Dinner + Dessert

As promised, here's my post-yoga dinner:

I made a big pan of stir-fry, one of my favorite anytime recipes. I keep a few different bags of frozen vegetables in my freezer at all times so that I can have a veggie-packed dinner even if I haven't been shopping recently. If possible, I'll mix some fresh veggies in too for a little crispness and fresh taste. Tonight's stir-fry was a combo of:

1. Bird's Eye Frozen Bell Peppers and Onions - I love this combination! It is so great to have on hand, especially when bell peppers are out of season and can be really expensive. Frozen onions can occasionally have a funny flavor, but in something like a stir-fry, with lots of different flavors, I never notice! Alternatively, Trader Joe's sells a bag of frozen bell peppers (yellow, red and green) without onions that I get too. 

2. Shelled edamamae - I love keeping edamame in the freezer for anytime that I want to add protein to a meal. It's so easy to throw a couple handfuls in the microwave to steam really fast and put on top of a salad or something else.

3. Green peas - I always keep frozen peas to add when I make fried rice, but I wasn't up for that challenge tonight, so I just threw some peas into the veggies. 

4. A TON of sliced zucchini and summer squash. It's that time of year people, and to prove it I bought a bag full of zucchini and summer squash for next to nothing at the farmer's market last week. 

And, on that note, I thought that the perfect way to make a dent in my zucchini stash (and satisfy my sweet tooth) was to make some muffins. I found this recipe on Eat, Live, Run that looked simple enough, and whipped some up. I used a combination of whole wheat (1 c.) and all purpose (1/2 c.) flours and they turned out great! I would highly recommend them! And now my apartment smells like Fall!

Have a good night!

Carbs Are My Friends

I got a slow start this morning, but because of it I've had some very focused and productive hours this afternoon. To start off, I had a cup of coffee with a splash of 1% milk while I checked emails, watched the Today show and talked to my mom. After about half an hour I made some oatmeal. I usually use a combination of water and milk, so this was 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup 1% milk. I topped my oatmeal with a big spoonful of peanut butter, apple slices and cinnamon. It was so filling that I didn't need anything else until lunch about 3 1/2 hours later...that is a long time for me to go without snacks!

For lunch I finally finished my leftover zucchini and squash by having another bowl of pasta. After oatmeal and pasta I feel full of carbs, and am looking forward to a protein and veggie packed dinner. 

After lunch I had a hankerin' for something sweet, so I had about 1/3 cup of the trail mix I made yesterday to eat during class. 

Nothing too exciting, but I'm planning on making a big dinner tonight after I get out of yoga, so stay tuned! 

Snacks + Leftovers

I've eaten a lot since my last post, most of which I even remembered to take pictures of!

Between studying and running from class to class, my lunch and eating for the rest of the day was a little disjointed. My lunch turned into a series of snacks...

I had a Sargento Light String Cheese along with a handful of pretzels. Also (not pictured) I had one of my favorite afternoon snacks when I'm craving something savory: baby carrots dipped in salsa. I ate about 1/4 cup of salsa and 1/2 cup of baby carrots. I also snacked on an apple, accented with a few spoonfuls of Peanut Butter. And then some mini Snickers :)

A few hours later, right before my evening class, I had some leftovers for dinner. The other night I had sautéed some zucchini, summer squash, onions and garlic to put over whole wheat pasta. Well, it was just as delicious tonight as it was over the weekend. I also added about 1/3 cup of jarred pasta sauce to sneak in a few more veggies. That's been one of my favorite tricks since I started cooking for myself. To have a veggie-packed dinner, start with a kind of traditional spaghetti, and then top it with a bunch of steamed/roasted/sautéed vegetables to make it more filling and nutritious!

In my evening class I sipped some Chai tea and had about 1/3 cup trail mix that I had made this afternoon. It was a combo of almonds, peanuts, raisins and some M and Ms.

And that's it so far! I'll probably have another little snack before I go to bed -- maybe a bowl of cereal or some more of those sautéed veggies straight from the fridge. I'm pleased that I've made it through the whole day, and I think this is a good indication that I"ll be able to stick with this for the next 13 days!

Today wasn't the most exciting day from a culinary standpoint (see: string cheese for lunch and leftovers for dinner), but it was a pretty accurate representation of how I eat on a busy day when food isn't always my first priority. But stay tuned because there is a lot of variation in my diet from day to day!

And so it begins...

Happy Monday! Today I start my food journal! I've never kept track of what I've eaten in any sort of formalized way for longer than 2 days (which was required for a class) so I'm interested to see how this all turns out. My Monday schedule is a little funky, with my mornings free and then classes in the afternoon and evening. As a result, my eating patterns tend to be a little crazy. 

This morning I ate one egg with black pepper over a piece of whole wheat toast, along with 2 cups of coffee with a total of about 1/4 cup of almond milk added. I usually eat breakfast at my desk while checking email and getting caught up with blog reading.

I ran out to do some errands and came back around 11:45 completely starving, so I made a quick fruit and yogurt parfait to eat while I did some homework and reading. It was about 1/2 cup of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt topped with 1/2 cup frozen berries (no sugar added). I added 2 teaspoons of honey over the top to sweeten things up, and about 1/3 cup granola. This is my favorite store-bought granola as of late. It has an awesome mix of grains and almonds. The only downside is that I've only seen it for sale at Costco. 

That's all for now, I'm off to study GRE vocabulary words and then head to class. Have a good afternoon!

Summer Recap

Welcome back! I'm just getting back into the swing of things for my last semester of undergraduate classes (!) and planning a lot of great posts. Coming up you'll see a two-week food diary of a busy college student (me), a peak inside my refrigerator, a series on whole grains and more.

But first, I thought I'd share a little bit from my summer, as told by desserts.

Death by Chocolate (layers of whipped cream, chocolate mouse, walnuts, toffee pieces and Kahlua soaked brownies).

Banana cake.

Ombre cake. (Tutorial coming soon!)

Fourth of July cookie cake.

Berry Cobbler.

Chocolate Melting Cake on a cruise.

Dessert salsa in Cozumel.

I'm going to go eat a cookie. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!

Putting the Pea in Pesto

Peas are not meant for pesto. A few weeks ago, craving pesto and finding this recipe for linguine with pea pesto on Smitten Kitchen, I decided to give pea pesto a try. Seems like a great idea, right? An easy way to get your fix of that oh-so-delicious garlicky green stuff, even when basil isn't in season (thankfully, not an issue now that we are only 2 days from the official start of summer!). Alas, I learned that peas are not meant for pesto. Something about their sweet and starchy flavor distracted a little to much from the garlic and parmesan. I advise that you leave your frozen peas for stir fry and save your parmesan and pine nuts for basil.

Photo via Smitten Kitchen

Coffee Ice Cubes

I stumbled upon an absolutely brilliant idea while perusing Cupcakes and Cashmere this morning: coffee ice cubes. Coffee ice cubes. For iced coffee. So that it doesn't get all watery. Looks like I'm going to need a new excuse for drinking my coffee so fast :)

P.S. Coffee bean shaped ice cube trays (they're called Cool Beans...ha!).

Top photo from Kitchen Treaty 

16 Cans of Diced Tomatoes

That's what my roommate and I left Costco with when her mom was in town a few weeks ago. And it was completely intentional. Why, you ask? Because diced tomatoes are an integral part of about 18 out of 20 of my favorite weeknight dinner recipes. And the following recipe (courtesy of my roommate) is my current favorite:

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (black or cannellini are my favorite for this)
2-3 handfuls of roughly chopped kale
Cumin

Combine the above ingredients over medium heat until the kale has wilted. This combo is perfect on it's own, on top of rice or quinoa, or (drained slightly) in a tortilla with cheddar cheese for a vegetarian quesadilla!

Three-Hour Black Beans

What to do with the huge bunch of cilantro I had left over from Chickpea Tacos? So many things come to mind (I'm of the mindset that cilantro makes every dish better). But really, what goes better with cilantro than black beans? That's right, absolutely nothing. Then it occurred to me that I have never once prepared dried black beans. So I decided to give it a try.

I used this recipe for Cuban Black Beans, which was really simple other than requiring enough forethought to soak the beans the night before. But while cooking, a curious situation developed -- I let my gigantic pan of black beans simmer for almost 3 hours, and every time I grabbed a spoonful to check if they were done, I kept tasting blacks beans that were kind of...coarse. And leathery. And then I thought that maybe no matter how long I let the pan sit there those beans probably wouldn't end up being quite as soft as what I'm used to because they haven't been been sitting in a can. Now isn't that just funny? Despite tasting MUCH better than what comes out of a can, the texture may just take some time to get used to. 

Has anyone else found this? I'm still not entirely convinced that homemade black beans are destined to taste so fibrous. It might just require more patience than I have...

Chickpea Tacos

I've never really been a chickpea person - or so I thought. But over the weekend I got the urge to experiment. Going through the archives of Eat, Live, Run (one of my favorite activities) I found a link to this recipe for Chickpea Tacos, and I'm sold.

This was such a quick and easy recipe made with things that I keep stocked in the pantry. I made a few changes to the marinade: 2 T. of canola oil instead of water and fresh garlic and onion instead of powder. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, and these delicious chickpeas were gone within 24 hours.

They were great on a whole wheat flour tortilla topped with salsa, thinly sliced cabbage, extra sharp cheddar and loads of fresh cilantro.

Found: The Perfect Naan Recipe

Inspired by lunch at an Indian restaurant over the weekend (and needing something to accompany the leftovers), Sunday night I searched for a quick and easy recipe for Naan.

Most recipes I found included yeast, so I was happy to stumble upon this recipe from The New Vegetarian Epicure. I went with this one in part because I didn't want to make a trip to the grocery store for yeast (which was futile because I ended up running out of plain yogurt), but mostly because I'm pretty sure Anna Thomas has never even thought of a bad recipe.

I was looking for something soft and a little chewy, that would soak up sauce but also be delicious enough to eat alone. This was definitely a winner. Even better, I substituted half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, and it was still amazing!

I put the first few in the oven after being browned on the stovetop (as the recipe suggests), and while that definitely gave the bread some great air bubbles, it left them a little bit more dry and crispy than I was hoping for. Going forward, I just browned each piece for about two minutes on each side, and they were done!

I tend to love any recipe that gives you an impressive looking product using only the ingredients I have on hand and minimal effort. This definitely fits the bill, and tasted awesome with my Vegetable Coconut Korma Curry.

Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate

Although Boston has been less-than-frigid this past week, I'm never one to hesitate from indulging in a soothing cup of hot chocolate. Inspired by a gift of delicious homemade hot chocolate mix from a friend, I've been finding new ways to spice up my plain old Swiss Miss:

1. Almond Extract. I've inherited this first one from my mom (who keeps almond extract in her purse for plain lattes picked up on the go). I am the next Alexander that will add almond extract to just about everything from my morning coffee to late-night hot chocolate.

2. Coconut Extract. On a similar note, if dreams of tropical climates are what keep you warm in January, I also keep coconut extract on hand for hot chocolate and whatever else I deem needs some summer-y flavor.

3. Orange zest. Oranges are one of my favorite fruits, so when they're in season I can't help but use them in everything I cook. Orange zest is no exception, which makes ordinary hot chocolate nothing short of magical.

4. Nutella. Inspired by Nutella Hot Chocolate at the Crepe place down the street from me, I added an embarrassingly brilliantly large spoonful of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter to tonight's hot chocolate. The extra-saltiness of Justin's is the perfect accent to a warm cup of sweet hot chocolate.

Any brilliant additions out there I should know about?

Photo of Mexican Hot Chocolate from Hilah Cooking.

Quick Dinners with Kale

Don't cha just love kale? It's not just for garnish anymore. Oh no. It's wonderfully crunchy and has such a unique, buttery-salty-garlicky kind of je ne sais quoi. Yup, that's how I feel about kale. And here's how I used it this week. 

On Sunday night:

My little black dress of weeknight dinners, whole wheat noodles with broccoli and Parmesan, got dressed up with some sautéd kale. 

And on Monday night:

Quinoa tossed with roasted sweet potatoes and (more) sautéd kale was the perfect combination, and has made awesome leftovers for the week.

P.S. Kale in the news recently!

Chicken and Dumplings

It's cold and rainy in Boston and I'm just getting over a cold. That means it's time to talk comfort food.

About a week ago I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings on Eat, Live, Run and knew I had to try it. It's a new-to-me comfort food, something perfectly warm and soothing, and, as if that weren't enough, it's so easy! And now I'm hooked.

For all I know this recipe is a truly authentic representation of good 'ole fashioned, southern chicken and dumplings. That being said, I'm not an authentic Southerner, so I feel no remorse in saying the following: I made a few minor changes to the recipe. And when I make it next I'm going to make some more.

I was worried that it would be too plain, and that using 8 cups of store bought chicken stock alone wouldn't end up with a great, homemade flavor. So I started by sautéing some onions before bringing the broth to a boil. That helped. And I added some oregano. Other than that, I was compliant :)

But I missed the vegetables. And then I saw this picture and got soup envy. So next time I think I will start with carrots and celery in addition to my onion, and I might even add some frozen peas. And then, since I've already made an abomination of a southern staple, I think I'll just go ahead and make the dumplings with whole wheat flour.

I hope everyone stayed warm and dry today! The only thing that got me out of my sweatpants and cozy socks was a trip to the grocery store so I could make Ina's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting for my roommate's birthday. Good motivation, huh?

Overnight Oatmeal

I have always loved the idea of soaking oats overnight for a really easy breakfast in the morning but until recently hadn't done much experimenting. I've seen everything from water to apple juice and milk or yogurt used to soften the oats. I think all of those options sound equally delicious. Last night I tried a version of this recipe from Eat, Live, Run. Here's exactly what I did:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
A handful of raisins

I combined those ingredients in a bowl and popped it in the refrigerator to get delicious overnight. The next morning I added a big spoonful of peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. It was great! I love that it requires such little prep in the morning.

In the past I've tried this muesli (meant for overnight oats), but I didn't get very experimental and only ate it raw on top of yogurt. It was delicious though, and I would definitely recommend trying it in overnight oats.

Top photo from Rummey Bears

Secrets of a Poor College Kid

Cabbage. I should say CABBAGE! It has been the answer to all of my lettuce woes since I've been cooking for one. I really love salad but it's hard to finish a whole head of romaine by myself before it goes bad. Cabbage is really inexpensive (I can usually find it for $0.50-$0.60 per pound) and super hearty. A head of cabbage can stay in your refrigerator for a week or two before turning brown and mushy.

I usually slice it really thin and top it with chopped veggies for salad or cut it in pieces a little bit bigger to steam it for a quick cooked veggie! Cabbage used to be one of those things that I had to be forced to eat as a kid, but now I love it! It has such a mild taste when eaten raw in a salad, and is also delicious steamed. I promise!

National Popcorn Day

Happy National Popcorn Day! What could be better than a whole day dedicated to one of my favorite whole grain snacks? I just got home from a day filled with 7 ½ hours of class and am about to kick back with my bag of Smart Pop to celebrate :) I'll secretly be dreaming that it's freshly popped and topped with parmesan and kale chips. Doesn't that sound divine?

Photo of gourmet popcorn gift set from Etsy.

Ch-ch-ch-chia Seeds

Is that the first thing that came to mind? It was for me. So imagine my surprise when I learned that in addition to making Shrek look stylin', these seeds are packed with awesome nutrients like calcium, fiber and omega-3s. So, when I saw them in the bulk section of Whole Foods a few weeks ago, I knew I had to give 'em a try.

I added about a tablespoon in the blender with raspberries and yogurt to give my morning smoothie an extra punch. They added no taste but just a little bit of a grainy texture. Along with the raspberry seeds, I hardly noticed they were there! I would highly recommend adding some to a smoothie or maybe a bowl oatmeal to try.

P.S. They are Joy Bauer approved!

Top photo from As Seen on TV Guys, middle photo from Starwest Botanicals.