Food Truck Nation

Eating at a food truck makes me want to own one. I have ideas for them, and I get really excited until I realize that I'll need a lot of backing to actually start it up. (Insert donation plea here - ha!) Yesterday, I had a delicious lunch at a truck that my husband has been raving about for months, and I finally made it over there. It was definitely worth the walk!

The truck is called Staff Meal, and they have truck-made chorizo. Yup, they had me at "truck-made chorizo!" The menu selection consists of four basic choices, with the option of having each as tacos, or as a burrito, as well as a few specials - one of which is Matt's favorite. The line was long, people were excited to eat the food, and the employees are friendly and helpful!

I finally got my turn at the window, and ordered for both me and Matt. A "Steinberg" for him (half chorizo, half barbacoa, rice n' beans, "guac" and Alex's Ugly Sauce) and the Truck-Made Chorizo, Lime Crema, Radish and Lettuce burrito for me. I added a couple of Judge Smails' Half & Halfs (half lemonade, half iced tea blasted together) and pulled up the coupon I got on Yelp for checking in! After saving the dollar, I pulled up LevelUp to pay! I love how convenient they make this!

After toting my purchases over to a lovely bench down the way a bit, I took a sip of the refreshing beverage. It was a great concoction of iced tea and lemonade, not too much of either, but just right. It was just sweet enough, and just tart enough to be the perfect drink for a hot day in Boston!

Once properly refreshed by "Judge Smails," we both unwrapped our burritos and took a few bites! The chorizo is so fresh, the rice is perfectly cooked, and the sauces are interesting and flavorful. I thoroughly enjoyed mine, but the "Steinberg" was amazing. The combination of flavors made each bite really pop, and the mixture of barbacoa and chorizo was very complimentary! I think it was the guacamole that pulled it all together - that or the red cabbage they threw in there for some crunch - so good!)

I found Staff Meal's truck in City Hall Plaza, by Government Center, but you can check their website daily, or follow them on Twitter for alternate locations. I definitely recommend checking them out when you are in the mood for tacos or a burrito, because the food is delicious and really satisfies the craving. With fresh ingredients, and friendly faces, how can you go wrong!?!?

A Quick Weeknight Meal

I don't normally go to the gym on Tuesday nights, but I promised some friends I would try this kickboxing class, so I got home a bit later than normal tonight. (And phew, what a workout! I am going to be in PAIN tomorrow!) Up next on the menu are the tuna tacos, so I will be making those tonight. While making my own salsa, and the Jicama Slaw to go with it probably won't be as quick and easy as other taco dinners, I'm sure we'll enjoy a lovely meal, albeit a little later than normal. However, tuna cooks really fast, so the prep work will be the most tedious part tonight...once that's all done, dinner will be ready in a flash! And voila...doesn't that look DELICIOUS!?

Meals like this can be put together rather quickly, and that's why they make for really great mid-week menu items. We're all running around, going here, and coming from there, but we still need to find time to cook. Not only is it healthier, but it's also a lot more budget-friendly too! The added bonus: if you get in time at the gym, you won't feel guilty enjoying your yummy dinner and maybe even a nice glass of wine to wind down the day!

Tacos are a great mid-week meal because you can put out all the fixin's and let everyone make their own. Whether there's two people in your household, or five, as long as you have enough to go around, you're golden. This is the same with salads - put all the toppings in little bowls and let everyone make their own! It's a salad bar in your kitchen! Another great idea is pizza. You can buy pre-made pizza dough in the supermarket, flatten it out, spread some sauce on, sprinkle some cheese, add the toppings, and voila...into the oven it goes (and homemade pizza is WAY better for you than the fast food variety).

Photo from Flickr - by surekat

When the process is simple, and the ingredients are simple, you're bound to score a home-run every time. Share your quick and easy weeknight meals in the comments section so we can all broaden our horizons...and quicken the pace in the kitchen!