sloppy Jill's and sweet potato not-fries

Without even tasting this, the name alone makes this recipe pretty awesome.  Sloppy Jill's are a vegetarian twist on a meaty classic, and they are true to their name... very sloppy!  Instead of using hamburger meat which is high in unhealthy fat and cholesterol, I used the soy crumbles which I had left over from the easy 'meaty' chili recipe from earlier in the week.  Sweet potato fries are a super quick and easy side dish, and they're good with just about anything!  I seriously eat sweet potato fries at the very least 3 out of 7 days a week.  Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, C, fiber, & potassium, and they are a colorful alternative to your average joe shmoe spud.  

Sloppy Jill's (serves 1)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp olive oil
2/3 cup soy crumbles (Boca or MorningStar have these in the freezer section near the veggie burgers)
3 tbsp canned tomato sauce
1 tbsp canned tomato paste
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp teriyaki sauce 
1/4 tsp cumin
a splash of hot sauce (only if you like a little heat)
1 roll of choice (I used a Trader Joe's multigrain sandwich thin... some rolls have an absurd amount of calories, so read your labels-- If its over 150 calories, try to find another option)


sweet potato not-fries (serves 1)
Ingredients: 
cooking spray
1/2 large sweet potato (or 1 small, but those are hard to find)
pinch of coarse sea salt


Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.  These tasty treats get their name because they are not fried, they're baked!  Cut a large sweet potato length wise (put one half in a tupperware container for another day).  Lay one potato half on the cutting board with the flat side down and cut length wise into strips.  Then cut those strips into 1/4 inch fries, don't go  too thin or they'll burn.  Spray a baking sheet with a little bit of cooking spray, put the potato on the pan and sprinkle with sea salt.  Set your oven timer for 15 minutes, when that timer goes off, take them out, flip 'em and pop them pack in for another 15 minutes.

When there is about 10-15 minutes left after you've flipped your not-fries, you can start to prepare your Sloppy Jill's.  Start by chopping a green bell pepper.  I used about a 1/3rd of a medium size pepper.  Add 1/2 tsp of oil into a small frying pan on medium heat.  Add the pepper.  Stir occasionally and cook for about 5 minutes.

 Next you can add the tomato sauce & tomato paste.  If you are using frozen soy crumbles, nuke them for about a minute before you add them to the pan.  Reduce the heat to low.  Keep stirring and mix in the cumin, worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce, and hot sauce.  If it starts to get really thick, add a little water about a tbsp at a time and simmer... 

 I like my bread toasted because it adds a texture contrast to the sloppiness of the sandwich.  After you've toasted your bread, put the bottom bun on a plate, pour your sloppy filling on the bun, and top it with the other half of the bun.  The not-fries should be just about done now if you've timed everything just right.  
I have tested a ton of different condiments to try to find the perfect dip to dunk the sweet potato fries... honey mustard is really good, but my all time favorite so far is a light drizzle of maple syrup, probably less than a tablespoon.

  You may need a fork to tackle this sandwich, and most definitely lots o' napkins!

Get creative with your leftovers!

I love omelets and I love chili so why not make a cheesy, spicy, protein-packed breakfast with the two?  This is my take on huevos rancheros, but with a twist.  The left over chili from earlier this week was the filler of this omelet.  And like I mentioned in a previous post, I like egg white only omelets, but if you want the yolks, try to cut back and use one yolk to every two whites.  In this omelet, you're getting protein from the eggs, the beans and the soy crumbles in the chili, and even a little bit of protein in the cheese too.  This is a perfect way to fuel up for a busy day and will definitely hold you over until lunch time.  If you have tortillas, you could scramble the egg whites add the cheese and chili and make a delicious breakfast burrito... mmm burritos! 

Huevos con Chili Omelet (serves 1)
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1 tbsp low fat shredded cheddar cheese (Cabot is a local cheese found in nearly every grocery store!)
1/2 cup "meaty" chili
cooking spray

Spray a small frying pan with a little cooking spray and set to medium heat.  Once pan gets hot, add the egg whites.  As the egg whites cook, start to pull the egg away from the sides of the pan with a spatula, and let the clear white run underneath. This will give you a thicker omelet. Once the egg is almost cooked, the liquid whites will pool in the middle of the egg. Try to get your spatula all the way under the egg and flip... this comes with practice. Once the egg is opaque, add the cheese.  Before you add the chili, microwave it for about 30 seconds.  Add the chili and fold the egg over.  cook for about a minute or so on each side and you're done! 

Top with salsa, hot sauce, scallions, guacamole, sour cream etc...   

curry tofu with satay sauce

Don't let the word tofu scare you away here!  Chicken would be a perfectly acceptable (and delicious) substitution in this recipe, I just happened to have an unopened package of tofu in my fridge and decided to use that.  This was a simple recipe to prepare and took no time at all to whip up the satay sauce.  This was my first go at testing out this recipe and I made it for dinner but I think it would be a great party appetizer.

curry tofu with satay sauce (serves 4)
Ingredients (tofu):

1 package firm tofu
1/2 tsp curry powder
coarse sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
cooking spray


Ingredients (satay sauce):
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chunky peanut butter


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  First remove tofu from package and cut into small cubes.  Lay paper towels on a baking sheet, place tofu on paper towels, layer with more paper towels and put something heavy on top to drain the liquid (cutting board and heavy pan or tea kettle).  Press tofu for at least 10 minutes.  If you have enough time, change the paper towels and press for another 10 minutes.  Draining the liquid gets the tofu more firm and dense.

Spray a baking pan with a little cooking spray and lay the tofu out.  Add salt, pepper, and curry powder, shake a little to cover all sides of the tofu.  Bake for ~30 minutes, flipping the tofu occasionally to crisp the sides. 

While the tofu is baking, prepare the satay sauce.  Add all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and whisk until completely blended.  Heat the sauce in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring until heated throughout.  Drizzle the sauce over the tofu and enjoy! 

The nutty flavor of the sauce is actually more subtle than I thought it was going to be.  The  peanut pieces in the peanut butter added some texture which was great.  You could use creamy peanut butter if that's what you normally buy and eat... but I like my peanut butter like I like my babies... chunky, that is.  The soy sauce and sesame oil combined to make a really nice flavor.  I served the tofu over whole wheat couscous and broiled zucchini.  If you want to substitute the tofu for chicken, I'd recommend grilling or broiling the chicken. As an appetizer, I'd stick all of the tofu cubes with a tooth pick and serve with a large bowl of satay sauce for dipping... who doesn't love a good dip??


 

the easiest recipe ever

I know I say all my recipes are easy, but this one takes the cake... or better said--this one takes the bowl of chili.  Chili is such an easy meal, especially if you have a crock pot at your disposal, I unfortunately do not--however a crock pot is on the top of my birthday wish list *cough cough may 5th cough cough*

I usually make vegetarian bean chili with whatever beans I happen to have on hand.  Black beans, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, butter beans, & navy beans all work really well.  I always use at least two different kinds of beans for a little variety, both visually and texturally.  My plan was to make my classic version, but I had some soy meatless crumbles in my freezer so I decided to mix it up a bit.  If you have never tried soy crumbles before chili is great way to test-run this new food.  Soy crumbles are basically fake ground beef made of textured vegetable protein (or TVP).  It's perfect for chili, tacos, Sheppard's Pie, meat sauce, lasagna, etc... 

 This recipe is really just a matter of opening a few cans, adding some fresh vegetables & some essential spices, then just turn on the crock pot or put a pot on the stove for a few hours and you have a meal for a week.  This meal gets a 5 out of 5 for reheatability and it freezes really well too.  If you know you have a busy week ahead of you, make this on Sunday and you'll be set!

Easy 'Meaty' Chili (makes ~8 1 cup servings)
Ingredients:
1 15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes (w/ green chiles if available)
1/2 cup canned corn kernels
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (ribs and seeds removed...unless you like heat)
1 cup meatless soy crumbles (found in the freezer section)
1-2 tsp Chili powder (or to your taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper


Add all ingredients except the spices into a pot (or crock pot).  Whether you are using a crock pot or the stove, set to medium heat and cover until the chili starts to bubble.  Add spices to your taste, start with a little and increase to your liking.  Cover and simmer on low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally.  I told you it was the easiest!  Top with cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions, hot sauce, or whatever you wish.  mmm...

banana bread

I bought bananas at the grocery store last weekend and I have been anxiously and impatiently waiting for them to get overly ripe so I can brush up on my baking skills.  
This is a pretty basic banana bread with a few little tweaks to turn this classic dessert bread into a guiltless indulgence.  Rather than adding oil and whole eggs, I substituted pureed pumpkin and egg whites to cut back on the fat and cholesterol.  And instead of using white enriched flour, I swapped it for whole wheat flour, increasing the fiber content.   It is a little denser because of the whole wheat flour, but overall I think it turned out pretty well. 


Banana Bread (makes 10 servings)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 large egg whites
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup almond milk (or whatever you have in your fridge!)
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 8in x 4in loaf pan (or 9in x 5in).  
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon).  In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, egg whites, pumpkin, banana, milk, and vanilla extract until well blended.  Next stir in dry mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts and pour into loaf pan.  
Bake for 55-65 minutes if using a 8x4 pan or 45-55 minutes if using a 9x5 pan, or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing, ~1 hour (if you can wait!). 

*Just as an aside... If there are any meals, desserts, snacks etc. you'd like to see me revamp and blog about, leave it in the comments below!

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is a great opportunity to take a little time to reflect on your current lifestyle. Are there any small changes you can make to do your part? Being green isn't about saving the planet overnight, it's about making little things that add up! Looking at your diet is a great way to transition to a greener lifestyle. It's all about making well informed decisions as a consumer and doing whatever you can to make a difference.

Tonight I decided to plant some herbs (parsley and basil) for myself. If you have a little bit of garden space, or even a window box, planting vegetables, herbs, and fruits can really cut down on your grocery bill. Take advantage of the gorgeous spring and summer weather that is upon us! Your wallet and your waistline will thank you.

Some other suggestions for you...

• Support your local Farmer's Market. Yes, I know the produce is a little more expensive than at the grocery store, but it is local and fresh and you can actually meet the growers! Some of the produce in your grocery store was picked WEEKS ago and traveled hundreds to thousands of miles to get to the produce department. By then, the vitamin and mineral count has really suffered. And the meat products sold at farmers markets grazed pastures at one time, and the meat is much less likely to be tainted with hormones, fillers, and antibiotics... and just like the produce, it is FRESH!

• Buy produce that is in season. By purchasing produce that is in season, you are probably cutting down on the products food miles. Food miles refers to how many miles a product is transported to get to its final destination. On average food travels 1500 miles-- That is more than the distance between Massachusetts and Florida!

• Along with buying in season, you can go one step further and try to become a locavore. A locavore is somebody who makes an effort to purchase all of their food locally. Typically "local" is defined as to be within a 100 mile radius of your home. Farmer's Markets and Farm Stands are a great way to start. Investigate where the produce, meat, and dairy is coming from in your grocery store.
  

• And if possible, consider becoming the proud owner of a CSA share. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it refers to buying a share of land at a local farm. This can range anywhere from $200-$650 per season (usually May-Sept) depending on the farm and what the share includes Each week, you will pick up a bag of fresh produce. Aside from the cost of the CSA, the farm may require you to get your hands dirty and work on the farm. For more information about CSA's check out the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture website: http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/csa.htm.

• Become a flexitarian, or in other words, a meat eating vegetarian. More specifically, a flexitarian is one who eats mainly vegetarian meals, but allows flexibility to splurge on meat occasionally. A flexitarian will buy local meats whenever possible & will try to seek out restaurants which serve locally harvested goods. The meat industry in America has shifted from animals roaming the land grazing on grass and basking in the sunlight to factory farms where animals are forced into crowded, dark farm houses where they never see the light of day. These factory farm animals are fed hormones and antibiotics which make them grow at an unnatural pace. I am not saying all meat is bad, but don't be naive; it is your right as a consumer to be well informed about the sources of your food.

If you haven't seen the documentary Food, Inc. yet, I really encourage you to check it out! PBS.org is streaming the movie for free on their website. Here is a link: http://video.pbs.org/video/1472879887/ It is only available online until the 29th so take advantage of it. It's a very educational and informative film about our nation's food industry.

HAPPY Earth Day! Now get out there and smell the flowers, hug a tree, and buy local whenever possible <3

roasted vegetable pasta primavera

So you may have gathered by now I love my vegetables, and of course this dish makes no exceptions. And what better way to celebrate Earth Day than a meal featuring an abundance of bright and colorful veggies! I took a walk to my local produce store earlier today and grabbed a random assortment of veggies to add to my primavera. Instead of sauteing the vegetables like I normally would, I decided to roast them in olive oil and crushed garlic and it came out very fresh and clean tasting.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera (serves 4) Ingredients:
1 lg broccoli crown
1/2 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup frozen or canned artichoke hearts (packed in water, not oil)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion
a handful of sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp & 1 tsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp crushed garlic
8 oz whole wheat blend thin spaghetti (half a box)
a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
coarse sea salt, to taste
parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a glass baking dish w/ 1 tsp olive oil. Add all of the vegetables to the pan, toss to coat with the oil. There is no need to thaw the frozen vegetables before you roast them. Resist the urge to add more oil, the vegetables are going to release water in the oven so they wont dry out. Add the crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, and sea salt, mix together. Bake for ~45 minutes, tossing occasionally.
While the veggies are cooking, boil a large pot of water on the stove to cook the pasta. I like to use whole wheat pasta because I actually prefer the taste and I feel like I am eating something with a little substance. The wheat pastas contain more fiber which help to keep you feeling full. Add the spaghetti to the pot once the water is boiling. I find that wheat pasta does take a little longer to cook than regular pasta. Just taste a piece to cook it to your desired texture.
Once the pasta is done, strain it and put it back in the pot. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and then add the roasted vegetables. Top with a little parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken with Feta

This recipe is inspired by a meal my sister made for me a while ago so i decided to give it a go on my own. It was really easy to prepare and didn't take a lot of time. I paired the chicken with whole wheat couscous and sauteed zucchini and mushrooms. For the chicken, I used fat free feta cheese because that is what was in my fridge, but next time I would use cheese with a little fat to make it a little more melty and delicious!

Balsamic Chicken w/ feta (serves 1)
Ingredients:
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tbsp feta cheese (my sister used Gorgonzola cheese)
a pinch dried oregano
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for sides:
1/4 cup dried whole wheat couscous (I buy it at Trader Joes)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

1/2 small zucchini, sliced
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the chicken, put it in a sandwich sized zip-lock bag. Tenderize with a meat mallet (a heavy metal spoon works too). Pour the vinegar and oregano into the bag, seal and mix well. The longer you marinate, the stronger the flavor will be. For me, this was a last minute meal, so I only left it in the bag for 5-10 minutes. Spray a baking dish with a little cooking spray and place the chicken breast in the dish. Top with the sliced onions and bake for approx 25 minutes (until flesh is no longer pink). Add the feta cheese and then broil on low for ~5 minutes, or until the cheese melts and starts to brown.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare your sides. Couscous can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. I made mine in the microwave. In a high sided bowl add the uncooked couscous and the vegetable broth, cook for 1 minute. Stir after a minute and continue cooking until soft in 30 second intervals, stirring. When you remove it from the microwave, cover the bowl.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil on medium on the stove top. Add the zucchini and mushrooms. Splash in a little balsamic vinegar and oregano and cook until tender and browned.

When plated, this meal looks like it may have taken a lot of work, but it was really almost effortless. I would definitely cook this again! Thanks for the inspiration Amanda! :)

greek pasta salad, opa!!

Today is marathon Monday and my girls at University Road (on the race route) are having a cook-out :) And for my contribution to the party, I decided to make pasta salad. The possibilities with pasta salad are endless--and you can load it up with all your favorite veggies! I was inspired by the feta cheese in my fridge to go with a Greek style salad. Its a really simple recipe, just a handful of simple ingredients.

Greek Pasta Salad (makes ~16 heaping 1/2 cups)
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla Plus bow-tie pasta
1/2 cup fat free feta cheese
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/3 medium red onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Kraft Greek Vinaigrette Dressing (the one made with olive oil, 60 calories per 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
a generous shake dried oregano
coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Boil a large pot of water on the stove top. As the water boils, chop your veggies. Add the veggies to a large bowl. When the water gets to a rapid boil, add in the pasta, stirring so it doesn't stick. Cook the pasta to al dente (on the firm side). Strain the pasta and run it under cool water to stop the pasta from cooking. Add the pasta to the bowl of veggies. Pour in the dressing and mix well. Add the feta cheese, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Lastly, sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.

I would've added sliced black olives to this, but I went to two different grocery stores with no success so I did without. And if you wanted to make a meal out of this, you could add a little grilled chicken, shrimp, or chick peas for protein. Pasta salad is best to cook the night before so the flavors really come together.

sunday breakfast-- whole wheat pumpkin pancakes

Tomorrow tens of thousands of spandex clad runners will flood the streets of Boston for the 114th Boston Marathon-- so in honor of them, I carb loaded this morning in preparation for the event :)
It's Sunday morning, and I made a hefty stack of pumpkin pancakes. I start with a box of Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat blend pancakes as the base, but when I make them I substitute some of the ingredients in their classic pancake recipe for ingredients more to my liking, and I cut the recipe in half. Their recipe calls for milk, an egg, and oil. I like to use either soy or almond milk, an egg white, and I typically substitute applesauce for the oil. Applesauce is a 1:1 fat substitute, meaning if a recipe calls for 1 tbsp oil or butter, you can replace it with 1 tbsp applesauce. Pureed pumpkin is also a 1:1 fat substitution, but I used more than called for in this recipe to get more pumpkin flavor.
I am a blueberry pancake kind of girl, but this morning I decided to mix it up a little bit and add a some spice. This is such an easy recipe, and pancakes are really fun to experiment with; you can put almost anything in a pancake it will go over well. I'd say they're foolproof. So let those creative juices flow and get cooking!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes (serves 1 hungry, pancake loving person)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat blend pancake mix (unprepared)
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or soy milk, cows milk, lactaid etc... use whatcha got!)
1 egg white
1/4 cup pure pureed pumpkin
1 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
1 dash each-ground cinnamon & nutmeg
cooking spray

Add the pancake mix to a medium sized bowl. Add milk and egg white and mix with a fork. Mix in the pureed pumpkin and the spices. Lastly mix the cream cheese, mashing it with a fork to break it up. Heat a skillet on the stove top to medium heat. Pour the batter into the pan-- you can make them as big or small as you want. when the pancakes batter starts to bubble they are ready to be flipped. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

*This recipe yields around 5 4'' pancakes...it is probably closer to 1.5 servings, but to me it was Sunday brunch. The pumpkin and spice flavor was actually really subtle. Next time I think I would add more cinnamon and nutmeg, and maybe toy with the idea of a cream cheese icing, mmm... I hope my few and faithful readers take away this message if nothing else: Don't be afraid to manipulate a recipe, be adventurous! If you think of something that would make a recipe better, try it. What's the worst that could happen?

Chicken Enchiladas-- well, sort of...

Okay, so not every recipe is going to be perfectly successful. I am but a novice in the kitchen and good cooking skills are just trial and error. I am constantly tweaking recipes, trying to top my previous efforts. I had the best of intentions with my chicken enchiladas, but on a scale of 1 to disaster, I give myself a 6.5... I have a 1st degree burn on my wrist to prove it (note: ovens are HOT). This was my first time using corn tortillas, and I blame them for the recipe going array, they just crumbled when I started to roll the enchiladas. But even though this recipe didn't pan out as planned, the final result was equally as delicious as I originally anticipated. So when things go wrong... mix all ingredients together, bake a casserole and call it Christmas:

Spicy Chicken Enchilada Casserole (serves 5)

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 breasts)
1/2 tsp each- garlic powder, cayenne pepper, & chili powder
1 cup cooked brown rice
5 small corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 small hot pepper, chopped finely (seeds and ribs removed)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. As the oven heats, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and 'hammer' the meat to tenderize (I used a metal ice cream scoop). Combine the dry spices on a plate and roll the chicken in the spices, covering all of the flesh. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the seasoned chicken in the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes (until juices run clear and the flesh is no longer pink).

As the chicken cooks, prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, shredded Mexican cheese, diced tomatoes, and hot pepper. When the chicken is fully cooked, chop into cubes and add to the mixture. Increase your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray. First, layer the bottom with two corn tortillas, then layer on the cheesy filling, next scoop 1/2 cup cooked rice. Repeat this once more, then top with another layer of tortillas, and pour the enchilada sauce on the top layer. Bake in the oven for ~30 minutes or until the center is cooked through. I paired this with zucchini sauteed with crushed garlic and a tsp. canola oil.

Preparation wise, things didn't go as planned, but the casserole was actually really good. If you don't like spicy things, nix the hot pepper. Warning: this casserole will make your nose run! I had the casserole for dinner tonight, so I haven't tried it reheated. But as far as casseroles go, most reheat really well, sometimes better than the first time around, so I have high hopes!

Asparagus & feta Omelet

My college budget has led me to a greater appreciation for eggs. And just like the stir-fry I made earlier this week, omelets are a great meal to add extra vegetables to your diet. I had some left-over asparagus in my fridge so I decided to add it to my omelet this morning. I like to only use egg whites when I eat eggs. This is for two reasons, 1) I don't really like the taste/consistency of the yolks, and 2) the yolk holds the fat and cholesterol, while the white contains the most protein. If you're really crazy about the yolk, I recommend cutting back to no more than one per day --for each yolk, have 2 egg whites.

Asparagus & Feta Omelet (serves 1)
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
4-5 asparagus stalks
a handful of chopped green onion
1/2 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp reduced fat (or fat free) feta cheese
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop up the asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces. Spray a baking pan with a little cooking spray and lay the asparagus on the pan and top with the crushed garlic. Cook until tender, ~15 minutes. Using a non-stick pan, spray with a little cooking spray and add the egg whites to the pan on medium heat. As the egg whites transition from clear to opaque, start to pull the egg away from the sides of the pan with a spatula, and let the clear white run underneath. This will give you a thicker omelet. The liquid whites will pool in the middle of the egg. If you are feeling especially skilled in your egg flipping talent, try to flip the egg over... I haven't quite mastered this technique yet, but I try! Once the egg is opaque, add the cooked asparagus, the chopped green onion, and feta cheese and fold in half. Keep it on low heat just until the cheese gets warm.

I always have to have some sort of bread with my eggs so this morning I had a toasted English muffin. And although I'm trying to wean the ketchup out of my life, I still have to have a little on my eggs, but hey... there's lycopene in there right?

sweet & spicy stir-fry

Stir-fries are a great way to get in your 5-a-day, and they are really easy to whip up. They are definitely one of my go-to meals, especially in the summer when produce is most readily available and at its best quality. Last night I tried a new stir-fry and it was really yummy! I used tofu as my protein source, but if that is something you aren't into, you could substitute chicken, lean beef, or even shrimp (although if you've never tried tofu, be brave and try it!).


Sweet & Spicy Stir-fry--Serves 5

Ingredients:
1 package firm tofu
1/2 bunch of asparagus
1 small Japanese eggplant-- I used a graffiti eggpant--check out the picture below
4 green onions
1 small jalapeno pepper (seeds & ribs removed)
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, packed in juice
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth, low sodium if available

First lay out a couple layers of paper towels on a baking sheet. Cut the tofu into 1x1 cubes or triangles, and lay out onto the paper towels, all in one layer. Top the tofu with another layer of paper towels, then place your cutting board or another pan on top. Keep pressed for 15-20 minutes as you prepare the dish. This helps drain the water out of the tofu, which helps it to retain its shape during the cooking process.

While the tofu is being pressed, pour the canola oil into a wok or large frying pan to medium heat. Slice the eggplant and add it to the oil. Cut the asparagus spears into chunks and add it to the pan. If the pan is looking dry, add broth as needed, you can use water too but the broth will add a nice flavor. Next add the fresh grated ginger root, green onion, pineapple chunks and jalapeno to the pan. Then add the teriyaki sauce, mixing so that all the veggies get covered. Lastly add the tofu, stirring carefully to ensure the tofu holds its shape. Reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 more minutes.

**Time saving tip: prep your veggies ahead of time. If I have time when I get home from the grocery store, I like to do it then. It saves cook time, plus I am more apt to eat them if they are already cut in the fridge in tupperware.

I served this atop whole wheat couscous, but you can use any grain you'd like. Also, this was the first time I had ever cooked with ginger root. It's a flavor that's growing on me, but I was a bit hesitant with it. If you like the flavor of ginger, feel free to use more while cooking, or garnish the dish with freshly grated ginger root.

Overall, this was a really tasty dish and easy to make. I'll definitely add it to my rotation. I made enough for left-overs but it was most definitely better the first time. I'll score it 3 out of 5 for re-heating quality :)

Graffiti eggplant--


The finished dish... I promise I'll work on my plating/photography skills. Thank you Juliana for bringing your camera to capture the meal, and for being my sweet & spicy stir-fry guinea pig!

a long time coming

There are two kinds of people in the world, those who eat to live and those who live to eat. I am most definitely the latter of the two. I love to eat, period. Even as a kid, I was always in the kitchen with my mom learning how to cook like she does. And before I go any further, I am going to throw the gauntlet down now and say my mom is the best cook ever, really EVER. Okay now that I got that out of the way, back to me and this blog. Although I do love to cook and love to eat, I also like to think I am a health conscious person, or as my family & friends would say, I eat weird things.
This month marks the completion of my eight month dietetic internship and I am on my way to becoming an RD (registered dietitian). I've been asked that dreaded question countless times in the past few months -- "so now what?" To answer this question briefly I say with a smile, so now I'm applying for jobs (its looking rather grim), studying for my exam, and hoping something will fall into my lap, trying to be optimistic. But if you want the long answer, yes I am going to be doing all of those things, plus a lot more. I am in this in between phase of my life... this could be my metaphoric last horah before I become a real grown up. I want to travel & do awesome things with awesome people... And I want to do the things I've been too busy or too stressed to do because college and my internship got in the way--- enter blog.
This blog is part of my 2010 New Years Resolution. I know, I know, resolutions are so cliche, why wait until January to make a commitment, it's sort of like those dieters who are always waiting for Monday to roll around. But I feel like I'm onto something with this one. I am resolving to trying new things, stepping out of my comfort zone, and diving face first (literally in January when I plummeted down the side of a snowy mountain on skis, ouch) into unfamiliar territory. To give a brief recap thus far, January I headed north to Vermont with a dozen or so friends and tried skiing for the first time, it was painful, hilarious, and terrifying all at the same time. February I let my friend Katie talk me into a "beginner" Jazz class. I think my definition of beginner was VASTLY different from the dance studio's... that was a bust. March was about discipline and commitment. I vowed to practice yoga every day for 31 days. Although I skipped a few days here and there when life got in the way, I really enjoyed this one and yoga is definitely something I will try to work into most days.
And here we are, it's April and I need to find something to do. I had been saying for a while that I want to have a blog... everybody and their momma is blogging now and I am jumping on the bandwagon too! This blog is mainly going to be dedicated to cooking. I will be posting recipes & pictures of things I cook and/or eat. And as a soon to be RD, I'm going to try to keep it healthy & maybe even throw in some fun nutrition facts for S's & G's :). So roll up your sleeves, pre-heat your ovens, and get your fork and knife ready... I'm about to make good food.