Craving the Green

The past week has left me feeling slightly better. I don’t know where this cold came from, but it really wants to hang out with me. The good news is that my appetite has slowly returned, and I have gone from wanting to eat nothing but bread, soup, and tortilla chips to having major cravings for all things green. I’ve munched on kale chips, roasted dozens of Brussels sprouts, and added fists full of cilantro to the last bowls of hot and sour soup. Tonight we’ll be dining at Van Shabu, and I am already planning on multiple orders of seaweed salad.

Bring on the green!

This week I also thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to The Regal Beagle in Brookline. We joined Lin and Jon Saturday night for a truly delicious dinner, where I was, unsurprisingly, all about the green (and cocktails, of course).

The Regal Beagle stole my heart with a simple, crispy kale salad special. I wanted this dish times ten. I usually don’t order a veggie starter and entrée, but I couldn’t resist. I was a vegetarian for about 10 years in the days when vegetarian food at restaurants often meant an iceberg salad with some carrots and cucumbers and maybe a pasta primavera, so I continue to be impressed with restaurants that offer creative food for veggies.

Though the photo is horrific, this dish of grilled acorn squash, warm mixed grains, dried fruit, greens, and cider cream was absolutely amazing. There was so much flavor, from the soft and sweet squash, to the crunchy hazelnuts that topped the whole thing off.  And cider cream should just be on everything, I am convinced. This dish epitomizes fall/winter comfort with lots of healthy elements. It just felt good.

Also enjoyed this week was a broccoli pesto inspired by my review copy of Carla Hall’s Cooking with Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You. I plan on doing a complete review soon, but I love the writing style in the book, the fun stories, and most of all, the homey, tasty-looking recipes. The vibrant green pesto was a fun twist on a classic and something that can be made all winter.

And while my palate is definitely craving green still, I think it’s my heart and soul that might be craving it the most, which is handy, since we are off to 40 shades of green tomorrow. It’s been a year since our last visit to Ireland, and it’s time to go home. The excitement on my husband’s face this week just says it all. We get to see my in-laws, my husband’s sister and brother, and our nephew who was just a couple of months old the last time we saw him. I can’t wait.

I have some guest posts coming up, and I will be checking in from time-to-time, especially before Thanksgiving with a recipe roundup.

What do you have planned for the holiday week? What have you been craving?