminium foil until served
To reheat: warm oven to around 200degrees, then reheat for around 10 minutes or until warm.

*In my original recipe, I recommended toasting the English muffins, but this came out a bit too hard/rubbery a few times since, so I’ve been using un-toasted muffins and the result is much better and these taste a lot like real McMuffins!

**Eggs: In order to get perfectly round eggs, I bake mine for about 10 minutes at 200degrees in a muffin tin. Just spray a bit of cooking oil in them to make sure they don’t stick, and they’ll slide right out and be perfectly cooked every time.

Notes: I make these McMuffin copycat breakfast sandwiches for a Monday-Friday work week, so five at a time. If you want to make more, I would store them in the freezer if you need to keep them longer than 4-5 days!
May 26, 2015
DIY Tissue Paper Garland
Annie Gozard Photography

Spring has been peeking its elusive little head out these past few days, and seeing actual real-life sunshine makes me want to get crafty and host little parties. And what is having a little get-together without also sorting out a few homemade decorations? Just kidding, I never really have time to decorate like I want to when I have guests over because really…we just go straight to the good stuff: the food and drinks. So this craft is perfect for people like me: good intentions when it comes to party decorations, but time-consuming projects never seem to make the cut.

A cute DIY tissue paper garland adds a little touch of “I put effort into welcoming you into my home for this gathering” while at the same time, doesn’t seem like you spent all of your free evenings preparing for it. Because you spent more time making the food and drink for The perfect apéro: cocktail hour for example.

This garland comes together in under an hour (probably faster if you’re not sipping red wine and watching The Good Wife at the same time), and is DIY-able for even the most anti-DIYers out there.

It’s super versatile and keeps for a long time, so this garland can be used and re-used as you want. I’ve got mine hanging above my desk, for a little bit of color, but the possibilities are endless! You could even do little mini-garlands to decorate your desk/cubicle at your office, or use them in a kid’s room.

If you end up trying this, I’d love to see photos of your results!

Instructions:
1. Choose your color scheme and purchase your tissue paper. I like to use 3-4 different colors, and do a “light-to-dark” repeating pattern.
1. Roll out your tissue paper on a flat surface, and make sure that all edges are lined up. If you want smaller tassels, then you’ll need to cut your paper accordingly in half, fourths, etc.
1. Fold your sheets of paper in half to create a center crease. Make sure your sheets are nice and lined up (if they’re not, the tassel will look messy).
1. Next, take your paper cutter (or scissors) and cut strips about 1-inch wide going towards the edge stopping around 2 inches from the fold.
1. Once you’ve cut the 1-inch strips along the whole edge of the paper, unfold and you will see the middle is still intact.
1. Carefully roll the paper tightly down the center crease, until you get to the edge of the paper.
1. Tightly twist the rolled paper to create a loop.
1. Repeat until you have enough tassels, depending on the size of your garland.
1. Take a piece of twine and string the tassels together. If you want to prevent them from sliding around on the string, you can either twist each loop tightly, or tie little knots after you string each tassel.
1. Thumbtacks or strong tape work best to hang them on the wall.
Notes: most of the tutorials I found when I was researching this DIY suggest to use scissors to make the cuts. I have professional-grade scissors and I found that they just didn’t work very well. The paper cutter, however, gave me perfectly lined-up cuts, with no damage to the tissue paper. If you don’t have a paper cutter, then scissors will do but go slowly when making the cuts otherwise you’ll end up with raggedy garland. And that’s not a good thing.

For a fuller, sturdier result, try using crepe paper instead of tissue paper. I’ve been using this more and more, and the results are fabulous.

If you do want to use tissue paper, then you’ll need to use several sheets of tissue paper. Otherwise, your tassel will be limp and well… sad. Play around with it until you get it how you want it!

I’m big into online shopping, so got most of my tissue paper from Amazon. You can get lots of colors and sizes, and the price is almost always a little bit cheaper than the big craft store chains.
May 24, 2015
Homemade (copycat) Totino’s Pizza rolls
Okay, so I should start this post out with a disclaimer stating that I was planning to write about a light and healthy summer version of my 30-minute black bean soup. As I was getting ready for work I was going over the recipe in my head, making sure I had all of the ingredients, and above all, thinking about the spoonfuls of crème fraiche that I was going to be dumping on top of a nice warm bowl of black bean soup after work. Alas, that recipe will have to wait because I’m yet again in need of some good ole comfort food

That’s right… my motorbike was stolen…AGAIN! The first time was annoying but I got her back more or less unharmed, but this time was definitely a down-right pain in the butt. The seat was broken, along with the rear-view mirrors and the gas tank cover…. and not surprisingly, she doesn’t start. So, Jonathan is tasked with sorting that out while I sort out Round 2 of comfort foods. For this edition, we are taking off the healthy-eating hat and putting on the “I need pizza rolls, asap!!” hat. Yet another one of my childhood favorites, I could eat these little preservative-filled artificial cheese-oozing mini-taste-nothing-like-pizza rolls every day. But I don’t, because I’m a reasonable adult (read: only because they don’t sell them in Europe).

From one pizza roll lover to another, trust me: this recipe is the real deal! No need to make your own pizza dough (though you could), and no need to cut calories by baking instead of frying (though you can!) – just good old fashioned snack food to help you get through a bad day, or to make a good day even better 😉

Ingredients:
- 20 Wonton wrappers
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup Italian sausage (cooked)
- ¼ cup Black olives (finely chopped)
- ¼ Green peppers (finely chopped)
- 1 cup mozzarella (shredded)
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil (garnish)
Instructions:
1. Set out your wonton wrappers, then layer on about a teaspoon of marinara sauce then add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Wet the edges of the wrappers with a bit of water, and carefully close them.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan or pot, then add the wonton rolls in batches (don’t over-crowd them!) and fry until golden brown.
4. Strain them and remove any excess oil, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
5. Garnish with fresh basil as desired.
May 22, 2015
Avocado & poached egg toasts
Since we’ve moved to London, our weekends have been a flurry of shopping excursions (hello, Ikea) and decorating and more shopping and well… not much else. So when I woke up this past Sunday knowing that my day would be full of more of the same, I knew I’d better have a good breakfast to get me through it all! As I was making this, I was half awake (because I hadn’t yet had my spinach apple smoothie) and was kind of just faffing around the kitchen trying to think of something quick but filling to have for breakfast.

It was the end of the week, so the fridge was pretty..well..empty. We try to stick to once-a-week shopping, living on leftover ingredients until the next shop – it’s a self-imposed rule that I’ve implemented because I’ve been known to shop 4-5x per week, picking up all sorts of ingredients for whatever Pinterest has inspired me to make that day for dinner, only to have the leftover ingredients go to waste. It’s only been a few weeks, but so far so good! There have been a few moments of “there’s nothing to eat…” but all in all, I’d say we’ve been pretty creative (like this weekend’s Greek pasta) and have been wasting significantly less food. Anyway, I digress.

As it tends to go on weekends, I woke up early (around 7am) and found my way to the kitchen. I’m always (always) hungry, so I try to start the day off with a big meal. This is usually some sort of pasta (if I don’t want to pass out by 10:30am), but I’ve been trying to find more “traditional” breakfast fare that is filling enough, savory, and easy to make.

I had a bunch of English muffins that were on their last leg, a few avocados that were finally ripe enough to eat, and some eggs that had to get eaten. Avocado toast is this big thing nowadays, but I really needed something super filling… more than just some toast with avocados on them. Then I was momentarily transported back to this past February on our Honeymoon in San Francisco where we had the most devine of brunches: it was avocado toast meets huevos rancheros, and it was exactly what I needed. This weekend’s California-inspired breakfast stopped me right in my tracks once I took my first bite: it was just that good! I usually surf the internet catching up on Facebook and the News while I have my brekkie, but this delight kept my attention for the whole 30 seconds while I wolfed it down. If you’re like me and need something light, yet filling, savory but not too intense, in the morning, then this recipe might just be for you. Bon appétit !

What are some of your favorite morning foods? I’d love to hear about them (and see recipes/links) in the comments! Let me know if this transports you to California, like it did for me 🙂 – bon appétit !
Avocado & poached egg toasts

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Veronica | seefoodplay.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 1 serving

Need a savory and filling breakfast or snack in a hurry? Then check out this avocado & poached egg English muffin recipe! | seefoodplay.com
Ingredients

1 egg

1 English muffin (cut in half)

1 avocado

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Salt

Pepper
Instructions

In a medium saucepan or pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.

In a separate pan (or microwave), cook your bacon.

Crack your egg into a small bowl, and make sure no shells snuck in there!

Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and slowlypour your egg into the water. The bowl should be touching the water, but not submerged! Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid for around 3 minutes, or until all of the egg whites are cooked through.

While your egg is poaching, toast your English muffin until nice and crisp (I toast mine in the oven, because I’m old-school like that. And by that, I mean I’m not willing to sacrifice my precious counter space for a toaster).

Next, scoop out the avocadointo a bowl and mix in the heavy cream and salt & pepper. Mix with a fork until it’s as smooth or as chunky as desired.

Once everything is ready, spread your avocado & cream mixture evenly onto your toasted muffins, then layer on a strip of bacon on each side, followed by your poached egg. Add a few spoonful’s of salsa and enjoy.
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Notes: There are lots of tips out there on how to poach eggs, but I have to admit they never really worked for me. Some suggest using vinegar, others say you should constantly swirl the pot… the best way that I’ve actually been able to master is by pouring the egg into the water then turning down the heat and covering with a lid. It guarantees a non-broken egg yolk, and you still get the runny yellow bits without having to fry your egg in butter or olive oil. Once you get the hang of it, you can keep the temperature high and the water boiling – this makes a prettier egg, but is also easier to break! If you have another preferred poaching method, then by all means… go for! Then send me a link to instructions on how you did it 😉
May 20, 2015
Creamy mashed potatoes
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m definitely in cold-weather mode with my recipes lately because it’s been so darn chilly these past few weeks! Instead of craving summer salads and grilled food, I’m craving hearty stick-to-your ribs recipes that will warm me up. I’ve also been really busy at my day job, trying to settle into our new life in London, and feeling a little homesick for my life back in Paris. A nice helping of comfort food is our self-prescribed recipe to cope with all of these changes, and we’ve been cooking up a bunch of ours recently.

Everyone has their own take on what represents comfort food for them, but for me, one of my classic favorites would definitely be mashed potatoes. They remind me of Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) and they’re easy enough to make for a mid-week dinner, so you can enjoy them all year round. I’ve tried several different recipes, from garlicky mash, to red skin potato mash, skin on vs peeled, and lots of other variations.

For some reason, my favorite mashed potatoes used to be the ones that came in the Swanson TV dinners. Yes, really. I couldn’t wait to gobble them up, and one of my faves was the fried chicken w/mashed potatoes and corn. I think even now I’d probably still love them! Let’s not think about how many preservatives and other awful things must be in those things, though…

Over the years, I’ve come to have a new favorite: simple, creamy mashed potatoes. No fancy ingredients, no garlic, no bacon, no cheese… just potatoes, salt, pepper and a bit of dairy with a dash of olive oil. This would be the perfect side to go with the perfect restaurant-style steak!

Ingredients:
- 5 large potatoes, peeled & quartered
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- ¼ cup of heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions:
1. Place the salt and potatoes in a large pot, and fill with water until the potatoes are covered.
2. Boil the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until completely tender.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, heat the heavy cream and butter on a low heat until butter is melted. Set aside.
4. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add in the cream and butter mixture.
5. Using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Then, add in the olive oil and whip for another 30 seconds.
6. Season with salt & pepper as needed, and serve hot!
May 18, 2015
Macaroni and Cheese
comfort food

noun

noun: comfort food; plural noun: comfort foods

food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically having a high sugar or carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.

…I was robbed! This weekend’s drama definitely put me in the mood for a big helping of the above — comfort food.

You guys, do you ever have day that goes so well that you start thinking something’s up? It was a super productive day at work, and a big weekend planned including seeing a good friend in town from Paris. Well, Friday was one of those days! It ended on a pretty good note and I was out of the office earlier than usual, around 5pm. As I was driving home on my (once) beautiful Honda motorbike, I was thinking how happy I was that I brought it over from Paris to London when we moved. And even more so, I was thankful to not be stuck on the hot & stuffy London Tube to get home!

Home in only 20 minutes, I parked my bike and headed upstairs to my flat. Fast forward to the next morning when I went outside… only to see that it had been stolen! That’s the worst feeling ever, realizing that someone else has your stuff… and you have no way of getting it back 🙁

I raced back upstairs to tell Jonathan and he goes “Yeah I noticed it wasn’t there last night when I came home…!!” – he simply thought I had left the bike at work for the weekend as rain was on the forecast. This means that the it was stolen sometime between 6-8pm on a busy road, and in broad daylight as it doesn’t even get dark until pretty late these days. Talk about brazen!

After a few hopeful phone calls to the city pound to make sure it hadn’t just been towed for some reason, I finally accepted that my treasured moto was gone. So, I filed the police report and went about the rest of my Saturday feeling pretty down. I know it’s just a material good, but it’s such a violation to have something taken from you. But then, I got an email from the London police confirming my details and to let me know that it had been recovered! I know sometimes motorbikes are stolen and used for joyrides (or for committing other crimes…), so I tried to prepare myself for the worst. Off we went to the local police station, and there she was…sitting in a corner: a bit banged up, but all in all, not as bad as we were expecting! The steering column was all broken and the ignition was ripped out, but Jonathan was able to use his mechanic training hot wire it to start, and we brought her home safe and sound. We’re in for about $1000 in repairs (!!!), but overall a happy ending to a very annoying situation!

After the longest Saturday ever, I was definitely in need of a nice big bowl of comfort food, but not just any comfort food: macaroni and cheese. Whenever I’m feeling down, stressed, or just want a taste of home, I always crave mac n cheese for some reason. After ten years of living in fancy-cheese-having France (but no cheddar*…!) it’s nice to be able to whip up a bowl of the stuff using the ingredients I’m used to, ie a nice sharp cheddar.

As is often the case for Sunday dinner, I found myself staring into the fridge looking for inspiration. But tonight was a no brainer as soon as I opened the fridge and realized taht I had a bunch of greek yogurt and cheese to use up.

A comfort food recipe should be by definition easy to make, and this is no exception. Feel free to wing it, change up the quantities, and swap in different cheeses – the warm fuzzy feeling that this dish will give you will be the same, either way 🙂
Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe Type: Comfort food

Cuisine: American

Author: Veronica | seefoodplay.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

This is one of the simplest recipes I’ve come up with thus far for easy, creamy and very cheesy macaroni and cheese. Ready in about 20-30 minutes, this is the ultimate comfort food recipe | seefoodplay.com
Ingredients

3 tablespoons of greek yogurt

1/2 cup of water

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

100 grams of macaroni (or any shape you want!), cooked until al dente

Cheese:

¼ cup of parmesan

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

½ cup strong cheddar (save for topping)
Instructions

Place your butter in a medium-sized pot and melt it on a low heat, then add in the flour.

You’ll need to whisk the butter + flour mixture together to prevent clumps, and it will come together to form a nice smooth buttery roux.

Next, add in the Greek yogurt to combine well, then the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ground pepper.

Now, add in all the cheese and stir until melted.

Use a big spoon (or whisk, like I do) to continue to stir the cheese mixture, adding in the water slowly if it gets too thick.

Now, add in the cooked pasta and stir until mixed in with the cheese.

Place a bit of olive oil in a baking dish, and transfer your macaroni +cheese mix to the dish.

Top with the ½ cup of cheddar, then bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the topping is as golden as you like it!
Notes

With the arrival of Marks and Spencer’s in Paris, proper strong/sharp cheddar cheese is now readily available around town. So if you happen to live in Paris, you can make this recipe, too 🙂

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May 16, 2015
Spinach & Apple smoothie
Maybe it’s because spring is right around the corner (at least, I hope it’s hiding around there somewhere…) but I’ve been craving light, healthy and energizing food lately. Or maybe it’s also the overdose on take-out food over the last few months during our move… Either way, I’ve been subconsciously making all sorts of things that I never would have even considered before, on my quest to eat something that didn’t arrive at ours in 30 minutes or less ::cough Dominos Pizza cough::

I’m always up for a good experiment in the kitchen, so over the weekend when I opened the fridge and saw a half-eaten bag of baby spinach, some greek yogurt, and a few old apples… my new-found sense of culinary curiosity for smoothies was awakened.

I’m not a big fan of drinking my food, and have never been into smoothies. They’re all the rage these days but they’ve always just grossed me out, and I’m not really sure why. Thought it’s probably just my general aversion to drinks with chunks or textures in them – bubble tea is literally what my nightmares are made of. I was feeling brave this weekend though (and couldn’t think of anything else to do with these random ingredients), so I decided to give it a try. If it didn’t work, I was going to try to turn it into Spinach & Apple ice cream. I think for all involved, it’s best that this smoothie turned out delicious…

So I set about washing and peeling the apples (peeled because apparently the apple skins make the texture awful.. I’ll try it next time and let you know, though), threw all the ingredients into my blender and let her whirl for a good minute or two. As the dark green of the spinach transformed into a lovely lighter green-goddesy green, I said a little prayer for this not to be gross… and anxiously waited while it all came together into a smooth and creamy morning energy boost.

To my delight, my “please don’t be gross…!” prayer worked and the result was a ginger-flavored tangy drink that I was even able to get Hubby to have a glass of! Spinachy-apple-breakfast success was mine!

What are some things that you’ve hated, but came around to loving? Recipes and links are welcome!
Spinach & Apple smoothie

Recipe Type: Drink

Author: Veronica | seefoodplay.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 2 small smoothies

Fresh and nutrient-packed spinach and apple smoothie | seefoodplay.com
Ingredients

1 tablespoon of powdered ginger

2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

1 tablespoon honey

2 small apples peeled and cored

1 cup fresh baby spinach

½ cup of ice
Instructions

Blend all ingredients until uniform in color and smooth (about 1 minute, depending on your blender). Drink immediately.
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May 12, 2015
Weekly meal planning
Working a 9-5 (more like 8-8 in reality, by the time you count the commute) and getting a homemade + healthy + fast meal on the dinner table every night can be quite the challenge.

Our routine is usually as follows: do a grocery shop once a week and pick up random things that I think I might want to eat, then do several smaller shops to pick up specific ingredients to make dinner with, once I’ve decided what to actually cook. For two people, our monthly grocery bill has been unnecessarily high (easily over €700). Granted, we allocate a decent-sized portion of our budget to food because…well, we love to eat good food! We don’t skimp on high-end ingredients like organic meats, seafood and veggies, and we don’t always buy based on what’s on sale. What happens way too often, though, is that we ended up wasting food (which is horrible) and not eating as diverse meals throughout the week as we should. Since my shopping isn’t always targeted based on actual meals, I end up with too many ingredients that I can’t use that end up going bad. Of course, when we’re not sure what to make for dinner, way-too-often we opt for an easy pasta dish. I would eat pasta for every meal if I could (really…) but Hubby’s metabolism doesn’t process it the same way mine does, so alternatives need to be served up on a regular basis.

To battle the weekly dinner problems described above, I’ve implemented a 3-part strategy to eat better (for less money), waste less food and generally be more organized with our meal management.

So, the plan is:

–          Online grocery shopping

–          Strict(ish) budget of £400/month

–          Weekly meal planning

Online grocery shopping solves the problem of just randomly throwing things in the shopping cart, then getting to the checkout with tons of groceries but nothing to really make into actual meals. Our flat is a 3^rd floor walk-up, so it’s also a pretty big convenience to not have to lug everything up the stairs! We shop at Waitrose (one day I’ll write about the Tesco grocery delivery fiasco) and we love it. The food is fresh and deliveries arrive on-time, which is key for busy folks like us. Most online grocery stores have a shopping list feature, so you can essentially build your list over the course of a few days, then order once you’ve gotten everything you’ll need for the week. Shopping online makes price comparison significantly easier, because you can just sort by price and make smarter choices. The price per item or per kilo is often provided as well, so you can really make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck this way. If you have the online shopping option available to you, then give it a try!

Sticking to a budget: We are big believers in only putting quality products into our bodies, and are very thankful to be able to afford organic foods and the like. That doesn’t mean, though, that we can’t eat just as well for less money! We just need to pay attention to what we’re buying and stick to a budget. Again, online shopping comes in handy because I can very easily keep track of exactly how much I’m spending and I can cut down on mid-week shopping trips – I always end up buying things I don’t need when I’m at the grocery store! So, I’ve reigned in our budget to no more than £400/month. So, that works out to £75-100/week, plus a little leftover for a mid-week shop if we do run out of something.

Online shopping and budgets are key, but the real revolution for us has been meal planning. I’ve dabbled in make-ahead breakfasts and freezer meals, but I’ve never actually committed to a full-on weekly meal plan. It just seemed so daunting: spending hours thinking of recipes, making sure to have all the ingredients on-hand, then a full day of preparing everything ahead of time. Who has time for that…? Well, it turns out – I do!

Saturday morning I spent around 2 hours working out recipes. This takes a while because: my husband is somewhat picky, I wanted to choose recipes that allow me to use similar ingredients without making similar recipes, I was sticking to a budget, and I wanted easy recipes that could be semi-prepped in advance. Once all of my meals were planned out, I made a grocery list and did my online shopping to be delivered on Sunday. So ::drumroll: here’s the menu for our first week of meal planning:
- Monday: Homemade shake-n-bake chicken
- Tuesday: Paris-style roast chicken
- Wednesday: Beef & Broccoli stir fry
- Thursday: Jonathan’s spaghetti bolognese
- Friday: Greek chicken salad
Once my groceries arrived, I brined the chicken, made the shake-n-bake mix, marinated the beef for the stir-fry, marinated the chicken for the salad (the put it in the freezer). I didn’t pre-chop any veggies because I still prefer to make those fresh. All of this took under an hour, which was pretty surprising as I thought it’d take way longer. It was so fast, that I had time to work on my Ikea Bekvam stool makeover (coming soon!) before it got too late 😉

For the moment, I’m only doing the meal-planning for dinner but I’ll be updating it for all meals soon – so keep an eye out for that!

Since I have a husband that’s less-than-thrilled when it’s his turn to make dinner, this also erases the stress he might feel when I text to say that I’ll be home late…please make dinner! Whenever I know I’ll have a late night at work, we plan ahead by picking out a man-friendly recipe that Jonathan feels comfortable making. The main ingredients are usually already prepped, so on “his nights” he usually just needs to pop his recipe in the oven and I come home to a delicious-smelling apartment!

What are your tips for getting healthy meals on your dinner table every night without going crazy? I’d love to hear them, as our strategy is constantly evolving!
May 10, 2015

10 Awesome Paris Restaurants

I know it’s sooo cliché but I remember like it was yesterday the day I decided to go on my first trip to Europe. I was sitting in French class at the end of Senior Year of High School, and my best friend said “We should go to Paris after we graduate!” I more or less went along with it, thinking it would be one of those things we talked about but never actually ended up doing. I totally under-estimated her, though, because she went off and found us plane tickets a few weeks later! I had, after all, said I would go. I couldn’t back out at this point, and I was glad I couldn’t because this trip clearly changed the course of my life.

After a few months of working a summer job to pay for the trip and learning a few more extra phrases in French, we stuffed our backpacks to capacity and set off on our Big European Adventure. It was amazing (of course – it’s Paris!) and this trip ultimately planted the seed which would later become a full-blown desire to move to the City of Lights. So now, almost 15 years later… I’d like to share some of my favorite restaurants that I’ve come to love over the 10 years I lived there. Besides, it’s only fitting that my first travel post be about Paris!

One of the most challenging things when planning a trip to Paris is deciding where to eat! There are so many choices in so many different neighborhoods that it can be quite overwhelming. Jonathan and I both agree, though, that you can’t really just pop into random restaurants hoping for an amazing meal. There are sooo many restaurants in Paris, but not all of them are amazing.

My #1 tip is definitely to check Tripadvisor. Of course you can’t plan your meals 100% around “Top 10 Restaurants in Paris” lists because you miss out on some really great ones, off the beaten path or just not very well known. Though, you do want to try to make your restaurant experiences as memorable as possible, so here are a few that I recommend to friends visiting Paris, to the guests staying in my Airbnb Rental, and now to you! I always get great feedback, so these should be solid choices. Have you ever been to Paris and had an amazing restaurant experience? If so, then I’d love to hear about it in the comments section!

In no particular order, here we go for a few of my favorite places to eat in Paris:

Camelia (inside Mandarin Oriental)

This restaurant is very, very nice! It’s not cheap, but if you have a special occasion to celebrate or just want to have a fancy dinner, then this place is a great option. Even better in the summer as you can dine in their lush private garden! I ate here one day totally unplanned and was so impressed that this has become one of my favorite spots.

Les Ombres

For an amazing (maybe one of the best?) views from a restaurant in Paris — definitely come here. The food is pricey as you’d expect, but I really enjoy this place. Check out lafourchette.com for discounts as there are often specials. I’ve had many things on the menu and have not once been disappointed. This place isn’t amazingly charming (it’s not awful, just not ohmygoodnessthisisthecutestplaceever) and the staff are not particularly friendly… but the view is crazy!

La Cave Gourmande

I send all of my out-of-town guests here. The food is classic French, right in the heart of Montmartre, the food is delicious, the service perfect, and the prices are very reasonable. Local perfection if you’ll be in the 18^th arrondissement & Montmartre area! This place has a definite local feel to it, and would be the perfect place for lunch if you’re exploring the area. They’re also open somewhat late, which is rare in Paris.

Kong

This place is pretty chic and fashionable, and great for drinks, dinner, dancing…or all three! Not cheap, but a good all-in-one place if you want to go for dinner & dancing. It’s located on the top floor of a historic Parisian building, try for a table with a view! Reservations highly recommended for dinner. Don’t be put off by the hostess that may or may not be very friendly…

Mama Shelter

This is both a restaurant and a pizza place. It’s a very cool hotel with a big bar, and the bar serves food too. I love everything about this place (except for the sometimes snarky service…)! Excellent for drinks or dinner. Very chic/urban atmosphere. Valet parking available. This place is awesome! Their food is delish, and it’s worth going off the typical tourist path to get there (they’re not far from Pere Lachaise Cemetery).

Pub Saint Germain

This is one of my go-to spots for both food & drinks. They’re open all night long, and serve food until the wee hours of the night. Their burgers are fantastic, as is their Asian platter. Drinks are half-price during happy hour, and this is a great spot for people watching. It’s in the trendy Saint Germain neighborhood, and I highly recommend it if you’re out and about in that area.

Le Christine

Cute & cosy little restaurant in the center of Paris; not the cheapest, but they offer a pretty good tasting menu! This place is actually great for tourists because you get a pretty amazing culinary experience in a charming little restaurant, in a lovely neighborhood. There are often deals online, so definitely check that out.

La Bouteille d’Or

Good French food at reasonable prices, and a view of Notre Dame. There will be other tourists, but don’t let that scare you; the food is good, and won’t break the bank. The one thing that stood out when I went was the service: they treated us like royalty! It’s a bit too brightly-lit to really be considered cozy or romantic, but for a lunch spot this place is perfect.

Chez Robert et Louise

This place is a cute little “typical” French restaurant that specializes in different cuts of beef. I found that for this neighborhood, the price was pretty decent. Their food is delicious and the place is very charming but the best part: the food is cooked over an open fire! I discovered this place one day when I was wandering around the Marais with Hubby, and I’m glad I did.

Grazie

For a great pizza experience, fresh ingredients and a lengthy wine menu, this place is one of your best bets in Paris. Good for a couple’s night out, or for a group of friends! Delicious pizzas in a young/hip/urban atmosphere. Reservations are best, to avoid disappointment.

Do you have any other awesome places that we should know about? If so, then please post them in the comments section!

May 8, 2015

Better-than-Chipotle’s Cilantro lime rice
**Updated March 2018**

You guys… what’s better than Chipotle’s cilantro rice (OK, besides Chipotle’s guacamole..)?? Nothing because that stuff is the bomb! I’ve tried to recreate it time and again, without ever really getting it right. This Cilantro lime rice is a copycat version of the famously delicious Chipotle recipe. It’s fast, easy, and goes great as a side dish to any meal.

I think I’ve gotten it as close as any home chef can get though, so go ahead and give my version a try and let me know what you think!

This recipe goes perfectly with tacos, as a side to grilled chicken, or…anything really!
Better-than-Chipotle’s Cilantro lime rice

Recipe Type: side dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Veronica | seefoodplay.com

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Chipotle copycat cilantro lime rice.
Ingredients

3 cups of cooked rice (brown or white)

½ cup of fresh lime juice

1 cup of fresh chopped coriander

2 tablespoons melted butter

A dash of Worcestershire sauce (skip if you don’t have it)

Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions

Mix the lime juice, coriander, melted butter and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl large enough for the rice until nice and mixed together, then stir in the cooked rice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Notes

The key to getting this right is by mixing everything together in a big bowl, to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated into the rice.

3.3.3070
May 6, 2015