Friday, February 27, 2009

Carbs are our friends

The current market slump our country is going through is not new. Unpleasant for many but not new. During this time of scrimping and saving where we can, looking back to hard times of the past can teach us a lot. See this video of a woman sharing a recipe that helped get her family through the Great Depression.




So stop hating on the carbs people! They can get us through some hard times.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Recipe of the Week: Crockpot Chili and Quinoa Salad

I got a new crock pot! Hooray! Because sometimes I don't want to just cook, I want to slow cook. Well I already broke the newbie in. Last week I made lunch for a friend and found a good recipe for crock pot chili from a crock pot recipes website.

I was going to use ground turkey instead of beef but I grossly miscalculated how late my grocery store was open and had to end up using turkey kielbasa. I liked it with the kielbasa but I think it would be better with ground turkey.

1/2 lb dry pinto or kidney beans
2 can tomatoes (14.5oz ea)
2 lb chuck; browned,
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
4 1/2 cup water or 2 16-oz cans
2 medium onions; coarsely chopped,
1 green pepper; chopped
2 garlic cloves; crushed
1 salt to taste

The wonderful thing about crock pots - you just put everything in it and stir, then turn cook it over a long period and voila! This chili requires 10-12 hours on low, which is what I did overnight so it would be ready for lunch. Or you can cook it for 5-6 hours on high.





I also made a quinoa salad to go with the chili (I got to have quinoa).
1 cup unprepared quinoa
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 bag of lettuce or spinach
A few green onions, chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
Optional: cooked Edamame (I left them out for this particular lunch there was already beans in the chili)

Cook the quinoa as directed. When cooked, put on top of a layer of lettuce. Add tomato, green onion, avocado and edamame. Eat and enjoy!

I got this idea from a friend who said that whenever he needs some energy he eats quinoa with edamame. I had leftover tomatoes and green onions from another meal, so decided to add these as well.




Happy eating!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Menu Plan Monday: Week of February 23

Another week of trying to include energizing dishes to my menu for the week. More complex carbs and protein all around. I started taking some classes at my gym that are very physically taxing, so I really need the better diet.

Monday
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Sushi
Dinner: Light Fare at Launch Party

Tuesday
Breakfast: Eggs & Greens
Lunch: Crockpot Chili
Dinner: Whole Wheat Pasta

Wednesday
Breakfast: PB Toast & Banana
Lunch: Quinoa Salad
Dinner: Burrito

Thursday
Breakfast: Eggs & Hot Cereal
Lunch: Tuna Salad Sandwich
Dinner: Black Bean Soup & Grilled Cheese

Friday
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Quinoa Salad & Black Bean Soup
Dinner: Whole Wheat Pasta

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Recipe of the week: 7 Layers of Heaven Burrito

Watch out Taco Bell! I've got a 7 layer burrito that will put yours to shame. I decided to treat myself to a lovely valentines dinner and came up with this wonderful treat. I've learned recently that less is generally more when it comes to cooking. But, I decided to throw this rule out the window and added all the good stuff I could think of. Here is my 7 layer burrito, broken down layer by layer.

Layer 1 - Refried black beans mixed with taco seasoning.

Layer 2 - 2 strips of bacon.

Layer 3 - Pieces of crunchy romaine lettuce.

Layer 4 - Matchstick carrots. I've been adding these babies to lots of sandwiches and wraps lately. They add a little crunch.

Layer 5 - Sliced avocado. I don't feel I need to qualify this layer.

Layer 6 - Now stay with me for a minute here. This really is a good addition. I saute slices of zucchini in olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Layer 7 - Sour cream.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Menu Plan Monday: Week of February 16


In the March edition of Natural Health is an article about eating foods that help energize you. I am drawn to this article because I feel the foods I have been eating lately are weighing me down a bit. So, with the help of Natural Health I have decided to try to energize my menu for this week. Essentially they recommend including the following types of foods in your diet: Complex Carbohyrdrates, Protein and Healthy Fats. Additionally they list 10 specific foods with energizing properties. These include:

1. Brocolli
2. Brown Rice
3. Eggs
4. Green Tea
5. Oats
6. Oranges
7. Nut Butters
8. Salmon
9. Sea Vegetables
10. Yogurt


Monday
Breakfast: Egg and Hot Cereal
Lunch: Tuna Wrap with Carrot Matchsticks and Herbed Cheddar Cheese
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry with Brown Rice

Tuesday
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Toast with PB and Banana
Lunch: Quinoa with Edamame & Greens
Dinner: 7 Layer Burrito

Wednesday
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: PB & J Sandwich
Dinner: Polenta with Sauteed Vegetables

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Quinoa with Edamame & Greens
Dinner: Salad with Tuna, Beets & Chick Peas

Friday
Breakfast: Egg, Greens & Toast
Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwich
Dinner: Sushi

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Food of the week: Zucchini

I was speaking to my roomie about a food of the week and she suggested zucchini. I was like, I already had zucchini as food of the week. I mean, if you've read my blog you can plainly see my affection for the vegetable. But, upon further inspection, sure enough, I have never written about zucchini as food of the week. What?!?! How did this happen?

This must be remedied immediately.

Benefits:

Drawbacks:

Ways to eat zucchini:
  • One of the most simple ways to cook zucchini is to saute it in either butter or olive oil and sprinkle some parmesan cheese. (This significantly ups the calorie content, obviously).
  • Zucchini works great in stir fries, pastas and soups.
  • Zucchini-crusted pizza.
  • My sister makes a delicious zucchini bread.
  • I like to saute zucchini and add it to a burrito. (See an upcoming Recipe of the Week)

Little known facts:
  • Most of the nutrients in zucchini are in the skin.
  • Zucchini is a summer squash that origins trace back to Mexico. It later made it's way to Italy and into some tasty dishes. This totally explains my tendency to put zucchini in burritos!
  • The zucchini is related to the melon and cucumber.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

The Moosewood Cookbook has provided me with some delightful new recipes. All of the recipes in the cookbook are vegetarian and also quite healthy. Last weekend I decided to break it out to make a dinner for a few friends one evening. The recipe I chose for this little get-together was the Zucchini-Crusted Pizza. The recipe stuck out to me because a) I like pizza and b) I loooooooove zucchini. Here is the recipe.

Zucchini-Crusted Pizza
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cups Grated Zucchini - I put small chunks of zucchini in a food processor
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/4 Cup Flour + Flour for the pan
1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan
Optional: Pinches of Basil, Marjoram, or Rosemary

Plus the toppings of your choice. I included:
1 Large Ripe Tomato, Sliced
Extra Mozzarella, Shredded
1/2 of each Green and Red Peppers, Sliced
Handful of Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Sliced
Grated Parmesan, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 and oil a pie pan and coat it with flour.

Mix together the zucchini, eggs, flour, mozzarella, parmesan, herbs and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl.

Spread the mixture onto the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through, brush with the another tbsp of olive oil.

Cool for 10 minutes, loosen with a spatula from the pan, so that it won't break later.


Top the crust with the tomatoes, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and cheeses. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted.


The zucchini crust wasn't intensely flavorful. It honestly was hard to distinguish from a doughy crust. But it was much healthier and the whole dish was divine.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Food of the week: Leeks

I used leeks for the first time when making the Winter Soup for the food of the week. While cutting and cooking, the delicate smell of the leeks really stimulated the senses. I decided that I really needed to learn more about leeks and maybe even use them more.



  • Reduce bad cholesterol levels.
  • May reduce risk of prostate, colon and ovarian cancers.
  • Good source of vitamins B6, C, folate and iron, which in combination help to stabilize blood sugar.
  • Leeks contain substances called oxalates, which in high concentrations can exacerbate kidney and gallbladder problems.

Ways to eat Leeks:

Little known facts:
  • Leeks are in the same family as Onions, Garlic and Scallions. They have many of the same benefits, but are in smaller amounts in leeks. Therefore, to get the same benefits you need to eat more leeks.
  • Most supplies of leeks in the U.S. come from California, Michigan and Virginia.


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Recipe of the week: Winter Soup and Polenta

Monday night I hosted a crafting circle, which meant preparing a main dish for the hungry crafters. I decided that soup would be a good bet, given the time of year and the convenience of soup for large groups. My friend Alisa was there to help me prepare ahead of time. The soup came out great and we had a lovely time. Here are the recipes:

Winter Soup
I got this recipe from my roommate's vegetarian cookbook. I doubled the ingredients for a larger group of people. I added more tomato paste than called for, so my soup was a bit more tart than it was supposed to come out. But I still enjoyed it.

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Leeks, thinly sliced
2 Zucchini, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
2 - 14 oz Cans Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup Vegetable Stock
14 oz Can Garbanzo Beans
8 oz Spinach, Finely Shredded

Saute the leeks and zucchini in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable stock and garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and boil for 2 minutes.



Polenta
I bought a tube of plain polenta from the grocery store. I cut it into 1/2" thick slices and flavored them with a mixture of cumin, garlic powder, ground pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Then I fried the slices in some olive oil.



My friend Barbara also brought some appetizers that were really good! Luckily I got the recipe from her.
Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped
Kalamata Olives, Chopped
Garlic, Minced
Basil
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Baguette

Mix the vegetables, garlic, basil and olive oil.

Layer the mixture on thin slices of the baguette (toasted if you prefer). Add slices of mozzarella and put under the broiler to melt.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Menu Plan Monday (or Tuesday): Week of February 2

Oops, I didn't post my menu for the week yesterday. I had a busy day of cleaning, cooking and socializing yesterday. Not to mention searching for a job. This was mostly in preparation for my monthly crafting night. I was the host last night, so it required some loving preparation. I made a tasty soup, which I will post for the Recipe of the Week tomorrow. And Ian was there, so I will have great pictures to go along with it.


Monday
Breakfast: Hot Cereal
Lunch: Frozen Pizza
Dinner: Crafting night! I made a tomato-base soup and polenta. We also had these red pepper pesto appetizers and raspberry sorbet.

Tuesday
Breakfast: City Eggs (A dish I took from a place called the Mudd House that used to be a college hangout in Ypsilanti Michigan - you mix pieces of bagel and tater tots into scrambled eggs. They also added broccoli, but I don't have any. No healthy vegetables in this carbs on carbs wrapped in protein dish.)
Lunch: PB & J with Vegetable Chips
Dinner: Leftover Soup

Wednesday
Breakfast: Hot Cereal
Lunch: Pasta with Sauteed Beets and Onions
Dinner: Bean and Cheese Burrito

Thursday
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftover Soup
Dinner: Quinoa with Beets and Peas

Friday
Breakfast: Hot Cereal
Lunch: PB & J with Vegetable Chips
Dinner: Bean and Cheese Quesadilla