The Great NW

So it's been a while since I've given an update on my cooking.

My latest adventure occurred in the NW as I was wine tasting and trying to find something that would compliment all the great sangiovese that was available.  

I was inspired by Bethany's tarragon vinegar and thought it would be perfect to try and play with that licorice flavor with the distinct and savory flavors of asparagus, sweet potatoes, and lemon.

I think it was a success!

Asparagus and Sweet Potato Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing

Bacon Carbonara

Last Minute Valentines Day Preparation

Real men make something happen on Valentine's day, if there is something worth happening. "Making something happen" doesn't mean you need to break the bank though. Valentine's day on a budget is the true challenge to bad ass masculinity. LL Cool J, will not need to take his lady out to a nice dinner, he'll just need to go up to his pretty lady and squeeze the potassium out of bananas and his lady will be satisfied.

Most of us, unfortunately don't have a name that is two letters that stands for "Ladies Love," but that doesn't mean we can't get our swag on.

So rule 1: The valentine's day card. That's the most important part to any valentine's day because most ladies love to keep mementos of certain valentine's day items. The card is the one instance where you can actually go cheap and you are given props. Just make it personal, a little bit cheesy, and simple. Obama, for example would probably get some Presidential Stationary, fold it in half, and put, "Boo, I love you" and have his assistant sign it, and that card will suffice for his and Michelle's 2009 valentine's day.


Rule 2: The ambiance. This means the restaurant, the picnic, the bedroom, even the freakin bathroom. No one want's their v-day ruined by a bad atmosphere. But ambiance is something different for everyone. If you and your lady love Metallica and McDonald ball pits, then by all means do what works. If you're lady loves that classy, flashy, cheesy, straight out of Hollywood but not straight to DVD personality then you will need to buy candles. I can't stress this enough. If you can't afford the flowers, make sure you can afford the candles. Variety of candles work even better. Cheap tea candles, big fat red candles, blue candles, dinner candles, floating candles....diversity and variety counts.

Rule 3: The dinner. The dinner is vitally important. If you're going out to eat then this is taken care of, so skip to the next part. If you're cooking or trying to do takeout classy then read on. If you're gonna get take out but want to make it classy, then you will need sparkling wine, a picnic basket, and a nice shirt. Girl's love the nice shirt. When a guy puts on a nice shirt, it means something is about to happen. If that's your retro throwback 23 Jordan jersey or your Hugo Boss dress shirt, make sure you wear it, and work it. The greatest thing about the Valentine's dinner is the time, not the food. Read that last sentence again. No one will be criticizing the food on Valentine's day because the main goal of the dinner is to cancel out all the noise of life and focus on each other. So if you have to go to your grocery store for a pre made meal or ordering panda express but dressing it up in nice dishes, then so be it.

If you want to make it a bit more personal, then I'd say cheese and bread. It might be the cheapest and most romantic way to go. Plus, with the new vegetarian generation, you'll please all parties. Buy some nice cheeses, cut them ahead of time along with a different variety of breads and some fruits. Pack it in a basket and make sure the wine is chilled. You can feed each other, laugh, talk, drink, and really have the opportunity to connect without all the other distractions.


Rule 4: Dessert. This is probably the most important part of the night because, dessert matters. Once again, if you're at the restaurant you might want to think about going to somewhere to change the mood. Ice cream parlor, frozen yogurt, pastry shop, coffee, dessert bar, anywhere that can offer a chance in setting and let her feel comfortable with you. If you're on a budget, then skip the food and go for the wine. A port, riesling, moscato, or sherry, as long as it's sweet and can lower everyone's ego then it's a winner. Once again, the most important part of dessert is the first and last bite, so get something that can make an impression but the main driver is what happens between the first and last bite.

If you're doing the cheese and bread for dinner with a sparkling wine then do a chocolate platter with some port or chocolate, berries, and a riesling if she's wanting something cheesy.

After this, the night is up too you. If you did everything here right, there should be fireworks that night.

Now Chow Down to That.

Pics First, Recipes Later

So, after many have been wondering what has been cooking in the lab of Real Men Can Cook, I've decided to add pictures with recipe updates later.

Enjoy.

Herb Roasted Potatoes, Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, and Sweet Onion Steak



Mushroom, Bacon, Tomato, and Grilled Chicken Pizza



Mixed Green Salad, Roasted tomato and mushroom Chicken with Garlic Cous Cous



Chicken Shepperd Pie



Earthy Lasagna with Kale and Cream Cheese Sauce



Rib Roast with Rice and Blackbeans and Onion scented Mushroom Cut Green Beans



7 Layer College Lasagna

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New 2009, everybody. This post is to inform everyone that the blog is still alive and kicking. Second, I want to give a preview of things to come for 2009.

- A ton of new recipes.

- New Meal Ideas. We're going to go be beyond single recipes and offer meal ideas. This will include posts with multiple recipes including drink pairings.

- Wine/Beer reviews

- Restaurant Reviews

- Cooking techniques

- And perhaps instructional videos


So here's to a new you, new cooking, and a new year.

Now Chow Down to that!

Get Up and Lift Shake

Often times waking up is the hardest thing to do. That's why we have the slammer shake. With the perfect blend of carbohydrates, protein, and antioxidants this shake will help you wake up and get on with your life regardless of last night's activities. Some men think that strawberries are not manly but is there any other fruit that contains as much vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids? Hell no! Along with that, strawberries taste delicious and if you don't think so you just need to get PUMPED!!!

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1 Cup Orange Juice (Odwalla)
6 Ice Cubes
2 tbsp Gatorade Mix
2 scoops Protein Powder

Add ice and strawberries first in blender. Then add half the juice, Gatorade mix, and protein powder. Top off with remaining juice and blend until smooth.

Totals
500 Calories
3g Fat
70g Carbohydrates
48g Protein

Pumped Potato Salad

Potato Salad is a classic American dish. Almost like apple pie, but because we can't put any protein in Apple Pie, real men don't eat apple pie. What makes this potato salad any better than the stuff you find from Reysers? First, we don't use mayonnaise, because Big Black doesn't eat mayonnaise. Second, the good nutrients of plain yogurt are far more beneficial than mayonnaise.



Third, we add bacon because everything is better with bacon.

So get ready to smash your momma's potato salad with this new and improved man version of an American classic.





Ingredients
2lbs Red Potatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup chopped bacon
6 hard boiled eggs
2 stocks celery
2 pickles
1 bunch chopped parsley
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Nonfat Plain Yogurt
1 tsp honey
1 lemon

Cook the potatoes in hot water with salt until tender. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, bacon, eggs, celery, pickles and parsley together. Mash the potatoes while leaving large chunks.

Add the yogurt, mustard, lemon sauce, and honey together. Mix together and stir into the dry ingredients. Add kosher salt and pepper. Mix until well blended and chill for 3 hours before serving.

Totals
2420 Calories
100g Fat
232g Carbs
143g Protein

Perfect Post Workout Shake

Sometimes you just need to get buff. Whether your Arnold or Lance Armstrong the most important calories of the day are the ones consumed right after your workout. That's why the post workout shake matters, and thats why we have the Perfect Post Workout Shake.

Webster defines perfection as "An instance of excellence." This protein shake maybe the closest thing to excellence since Terminator 2. It's perfect because of the ratio it achieves, a perfect 2:1 carbs to protein ratio that is scientifically proven to be the best ratio for muscle recovery after a workout. It's perfect because it taste good, and it's perfect because it has strawberries.

Ingredients
1 scoop Low Carb Whey Protein Powder
1 cup Fresh squeezed orange juice
4 ice cubs
1/2 cub ice cold water
4 strawberries
1/3 cup cantaloupe
1/3 cup papaya
1/5 cup pineapple

First throw 4 ice cubes and all the fruit into a blender. Add the orange juice, then the scoop of Protein powder. Last, add the ice cold water above the protein. Blend, and GET PUMPED!!

Warning: RealMenCanCook is not responsible for getting too huge, too pumped, or too PUMPED! Use the Perfect Post Workout Shake at your own risk of getting buff.

Totals
290 Calories
2g Fat
44g Carbs
24g Protein