Why I Love Farmer's Markets

Union Square Greenmarket - or as I like to call it, heaven.

Not everyone shares my passion for farmer's markets. I am often asked why I would rather take time out of my schedule to go to a farmer's market instead of going to a supermarket at my convenience. well, here are my reasons:

1. Everything sold at farmer's markets are fresh.
The idea of fresh food in our society is now a thing of the past when we step into supermarkets. We live in the age of processed cheese and frozen dinners made up mostly of preservatives. This is not the case at the farmer's market. Not only is everything preservative-free, but all of the produce is in season.

2. It helps the economy of your community
Farmer's markets attracts vendors within the area. This means that whenever you buy your vegetables at a stand from your town's farmer's market, you are directly helping your community's economy. Most farmers that sell their goods at farmer's markets are too small to attract the interest of corporate food producers, so their main source of income is derived from those who purchase their food at farmers markets.

3. The atmosphere
I participate in a weekly yoga class where we are instructed to close our eyes and "find our happy place" towards the end of the class. Some might choose the beach or childhood memory. My mind always takes me to the Union Square Greenmarket. There's nothing that makes me happier than being surrounded by vendors who devote their lives to producing and selling food at these markets. Furthermore, they are knowledgeable in the food they sell and usually are not short of good conversation. I once spent a good half an hour discussing various ways to use sugar pumpkins with a vendor at the greenmarket.

So there you have it. Three reasons why I love farmers markets. If you have another reason, feel free to contribute by leaving a comment!

Holiday Food

I can think of many reasons why the holiday season is fun, but the main reason I enjoy this time of year is giving gifts to my friends and family. I don't take gift-giving lightly. I will do whatever it takes to find the perfect gift for a loved one in my life.

Why do I put myself through this? because there's no satisfaction like seeing the look on a person's face when they unwrap my black and white polka dot wrapping paper to find their favorite gift of the year.

Most of you know that I'm not your typical American consumer, especially when it comes to getting gifts. In fact, I've recently started to give people homemade gifts. I feel like it shows how much you care about someone when you give them something you put time and energy into. Last year I gave everyone jars of homemade hot chocolate mix and cookie mix (they had to add an egg and butter. all the dry ingredients were in the jar).

This year I took things one step further by giving everyone in my family different gifts. I gave my dad a box of homemade key lime truffles. My brother got a box of my famous peanut butter fudge. My mom got a jar full of chocolate-peanut butter covered pretzels (I dipped them in dipping peanut butter, then drizzled milk chocolate on top of them once the peanut butter layer hardened).

I wish I had the foresight to take pictures of these before I gave them to everyone, because they were gone in an instant! However, I have not made my gifts for friends who are being sent packages, yet, so I'll try to take pictures of those before they hit the mail.

To my fellow celebrators of Hannukah, I hope your's was great! my family gave me wonderful gifts-a rolling pin and a certificate for a two-day baking class in March where I will do nothing but bake coffeecakes. I'm pretty excited about this.

Improv Salad

Tonight was one of those nights I experience all too frequently when finals are rapidly approaching. By the time I'm ready to eat dinner, it's much later than I expected. Not wanting to fall victim to fast food and delivery, I often find that it's best to improvise something based on the contents of my fridge. The result of tonight' improv was a spinach salad with pear and warm polenta.

In retrospect, I should've put some goat cheese on it. Regardless, it was delicious.

A Photo-Diary of my Thanksgiving

(I'm apologizing now for the grainy images. my parents don't understand the importance of good lighting in their living room, apparently)


Roasted Pear & Goat Cheese Salad


Pumpkin Dinner Rolls


Membrillo (aka Quince Paste)


Caramel Apple Pie and Pumpkin Ice Cream


Baked Macaroni and Cheese


Acorn Squash, Leek, & Apple Soup with Apple Cider Creme Fraiche

for all parties interested, I did make the pie crust from scratch. and yes, it was mindblowing.

Recipe: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Today's Thanksgiving recipe comes from an old issue of vegetarian times. The concept of baked macaroni and cheese is not new to me, but this recipe is!

ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 lb spinach leaves
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray a 9x11 baking dish with nonstick spray
cook penne according to directions on package. drain and set aside.
in a large pot, cook spinach over medium heat until wilted. drain and chop coarsely
in a large saucepan, whisk together olive oil and flour for two minutes over medium-low heat. gradually add milk and continue to whisk for five minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken.
remove saucepan from heat. add penne, spinach, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. stir until evenly coated, then transfer to baking dish. sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese on top.
bake 45-60 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.

serves 6

Recipe: Winter Squash, Leek, & Apple Soup

today marked the start of my marathon of thanksgiving cooking with this soup. I won't lie...it was an all-day event making this soup. it wasn't difficult, it just took a long time to roast the squash. in the end, though, my taste test proved that this soup is worth the time.

ingredients:
4.5 lb of winter squash, halved with the seeds removed (I used acorn squash)
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and quartered (I chose a pink lady apple)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 medium leeks, white parts only, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bay leaf

directions:
1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place squash cut-side down and apple quarters in large baking dish. Add one cup water, cover, and roast 35-40 minutes, or until squash is tender. Allow the squash to cool then scoop the flesh out from the skin.
2. heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 pinch of pepper. cook 3 minutes or until leeks begin to soften. stir in garlic and wine, then cook another 3 minutes, or until pot is nearly dry. add squash, apple, vegetable broth, remaining salt and pepper, and bay leaf. bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat uncovered for 20 minutes. remove bay leaf, then puree with immersion blender until smooth and creamy. cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

as I type this post, I am roasting two sugar pumpkins for various thanksgiving recipes to appear in the future.

Make It or Buy It?

blog readers, I am having a dilemna.

with thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I am preparing for a marathon of cooking and baking. One of the things I'm preparing is a caramel applie pie. my main concern with this dish is whether or not to make the pie crust from scratch.

I'll admit that with the exception of key lime pie, I have no experience with baking pies. I made the crust for my key lime pie from scratch, but considering all it involved was crushing graham crackers and combining it with some melted butter, it was a little different.

My mom swears by trader joe's pie crusts, and I have been guilty of using frozen pie crusts when I make quiche. but considering this is thanksgiving, should I go the extra mile and make the crust from scratch or cut myself some slack and buy a pre-made one?

Reflections, Part Two

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is where my love for cooking comes from. The detailed answer is finally revealed tonight, as I sit in a classroom avoiding the gusty winds outside...

in 2007 I spent my fall semester studying in various parts of France. Each region was a different learning experience for me. Nantes taught me that I can, in fact, navigate a city by myself. The Pyrenee Mountains taught me that I do not like being in solitude for extended periods of time, while bringing out my artistic side. Paris taught me how to love food.

My host mom in paris was a simple woman. She was divorced and lived with her long-term boyfriend and daughter in a beautiful apartment in the asian district of paris. her mantra was that her favorite thing after a long day of work was to change into her nightgown and cook. Though her love for cooking did not transfer into my love for vegetables, a compromise was reached over seafood. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that I did not succumb to mercury poisoning from all the salade nicoise I ate.

Three years later, I am no longer a pescatarian, but my host mom's love for cooking left an imprint on me. She loved to share her food, and so do I. She may love a good coq au vin, but I'll take a red lentil curry cooked to perfection any day of the week.

my inner artist brought to life.

Reflections

i still have yet to make a new recipe, thanks to work and school taking over my life. however, this weekend I have the joy of playing host to a friend from college as she makes her way back to her home state of Michigan.

After a long day spent in the city we came back to my apartment to make some dinner, which was a quasi-pizza (tomato foccacia bread topped with cheese, broccoli, fresh basil, and tomatoes) and salad. while buying groceries, we decided to rent a red box movie and ended up with Julie and Julia.

Many of you don't know this, but this movie is very dear to my heart for many reasons. one reason being that it was one of the influences for this blog. granted, im not cooking my way through a cookbook, but the drive to share my passion for food is there.

I am glad that this blog has come this far since I started it. I've had nothing but wonderful feedback from all my readers, which makes me happy for two reasons: 1) it lets me know that people are reading this and that I am not writing it for the sake of writing, and 2) these recipes are being put to use.

with thanksgiving around the corner, I'm gearing up to make several contributions to this year's dinner. so far, Im planning to make a caramel apple pie and a pear & goat cheese salad. I will probably also make a sweet potato, leek, and apple soup. I've already made a pumpkin ice cream for one of the desserts. look out for recipes!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

As many of you, my main foodie passion lies in baking. Don't get me wrong, I love a fantastic homemade indian dish as much as the next foodie, but I have a deep respect for the art and science of baking the perfect cake. So imagine my excitement when a friend reached out to me and offered to pay me to bake her some brownies!

Earlier that week I had baked some brownies for a meeting we had to work on a group project. When she tried the brownies, she immediately told me that they were amazing and that I should sell them. Later on, I posted on facebook that I wanted to hold a bake sale to pay for horseback riding lessons and asked if anyone wanted to buy some brownies from me. She messaged me and asked if I could make some for her in two days. Naturally, I said yes!

There is a bakery around the corner from my apartment that is hiring for a salesgirl position. I am tempted to drop off my resume and see what happens...

Recipe Use

thanks to a large amount of pasta that I need to work through before it all expires (mmm, whole wheat gnocchi...), it may be awhile before I go food shopping. So to keep things alive, I'm doing a quasi-open thread.

What I'd like to know is if any of you have tried some of the recipes I've posted? If so, which ones in particular did you try? What was the end result?

Bringing back a classic

yesterday, I brought back my favorite standby: masoor daal.

The recipe can be found here:
masoor daal

I had the foresight to soak the lentils before I left for rocky horror live on saturday night (say what you will, but it's a fantastic show), so when I got home from work yesterday all I had to do was add in the spices and ginger.

An added bonus is that my apartment smelled like indian food for the rest of the night.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Soup

Yes, I am back in action! And just in time for fall, I've come up with this recipe. I was inspired by a recipe for spicy sweet potato soup, but because I was unable to find my stash of spices, I decided to do away with the spicy part and just make a sweet potato soup.

ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp grated lime zest
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp grated ginger root
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1.In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lime zest. Set aside in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend.
2.Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add sweet potatoes, and vegetable stock. Season with ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3.Puree the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. If using a counter top blender, puree in small batches, filling the blender just a bit past half way to avoid spillage. Whisk peanut butter into the soup, and heat through. Stir in lime juice, and salt/pepper.
4.Ladle into warm bowls, and top with a dollop of the reserved sour cream

this soup was incredible! I actually licked my bowl clean. For me, the best part of soup as a dish is how easy it is to store. Leftovers can be frozen, which means that I have enough soup stored in my fridge so I dont have to think about cooking when I get home from my night classes this week.

I'll try to remember to post a picture later.

Post-Milwaukee Lamentation

Two months after my move from Milwaukee, it is occurring to me just how spoiled I was as a foodie when I lived there. I was in walking distance of Whole Foods, a local deli, and a large supermarket. Trader Joe's was 15 minutes away by car. I had it made when I lived there.

The reason why I'm realizing this now is because the only food markets within walking distance of my apartment is an A&P and a krauser's. True, it is better than nothing, but A&P doesn't even carry veggie burgers. The closest whole foods is a 15 minute drive on a good day. There's no trader joe's convenient located near me-but there is one near my parents' place.

That being said, I just found out that a Target located three miles away from me will soon be a super-Target. In other words, they will be expanding their already exisiting food section and start carrying produce. Am I excited? you bet! I'm definitely planning to get there asap to do some food shopping.

I actually planned to go food shopping today, but I ended up spending all afternoon getting stuff for the apartment, after which I got home and collapsed on the couch with a large mug of coffee. I'm hoping to go tomorrow.

Open Thread and Kitchen Update

My dad recently shared with me that according to a New York Times article, it's looking as if people will no longer be able to purchase soda with foodstamps in the near future.

Part of me is ecstatic about this. I gave up soda a year ago and have zero regrets. There's no health benefits to drinking it and that stuff makes me bloat to next tuesday. On the other hand, one of the great things about foodstamps is that it gives you the freedom to eat what you want to. If people want to blow their foodstamp balance on chips and cookies, they can. If they want to spend it on fruits and vegetables, they can do that, too.

Thoughts? That is, if anyone is still out there reading this...

update: I'm fully moved in to my new apartment now, and the gas is getting set up on tuesday! get ready for some recipes, folks!

back in action!

I'm hoping some of you are still reading this. After a longer than expected delay in getting a place in new jersey, I can happily share with all of you that I am moving out of my parents' place and into a 2 bedroom apartment on friday!

One of the most exciting prospects about this move is that I can finally start cooking again on a regular basis! I wasn't able to cook as often at my parents' place because not only do they irrationally have issues with vegetarian cuisine, but I was frequently thrown out of the kitchen by my mother. I've been living off luna bars, fruit, and veggie burgers since late august.

Regular updates should resume in the next week or so!

notice

My updates will be sporadic over the next few weeks, since I am in the process of moving. please be patient with me!

Recipe: Red Lentil Curry

yup, I'm still working on that same bag of red lentils, but I got bored with the recipe I've been using since my junior year of college. This recipe was a welcome breath of fresh air!

ingredients:
2 cups red lentils
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree

directions:
1. Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).
2. combine the curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well. cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes in a frying pan with oil.
4. Stir in the tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.
5. When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don't want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately.

serves 8

this recipe originally called for an onion, but my dislike for onions was reason enough for me to omit the ingredient. Regardless, this was delicious! I thought it was a little on the mild side.

Recipe: Teriyaki Tofu Salad

I recently discovered a packet of simply asia teriyaki marinade in the back of my pantry. Naturally, I felt an urge to put it to good use! I've been feeling the urge to make more tofu-based dishes lately, so I marinated some extra-firm tofu in the marinade, then lightly pan-fried. I then combined the tofu with some baby spinach, chopped carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber to create an asian-esque salad. I topped the salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Recipe: Risotto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

(photo to come soon)

this is easily my favorite risotto recipe that I've made to date. no, it is not the healthiest, but all that melty cheese over the tangy taste of sun-dried tomatoes makes up for it. plus, i got to put my basil plant to use for something besides pesto!

ingredients:
5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained with oil reserved
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. While the stock is heating, drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve the oil. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and set them aside.
2. In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons of oil from the tomatoes, add rice to the frying pan and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains; about 1 minute. Spoon a ladleful of vegetable stock into the frying pan and cook the mixture on low until all the stock is absorbed; about 2 minutes. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil from the tomatoes, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and serve

to make this recipe a little on the healthier side, I used low sodium vegetable broth (my brand of choice is Imagine). I also used Trader Joe's light mozzarella cheese. This cheese is a world apart from the low-fat cheese from Kraft and generic grocery store brands in that it actually tastes like cheese (I often find that other brands taste like plastic).

Recipe: Vegetarian Pad Thai

I'll admit it, I'm a little anxious about posting a photo of this dish. I adapted it from a recipe on allrecipes.com to make it veg-friendly and work with what I already have in my pantry, and in the process of doing so this dish became a total disaster.

In retrospect, I probably went wrong when I used different noodles than originally called for. the original recipe called for rice noodles, which I think is what I used. My mom had bought me some japanese noodles at a japanese grocery store during a visit last december, but the label is in japanese so I'm not sure what kind of noodles they are. In the future, I would use udon noodles.

ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups bean sprout
3 green onions, chopped

directions:
1. Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute tofu until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in tofu, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes. top with green onions.

serves 6

weekly food shop

before i get to my normal business of listing what i bought today, I'd like to announce that I will be maintaining this blog after I move. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Beverly-your kind words really mean a lot to me, and it's great to know that this blog is making a difference for at least one person out there.

today, I went food shopping at whole foods and trader joe's.

here's what I bought at Trader Joe's:
2 gala apples
1 cantaloupe
1 red bell pepper
1 cucumber
organic baby carrots
organic bagged baby spinach
lite shredded mozzarella cheese
total: $14.62

this is what I bought at whole foods:
1 piece of ginger
nasoya extra firm tofu
bean sprouts
green onions
red curry paste
8 organic apricots
total: $13.52

stay tuned for some new recipes!

The Future of this Blog

I want to make it clear that I am unsure at this point what will happen with this blog once I move. The move is happening in a little over two weeks, and it is likely that I will not qualify for foodstamps in New Jersey, since I will be working part-time and am applying to substitute teach at a local school district.

the way I see it, there are two options:
1. I can continue to maintain the blog and post recipes and open threads, except I will no longer be purchasing food with an EBT card. I will still be on a tight budget, but I will be purchasing food with money instead of foodstamps.

2. I can retire the blog.

I'd like to take this opportunity to take a poll on what you, the reader, would like to see happen. Please leave a comment with your opinion.

Things I've learned on the Road

I just got back from vacation in the south, during which I learned a few interesting things about myself and my food stamps. this is what I learned:
1. health food stores are your best friend when you travel as much as I do and refuse to pay $10 for a plate of fries at the airport bar.
2. half a pound of couscous, a fruit leather, and a protein bar can become a satisfying meal.
3. no, that wasn't sarcastic.
4. at some point in the last two years, major airlines stopped being courteous enough to give a free in-flight snack.
5. prepare accordingly for this.
6. in Georgia, you can use your food stamps to buy deli products.

there was a health food store/deli near my friend's apartment that we went to on my last day for lunch. while there, I also decided to buy some dried lavender and a few other things that weren't from the deli counter, along with my sandwich and couscous. when I asked the girl at the register if they take ebt, she told me that I can only use it to buy food. imagine how excited i was to learn my tofu sandwich and israeli couscous were covered, too! I told the girl that we have different rules in Wisconsin, and she told me that only a few delis take it. Regardless, I was an excited person.

Cheap Food I Love: Lentils

Lentils are the epitome of cheap, nutritious food. They can be bought in bulk for very little money and can be used in a variety of ways-soups, curry dishes, etc. A friend who studied in India for a semester told me that the reason they're so popular there is because they are cheap and filling, thanks the high amount of fiber they carry. Yes, they are a bit time consuming, but I think it's totally worth it. Soaking them definitely makes a difference in the cooking time.

Cheap Food I Love: Bulgur

Bulgur is a fantastic grain to work with and can be cheap when purchased in bulk (I've found it in the bulk section of whole foods). Though it is commonly used in tabouli recipes, I've used in vegetarian chili to add some texture to it.

Cheap Food I Love: Seedless Grapes

Grapes may not be as versatile as some of the other food I've mentioned in this mini-series, but they are my favorite thing to snack on when I want something sweet. They're great for car trips and are a welcome addition in salads. When it's hot out I love to stick them in the freezer as a summer treat.

Cheap Food I Love: Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms can do no wrong in my eyes. I love the tough, meaty texture of them, which makes them perfect for grilling. During a recent camping trip, a fellow veg and I grilled them and ate them on burger buns topped with cheese. They're also a perfect addition to vegetarian chili.

Cheap Food I Love: Garbanzo Beans

There's no reason not to love garbanzo beans. They are cheap, protein-packed, and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Yes, I do cheat and buy them canned instead of dry, but I make a point to buy the low-sodium/no salt added varieties to cut down on the sodium. I also make it a point to rinse the beans before cooking with them.

My favorite ways to cook with garbanzo beans include (but are not limited to):
1. hummus
2. in pasta
3. roasted in the oven
4. in salads

hummus is super-easy to make. you just need a can of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, a couple of garlic cloves, your spices of choice, and a blender/food processor and you're in business! there's a million different ways you can use hummus, too.

for those of you who watch Top Chef DC, I was ecstatic to see the pasta dish that was described as "hummus undone." Sometimes I will take leftover garbanzo beans and toss them in olive oil with garlic, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes over pasta.

roasted chickpeas is great as a snack. it's easy to make, too: preheat your oven for 400 degrees, grease a baking sheet, spread the chickpeas out evenly on the sheet, bake for 30 minutes (check frequently), then toss with your seasoning of choice. I like to use sea salt, black pepper, and chili powder.

If you like to get a little more adventurous with chickpeas, homemade falafel is always fun to make! I like to bake mine instead of frying it to make it a little healthier.

an upcoming mini-series

Unfortunately, I was unable to secure guest bloggers to take my place while I'm on vacation. However, I recently became aware of the fact that blogger allows you to write posts for future dates that they post for you.

Bearing this in mind, I will be writing a mini-series for the next few days called, "cheap food I love." It will feature a variety of food, including different ways to prepare them and why they are nutritious.

My Cooking Environment

For those of you who think that I must have a full-sized kitchen to do the kind of cooking I do on a regular basis, I am writing this to put that rumor to rest.

The truth is, I live in a studio apartment with a galley kitchen. My oven is so small that I cannot fit my springform pan in it. My fridge is about 3/4 size of a regular fridge, so the freezer is constantly filled to the max. I have one cabinet to devote to food...the rest is overtaken by dishes and appliances.

The kicker: I only have one countertop. That's right...one countertop. how do I deal with this? by using my entire apartment when I cook. I put cooling racks on my coffee table. sit on the floor while putting cookie dough on baking sheets, etc. and yes, I knock things down and break shit on occasion. it is usually followed by me cursing out of frustration. It's not pretty.

Recipe: Spinach, Red Lentil, and Bean Curry

I found this recipe when I was searching allrecipes for new ways to use my giant bag of red lentils in my pantry. I was sold on this recipe by the title alone. With a few alterations, this recipe was delicious!

ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
1/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 (8 ounce) container plain yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

directions:
1. Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, stir together tomato puree and yogurt. Season with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and chili powder. Stir until creamy.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and ginger. Stir in spinach; cook until dark green and wilted. Gradually stir in yogurt mixture. Then mix in tomatoes and cilantro.
4. Stir lentils and garbanzo beans into mixture until well combined. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

serves 4

recipe: pesto pita pocket

(try saying the title three times fast)


I don't know how I came up with this concoction, but it's definitely one that I'll make again. It's simple, easy to make, and uses veggies that I keep around my kitchen on a regular basis.

ingredients:
1/2 pita bread
1 tbsp roasted red pepper pesto (see earlier post for recipe)
1/2 cup baby spinach
1 slice provolone cheese
1 slice tomato

directions:
pop pita pocket open and spread pesto along each side. split the provolone slice in half and place one half on each side of pocket. stuff with spinach and tomato.

In Search of Guest Bloggers

I know this is last minute, but with the sudden boom in subscribers to this blog, I am putting out another call for guest bloggers.

here is the deal: I am going on vacation for five days starting this friday and ending the following wednesday. I would like to have guest bloggers contribute posts for those five days. If you are interested, please email me at glasssa@earlham.edu with the subject "guest blogger"

Recipe: Pasta with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(picture to come soon)

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been eating a lot of spinach. At least I won't have an iron deficiency any time soon:) In my continued quest to work through all the grains in my pantry, I've moved on to pasta this week (I finished off my quinoa and basmati rice already). This recipe looked too good not to try, anyway!

ingredients:
1 cup vegetable broth
12 dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked pasta
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the broth 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving broth, and coarsely chop.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted.
4. Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the garlic 1 minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Pour in the reserved broth, and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated through.
5. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture and pine nuts. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

This recipe was good, though not what I originally expected before reading the directions. I assumed it would be a cold pasta dish. That being said, the end result was a pleasant suprise!

weekly food shop

I did most of this week's food shopping at whole foods. I did buy a few things at metro market, too.

whole foods:
1 can garbanzo beans
1 tomato
1 bag of baby spinach
4 apricots
guiltless gourmet tortilla chips
1 piece ginger root

total: $11.47

metro market:
1 cantaloupe
1 box of success boi-in-bag brown rice
total: $4.85

Notice

I'm going on an overnight camping trip, so there will be no update today. Business will be back to normal on Saturday!

Defining Healthy

Everyone has a different definition of healthy. This can be influenced by a variety of factors-what your family fed you as a child, how much exposure you have to the media, the type of food you have access to in your local grocery store, etc.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But it concerns me when an adult twice my age tells me that he considers an oatmeal raisin cookie to be healthy and actually mean it. Yes, oats are good for you, and so are raisins. These cookies look relatively healthy on the surface. But factor in all the butter and sugar that goes into those cookies, too. Still looking healthy? It's common knowledge that these ingredients will be found in your average cookie, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they are not all that healthy after all.

What concerns me the most about this matter is what the adults in charge of providing nutritious meals to children in our country consider to be healthy. I'm talking about the adults who are in charge of making school lunch menus, those that are in charge of teaching children about nutrition, etc. If they can't define healthy eating habits, then what will happen to our youth?

My definition of healthy is food that is minimally processed and provides beneficial nutrients. I consider a healthy meal one that contains whole grains and at least one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables. This helps me get my daily value of vitamins, along with plenty of fiber and protein. I've also found that I'm consuming less sodium and refined sugar, because I am avoiding processed foods as often as possible.

Potluck Recipe: Sesame Tahini Cookies

(picture to come soon)
My mission to finish off my jar of tahini was a success, thanks to these cookies! we are having a retreat on friday and were all assigned a type of food to bring by region. Luckily for me, my region was assigned desserts.

The cool thing about these cookies is that they are flourless, too! I've never tried a flourless recipe before, but the dense texture really works for it.

ingredients:
1 cup tahini, stirred well
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds

directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat tahini, sugar, egg, baking soda and salt together to combine well. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls. Dampen your hands with water to prevent sticking. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly by making cross-hatches on top with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle tops with sesame seeds. Bake cookies until golden on bottom but still soft in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

yields 2 dozen cookies

Open Thread: What's for Lunch?

When you were in school (or if you still are), did you buy your lunch in the cafeteria or bring your own? Did your parents pack it for you, or did you make your own lunch?

For those of us no longer in school, do you normally eat your lunch at a local restaurant and/or get takeout, or do you bring something from home?

I remember school lunch being a rare treat for me in elementary and middle school. My parents and I would go through the menu every month and decide when I would buy lunch and when I would pack my own. I stopped buying school lunch altogether in high school for two reasons: a) I became a vegetarian during my freshman year, and the only options I had were bagels and fries, and b) I once found a roach walking across the cafeteria floor while waiting for fencing practice to start (yes, our team practiced in the cafeteria. you'd think the state champion fencing team would be shown a little more respect).

As a quasi-adult who works full time, I always bring my lunch with my to work. What I actually eat varies, but I always make sure that it includes at least one serving of fruit, one serving of vegetables, and whole grains.

For example, here's what I ate for today's lunch:
a spicy tofu wrap (spinach, baby carrots, and marinated tofu topped with hot sauce and homemade baba ghanouj wrapped in a multigrain tortilla)
Jane's fat free lightly salted popcorn
2 apricots
Annie's bunny fruit snacks

So I'd like to know what you all ate for lunch today!

Recipe: Baba Ghanouj

In my continuing quest to finish off the food in my kitchen, I am trying to make the most of the large jar of tahini sitting in my fridge. I finished off my black bean hummus over the weekend and was going to make some more, but then decided to try something different when I went to whole foods to buy some beans. I ended up buying an eggplant and making baba ghanouj, instead.

ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1.5 tbsp olive oil

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. pierce skin of eggplant all over with a fork and place eggplant cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes.
once the eggplant has cooled off, scoop the inside of it into a blender and discard skin. add the tahini, lemon juice, and sesame seeds to blender and puree until smooth. add olive oil and continue to puree until well blended.

yields 1.5 cups

Recipe: Yellow Curried Tofu with Veggies

This was more of an experiment than anything else. I bought a relatively large container of yellow curry paste during my trip to Jungle Jim's and decided it was time to put it to use. There were directions on the back for a typical curry dish, but I altered it to make it vegetarian friendly and cut it down so it only made two servings instead of five. Below is the ingredients and directions for my version of the recipe.

ingredients:
4 tsp yellow curry paste
1/2 tbsp peanut oil
9 tbsp coconut milk, divided
3 tbsp water
2/5 block extra-firm tofu, drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1.5 cups sugar snap peas

directions:
in a wok or large frying pan, stir-fry yellow curry paste, peanut oil, and 6 tbsp coconut milk. add tofu, water, and remaining 3 tbsp coconut milk and bring to a low boil. add broccoli and sugar snap peas, continuing to stir-fry until the vegetables have softened.

I ate this over brown rice, though in hindsight I should have considered using my soba noodles, instead.

weekly food shop

I didn't need a whole lot this week, so I did all my shopping at Whole Foods for this week, mainly because I needed to pick up vegan marshmallows for a camping trip.

here's what I bought:
4 apricots
365 brand organic extra firm tofu
vegan marshmallows
red seedless grapes
light coconut milk

total: $14.31

open thread: why are we hiding nutrients?

Most of the TV watching I do takes place while I'm cooking dinner and waking up in the morning, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention. Lately I've been catching more and more commercials for drinks that "hide" servings of fruits and vegetables.

Personally, I think the idea of disguising servings of fruits and vegetables is completely backwards, especially when it comes to kids. If anything, we need to teach children the importance of eating fruits and vegetables that are purchased fresh and cooked in a way that keeps their nutrients intact (i.e. steaming and grilling instead of frying and boiling).

I'd like to hear everyone else's opinions on this matter!

Spicy Tofu Veggie Wrap

In my continued effort to use the food I already have in my kitchen, I came up with this wrap for lunch. If you choose to make this on your own and follow my exact recipe, be sure to keep a glass of water nearby as you eat this, because calling it spicy is an understatement.

ingredients:
1 8-inch wrap
1 tbsp black bean hummus (recipe featured in an earlier post)
1/2 cup baby spinach
2 baby carrots, sliced thinly
1/2 serving baked tofu
1/2 tsp hot sauce

directions:
spread the hummus evenly on the wrap. top with baby spinach and sliced carrots.
cut baked tofu into strips, then place in wrap. top with hot sauce, then fold and enjoy!

my brands of choice for this recipe:
wrap-tumaro's low in carb reduced fat multi grain tortilla
baked tofu-Soy Deli's baked tofu. This comes in several flavors, and I chose the savory flavor for this. The 5-spiced flavor would work, too.
hot sauce- I bought a bottle of Original Juan's Pain is Good Louisiana Style Hot Sauce at Jungle Jim's, which is what I used. Really, any hot sauce with some flavor would work, though.

Are We Really What We Eat?

The more I read of The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I think about what I eat. To give you all an idea of what I eat on a typical day, here is a log of everything I ate today:

Breakfast
a bowl of kashi puffs cereal with fat-free half and half
coffee
truvia

Lunch
Veggie Wrap with Tofu (details to come in tomorrow's post)
2 Apricots
Annie's fruit snacks
rice cake with grape jelly (pre-workout snack)

Dinner
red lentils (see earlier posts for recipe)
brown rice
cantaloupe

As I reflected on what I ate today, I realized that the only thing I ate that wouldn't qualify as vegan was the fat-free half and half that I put in my cereal. Despite the fact that my diet is borderline vegan, I don't think I would ever be able to make the commitment to becoming a full-time vegan. I'm not saying that it's a bad idea to go vegan (in fact, I have a lot of respect for those of you who have that willpower). It's just that I like having the option to use dairy products when I need/want to.

I feel like the main reason my diet has evolved to become borderline vegan is because I am making a greater effort to eat more whole foods. I am making a greater effort to avoid processed foods, especially those that contain HFCS and hydrogenated oils. In the process of doing so, I have turned to the produce section of my grocery store.

My new mantra for food is this:
Buy more produce, especially that which is in season and/or grown locally. Avoid HFCS and hydrogenated oils when possible, but don't starve yourself in the process.

The fact of the matter is, not only is produce better when it's in season and/or local, but it's cheaper.

Here is my problem with processed foods: our bodies aren't meant to break down the chemicals used in those foods. One could argue that we've evolved to digest preservatives, dyes, and HFCS, but is that actually a good thing? I often feel better when I eat whole foods: I have more energy and feel healthier.

today's lunch: whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi

i was not as ambitious as i hoped to be when i returned last night from my hoosier weekend, so i didn't make it to the grocery store. i didn't think this would be an issue until I opened my fridge to make my lunch this morning. I stared at the empty fridge for about 30 seconds, then quickly put a plan in action, aka put a pot of water on the stovetop to boil. I boiled 3/4 cup of the gnocchi from Jungle Jim's, then tossed it with 1 Tbsp of my homemade basil pesto, 1 tbsp of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, and a couple of sundried tomatoes.

This turned out to be a great combination! The pesto is a little on the garlicky side, so the added cheese helps to sweeten it, while the tartness of the sundried tomatoes adds a little punch to it.

Open Thread/Opion Piece: Healthy Eating on the Road

A recent guest blogger on Mrs. Q's Fed Up With School Lunch blog (you can find the link on my blog roll) discussed the lack of nutrition in convenience store food. This is far from news to me. I remember the feeling of disgust towards the junk food stocked at the local 24 hour convenience store near my college's campus, especially after I returned from a semester abroad in France. European convenience stores always feature fresh fruits and vegetables. I still look back fondly on a family trip to Italy, during which we stopped a rest stop while driving from Venice to Florence (worst idea ever. Never drive in that country unless you are native to the area or learned how to drive in Chicago). I was starving, so you could imagine how enthralled I was to see a full salad bar that even offered fresh fruit.

In preparation for my drive to Indiana, I stocked up on healthy snacks. I went to a local health store and bought a sesame cookie, a luna snack cookie, and shelled pistachios. The morning before I left, I ran to a grocery store and bought a bag of red grapes. This was more than enough to last the 7 hour drive, and I didn't even eat the cookies.

To prepare for the drive back to Wisconisn, I bought a bag of dried kiwis and a bag of pumpkin seeds at Jungle Jim's. When I stopped at Meijer's to fill up my gas tank before leaving this morning, I was shocked by what I saw inside the convenience store: fresh apples and bananas! And they were ripe, too! I bought a banana for the road, which came out to a mere quarter. It definitely came in handy when I was stuck in traffic outside of Gary.

I'd like to know what you all bring on road trips. Do you ever give in and buy snacks at convenience stores, or do you always pre-pack your road trip munchies?

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Unfortunately, my friends are without a grill, so we are having the closest thing we can to a cookout by boiling corn and hot dogs/tofu dogs.

For those of you who are lucky enough to have access to a grill, what are you having for your cookout today?

A Field Trip Fit for a Foodie

This weekend I am visiting my alma mater, which is located in Indiana, just on the border of Ohio. Those of us who were lucky enough to have cars while attending college took advantage of this by taking day trips to various locations in Ohio, including Dayton, Columbus, and Oxford. If you were anything like me, though, you lived for the rare trips to Jungle Jim's, a large international supermarket located by Hamilton.

There's no words to describe the feeling you get when you walk inside Jungle Jim's for the first time. Depending on how old you are, it's likely that your first stop will be their liquor department. To say that it is well-stocked would be an understatement. They have wine, beer, and hard liquor from everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I picked up a bottle of red bicyclette rose wine, which is from the pays d'oc region of france. I wanted to get a bottle of funky llama shiraz, which is from argentina, but they were out of the shiraz. My bottle of French wine was only $6.

Their grocery section is also mind-blowingly well-stocked. They have an incredible selection of hot sauces, some of which are kept under lock and key. I easily spent 20 minutes trying to decide on coffee beans (I ended up getting a bag of Jamaican coffee and a bag of Kona blend coffee).

But here's the best thing about this store: if you look around, the prices are very reasonable. I bought an eight ounce resealable container of yellow curry for $2 and a large packet of thai fruit flavored agar (vegan jello...I'm not vegan, but I don't eat gelatin) for under a dollar. I also bought a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce, a large container of whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi, a bar of venezuelan chocolate, a small box of salted margarita caramels, a package of dried kiwis, and a decent sized bag of pumpkin seeds. My total came out to something around $40.

Notice

Just to let you all know, I will be heading to Indiana for Independance Day weekend, so my posts will be backlogged. Don't worry, I haven't abandoned this blog!

Have a happy and safe holiday, everybody!

Reinventing the Personal Pizza

Last night I went to a bikram yoga class for the first time. I was told not to eat anything 2 hours before the class, which would have been ok if the class wasn't from 7:30-9:00pm. Needless to say, I was starving when I got home.

Here's the thing, though: when I opened my fridge, I realized I had nothing leftover that I could heat up easily. I don't know what caused the next few actions, but the next thing I knew, I had created my own personal pizza from scratch.

using whole wheat pita bread as the base, I smothered a Tbsp of my homemade roasted red pepper pesto on top as the sauce. My cheeses of choice this time were reduced sodium mozzarella cheese and parmigiano reggiano, topped with fresh basil, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. I then popped it in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, and voila! homemade pizza.

Bake Sale Recipe: Maple Snickerdoodles

These cookies are very similar to those I made for my potluck on friday, except the dough is rolled in cinnamon sugar before they are baked. The original recipe is from the livejournal bakebakebake community.

ingriedients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp real maple syrup
1 egg
2 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon

directions:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup and egg until combined. Add dry ingredients. Beat until just mixed.
Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Arrange balls on cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake until tops are crackly, about 9-12 minutes. Remove from oven and leave cookies on sheets to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Bake Sale Recipe: Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

These cupcakes were the hit of the bake sale. Everybody was convinced I bought them at a bakery!

Banana Cupcakes
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas, milk, and lemon juice. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Peanut Butter Frosting
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp milk
2 cup confectioner's sugar

directions:
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and beat well. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

yields 18 cupcakes

Bake Sale Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

We had a Kirtan group do a performance at the therapeutic riding facility I volunteer at yesterday, so naturally I offered to bake some goodies to sell. I made two kinds of cupcakes and some cookies. The next few posts will be devoted to the goodies I brought.

I never tried this vanilla cupcake recipe before, but I have made the frosting in the past. It actually comes from a brownie recipe. The cupcakes turned out nicely and worked well with the frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes
ingredients:
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note below)
1 1/4 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper baking cups.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each one. Stir in the vanilla and flour mixture just until mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter.

note: I didn't have superfine sugar, so I measured out 3/4 cup of granulated sugar into a blender and put it on pulse for 15 seconds.

Chocolate Frosting
ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

directions:
combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl

Potluck Recipe: Cinnamon Cookies

I've been craving cinnamon hardcore this week, so I decided to make cinnamon cookies for this month's potluck. I deviated from the original recipe a bit, so these were a bit of an experiment. They came out delicious, though!

ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. Mix in egg and maple syrup, blending well.
4. Mix flour, baking soda and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

yields 3 dozen cookies

Recipe: White Bean Tabbouleh

(photo to come soon)

In my continued effort to work through to food I already have my pantry, I decided to start using more recipes that include bulgur. I bought some in the bulk section at whole foods a while back when I was on a mission to make my own version of the vegetarian chili at beans and barley and still have a fair amount left over.

ingredients:
1 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1 tomato, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

directions:
1. Place the bulgur wheat in a large bowl, stir the boiling water into it, cover, and let stand until the water is absorbed and the wheat is fluffy, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large salad bowl, lightly stir together the parsley, spinach, tomato, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Add the bulgur, lightly stir to thoroughly combine the salad, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

serves 6

This recipe is incredible. I wouldn't change a thing about it. I actually halved the recipe and decided to eat the leftover cannelini beans as an afternoon snack.

weekly food shop

In an effort to be smarter about where I buy my food and save some money, I did this week's food shopping at two places: whole foods and a local deli/convenience store (Koppa's) that takes foodstamps.

here's what I bought at whole foods:
6 apricots
1 tomato
1 bag of baby spinach
1 yellow bell pepper
1 zucchini
allegro organic coffee
4 bottles of green tea
total: $19

here's what I bought at Koppa's:
1 can of cannelini beans
1 lemon
1 cantaloupe
2 ears of corn
1 box of kashi puffs cereal
2 gala apples
2 bananas
total: $19

Recipe: Black Bean Hummus

I decided I needed something different for today's bagel sandwich. The change needed to come from what I was spreading on it, so I made this to put on it instead of neufchatel cheese. This recipe is fantastic because it's easy and I had all of the ingredients on hand already.

ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1 15 oz can black beans
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

directions:
1. drain liquid from can of black beans into a bowl and set aside.
2. mince garlic in a blender or food processor.
3. add beans, 2 tbsp of reserved liquid, lemon juice, tahini, salt, cumin, and chili powder to blender. Blend until smooth. Add liquid and seasoning as needed.

Warning: This will be spicy if you follow my measurements.

Quasi-Recipe: Bagel Sandwich

I visited my parents this past weekend in NJ. Every time I visit them, I always make a stop at my favorite bagel shop before leaving, and this visit was no exception. Granted, I'm hoping to give away some of these to various friends, but for now my freezer has been overtaken by bagels.

I decided to get a little creative with a whole wheat bagel for today's lunch. I spread some neuchatel cheese on each half (I use this instead of cream cheese, since it has less saturated fat) and topped one half with a slice of Soy Deli Savory baked tofu and some fresh basil leaves, then place the other half on top. Voila! It tasted pretty good, but it could've used a tomato. I think I'm going to pick one up today.

open thread: canning/preserving food

Earlier today I had a discussion with a coworker about preserving food. This is something that I've been experiencing more often now, since I've been making my own pesto with my basil and am looking to start making pico de gallo and salsa with my cilantro soon. I saw some strawberries on sale for cheap at a local grocery store and am considering making strawberry jam soon.

Is making your own sauces/preserves something that others do frequently? What are your favorite things to jar? How do you preserve them (freezer, refrigerator, etc)?

weekly food shop

This week I did all my food shopping at Whole Foods. I didn't need a whole lot, so it was a pretty light week. here's what i bought:
1 cantaloupe
3 nectarines
1 lemon
1 can coconut milk
1 8 pack Jane's popcorn
2 5 packs of Annie's fruit snacks
total: $25.09

I'm doing repeat recipes this week for dinner (coconut lime rice and chik'n piccata) so I can start getting through what I've already got in my pantry. I supposedly have a potluck on friday and plan to bake some things to sell at an event at the therapeutic riding facility i volunteer at on sunday, so I'll post about what I make for those. In the meantime, expect more open threads and opinion pieces.

sorry

I'm apologizing for not updating over the weekend. I was visiting my parents and had zero time to myself to update the blog. Regular updates will resume on Monday.

This Weekend

Unfortunately, I was unable to secure any guest bloggers for this weekend. As some of you know, I'll be visiting my parents for the weekend, which means I won't be doing much cooking or purchasing food with my foodstamps.

The good news is that I will still have internet access, so I can post open threads and opinion pieces! Please let me know if there's a specific topic you'd like me to bring up on here.

Have a great father's day weekend, folks!

It Finally Happened...

I am officially living month-to-month on my foodstamp allotment.

I don't know how it happened (it was probably all the coffee), but I learned upon checking my balance yesterday that I used all of the foodstamp money that was pro-rated to me when I first received my card. I wouldn't be surprised if whole foods accidentally charged me twice for some of my purchases there (they're not the best at processing QUEST cards), but I can't say I saw this coming.

Because of this, I'm going to be focusing more on using recipes that call for ingredients that I already have on hand, save for maybe one or two items.

Foodstamp Regulations

I will be moving at the end of the summer to the east coast for grad school. Part of the moving process (for me, at least) is trying to figure out whether or not I'll still qualify for food stamps and how soon I can apply. I know that several of you who read my blog are from states outside of Wisconsin, and I'd like you to share what the regulations are for your states: what you can/cannot buy, what your monthly income has to be, etc.

Recipe: Pesto Quinoa

Quinoa recipes are famous for being simple, yet delicious. This is no exception. I actually made the pesto myself, but even that required minimal effort beyond mincing garlic and measuring things.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp pesto
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the moisture is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir the pesto through the quinoa. Fold the tomato into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

serves 4

This Week

Posts will be pretty light this week. I'm going out of town from Friday thru Monday and will have internet access, along with access to free food. So I'm opening up the option for guest posts again. If anyone would like to post a recipe or opinion post on here as a guest blogger, please email me at glasssa@earlham.edu

Recipe: Cilantro Tabouli

This recipe is super easy, it just requires a lot of waiting. good for potlucks!

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
salt to taste

directions:
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, turn off the heat, and stir in the bulgur wheat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to absorb water. Strain off any liquid left unabsorbed, if necessary.
Place the bulgur wheat in a large salad bowl, and lightly toss with the tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, pepper, and salt until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate the salad for at least 3 hours to blend the flavors; serve cold.
serves 6

weekly food shop

I decided to try a new grocery store this week: outpost natural foods. it's a co-op, but there's 3 of them throughout the city, making it feel a little like riverwest food co-op meets whole foods. it wasn't terrible, but as far as co-ops go, i prefer riverwest over outpost.

here's what i bought:
10 apricots
1 cantaloupe
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
baby carrots
whole wheat pita bread
1 bunch cilantro
1 pear

total: $22.19

How to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget, According to a Dietician (along with my opinions, of course)

I frequent livestrong.com for recipes and articles on a regular basis. So when I found an article entitled "The Cheapest and Most Nutritious Foods" advertised on their homepage, I had no choice but to read it.

Below are the four foods listed in the article, and whether or not I agree with the arguments.

1. Oats
Yes, they are cheap and versatile. But are they nutritious? If consumed in the form on plain oatmeal prepared with water, yes. But how often is that the case? While there are ways to add extra flavor to your oatmeal while keeping it healthy (dried fruits and nuts are my favorite examples), it is more common for people to pour on the maple syrup and spoon on the brown sugar.

2. Bananas
Bananas are constantly offered at 69 cents per pound at a large grocery store near me, so it's clear that they're cheap. However, I am torn over whether or not I would consider them nutritious. Yes, they offer tons of vitamins. However, those vitamins also come with tons of carbs, which isn't helpful if you're trying to lose weight. At the same time, it does give you a long-lasting boost of energy, making it perfect for the 4:00 pick-me-up. I used to eat a banana with my lunch every day, but stopped buying them because I was getting fed up with them going bad before I could eat them all.

3. Frozen Vegetables
Those of you who have read my blog thoroughly know that this is something I purchase often. The further I get into The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I realize that I need to be smarter about the kind of frozen vegetables I purchase. In an attempt to consume fewer preservatives, I'm no longer buying green giant just for ones. I recently bought a bag of frozen veggies at pick 'n save with zero preservatives. So basically, I agree with this addition to the list.

4. Sweet Potatoes
I'll say it-I love sweet potatoes. Especially in burritos. And for pasta sauce. Heck, I'll eat one baked with some fresh dill. According to livestrong.com, one medium sweet potato is only 100 calories and packed with vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and a moderate amount of fiber. They're pretty low in carbs, too. No reason for these babies not to be on the list, as far as I'm concerned.

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/126693-cheapest-nutritious-foods/

so what do you think? do you agree with me/the article? I want to hear your opinions!

Open Thread: Whole Foods

Recently a friend sent me a link to this article:
http://www.postbourgie.com/2010/06/02/skinny-people-shop-at-whole-foods

As someone who frequents Whole Foods, I'd like to point out that this study would have very different results if done in Milwaukee. I'd like to see this study done in multiple cities instead of just Seattle.

I'd like to hear the opinions of everyone else on this article. So go ahead and read it and post your reaction in a comment! I promise I'll read them all and try to respond to everyone, too.

Recipe: Quinoa with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

(picture to come soon!)

This recipe appealed to me at first because the only thing I didn't have on hand for it already was a can of chickpeas. It's delicious and I love the extra kick of flavor from the lime juice...it's unexpected in a refreshing way! Because it can be served cold, it's perfect for potlucks/picnics, too.

ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.

serves 6

(did I mention how easy this recipe is!?!?!?! I LOVE IT!!)

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto with Pesto

This was my second time making risotto, so I'm still learning. My lesson with this recipe was that you shouldn't make risotto when your upper body is still sore from extreme weight lifting. The end result was definitely worth the sore wrist, though.

ingredients:
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups cubed butternut squash (1 small squash)

directions:
Bring broth and 2 cups water to a boil in large saucepan; turn off heat.
Heat 1 Tbs. pesto in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in rice, followed by 1/2 cup hot broth. When rice has absorbed broth, add another 1/2 cup. Continue adding broth in this manner 5 minutes.
Stir in squash, and season with salt and pepper. Resume adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time until rice has absorbed all liquid. (This should take about 15 minutes.) Remove from heat, and stir in 1 Tbs. pesto. Spoon risotto into 6 bowls and top each with 1 tsp. pesto.

weekly food shop

unfortunately, I am without totals for the food I bought this week. The receipt for the fruit I bought at whole foods was destroyed during my walk home in the rain, along with the paper bag that was holding said fruit. I am unsure where I put the receipt from Riverwest Food Co-op, too. I will do my best to estimate the totals, though.

Whole Foods:
10 apricots
1 cantaloupe
total: $9.00 (more or less)

Riverwest Food Co-op:
1 can eden organic chickpeas
1 bottle peanut oil
1 butternut squash
total: $15

with things winding down, I'm trying to spend less and use more of what I already have in my fridge/pantry in the process. This means I'll be eating a lot more grains in the form of rice, quinoa, and pasta in the next few weeks.

Today's Breakfast

Today I was craving a break from my normal weekend breakfast routine of cereal and an english muffin. I raided my fridge for ingredients, and this was the end result. I'm glad I had the foresight to take a picture, because I ate it in a matter of seconds.

Egg White Scramble

ingedients:
1/4 cup egg white beaters
2 grape tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
salt and peper to taste
1 tbsp pesto
1 slice whole wheat bread

combine egg whites, tomatoes, and goat cheese. pour into greased frying pan and scramble.
meanwhile, lightly toast bread, then spread pesto on top. layer eggs on top of pesto. Enjoy!

serves 1

Recipe: Pesto Wrap

One of my favorite things about Fridays is that I get to eat lunch at home, which gives me some room for creativity. Because VISTAs aren't paid hourly wages, we get to flex our work hours so that it evens out to at least 40 hours a week (though for the life of me I cannot remember the last time I worked less than 45 hours in a full work week). I usually leave Parents Plus around lunch time on Fridays so I can eat something before hitting the gym.

My original plan for today's lunch was to make some pasta and top it with TJ's pesto and some parmigiano reggiano (I bought a decent-size chunk of it when I made red pepper pesto and still have a lot left over). But when I opened my fridge, I noticed I still had some fresh produce left over from the goat cheese wraps I made for lunch that week. I got out my cutting board and knife and before I knew it, this wrap was born!

ingredients:
1 tortilla wrap
1 tbsp basil pesto
3/4 cup salad mix
4 grape tomatoes
1 tbsp roasted red pepper strips
1 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano

directions:
1. spread a layer of pesto evenly on wrap tortilla.
2. sprinkle salad mix on top of pesto.
3. slice grape tomatoes and sprinkle on top of lettuce, along with red pepper strips.
4. top with parmigiano, fold, and serve.

serves 1

as you can see in the picture, I ate these with guiltless gourmet salt-free tortilla chips, which I dipped in salsa.

Recipe: Chik'n Piccata

It has taken a lot of nerve for me to admit this publicly, but my favorite food as an omnivorous child was veal piccata. my parents introduced me to it at a young age, and I was hooked on it immediately (you can get an idea of what I had to work with when I went veg during my freshman year of high school). I also enjoyed the cheaper version of this meal-chicken piccata. Lately I've been craving piccata sauce, but wasn't sure how to make it vegetarian-friendly. While shopping at whole foods last week, I came across Lightlife's Savory Chik'n tenders. These worked perfectly with the sauce! Tempeh would probably suffice as a meat substitution for this recipe, too. Portobello mushrooms might work, too, but I think everything works with portobello mushrooms.

(no picture yet, but I promise to post one tonight!)

ingredients:
1 package lightlife savory chik'n tenders
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter

directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
2. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the lemon slices and bring the mixture to a boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the lemon juice and capers; simmer until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, heat chik'n tenders according to directions on package.
5. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated.
6. Arrange chik'n tenders on plates and pour sauce over tenders. Serve warm.

Serves 2

Positive Changes

I've noticed some positive changes in my eating habits over the last month or so. In order to cut back on the amount of refined sugar I eat, I've been eating fruit for dessert after dinner instead of my previous choice of skinny cow ice cream. Maybe it's because my favorite fruits are in season now (peaches, apricots, and nectarines), or maybe it's because I've replaced my sugar fix with a bowl of cantaloupe slices, but I've found that I am subconciously reaching for fruit instead of candy when craving something sweet. This is something I've never done in the past.

For example: I had a late night last night and did not get to eat until 8:30. I had been hungry since about 7:00, since my post tae kwando snack of a rice cake smothered in peanut butter wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be. I was still hungry after dinner and wanted something sweet. Well aware of the box of girl scout cookies in my fridge, I did not even think twice about reaching for a bag of dried apricots in my pantry.

Part of my decrease in chocolate cravings may have to do with the fact that I've significantly cut back on my soda intake. In fact, I only drink soda when I'm at a bar and want a mixed drink, which in itself is a rare occasion, since I'm not big on drinking. It's the same situation with juice, too. I'd rather eat a piece of fruit than drink sugary fruit juices.

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of my memorial day activities was making pesto using basil leaves from my plant, as well as my new Oster blender that I bought on clearance recently (my old blender had to be retired after smoke started coming out of it). I decided on a roasted red pepper pesto for two reasons: 1) I already have an open jar of regular pesto from trader joe's to finish off, and 2) I wanted to put an open jar of roasted red pepper strips that I've had sitting in my fridge to good use. I did not take any pictures of the end result, but I thought you would all enjoy the recipe, anyway.

ingredients:
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, quartered lengthwise
- 1/3 cup roasted pine nuts
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

directions:
In a blender or food processor, purée peppers until they are smooth and well blended. Shred cheese and chop nuts into bits, blending thoroughly and add to peppers. Chop basil into tiny pieces and combine with peppers, cheese and nuts.
Add oil and vinegar to combined ingredients. Press garlic and combine with other ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I decided to freeze my pesto so I could use it after I finish my TJ's pesto. If you decide to refrigerate it, it will only be good for a week or so. I think my next pesto will be with sundried tomatoes or regular pesto.

weekly food shop

I have had a busy little memorial day. My original plan of working on my tan by the lake was thwarted by the humidity and overcast skies. Instead, I spent the day cleaning, food shopping, and making pesto.

I decided to do all of my food shopping for the week at whole foods. It's a short week, so I don't need as much.

1 container organic strawberries
1 cantaloupe
1 bag fresh herb salad mix
fresh parmigian reggiano cheese
1 box Annie's bunny grahams (contains 6 snack packs)
10 apricots
1 box organic cherry tomatoes
1 3.5 ounce jar capers
1 lemon
1 small piece ginger
1 container organic blueberries

total: $36.36

spring cleaning, kitchen style

Maybe the idea of spring cleaning has gotten the better of me, or maybe I'm anticipating the fact that I'm going to be moving at the of the summer, but I've started to focus most of my cooking on using up food that I have a lot of already. It started when I finished off my bottle of teriyaki sauce with the marinade I made for my baked tofu (see this past thursday)...

Friday's lunch followed a similar theme. I bought a bottle of pesto at Trader Joe's with no set intention for it several months ago. I came across it earlier this week while looking for baking soda and decided that it's time to use it. I also had an open box of boca burgers with one burger left (and an unopened package of garden burgers to start on). I decided to create what I call an italian burger. It's a boca burger with provolone cheese melted on it and topped with pesto. I ate it on a whole wheat bun, and it was incredible. I also finished off what little remained of an open bag of guiltless gourmet salt-free tortilla chips with an open jar of whole food's salsa.

I cracked out the bottle of pesto again for last night's dinner, using it to top the meager remains of my Dreamfield's penne pasta. My side was grape tomatoes in oil and vinegar. For dessert, I ate the last few cookies in my box of Tagalongs (I'm pretty sure they were stale, though...gross).

When I returned from yoga class this morning, I knew I wanted something different than what I normally have for breakfast on weekends. My normal breakfast on weekends consists of a Thomas' light multigrain english muffin with either promise light spread, peanut butter, neufchatel cheese, or jam (or sometimes a combination of the last two), along with a bowl of Kashi 7 whole grains puffs. Sometimes I'll throw in some fresh fruit, depending on what I've got. On this morning, though, I decided to change things up. Using the egg beaters I bought recently, I made an egg scramble consisting of goat cheese crumbles and the remaining two grape tomatoes. I ate it on a toasted english muffin. I meant to put some pesto on the english muffin, but forgot to. It was pretty good without it, but I'm sure it would've been even better with the pesto. maybe I'll try it tomorrow, even though I'm out of tomatoes now (maybe I'll use some of the mushrooms I have, instead.)

If I have enough basil, i'm going to try round one of making pesto tomorrow. I have a jar of roasted red peppers to get rid of, so I'm going to make red pepper pesto. I'll probably freeze it, since I have the regular pesto from Trader Joe's to finish off, first.

herb garden update

apart from a close encounter with shriveling leaves on my basil plant (I'm pretty sure all the dry air outside was the cause...I've been leaving my window open more often now so I need to get better about monitoring the soil in the pots), my herbs have been thriving. In fact, I recently repotted my basil plant and started a new seedling in the indoor greenhouse.


the cilantro plant...it's coming along slowly, but surely. I'm thinking about starting up another cilantro plant so I have enough to make my own salsa by the end of the summer.


the basil plant before I repotted it. You can see why I had to...


I'm surprised how well the dill plant is thriving. It hasn't grown a lot lately, but I'm maintaining it so I can use it to season things.

I think if any of these plants fail, I might start growing peppermint at Emma's suggestion.

Some Food Shopping

I went to whole foods yesterday to do some work in a different location besides my office and apartment. Afterwards, I did a little bit of shopping. With no list, I just bought things I knew that I needed to replenish. Of course, I just happened to run out of everything that's a little on the pricey side. Here's the list:

Mother's sodium-free plain rice cakes
40 count box of truvia
Ferrara ground espresso beans
8-pack Jane's popcorn
0.8 pound of bulk allegro colombian coffee
woodstock farms organic peanut butter
lightlife savory chik'n tenders

Total: $40.72

Making Use of Leftovers, Round Two

I'm working from home today, which means I have a little more leeway in what I want to make for lunch. In preparation for this, I raided my fridge last night to see what I had. It hit me as soon as I saw the leftover baked tofu: marinated tofu! I cubed the brick and marinated it in a mixture of teriyaki sauce and tamari (turns out I had very little teriyaki sauce left, so I made this combination) overnight, along with some sliced baby bella mushrooms. It was so good! Definitely plan on making this one again next time I buy baked tofu, especially the five-spice variety.



Ingredients:
1 serving five-spice baked tofu
1/4 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce/tamari/soy sauce

Directions:
cube tofu and place in container with mushrooms. Pour sauce over tofu and mushrooms, stir until evenly coated. Marinate overnight.
place tofu, mushrooms, and sauce in greased frying pan. cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until heated through. serve warm.

Vegetarian Tailgating

I went to my first Brewer's game yesterday (side note: they actually won a home game! it's about time!) with several VISTAs and city year folks. We met up an hour before the game started to do some tailgating. Most of my previous tailgating experiences has been with my family, which involves nothing but tossing a football and eating sandwiches from a local deli in the parking lot of Giant's stadium.

Our style for this tailgate was pretty simple: bring whatever you want to grill and don't feel obliged to bring a dish to share. I was tempted to make guacamole to share with everyone, but decided against it since we weren't doing this potluck-style. I did, however, bring several cans of beer to share with everyone in an attempt to make some space in my teeny-tiny fridge.

I took this opportunity to finally try some of the soy deli baked tofu I've seen at whole foods. I bought a package of their five-spice baked tofu, which i threw on the grill and ate on a bun. It was absolutely delicious. I do wish that i brought the whole package and not half of it, because several people were curious about it and im not sure when i'll get around to eating the other half of it. I also brought some grape tomatoes in fat-free ranch dressing and a pear.

The entire package of the soy deli baked tofu totaled at just under $4, which equals roughly $2 per serving.

Making Use of Leftovers

I always prepare my lunch for days that I go to my school the night before, since waking up at 6AM only allows me an hour to get ready for the day before commuting for 35 minutes. I originally planned on defrosting some of my leftover bulgur chili that I froze last week for today's lunch. But when I opened my fridge, I noticed all of the fresh produce I had in there that I did not want to waste. This feeling was brought on by the fact that I recently had to throw out an entire cantaloupe that fell victim to mold.

Using the cherry tomatoes, arugula, and goat cheese I bought for last night's dinner, along with some berries that I bought to mix in with my yogurt that I eat for breakfast at my school, I came up with one hell of a good-looking salad. (I'll post a picture on here when I have it for lunch later). I even threw in some sliced mushrooms that I found in my fridge from last week, too. My dressing of choice is Walden Farm's no-calorie raspberry vinaigrette. My hope is that this combination will result in a sweet-salty salad of perfect proportions.

To me, the trick in creating the perfect salad is making sure that it is the correct size portion-wise. Portion-distortion is a huge problem in our society, and my family and friends are no exception to this. I don't eat out at restaurants as often as I used to, but I've developed a habit of ordering from the appetizer menu instead of the entree menu (not only are the portions smaller, but it's cheaper). The thing is, we don't need to eat more to feel full. In a recent study I saw on the news, people reported feeling full when eating a smaller portion than they were used to. It's all a matter of how our brain perceives what's on our plate.

In making this salad, I used the following measurements:
1 cup arugula leaves
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp blueberries
1 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
2 medium strawberies

I originally planned on using 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, but I realized that I didn't need that many as I started slicing them.

So I'm curious: how do you like to make use of leftover ingredients?

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne

This recipe came to me in perfect timing. The fact that it is served cold makes it the best dish for hot and humid days like today. It took hardly any effort/time to make, too!

Ingredients:
5 1/2 ounces goat cheese
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula, stems included
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces penne pasta

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Crumble goat cheese into a large serving bowl. Add arugula, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
3. Drain pasta, and toss with goat cheese mixture.

serves 6