Num Pang Tiger Shrimp Sandwich

I know I've mentioned Num Pang before. In fact I made the watermelon juice they serve there (here… remember?). To refresh, Num Pang is a delish Cambodian sandwich shop. My sister & I always laugh about how when we asked them to cut a sandwich in half for us (so we could share two different kinds - because choosing is just so difficult!) the cashier kindly pointed the the sign "no substitutions." We cut the sandwiches ourselves - no big deal. The truth is they really don't need any substitutions & the tiger shrimp sandwich is no exception.

I found a recipe on the VillageVoice.com for said sandwich & had to give it a try. It was surprisingly simple as well as delicious. There will be no leftovers.

PS: Happy birthday Dawnie :)

A Green Vegan Smoothie

Watch out green eggs and ham there's a new player in town. His name is kale.

A couple of weekends ago Jennifer (my twin), Kara (one of my besties since elementary school) and I had an unnaturally long conversation about our love for kale. (Yes the green leafy "it" veggie du jour.)  Sauteed with garlic, crisped in the oven, tossed with fresh veggies in a salad - kale is just good no matter how you slice/dice/cook it.

I will eat kale in a box
I will eat kale with a fox.
And I will eat kale in a house.
And I will eat kale with a mouse.
And I will eat kale here and there.
Say! I will eat kale ANYWHERE!

If you've never tried it, you must - look what happened to Sam I am. If you don't cook, give this green vegan smoothie a whirl!

Ingredients:
1 handful of kale
1/2 a ripe mango (cubed)
1 frozen banana
1 cup coconut milk

Make it:
Blend it all together until smooth! Stick a straw in it and enjoy!

Tip#1: Frozen bananas are your smoothie's BFF. Just before your bananas turn completely brown (or even if they already are and fruit flies could be there any minute) peel them, cut them up, zip them up in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer.  You'll never need to add ice or sugar to your smoothies again!

Tip #2: If it's still not sweet enough for you, add some agave or honey.

Tip #3: I may or may not have found out the hard way (and some stitches later) that you should ALWAYS UNPLUG your immersion blender before cleaning the blade.