Jaleo: Restaurant Review

I visited a fabulous restaurant this weekend that I believe everyone in the DMV should try at least once. Jaleo, one of the few famous Jose Andres restaurants in the DC area, is nestled in a busy corner of the Crystal City shops district in Arlington, VA. 

 

         As their website states, "Under the direction of famed chef José Andrés, Jaleo offers an impressive assortment of tapas, the traditional small dishes of Spain, as well as savory paellas, superb sangrias and a fine selection of Spanish wines and Sherries in a festive, casual atmosphere. Created in 1993 by Rob Wilder, Roberto Alvarez, and José Andrés, Jaleo has become a DC institution." This spot has an amazing variety of tapas, cheeses, paellas and wines. My friend and I dined vegetarian and the selection was awesome. I must admit, I have a love-hate relationship with Spanish tapas; some places cover everything is so much oil, you leave feeling like you need your waiter to roll you out of the place. Jaleo's dishes were flavorful, light and refreshing; just heavy enough to fill us up and leave us with room for a desert! The atmosphere of Jaleo is bright, inviting and open. The building features beautiful high ceilings and an outdoor patio area.

Here is what we tried:

Drinks:

Rose Sangria and a Mayahuel (Repasado tequila, canela syrup, grapefruit)

The Rose Sangria had a great bite to it. It was meddled with apricot, citrus and strawberry flavors. The Mayahuel has a kick of cinnamon and tasted great. I wouldn't have paired cinnamon flavors with tequila but it made for a great, refreshing drink.

Tapas:

Alcachofas fritas con tapenade y limón

Fried baby artichokes with tapenade and lemon dressing ($12)

These fried baby artichokes were served on a bed of salty olive tapenade and garnished with sweet fried plantain chips. It was the perfect fix for a fried food craving.

 

 

Sandía con tomates, queso de cabra y pistachios

Watermelon with tomatoes, goat cheese, oranges and pistachios ($10)

The watermelon, when served, looked almost like fresh Ahi tuna. The pairing of the earthy goat cheese with the sweet summer fruit was nice and refreshing. This was my favorite presentation!

 

 

Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso

Seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese ($7)

 

These peppers were sweet and filled with goat cheese. They also had some sort of orange spread in them which tasted like roasted red pepper and paired really well with the cheese.

 

Papas arrugas

Canary Island-style wrinkled baby potatoes served with mojo verde ($7)

Simple and perfect is how I would describe these potatoes. They were baked and rolled in salt. I die. This was served with two dipping oils: cilantro and garlic.

 

 

Setas al ajillo con La Serena

Sautéed seasonal mushrooms with La Serena cheese potato purée ($8)

The mushrooms were dressed in a light garlic sauce and served over the creamiest potato and cheese puree that I have ever had. The intense garlic flavor pairs so well with the wild mushrooms.

 

Desert:

Manzanas 'Carlota' al PX

Apple Charlotte with Pedro Ximénez and vanilla ice cream ($7)

      

This dish was good but didn't "wow" me. The ice cream was served on a bed of lightly sautéed granny smith apples which gave the dish a surprising crunch. The Apple Charlotte reminded me a lot of a dry bread pudding.

And that concludes my review. Overall, this restaurant has fantastic service; the staff doesn't hesitate to decode the Spanish menu and make some amazing recommendations. It is clear that the food is prepared with great care. The flavor pairings are not only very unique but very well thought through. With the friendly atmosphere and tantalizing dishes, I will certainly be back!

 

Details on the Crystal City Location:

Jaleo

2250 A Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202

 

Phone: 703.413.8181

 

Hours:

Sun – Thurs: 11:30 AM – 10 PM
Fri. and Sat: 11:30 AM – 11 PM
Brunch Sat. and Sun. until 3 PM
Pre-theater Menu Mon. – Sat: 5 – 7 PM

 

 

 

 

Better Than Sex Cake

I've been hearing some buzz about this infamous "Better Than Sex" cake on some of my favorite foodie websites and I decided to give it a try for one of my friend's graduation parties. This is the tropical version of this recipe but there is also a chocolate recipe which I plan on trying soon. This is a version of "poke" cake so it comes out so insanely moist and delicious. It was definitely a perfect summer cake! 

Note: the name of this cake makes for some very interesting conversation! 

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (and necessary ingredients)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 large can of crushed pineapple 
1 tub cool whip
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of cold milk

Directions:

1. Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 9" round cake pans or one 13 x 9. The cake should take approximately 30 mins to cook at 350. 
2. As the cake bakes, pour the pineapple (with juices), Malibu and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir this mixture constantly because it will stick otherwise. Once the mix is brought to a boil, simmer it for approximately 10 mins. Set it aside to cool slightly. 
3. Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into it. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.
4. Prepare pudding according to package directions. Instant pudding works best with whole milk. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
   
5. While your cake is chilling, take 1 cup of shredded coconut and spread it out evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 5 minutes. Be sure to continuously look at and turn the coconut to prevent burning. 
   
6. When your cake is cool, use Cool Whip to ice the entirety of the cake. Decorate with toasted coconut and pecan pieces. 

Note: I used sugar free pudding and sugar free cool whip. This recipe could be even further lightened up if you use a reduced sugar cake mix and light style canned pineapple. 

Enjoy!

Perfect Potluck Dishes

  

We recently had a potluck at work and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out some new summertime appetizers. These recipes are all along the lines of "whatever I have in the fridge." These three dishes can be easily prepped the night before a party or potluck and they all withstand the brutal summer weather very well. They all three seemed to be crowd pleasers- especially the fruit brushetta! 

Spicy Tropical Brushetta

Ingredients:

1 pint of strawberries

1 peach

1 small mango

1/2 medium sweet onion

1-2 jalapeno peppers (optional)

3 tbsp fresh basil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground red pepper (optional)

Directions:

1.     Rinse all fruits, basil and peppers.              
   
   
   
2.     Finely chop strawberries, peach, mango and fresh basil. Place all contents in a medium-mixing bowl.
3.     Add finely chopped jalapeno and onions
4.     Add in balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and ground red pepper.
5.     Serve cold with goat cheese and crackers or a french baguette.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

 3 vine ripe tomatoes

1 ball fresh mozzarella

1 bunch fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar/olive oil

Directions:

1.         Rinse tomatoes and fresh basil under cold water.
2.         Slice tomatoes and mozzarella approximately ¼ inch 
3.         Pluck fresh basil leaves from stems. 
4.         Layer tomato, basil, and mozzarella on a plate.
5.         Drizzle with olive oil and or balsamic vinegar.

Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread

Ingredients:

1 package of Garlic naan bread (2 pieces)

1 Bartlett pear

1/3 cup of Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

1 red onion

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tbsp butter

Olive Oil

Directions:

1.      Rinse pear and slice into 1/8 inch slices.
2.      Peel and thinly slice the entire red onion.
3.      Over medium heat, add the slice red onion. Cook on medium for approximately 5 minutes, once the onions begin to become translucent, add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Set aside when onions have caramelized.
4.     Add sliced pears to the pan that the onions were cooked in. No need to clean in between; it will season the pears well. Cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.
5.     Rub naan bread with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. 
6.     Arrange cooled pears and onions evenly across the flatbread. Add chopped green onions, pecans and Gorgonzola crumbles.
7.     Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes or until the crust becomes brown and slightly crispy. Note- Gorgonzola cheese does not melt like traditional softer cheeses so do not wait for the cheese to melt!  

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

This is a semi-homemade twist on a classic. It has to be one of the simplest recipes I have ever made; I'd even argue it is basically fool proof. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 box of vanilla cake mix

3-4 overripe bananas

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup of chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine box cake mix, oil, 3 eggs and chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a separate small mixing bowl, peel 3 bananas and use a fork to mash into a liquidy pulp. 
3. Add bananas to cake mix. 
4. Pour batter into cupcake pans with liners (if you don't have liners, grease the pan first). 
5. Bake for approx 20-30 mins at 350 degrees. 

Spaghetti Squash Stuffed Peppers

Two Ways

Spaghetti squash provides an excellent low carb alternative to pasta and rice. It is extremely simple to prepare and it's mild flavor gives it a tremendous amount of versatility. Normally, one would stuff green peppers with meat and/or rice but I decided to try a lighter version of this classic dish. Since I am currently only cooking for one (haha!), I decided to split this batch up and spice it two different ways (Indian and Italian) so that I wouldn't get tired of it. I used the same base filling for both and added slight variations on the veggies to enhance the spices used. For the Indian style peppers, I omitted the mushrooms because typically you don't find those in Indian cooking. If you haven't tried spaghetti squash yet, it is a must!

Ingredients:

Indian Style Peppers
1/2 cooked spaghetti squash (approx 2lbs raw)
1 cup of frozen cauliflower/broccoli/carrot mix
1 cup of frozen peas
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 can of Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 large green peppers
1 packet of Tikka Masala simmer sauce
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp of ground ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tbsp of chilli flakes (depends on the spice level you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

Italian Style Peppers
1/2 cooked spaghetti squash (approx 2lbs raw)
1 cup of frozen cauliflower/broccoli/carrot mix
1/2 cup of fresh chopped button mushrooms
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 large green bell peppers
1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano (you can add more if you like but I am not a huge oregano fan)

 

Directions:

1. Prepare the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half long ways. Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and inside "guts." Sprinkle each half with seasoning of your choice. I usually use salt, pepper, chili flakes and garlic powder. Place each half, open side down, on a greased baking sheet. I always cover my sheet in foil to prevent a mess on my pans.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Bake the spaghetti squash for approximately 40 minutes at 375 degrees. 
3. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the squash into a large mixing bowl.

4.Prepare the green peppers for stuffing by simply cutting off the tops and using a spoon to gently scrape the seeds and white flesh out of the pepper. Rinse all peppers thoroughly.

5. In a medium frying pan, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil into a pan over medium-high heat. Divide spaghetti squash in half. Add in ingredients listed for Indian style peppers. This will be onions, peas, squash, cauliflower mix and garbonzo beans. 

Indian Style Filling

         

Indian Spices

Italian Spices

6. Once the mix is heated through, spoon it into two of the large green peppers.  Repeat previous steps with vegetable mix for Italian style peppers if desired. 

7. Bake peppers at 350 degrees, covered with foil, for approximately 25-35 minutes until tender. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Ginger Lettuce Wraps

With our Maryland weather finally starting to warm-up, I got a craving for something light and healthy for dinner. I intended to make chicken lettuce wraps but once I began adding all my veggies, I realized that this concoction definitely did not need the meat. This is a delicious and low calorie summertime recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of lettuce (I used Iceberg because it was on sale. Bibb lettuce works best.)
• 1/2 bunch of green spring onions
• 1/4 sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped colored peppers
• 2 serrano chiles
• 1 cup fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/4 cup of carrots
• 1 package of shiitake mushrooms
• 1 can of sliced water chestnuts 
• 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp of garlic salt
• 1 tbsp of ginger powder
• 1 tsp of chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp of peanut or canola oil
• 1/4 cup of Trader Joes "Soyaki" sauce (this is a MUST!)
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Begin by washing all your veggies (except mushrooms and onions) under cold water. 

Once rinsed, cut all veggies in equal sizing. In my wraps, I sliced the peppers, diced the water chesnuts, carrots, celery and onions. I left the shiitake mushrooms as they came. 

Take the iceberg lettuce and cut it into quarters. This will make perfect lettuce hammocks for your filling.

Over medium heat, take a large frying pan and drizzle in 2 tbsp of peanut oil and 2 tbsp of ginger garlic past

Once your pan is warm, add the veggies that will take the longest to cook. I started with the celery, carrots, onions, and green beans. As they begin to soften, add in the remainder of the veggies. 

After all of your veggies have been added, season using garlic salt, pepper, ginger powder, red pepper flakes and Trader Joes Soyaki. 

Once your mix is cook through and well seasoned, spoon into lettuce wrappers. 

Enjoy!