Beans: Brothy and Marinated

Beans, Beans, The magical Fruit….

Listen, I’ve been avoiding beans for a majority of my life. To me they have no taste, and typically a less than appealing texture. But during this quarantine period, I did some reading from Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen and decided to give beans another chance - my way. Below is my first success story of flavorful brothy beans and a riff on them for a marinated cold bean condiment option. Both are delicious and I ate them all within three days. Let me know what your favorite ways to eat beans are!

Spring Pasta Salad

The Longer it Sits, the better it gets!

Just because we’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy seasonal eats! Most farmers markets are still open, and you can even source directly from some farms in the area. Check out Future Harvest’s interactive map of both options here. The markets are practicing safety by enforcing social distancing in lines and picking the items for customers instead of the serve yourself method. Grab some spring things and make a big bowl of this pasta salad to have for lunch during the week, which gets even better the longer it hangs out in the fridge!

Blue Duck Tavern Unveils New Seasonal Menu from Executive Chef Adam Howard

From Sips and Snacks to Five Star Seated Service – Blue Duck Has it All

Michelin-starred Blue Duck Tavern introduced Adam Howard as its new executive chef this Fall. Howard brings sixteen years of experience to his new position having worked at esteemed restaurants throughout New York, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. His experience is apparent as I peruse his ambitious and seasonal menus, including wine bites in the lounge, an extensive dinner menu, and curated chef’s table experiences. Each menu is thoughtfully crafted with local purveyors in mind.

No Mayo Chicken Salad with Lots of Lemon

Lunch Bunch

One of my most favorite things my mom ever made for me growing up was chicken salad. It was made with chicken from a can, Miracle Whip, celery, and lots of salt and pepper. She always shredded it so fine and piled it high between two slices of warm toasted bread, crisp iceberg lettuce and a slathering of some mayonnaise product. I lived for this. It was one of the first things I learned how to "make" haha, and I'd make it all the time in college.

Lunch at Your Desk: Warm Quinoa Bowl with a Fried Egg and Lemony Arugula

Take your lunch break.

It's 11:55am and I'm slugging away at my desk job in the beautiful neighborhood of Chevy Chase, DC. We've all been there and we typically have have two thoughts....Click the picture to keep reading to find out what they are.

Spring Quinoa Salad

Garden Grazing

It's time to get your garden on! All sorts of tasty things are sprouting around DC, especially now after so much rain. I have been creating a variety of fun dishes like salads and soups with my weekly CSA haul from Three Part Harmony Farm, located right here in the HANGRY DISTRICT! Below is my recipe for Spring Quinoa Salad, which is one of my favorite lunch time treats utilizing carrots, radishes, sorrel and chives from Three Part Harmony!

Citrus Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Lettuce Love Salads

If you're following along on my YouTube channel, you'll see that today's episode is all about salad! This citrus salad is inexpensive but packed with flavor. Use any greens you like to accompany the bright citrus that is mellowed out with a sweet and tangy honey vinaigrette. It's a perfect side dish to bring to a party, make for simple lunches or to impress your guests. Recipe below....

Roast Beef with Garlic and Herbs

Let's Get this party Started!

How about some roast beast for dinner?! This time-saving crowdpleaser can feed lots of hangry humans (and cats) and only takes 10 minutes to prepare. You can use this beef to make sandwiches, tacos, breakfast, salads or even just nibble on it for a late night snack. I turned mine into hearty sandwiches with a horseradish cream sauce! Here's how you do it...

The Mpire Club

Not Just a Feast for your eyes

I know what you're thinking: Is Hangry District reviewing a strip club? Yes. Yes, I am. Here's why: It. Is. Delicious. I was invited to try the new and improved lunch menu at The MPire Club by new head chef, Ricardo Planas and was shocked by the beautiful and tasty menu items, heavily inspired by French cuisine. Here's how it all went down...

Cava Salad

Homemade Take-Out

When it comes to fast food, I have a few weaknesses. The first is Cava Grill. I just love the different combinations of Mediterranean cuisine that you can create! There are spicy things, crunchy things, healthy things, acidic things... basically all of the things that I love - AND - they source locally! BONUS. Here's how I recreate Cava's creations at home....

Union Market

When Hangry, Must Feast

My favorite thing to do is eat. I can't deny it - I have the most fun when I'm discovering new tastes and textures. Do you know where the best place to go is to eat the maximum amount of delicious, local, artisanal products? Union. Market. This place is a place of wonder - featuring products from the depths of the sea to the vast skies above. I tried really hard to eat something from each vendor, but I would've been dragged out by hangry boyfriend and that is only acceptable in the comfort of my own home.

Matt Carr: Little Red Fox Owner & Breakfast Burrito Champion

Hangry Hero Spotlight: Matt Carr

The young chef/owner of the Little Red Fox shares why great cooking isn't just reserved for white tablecloth settings and how is the reigning champion of breakfast burrito devouring.

Not Sad Desk Lunches

Lunch Time and Snack

Best parts about working in an office setting full time? Lunch time and snacks, of course! A lot of DC employees tend to grab lunch on the go, or head to the closest fast food place for a break and some sustenance. I like to pack! Saves me money and calories. I love coming up with fun lunches that aren't just sandwiches and will give me a boost to get through the rest of the afternoon. Check out some of this month's favorites below.

Beef Empanadas

A Hot Pocket I'm Not Ashamed Of

One of my favorite fellow foodies is Pamela Arriagada, a colleague of mine at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Despite being an astronomer on campus, our conversations always transition to food during the work day. Pamela is from Chile and has treated us more than once to traditional empanadas from her father's recipe. Since she is now embarking on a new adventure with her husband in Seattle, I asked her to come show me the ropes so I could keep the empanada tradition alive, and keep my hangry boyfriend happy :)

Duke's Grocery

A Taste of East London in DC

If you're looking for a casual neighborhood joint with scratch-made food, cold drinks and a cozy atmosphere, you need to go to Duke's Grocery immediately. Duke's is inspired by sleek avant-garde restaurants and greasy hole in the wall spots in East London -- my two favorite things. The chalkboard menu is updated regularly depending on what is seasonally available and fresh, and the ingredients are sourced from local purveyors and centered around sustainability. Seriously, I have died and gone to foodie heaven.

Caramelized Onion Chicken Salad

Hold the Mayo

I like to describe my style of cooking as MacGyver cooking. I typically lay a bunch of ingredients out that I need or want to use and come up with a creation. The inspiration for this chicken salad were the beautiful spring green onions I got from a CSA share and the fact that I had no mayo. Check out my take on a summer slam dunk with this savory chicken salad.