Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Back to Cranberry's Roots

When I was home for Thanksgiving I realized something..I had never had home made cranberry sauce. At our table had always been the wiggly can-shaped stuff. I voice this concern to my dad, who came home from grocery shopping the next day with two bags of fresh cranberries and told me to "go for it". When I realized I didn't have a recipe I set to work, and a quick google search yielded this result.
The infamous turkey plates

I modified my version slightly. Upon tasting, the sauce was way too tart from the cranberries and orange juice so I added a bit of extra sugar, but I suppose this could be remedied by using all water or putting in extra sugar or honey in the first place. It's all up to personal preference though!

I forgot to snag some picture of the actual sauce but I almost didn't have a chance..there wasn't any left after dinner! My parents told me that I "won" Thanksgiving because my dish did the best. Let's hope I can continue this win streak at Christmas!

Here's my modified recipe!

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp minced orange zest
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 12 oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • Sugar to taste

Directions:
  1. Bring orange juice, ginger, zest and cinnamon to a boil on high heat in a medium saucepan.
  2. Rinse cranberries and add once liquid is boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
  3. Add crushed pineapple and honey. Remove from heat and cool.

Monday, November 28, 2011

How to Save Our Diets

Usually Alli or I do a post on Sundays about nutrition in the news. Well, since we were bums and forgot to do it yesterday, I'm making up for it now. I stumbled across Mark Bittman's TED talk from 2007 about what's wrong with the American diet. An expert on food, Bittman's talk is honestly fabulous. He's not advocating for vegetarianism, he doesn't give extreme statistics or try to horrify you with pictures, instead, he presents honest facts and gives reasonable, realistic recommendations for changing the American diet. PLEASE watch this it's only 20 minutes!

http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_bittman_on_what_s_wrong_with_what_we_eat.html



--Kelli

Make Me Smile Monday

Welcome back! Hope you all had a relaxing Thanksgiving break! Here's to the final couple weeks of the semester!!

Denver's lights -- Voted 4th best in the country
 
Recipe coming soon :)

Conan's not a fan of his cone. . .




Wednesday, November 23, 2011

11/23 A Week of Birthdays Pt 2: Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake


While cake 1 was warm and autmny, cake 2 was elegant and bold: again, the cake reflecting the birthday girl. My roommate K has a strong personality, which I love and admire about her. She also loves the beauty of food and the art of decorating, so I knew a run of the mill traditional cake would not work. Instead, I went off the traditional cake path and made a Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake with an Oreo Crust.

Inspired by Jaclyn's White Chocolate Cheesecake design over at Cooking Classy, I attempted to make pretty heart-looking shapes, but the jam thickened too fast, so my cake had more of a marbled pattern. Although still pretty, I'm determined to one day make a cheesecake that resembles Jaclyn's.


Because I didn't have time to strain fresh raspberries (and I don't have a strainer), I used seedless preserves for the sauce. Below is the recipe, it's pretty much the same as the one on Cooking Classy, but with just a few adjustments here and there. Also, we still don't have a mixer so I had to make the cheesecake using a fork: proof that a perfect cheesecake can be achieved with limited tools :)


Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake 
Inspired by Cooking Classy 

Ingredients:
  • 1 chocolate cookie pie crust, homemade or store-bought 
  • 1/2 jar seedless raspberry preserves (I ended up using less that 1/2 the jar, it just depends on how much raspberry flavor you want)
  • 12 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese (about 1 1/2 blocks) 
  • Heaping 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 room temperature egg
  • 1 egg white
  • Splash of vanilla extract (a little over 1 teaspoon) 
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice 
  • 1 cup quality white chocolate chips 
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
What to Do:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make sure oven rack is directly in the middle of the oven. 
  2. Mix together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. I recommend doing this with a fork for best results 
  3. Once fluffy, about 3-5 minutes depending on your arm strength, mix in egg, egg white, vanilla, and lemon juice until combined. 
  4. Make a double broiler out of a large saucepan and a heat-proof bowl (I used a glass mixing bowl). The bowl should be big enough to not fall into the pot, but small enough to just fit so the bottom of the bowl nearly touches the water in the pot. Fill pot with water and bring to a boil. In the glass bowl, place white chocolate chips and whipping cream. Stir continuously until chips are fully melted and combined with the cream. Remove from heat. 
  5.  In a small saucepan, bring raspberry preserves to a simmer, letting them thin out a bit
  6. Pour the white chocolate cream mixture into the cream cheese mix. Stir to combine. Pour 1/2 batter into prepared crust. Next, spoon some of the raspberry preserves onto the batter and swirl with a knife. Pour the rest of the cheesecake mix onto the crust, completely covering the first layer of raspberry. Lastly, spoon the remaining raspberry preserves on top. For a marbled design, spoon the preserves so as to make dots on the cake. Then take a sharp knife and, using the tip of the knife, swirl the dots to make different designs. 
  7. Place cake in oven and bake for 40-45minutes, or until set. 
  8. Remove from oven and cover the cake with a lid or foil. Place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. 
I gave the cake to K in the morning on Friday. 24 hours later and this is all that's left. 

I'm so excited to be flying home today for Thanksgiving! I hope you all get to spend tomorrow with friends and family, and of course great food!

"Walk Around the Lake" By Lost in the Trees. Just discovered these guys. They mix classical orchestra sounds with folk beats and lyrics, definitely check out more of their stuff on soundcloud or youtube!

--Kelli

Monday, November 21, 2011

Make Me Smile Monday

I am definitely an animal lover. My cat is one of my best friends and I love my dog! Although her bark can get on my nerves I love coming home to her. And don't forget the horse! I've never been into horse back riding but my mom has and we've had a horse on and off since I was in the fifth grade. I love how they're so silly despite being these huge, strong creatures. 
--Alli



Sunday, November 20, 2011

Cultured Meat: Maybe Humane, but is it Natural?

Recently I've been obsessed with reading Kathy Freston's articles. For those of you who don't know who she is, Kath Freston is a New York Times best-selling author who writes about healthful and conscious eating. She's gained popularity through appearances on Ellen, Rhe View, Good Morning America, and most note-worthy on Oprah to help Oprah and her staff go vegan for one week.

Browsing through some of her articles on The Huffington Post, I cam across Kathy's article on Humane Meat. Knowing she is a committed vegan, I was beyond curious about what Humane Meat is. No it's not meat from a postcard-worthy farm, instead it's meat from a science lab. That's right: meat cultured from animal cells. Because I severely lack the information on this topic, I'm going to encourage you to read the article for yourself and form your own opinions on it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/humane-meat_b_895224.html

Bottom Line: Whether or not you eat meat, I think it's important that we're all conscious eaters. Conscious not only about the treatment of animals, but the treatment of workers, impact on the environment, safety of our food, and both short-term and long-term health effects. 

--Kelli

Friday, November 18, 2011

A Week of Birthdays: Spice Cake

Unfortunately I can't take credit for the beautiful handwriting, that was all my roommate

Birthdays always seem to come in packs. Growing up, August was the busiest month with my dad's, mine, and my brother's birthdays all about a week apart. Although it was probably a pain for my mom having to plan three parties and buy gifts, three birthdays in one month meant one very important thing: cake for breakfast all month. Yes, this now dietetic student grew up eating birthday cake for breakfast. Some how my mom managed to give me the nutrients I needed while still letting me be a kid and enjoy the luxury of having cake for breakfast (and the occasional chocolate chip cookie, dipped in milk of course).
Bill Cosby's monologue on cake for breakfast

Although August is a pretty awesome month for birthdays, November comes pretty close, especially in college. My roommate and one of my closest friends both had birthdays this week. Yes, the birthday girls got the perks of presents and free birthday dinners, but I have to say that I enjoyed their birthdays almost as much for one crucial reason: an excuse to bake TWO cakes. I didn't feel guilty filling my shopping basket with cream cheese, sugar, butter, white chocolate, or raspberries, since after all MY grocery budget doesn't apply since I'm not making anything for myself. Right?
Layer 1 out of the oven. So far success

First up was my friend A's birthday. One of the sweetest, most comforting people I know, I knew her cake had to be exactly that: sweet and comforting. I ended up making her a two layer spice cake with cream cheese frosting.
Results: The flavor of the cake was PERFECT, exactly what a spice cake should be, but the texture was a bit dry and not as moist as I was hoping for. I'm guessing that this is due to me not the recipe since I ran out of brown sugar and had to do 1 cup of white sugar instead.
Placing parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pan makes getting the cake out 100% easier

What really stood out was the frosting. Absolutely delicious. And that is saying something. I really don't like frosting. I'm that weird person who if you give me a cupcake, I'll scrape ALL of the icing off then eat it. But this frosting? This frosting is GOOD! The cream cheese keeps it from being too sweet, while the powdered sugar keeps it from being too tart. Perfect. It is a very thick icing, but I'm sure you could thin it out with a bit of almond milk.



Moist, Tender Spice Cake recipe from AllRecipes

Cream Cheese Frosting
(I'm sure there's an original source, but cream cheese frosting is one of those that I know off the top of my head, so I don't know who to give credit to besides my obsession with reading recipes)

Ingredients:
  • 4-oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 
  • 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 T vanilla extract
Because we're cheap, K and I don't own a mixer. So this recipe took a bit of time and a lot of arm muscle, but it can be done! If you do have a mixer, then just cream the cheese and butter together for about 1-2 minutes, then gradually add in the sugar and the vanilla until it's nice and creamy. This made enough to put a layer of icing between the two cake layers and very lightly cover a 2-layer cake. If you like a lot of frosting, I recommend doubling the recipe.

Now I'm going to be mean and make you wait until next week for cake 2 -- hint it involves white chocolate and raspberries!

In honor of A's birthday, here's one of my favorite Bollywood Songs (and one of the few Bollywood songs I actually know. . .)

--Kelli

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pizza With Help from Trader Joe's and Some Super Mario-Inspired Cookies

Boo, Cloud, Coin, Mario Feather, Pikachu, Spike Shell

Tip for guys: Buy a girl pizza. And if she's vegetarian, take off the pepperoni for her then give her your best smile.

Reward: These cookies

The other weekend, my friends and I were starving around 2am. Being in a college town the natural answer to our problem was pizza. Not fancy California Pizza Kitchen pizza or thin crust, Mediterranean-style pizza with fancy cheeses and herbs. No, I'm talking slices as big as a quarter of a pie, very tomato-tasting tomato sauce, plain mozzarella cheese, and crust so flimsy there's no other way to eat it than to fold it up into a pizza sandwich. This giant slice of college for about $1 a slice. Now that's a good end to a Saturday night. My friend E promised to buy me and my roommate pizza just because he's that awesome. He's one of those people who takes the word "friend" very seriously and is very dependable. (My roommate and I have even discussed making him a plaque with his name and "Awesome Guy of the Year" on it).

The first time I met E I was immediately drawn to his arm were he has an old-school Mushroom tattoo from Super Mario. Because he loves Nintendo so much, and had an all-nighter of work coming up, my roommate and I decided to make him sugar cookies in the shapes of old video game characters and objects. I don't know who was happier: E for getting free cookies or K and I for getting to spend hours cutting and decorating cookies instead of doing work. 

The cookie and icing recipes we found at SnackOrDie.com. Unfortunately we didn't get to try any of the cookies, so I can't tell you from personal experience how they were, but he brought them into work the next day and his coworkers ate them all -- I think it's safe to say they were a success :)

Staying on the theme of pizza, I made a wonderful discovery last weekend: Trader Joe's pizza dough is DELICIOUS. And even better than being tasty? It costs only $0.99. Warning to Boston college students: you better get the dough now before I buy all of them to keep in my fridge and freezer.

Although it feels a bit funny to be giving a recipe for pizza, especially since I didn't make my own crust (or my own sauce.. ), I figured it might inspire some of you to give it a shot and show that making a filling meal (with plenty of leftovers) is not only delicious, but quick and easy as well: perfect for college students!

Kelli's Veggie Pizza with Help from Trader Joe's
Ingredients:
  • Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough 
  • Dried basil 
  • Dried minced garlic
  • Cornmeal 
  • Part-skim mozzarella cheese 
  • Favorite pizza sauce
  • Sweet yellow pepper, diced
  • Cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • Spinach, washed and drained 
Directions 
  1. Let dough sit out in room temperature for 20min
  2. Preheat oven to 425
  3. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a circle, making it as thick as you prefer 
  4. Sprinkle on basil and garlic 
  5. Spread pizza sauce over pie, covering up to the ends 
  6. Scatter spinach on pizza then top with cheese
  7. Place chopped pepper pieces and sliced tomato on top of cheese
  8. Finally, spread a light layer of cornmeal on baking sheet or pizza stone. Place pizza on sheet and bake in oven for 8min (or until it reaches desired crispiness) 
That's it! Very quick and very delicious! I wrapped the individual leftover pieces in cling wrap, making it easy to grab a piece to put in my lunchbox the next day.

 
I adore Audrey Hepburn movies. My favorite is Sabrina, but I was watching Funny Face Monday night. Just the music, the outfits, and the way they talk put me in such a good mood for the rest of the night :) 


--Kelli

Monday, November 14, 2011

Make Me Smile Monday

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." 
-George Bernard Shaw
Not homesick but definitely familysick -- only one more week :)

One of my favorite websites is TinyBuddha. If you’ve never checked it out please do! It’s full of inspirational articles and quotes as well as beautiful pictures, a few of which have taken turns as my computer wallpaper (yes I’m one of those people with landscape backgrounds). An article that caught my eye and slowed me down to think was Lori Deschene’s 50 Things to Love about Life that Are Free. Be sure to give yourself a break today and go through this list. It’ll help put things in perspective and give you that inner boost to get through this last week before Thanksgiving.

For today’s Make Me Smile Monday, instead of funny pictures and videos, I decided to do a list of images that bring me happiness or have special meaning in my life. Have a great Monday! 

Conan!

Park by my house back home

Milan Hejduke -- I laced my skates up back-to-back with him

Small mountain town I grew up going to
Mmmm coffee and hot chocolate poured by a very cute coffee guy

Rose at a table in Austria: Completely in love with it
 --Kelli

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Lovin' in the kitchen - Sunday Paper

I found this article and thought it was cute and relevant. Many people who feel strongly about something will forget it in search of other characteristics in a partner..but when it comes down to it they're just not compatible. Food and cooking are at the top of my list. Food is so important that having a bond over it makes a relationship even more special.

Luckily my boyfriend and I share a love for food and cooking..although I don't think I'll ever be at his level with spicy food (Who actually likes jalepenos?) We love spending time in the kitchen together even if we occasionally get in each other's way.
Our food from a trip to the Roxy's Grilled Cheese truck!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Taking on Luna

Energy bars seem to be the latest craze. The supermarket shelves are stocked with millions of different kinds. Clif? Luna? Which to choose? These are great for a quick on-the-go snack and as someone with a crazy schedule I can appreciate that.

But as someone with a soy allergy I can't appreciate their crazy list of ingredients..most energy bars contain some sort of soy, and while my allergy is mild, I prefer to stay away..I don't want to have to bust out the EpiPen.

When I decided that I wanted to try making my own energy bars at home I found tons of recipes for LaraBars (which I love and will probably post about at a later date) and for Clif Bars (which were ok but I wasn't super interested in making). I wanted to try Luna Bars - the ones I've tried tasted great and the just seemed fun to make. I found ONE recipe! In all of the interwebs..only one. Of course it was from the fabulous Chocolate Covered Katie! I eliminated the protein powder and chocolate and used honey as my sweetner. I think I'm going to try again with some maple syrup - yum! The original recipe can be found here.

I stored mine in the fridge after taking them from the freezer and cutting them. They were good! They tasted like healthy peanut butter rice krispy treats..and I was perfectly ok with that!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Fried Rice: More Healthy and Quick than Authentic

Looks like fall is here for another week!

I'm wearing shorts. And it's November. Remember how excited I was that it was snowing two weekends ago? Well I'm almost just as happy to not have to wear jeans right now. As much as I love snow, I hate wearing long pants. Shorts and dresses are just so much more comfortable to be in -- but then again I'm probably one of the few people who prefers to sit cross-legged even on chairs. In addition to the weather being gorgeous, my week has been awesome due to the go-ahead from my physical therapist to start doing walk-jog intervals! I did my first one yesterday and I was in 100% pure bliss. Running past Fenway, along the fens, then down a street I never knew existed, nothing was in my head other than "I'm so happy. Man, this is awesome" repeating over and over again. Unfortunately, on my second jogging interval my knee flared up and I had to stop (may be possibly due to I only did a 1min walking interval instead of the full 5 minutes like I was supposed to. . .). None the less it felt just so refreshing to be out running again. The eliptical is fine, but nothing beats just running without a preplanned route. It keeps me excited energies to pick a random street to go down and explore. I'm going to try again Friday (since tomorrow is supposed to be gross) so hopefully it goes even better!
At my first 10-K this summer. I definitely recommend the Wharf-to-Wharf for a first race!

Recently I've been STARVING at lunch, but with only an hour break I haven't broken out any official recipes. The next couple of weeks are pretty calm for me, so I promise to start getting more interesting stuff up on here, but for now I want to show you a not-so-pretty-yet-indcredibly-filling-healthier version of fried rice that I've been making.

There's no real "ingredient" list, basically as long as you have rice or quinoa and 3 eggs (1 whole egg and 2 egg whites), you can use whatever veggies you ahve in your frdige or freezer.

What I did:

1. In a skillet sautee green pepper slices, garlic, and frozen corn and brocolli with 1 Tbsp of oilve oil. Once the vegetables are tender, add in 1/2 cup (or as much as you're hungry for) of left-over brown rice, tomatoes, and spinach. I added a couple tablespoons of water to soften the rice a bit.
2. Turn the heat down to medium. Make a well in the middle of the rice mixture. Pour 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg into the well. Let cook until the whites start to set then stir it all together. Continue to cook until the yolk is cooked through.
3. Place into your favorite bowl. I added hot sauce to mine, but I'm sure reduced sodium soy sauce would also be really good!

I know the picture is a little scarey, but trust me it's very tasty and gives you a quick protein boost to get you through your last few classes or last half of your work day.



In community nutrition today we learned about various lesson plan ideas for teaching nutrition to school children. Aren't these mice adorable?!

Have a great day -- you're halfway through the week!!

--Kelli

Monday, November 7, 2011

Make Me Smile Monday 11/7



 

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,’ said Piglet at last, ‘what’s the first thing you say to yourself?’ ‘What’s for breakfast?’ said Pooh. ‘What do you say, Piglet?’ ‘I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. ‘It’s the same thing,’ he said.”
- A. A. Milne, ‘The House at Pooh Corner’


"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." -Marianne Williamson


"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful." -Thich Nhat Hanh


“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” -Walt Disney

Have a  beautiful Monday! 

--Kelli

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sunday Paper 11/6 -- Micronutrients in a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

Walking around Shaws I was amazed at how many food products are out there. For the past three months my food shopping has been contained to a small neighborhood grocery store, so walking into a huge supermarket was overwhelming. Knowing I either wanted to get some tempeh or tofu (both soy-based protein sources) I went to the produce section. This is still hard to get used to. Back home, the non-meat proteins are usually in their own cooler by the dairy products, but every store in Bosotn I've been to puts them with the vegetables. I'm not complaining, after all it makes shopping much faster and does make sense, but just hard to get used to. Anyways, looking at my options, I noticed something new.

Nosoya has come out with a Tofu Plus product that is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals that are usually lacking in a no/low-meat diet: B2, B6, B12, Vit D, and Calcium. Being a nutrition student, I'm nerdly aware of how key it is to eat a variety of foods to ensure I get both my macronutrient and micronutrient requirements in, but most people aren't nutrition freaks like me and don't think about how important it is to get their daily dose of Vit B12. I'm not just talking about vegans and vegetarians. Although most of these nutrients are found in meat, nutrients like Vit D can be hard to get enough of even in an omnivore diet. Here is a very basic overview of these nutrients: why they're important and what foods contain them (both plant and animal-based sources). 

Note: "Essential" means that your body cannot produce enough of the nutrient to meet your body's requirements and, as a result, depends on your dietary intake of the nutrient to meet these needs. For personalized recommended amounts check out the Dietary Guidelines or even better go visit a registered dietitian! Oh one more thing. Although there are supplements available, it is recommended to first try meeting your needs with whole foods and then if your doctor or RD feels you need the help, they may prescribe supplements based on your individual needs.


B2 (a.k.a. Riboflavin)
Why it’s important:
o   Necessary for extraction of energy from carbohydrates
o   Helps build glucose molecules into glycogen (very important for athletes!)
o   Aids in digestion of fat
o   Protects the nervous system
o   Maintains mucous membranes
Good food sources:
o   Asparagus
o   Okra (my new obsession)
o   Cottage cheese
o   Milk and yogurt
o   Meat
o   Fish
o   Eggs

B6 (a.k.a Pyridoxine)
Why it’s important:
o   Needed in production and digestion of amino acids
o   Helps in manufacturing of insulin and disease-fighting antibodies
o   Aids in producing histamine, which plays a key role in allergic reactions
o   Key role in production of hemoglobin and in ability of oxygen to bind with hemoglobin (hemoglobin is a very important molecule in red blood cells that is the carrier of oxygen. Without it, oxygen would not reach your muscles or organs)
Good food sources:
o   Potatoes
o   Sweet potatoes
o   Bananas
o   Poultry
o   Many types of fish

B12 (a.k.a Cobalamin)
Why it’s important:
o   Needed for proper growth and development in babies, children, and teens
o   Helps in production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells
o   Required for proper functioning of the nervous system
o   Needed in DNA manufacturing
o   Has a role in processing of fats and carbohydrates
o   Deficiency can cause nerve damage, megalobastic anemia, and inflammation of the tongue and mouth. Long-term deficiency causes irreversible nerve damage.
Good food sources:
o   Dairy products
o   Organ meat (liver, heart, kidneys)
o   Eggs
o   Beef
o   Seafood
o   Fortified tofu and tempeh

Vit D
Why it’s important:
o   Needed for absorption and use of calcium
o   Role in formation and health of bones, teeth, and cartilage
o   Deficiency causes ostemalacia in adults (softening of bone) and rickets in children
Good food sources:
o   Fortified orange juice and milk
o   Fortified almond milk
o   Egg yolk
o   Cod liver oil
o   Salmon and tuna

Calcium
Why it’s important:

  • It’s the main mineral found in teeth and bone
    • Getting enough calcium is very important in childhood and adolescence because that is when you are building the bone you will have as an adult
      • Getting enough calcium as a kid greatly reduces your risk for osteoporosis later on
    • Adequate calcium is also is important in adulthood in order to maintain bone mass
  • Deficiency can cause weakening of bones, resulting in bone fractures, as well as osteoporosis

Good food sources:
o   Bok choy
o   Collard greens
o   Dairy products (Almond milk and soy milk are also fortified) 
o   Almonds
o   Fortified tofu
o   Canned salmon
o   Sardines
 


Have a great Sunday!

 "Pulling on a Line" by Great Lake Swimmers
If you're a fan of folk music, be sure to check out 
their song "Rocky Spine" 

--Kelli

Friday, November 4, 2011

Farmer's Market Finds

I am obsessed with Farmer's Markets. So much great, local produce and super nice people..what's not to love? So obviously I was super excited when coming to BU I found out they had a weekly farmer's market!


 Last week when I ventured out, despite the rain, I found myself facing some interesting colored produce. I came home with a purple bell pepper and a white sweet potato. Oh yeah, who doesn't love weird colored food? Once I brought them home I couldn't even wait to cook with them so I used them in my lunch! I'm normally not a big pepper fan but I incorporated them into this dish so their flavor wasn't too noticeable.


I'm usually pretty bad a following recipes so I just randomly threw together a bunch of stuff I had so..bear with me as I try to make this into a coherent recipe. These values are totally adjustable to whatever you like, whatever veggies you have on hand, and this recipe can be made vegan by omitting the cheese. Also, if you want to use your own seasoning that's totally fine too..I didn't have time to mix up my own and I had a packet of taco seasoning on hand so I used that.

Alli's Taco Veggies with Cheese



- 1/2 medium sweet potato
- 1/3 C broccoli (can use frozen)
- 1/2 small bell pepper
- 1/3 C black beans
- 1/3 C roasted butternut squash
- 1/4 packet low sodium taco seasoning
- 1/2 C low fat shredded cheese

1. Microwave (or bake, or roast or whatever you like) the sweet potato and squash (I had left over roasted squash so I just used that) until it is fork tender.
2. Cut up the broccoli and par boil (or microwave if frozen), and strain+rinse the black beans.
4. Put diced pepper in a satuee pan with a couple table spoons of olive oil. Cook until softened.
5. Mix in all the other veggies and beans. Simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the taco seasoning and about 1/2 - 3/4 C water. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated and sauce is thickened.
7. Put into plate/bowl/whatever and top with shredded cheese and let it melt. Yum!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

11/2 Hearty Vegetarian Chili




The one night we did dress up
Walking to a friend's apartment Saturday night was like walking in a snow globe -- a very wet snow globe. Leaving my Halloween costume behind and focusing on not getting frostbite walking, my friends and I were drenched by the time we got to our destination. Snow here in Boston is strange. In Denver, when it snows you get a nice dusting of snow on your clothes and hair, but you don't get soaked through like you do here. Despite having water gush out of my shoe every time I stepped, I was in a ridiculously good mood. Everything about that day was just fantastic! Crepe place for lunch, F1 racing in the afternoon, hot apple cider at a friend's apartment, and goofing around and chilling with everyone at another apartment until late.
I don't know exactly where this is in MA, but it's so beautiful! I couldn't find a good one on the Boston Globe's website of Boston

Part of my love for fall snow is it reminds me of being little. Every year it would snow on Halloween. Take a look at my photo album and you'll notice that all my costumes were based around being able to wear layers and snow boots. One year I tried to fight it and just wore my Tinkerbell costume out trick-or-treating. I ended up with red arms and destroyed slippers.Probably should have taken my mom's advice to wear boots and a coat even if it wasn't authentic Tinkerbell-ware. So this is my warning to anyone I see on a daily basis: if it is snowing out, there's a very high chance I will be in an annoyingly good mood. So, if snow makes you cranky, I'd stay away from me. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Silk makes Mint Chocolate Soy Milk!! It's going on my shopping list

Although the cold weather means no more shorts or skirts, it also means soups, baked goods, tea, coffee, peppermint, fuzzy blankets, hockey season, and spending more time inside with everyone. I've been working with a female athlete specialist (thanks to my knee) and have been looking more closely at my nutrient intake. Although nothing to worry about, I could benefit from a little more protein. Trying to figure out my protein options, I came across a bag of green lentils on sale. I put them in my shopping basket, bought them, brought them home, then realized I had absolutely no clue what to do with them.


After seeing that my friend made homemade cornbread and because it's officially sweater weather, I decided to finally tackle vegetarian chili. Having not grown up in a spice-loving household, I was nervous about making chili from scratch, especially vegetarian chili since there's no chicken broth to add flavor. My worries were for nothing: this chili is SO delicious! Although not "traditional chili taste" (which I think is largely due to using white beans instead of black or red kidney), it still has the hint of heat and depth of flavor that I look for in chili. This recipe is jam-packed with minerals and vitamins from the vegetables, protein from the beans and lentils, and flavor from the spices. The recipe that inspired mine used maple syrup to sweeten things up. I didn't feel like going out an buying syrup so I used honey instead and it turned out great! I'd love to hear if anyone tries it with maple syrup, or has a favorite chili recipe that uses maple syrup.


Lentil Chili
Inspired by Honest Fare's recipe

Ingredients:
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup green lentils
1 can white beans
1 chopped zucchini
1 chopped yellow squash
½ large sweet green pepper, diced
1 chopped carrot
Olive oil
1 large clove diced garlic
1 ¾ tsp salt
Black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ chili powder
Dash cayenne pepper
2 T honey

What to do:
1. Bring 1 ½ cup water to a boil. Add in 1 cup washed green lentils. Cover and simmer for 20min.
2. While lentils are cooking, chop all vegetables
3. Remove lentils and place in small bowl
4. Sauté garlic, pepper, squash, and zucchini in 3 tablespoons of olive oil in very large pot over medium-high heat
5. Add beans, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tsp salt. Sauté uncovered until veggies are tender
6. Add whole can of tomatoes – along with their juice!! – carrots, and honey. Bring to a simmer and decrease heat to low. Stir in pinch of cayenne pepper and the rest of the salt. Cover and continue cooking on low until carrots are soft.
7. Partially uncover and continue cooking so chili thickens. There’s no real rule for how long to let the chili cook. Basically, the longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor. I let mine cook for 6 hours and it was amazing!

My friend and I ate our chili with Trader Joe's whole wheat tortillas that I crisped in the oven because I needed to use them up before they went bad, but I'm dying to try this with Post Punk's cornbread recipe -- be on the look for it in the coming month! I've been bringing this chili to work for lunch and, like a good chili should, it tastes better each day.

One more warning: Alli and I are a little obsessed with Christmas. Actually, a lot obsessed. On TV Saturday was ABC family's 25 Days of Christmas promotion. See where I'm going with this? Alli has already started listening to Christmas music. Although I haven't gone that far yet, I have started a bookmark for Christmas recipes. All I'm saying is you have about 3 weeks before we start going holiday-season crazy. You've been warned.
Our stockings freshman year

One of my favorite Jack Johnson songs. I heard this for the first time about two summers ago at Mile High Music Festival. Whenever I have the apartment to myself this and Etta James are my go-to music choices.



--Kelli