Cora Blouch
The singer and knitter performs in the Amazing Grace II program with the Phoenix Chorale May 1-2 and May 9 at various venues in the Valley, and her
What'd you eat for dinner last night? Homemade wild rice and tomato soup and a spring greens/spinach salad with tofu, almonds, Craisins, pine nuts and feta with a spicy peanut vinaigrette and strawberry Mochi for dessert.
Favorite food: Black beans or anything curry.
Least favorite food: Mushrooms and broccoli. I use to be the pickiest eater. The combined list of fruits and veggies I ate was 10 items long. So, about 2 years ago I became a vegetarian to 1) see if I could do it and 2) force myself to expand my vegetable horizons. To my and everyone else's surprise, it worked...except with mushrooms and broccoli.
Favorite dessert: Coconut milk ice cream with peanut sprinkles (I still cannot find this ice cream in any grocery store--only Thai restaurants) or lemon cheesecake.
Favorite local restaurant and meal to order there: The Breadfruit- Coconut Curried Tofu, Thai Rama- Panang Curry with Tofu and Veggies, Cheuvront's- Salad Caprese, My Florist Café- Salmon Salad or The Roosevelt- Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese.
Favorite local bar and cocktail to order there: The Roosevelt- wine special, Bikini Lounge- pitcher of PBR, The Lost Leaf- Strongbow or Carly's Bistro- a 7 and 7 or a Manhattan.
Favorite thing to cook at home: Soups and salads; it's difficult to cook for one.
Favorite memory involving food: My birthdays growing up. Mom would let me pick the menu for my birthday meal--whatever I wanted! I had mac n' cheese with cut up hot dogs one year, giant stuffed manicotti shells another year, chicken casserole with strawberry jello on the side, cheesy potato soup, tacos with fake meat (once I turned vegetarian), the list goes on...Oh, and the cakes! I got to pick what kind of cake I wanted and how it was decorated...always from scratch and so, so good!
Recipe or food tip to share:
Burritos on the Go
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups veggie broth
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can white beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can corn with green and red chilies
1/2 brick of pepperjack cheese, shredded
2 packs of spinach or whole wheat tortillas
Cook quinoa, using veggie broth instead of water. While quinoa is cooking, drain and rinse beans, tomatoes and corn. In a big bowl combine beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese and quinoa. Spoon mixture onto the tortillas; wrap burritos with wax paper and then tin foil. Freeze; when you're ready to eat, remove foil and microwave with the wax paper still on (make sure to save the clean foil for reuse!)
