Sometimes I find myself just wanting things...on the top of the list right now is a new bike. I then often translate this into needing things. Like I need that oxo salad chopper. How can I make a proper chopped salad without it? Besides staying away from those black holes of consumerism (Target), this process would undoubtedly turn me off of overzealous shopping:
http://www.readymade.com/blog/fashion/2011/01/05/why_its_worth_it_financial_friskiness?sssdmh=dm17.503422&esrc=nwrmu&email=1645652591
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Spaghetti Squash with Yogurt "Alfredo"
My friend Cory gave me this super-easy recipe. I love Alfredo sauce (who doesn't?), but it really can't be a frequent part of any healthy diet. This recipe is really tasty and different and clocks in at about 130 calories a serving, a bit more if you add sauteed veggies. Of course it doesn't taste exactly like an authentic Alfredo, but it is satisfying.
Serves 2 as a large main dish with leftovers.
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
2 tbsp. Greek or plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek)
2 wedges laughing cow cheese (I used original swiss flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
olive oil
any veggies you wish to include (I had an onion and pepper)
1. Place squash cut side down in large dish. Add a few tablespoons of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave about 8 minutes, depending on the size of squash.
2. Saute vegetables if using.
3. Add garlic for the last minute of cooking.
4. In a small bowl combine yogurt and cheese (you could add more spices here if desired).
5. Microwave about 30 seconds and stir.
6. Drizzle squash halves with olive oil and scrape strands into large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add veggies and sauce and mix.
Serves 2 as a large main dish with leftovers.
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
2 tbsp. Greek or plain yogurt (I used 2% Greek)
2 wedges laughing cow cheese (I used original swiss flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
olive oil
any veggies you wish to include (I had an onion and pepper)
1. Place squash cut side down in large dish. Add a few tablespoons of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave about 8 minutes, depending on the size of squash.
2. Saute vegetables if using.
3. Add garlic for the last minute of cooking.
4. In a small bowl combine yogurt and cheese (you could add more spices here if desired).
5. Microwave about 30 seconds and stir.
6. Drizzle squash halves with olive oil and scrape strands into large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add veggies and sauce and mix.
A New Year
One of my (many) resolutions this year is to update this blog more. I am aiming for once a week. I hope to include more interesting tidbits and not just recipes, although those are frequently what I get excited about, especially in the depths of winter.
Along with updating, some of my resolutions are to read more for pleasure (this will be difficult with school but I am aiming for a book per month), stick to a budget, spend more time "doing," especially creative pursuits, and of course the all-encompassing "get in shape." I read an interesting article over at lifehacker (http://lifehacker.com/5724936/use-the-one+a+month-technique-to-adopt-habits-that-stick?skyline=true&s=i) about how to turn resolutions into actual habits. One of my biggest frustrations is my failing to follow through on my goals. I start strong for a week or two and then completely fall off the wagon, whether it's something concrete like exercise or a simple change of attitude.
As the article explains, I divided my goals by month. There are things I am planning for later in the year that I am keeping in mind, like running the Bolder Boulder 5K in May. But by taking it a month at a time I am less likely to get overwhelmed. I would love to hear your resolutions and how you plan to accomplish them!
Along with updating, some of my resolutions are to read more for pleasure (this will be difficult with school but I am aiming for a book per month), stick to a budget, spend more time "doing," especially creative pursuits, and of course the all-encompassing "get in shape." I read an interesting article over at lifehacker (http://lifehacker.com/5724936/use-the-one+a+month-technique-to-adopt-habits-that-stick?skyline=true&s=i) about how to turn resolutions into actual habits. One of my biggest frustrations is my failing to follow through on my goals. I start strong for a week or two and then completely fall off the wagon, whether it's something concrete like exercise or a simple change of attitude.
As the article explains, I divided my goals by month. There are things I am planning for later in the year that I am keeping in mind, like running the Bolder Boulder 5K in May. But by taking it a month at a time I am less likely to get overwhelmed. I would love to hear your resolutions and how you plan to accomplish them!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Review- Annie Chun's Garlic Scallion Noodle Bowl
I feel the need to immediately review this product as I just ate it so here goes: I picked up a few of these noodle bowls because they were on sale (they are normally close to $4 a piece and they were about $2.50 at King Soopers). I really like the Annie Chun's Udon noodle soup and these looked pretty good as well with few strange ingredients. They are very convenient to make- add water and cook for 90 seconds, but they are not very tasty and not nearly worth the calories. I hate it when a convenience lunch food like this gives calorie ratings as half servings. Who cooks a tiny lunch like this at work or school and then eats half of it? It misleadingly lists calories as 310, not bad for lunch, but 620 is ridiculous!! I would have never bought it had I noticed the half serving size. I could have just eaten two slices of pizza, but instead I ate over-salted plain noodles and am still hungry! These would be tolerable with added tofu and veggies and maybe half of the sauce packet (which is where I'm guessing all the calories come from) but who had time for that? Plus I could make a similar dish myself and it would be better and cheaper. This product looked and tasted nothing like the package promised. I will definitely stick to the udon soup when I feel like a sodium bomb of convenient "Asian" flavor. These noodle bowls are so not worth the price or the extra exercise.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Late Summer Eats
It had been too hot until recently to really cook much- every time I made bread the kitchen turned into a sauna. I am loving my new kitchen though- there's not much more counter space but there is way more space to move around and a dishwasher!
I made a perfect ciabatta with grilled veggies, fresh pesto and mozzarella. It doesn't get much better for summertime- toss veggies (I used tomatoes, red onion, squash, zucchini and peppers) with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and roast at 450, turning occasionally, for about half an hour. I always add some garlic at the end.
I realized the reason a lot of my bread loaves were coming out so dense and somewhat gummy was the overuse of wheat flour. I used almost all bread flour in this batch and it had big air holes, a beautiful somewhat chewy crumb and a nice crisp golden crust. I made one ciabatta, one pizza and a regular loaf and I have one left to freeze.
I had a package of tri-color gnocchi in the cupboard (or actually walk-in pantry!!!) so I tossed it with some veggie sausage, spinach, garlic and onions:
Two easy and delicious dinners!
I made a perfect ciabatta with grilled veggies, fresh pesto and mozzarella. It doesn't get much better for summertime- toss veggies (I used tomatoes, red onion, squash, zucchini and peppers) with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and roast at 450, turning occasionally, for about half an hour. I always add some garlic at the end.
I realized the reason a lot of my bread loaves were coming out so dense and somewhat gummy was the overuse of wheat flour. I used almost all bread flour in this batch and it had big air holes, a beautiful somewhat chewy crumb and a nice crisp golden crust. I made one ciabatta, one pizza and a regular loaf and I have one left to freeze.
I had a package of tri-color gnocchi in the cupboard (or actually walk-in pantry!!!) so I tossed it with some veggie sausage, spinach, garlic and onions:
Two easy and delicious dinners!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Hoisin-Glazed Tempeh with Green Beans and Cashews
I have much to post about my Israel/Jordan trip, but I am postponing that to drop this quick recipe I made tonight. The sauce was lip-smacking good and if you don't "do" tempeh you can always sub tofu/seitan/chicken. I made this with soba noodles but rice would also be tasty. The recipe is from Vegetarian Times, March 2010.
4 tsp. Hoisin sauce
2.5 tsp. Rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 T. veggie oil
1.5 T. minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. tempeh, cubed
1 12 oz. pkg. frozen whole baby green beans
1/3 C. roasted, unsalted cashews
1. Whisk hoisin, 2 tsp. rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch and 1/2 C. water in bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet or wok. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for a minute.
3. Add tempeh and sauce to pan and stir. Cover, reduce heat to med-low and simmer a few minutes.
4. Stir in green beans. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in remaining rice vinegar. Top with cashews to serve.
4 tsp. Hoisin sauce
2.5 tsp. Rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 T. veggie oil
1.5 T. minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. tempeh, cubed
1 12 oz. pkg. frozen whole baby green beans
1/3 C. roasted, unsalted cashews
1. Whisk hoisin, 2 tsp. rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch and 1/2 C. water in bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet or wok. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for a minute.
3. Add tempeh and sauce to pan and stir. Cover, reduce heat to med-low and simmer a few minutes.
4. Stir in green beans. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in remaining rice vinegar. Top with cashews to serve.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Kombucha
I have started brewing my own kombucha- a fermented tea with multiple supposed medicinal benefits. I am on the third batch now and it just keeps getting better. The taste can be a bit different at first if you're not used to it (commercial brands are often sweetened and flavored), but it is refreshing and healthy. It costs about $4 a bottle in a health food store-the whole setup for making your own is about $10 and it you get a gallon cycle after cycle for as long as you want. The process is fairly simple- you just need a few supplies and patience.
The first thing you need is a vessel to brew in- after much research I went with a $7 sun tea jar which can be purchased from any hardware store or online. You must brew the tea in a glass container as it can leach contaminants from plastic or metal. The sun tea jar has a spigot which makes it much easier for bottling the finished tea. The tea becomes fermented by the addition of a funky looking mass of microrganisms often referred to as a "mushroom," "mother" or " "scoby (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)." I procured a "mother" culture from a kind woman off of Freecycle (craigslist may work as well but I find the people on freecycle to be less flaky and creepy). She gave me a culture and a fair bit of "starter tea" (this is just previously brewed kombucha that helps balance the pH of the new batch- a mother can live in kombucha in the fridge for up to 6 months). The rest of the process goes like this:
1. Clean and sterilize everything the tea will come in contact with- utensils, container, pot, hands.
2. For 1 gallon of tea I boiled 2 quarts of water.
3. Turn heat off and steep 5-6 tea bags for about 15 minutes (many people use black tea- you can use black, green or white but not herbal teas or earl grey- I use 3 bags of black and 3 bags of green).
4. Mix in 1 C. Sugar (this is what the culture "eats" as it ferments)
5. Let the tea cool for at least two hours or overnight (this is very Important! Hot tea will kill the mother)
6. To speed up the cooling process I mix in 1 or so quarts cold water with the tea in the jar. Fill jar up to about 3 quarters with tea.
7. Add starter tea and then with clean hands carefully place the mother on top.
8. Cover with clean cotton cloth (not cheesecloth as bugs can get in) and secure with rubber band.
9. Place somewhere away from direct sunlight where it is relatively warm (the warmer the temperature the faster the tea will ferment).
10. Sample tea after about 5 days- if it is still sweet it's not done yet. It will start to develop a vinegar like taste- at that point it is a matter of personal preference how long you want to continue brewing for. I have bottled mine after about 10 days and it has a cider-like taste. You can leave it for as long as you like, and if you want to get really serious you can test it's pH for the optimal level of 2 to 3.5.
To Bottle:
I start steeping the next batch of tea before I bottle- that way it is ready to go by the time I am done.
1. A "baby" scoby will have formed on top of the mother. You can use this new culture for the next batch. You can discard the mother, save it as a backup or give it to a friend (just remember to leave some of the tea with it). A new baby will form each brewing cycle.
2. Pour tea into glass bottles of your choice (swing top bottles can create more carbonation) leaving about a tenth of liquid as starter for your next batch.
-If you wish to flavor the tea put flavoring in first (grated ginger, fruit, juice etc.)
3. Leave bottles at room temperature for a few days to flavor, the place in fridge and enjoy!
*I have read that putting a few raisins in the bottles makes the tea more fizzy but I haven't tried it yet. I have done a ginger batch and a batch with pomegranate lemonade.
Here is a useful site on the process:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-brew-kombucha-double-fermentation-method/
Here are flavor suggestions:
http://www.giveittomeraw.com/group/rawincollege/forum/topic/show?id=1407416%3ATopic%3A11014
There's a good video here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Kombucha-Tea
Here you can see the mother culture on top, and my first completed batch:
The first thing you need is a vessel to brew in- after much research I went with a $7 sun tea jar which can be purchased from any hardware store or online. You must brew the tea in a glass container as it can leach contaminants from plastic or metal. The sun tea jar has a spigot which makes it much easier for bottling the finished tea. The tea becomes fermented by the addition of a funky looking mass of microrganisms often referred to as a "mushroom," "mother" or " "scoby (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)." I procured a "mother" culture from a kind woman off of Freecycle (craigslist may work as well but I find the people on freecycle to be less flaky and creepy). She gave me a culture and a fair bit of "starter tea" (this is just previously brewed kombucha that helps balance the pH of the new batch- a mother can live in kombucha in the fridge for up to 6 months). The rest of the process goes like this:
1. Clean and sterilize everything the tea will come in contact with- utensils, container, pot, hands.
2. For 1 gallon of tea I boiled 2 quarts of water.
3. Turn heat off and steep 5-6 tea bags for about 15 minutes (many people use black tea- you can use black, green or white but not herbal teas or earl grey- I use 3 bags of black and 3 bags of green).
4. Mix in 1 C. Sugar (this is what the culture "eats" as it ferments)
5. Let the tea cool for at least two hours or overnight (this is very Important! Hot tea will kill the mother)
6. To speed up the cooling process I mix in 1 or so quarts cold water with the tea in the jar. Fill jar up to about 3 quarters with tea.
7. Add starter tea and then with clean hands carefully place the mother on top.
8. Cover with clean cotton cloth (not cheesecloth as bugs can get in) and secure with rubber band.
9. Place somewhere away from direct sunlight where it is relatively warm (the warmer the temperature the faster the tea will ferment).
10. Sample tea after about 5 days- if it is still sweet it's not done yet. It will start to develop a vinegar like taste- at that point it is a matter of personal preference how long you want to continue brewing for. I have bottled mine after about 10 days and it has a cider-like taste. You can leave it for as long as you like, and if you want to get really serious you can test it's pH for the optimal level of 2 to 3.5.
To Bottle:
I start steeping the next batch of tea before I bottle- that way it is ready to go by the time I am done.
1. A "baby" scoby will have formed on top of the mother. You can use this new culture for the next batch. You can discard the mother, save it as a backup or give it to a friend (just remember to leave some of the tea with it). A new baby will form each brewing cycle.
2. Pour tea into glass bottles of your choice (swing top bottles can create more carbonation) leaving about a tenth of liquid as starter for your next batch.
-If you wish to flavor the tea put flavoring in first (grated ginger, fruit, juice etc.)
3. Leave bottles at room temperature for a few days to flavor, the place in fridge and enjoy!
*I have read that putting a few raisins in the bottles makes the tea more fizzy but I haven't tried it yet. I have done a ginger batch and a batch with pomegranate lemonade.
Here is a useful site on the process:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-brew-kombucha-double-fermentation-method/
Here are flavor suggestions:
http://www.giveittomeraw.com/group/rawincollege/forum/topic/show?id=1407416%3ATopic%3A11014
There's a good video here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Kombucha-Tea
Here you can see the mother culture on top, and my first completed batch:
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