Weird stuff I eat when no one'e around

Today was HOT. Really hot. Really really hot. 103 hot. BLAH. I worked at home messing around with a paper for resubmission. I finally left the comfort of my air-conditioned house at 6:30 to go to the gym and I guess the word OPPRESSIVE was the only way to adequately describe the heat and humidity that accompanied my jaunt outside. It was like walking into a dragon's mouth.

WO today was back to square one on the Fitnessista's summer shape-up. I went through the 4 weeks, loved it, saw great results... and now I'm going for round 2. I move up north after week 3, so it will be a little disjointed this next time (well, I guess taking a week off to turn on my dissertation disjoints things quite a bit as well).

Well anyway - today was Monday, and workout one, and the gym, like the terrible outdoors, was also a million degrees. I was so hot afterwards I came home and laid on my floor. Yes I have air conditioning. Yes I was that warm and uncomfortable. Yes my dogs were confused.

When I finally felt as if I were back to my 98 degree homeostatic set point... I was craving fat. Not like burger and fries fat - I wanted goat cheese and avocado. Mmmm couldn't stop thinking about those two things as I "walked" the dogs (Bella pulls me, and I pull Dylan). So I made this weird food:




I drained a can of black beans and diced an avocado. I whisked together the juice of a lime, a minced clove of garlic, some cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of olive oil, and Na++ and pepper. I then proceeded to add the avocado and black beans to the little liquid concoction and had a pseudo salad. I was thinking of Kath's salads, where she generally throws leftovers on top of lettuce. That sounded like something I could manage, so I dumped the bean/avocado mixture onto arugula and magically had a real green salad. Magic!

On the side are what I like to call little polenta cupcakes. Three 1-inch polenta rounds topped with thin slices of goat cheese. Oh yeah. Nice healthy fats that I was craving. I'm stuffed. Yay cooking for one! Yay not having to wake up at any specific time! And yay True Blood back on the air. That is all.

Stuffed Banana Peppers

I have not been cooking lately. My dissertation is due in TWO WEEKS and I have been writing and freaking out a lot. Add to that the well over 90 degree temps here and I have not been very hungry. However, I have been trying to use up produce as I buy it so it doesn't go to waste.

This is one of my very favorite things: stuffed banana peppers. These are ALL OVER western New York, but are nowhere to be found down south. Now that my husband knows that I know how to make them it's hard to get him to stop asking for these. I added vegetarian sausage to this batch and it was delightful!



Stuffed Banana Peppers
4 banana peppers
1/4 tube veggie sausage
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup bread crumbs (more if you need it)

Cut the peppers open and remove the guts. You can microwave them for a minute or two after they are emptied to make them easier to stuff. Just cool them for a bit afterwards.

Saute the veggie sausage, and when browned add the cream cheese and mix. Add everything else and there you go. Stuff into peppers (not your mouth)

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on your desired level of done-ness.

I served these with some tilapia I breaded with bread crumbs, Parmesan and Italian seasoning after dipping it in an egg-white wash. Also my fave roasted asparagus!

Very simply, very quick dinner. Now back to proofreading!!!!

1/4 cup

Green Day

Woo wee - I am so pooped. It is so hot here in NC I can't even stand it. Not sure how I've made it through 5 summers without dying. I like to eat light in the summer - so I did just that today.

Before my workout today I needed a little snack. I sliced up some zucchini (I LOVE raw zucchini) and plopped on some hummus. Once you start making your own hummus you can never go store bought again. It's just so simple and so CHEAP. I've made THIS recipe from Oh She Glows one or two times before. The only difference is that I used canned chickpeas. I have bad luck making beans on my own. they always come out tough! This time I added a handful of spinach and it came out green and tasty.



A glimpse into my life: snacks, my laptop, reviewer comments, advisor comments, my dissertation minimized while I watch Twilight trailors :-)

For dinner I made an old favorite. I seriously love this recipe. And I have sauce left over that I will likely put over a green bowl!

I made it a little differently tonight, but still, check out the old link to see pictures of cute little Dylan. :-)



Green Pasta
1 red onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil
Na++ and Pepper
1 container Nayasoya silken tofu
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup basil
Na++ and Pepper

Same as before - boil water. Heat over to 450- Rub onion and garlic with oil and salt and pepper. Wrap onion and garlic in tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. This is perfect timing to boil you water and make your pasta.

When the 20 minutes are up- put the tofu, spices and salt and pepper into a food processor and blend away. So good - even the carnivorous husband loved it (though he didn't remember the past 15 times I've made it for him). To top my day off I had some vanilla avocado and banana ice cream a la Averie from Love Veggies Yoga. No picture since mine is ugly- but it is so so so so so so good! Make some!

Now time to rest - I am beat!

Jar of oatmeal

Today I felt like I had gotten punched in the head when it was time to wake up. I still kind of feel like that - put together the 93 degree heat yesterday with my intense sunburn and I feel like every ounce of strength has been sucked from my body. This sucks because today starts summer shape up by Gina over at the Fitnessista. My workouts have been totally crappy lately so I am looking forward to doing some different stuff to break out of this rut. I tried her spring abs workout Saturday AM and it was intense! Nice and short and intense. I hate hanging around the gym forever! Unless I am avoiding something - like work - then I will stay all day.

But seeing as my dissertation is due to my committee in EXACTLY ONE MONTH I don't have time to avoid writing.... crap I should stop blogging about breakfast and get my life together.

Anyway - I love the idea of oats in a jar. Kath does them a lot - and given my extreme love of peanut butter they definitely help me get out of bed in the morning.



Monday Oats
Almost empty reduced fat peanut butter jar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 large banana chopped
shake cinnamon
shake splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup fat free plain greek yogurt

Mix everything together in the jar and leave it overnight. Easy enough, right?

Umm yum. So filling. So good. Serve with a side of 5 cups of coffee for hallucinogenic purposes. (Weird science - give me that PhD instead).

Ok I'm going to digest, write some dissertation crap, and head to the gym for Summer WO number 1. Yay!

Gazpacho and Bean Burritos

Today has been totally lame in the science way. Around noon I got an e-mail from my advisor telling me a recently submitted paper had been rejected. The e-mail contained reviewer comments - which he asked me to go ahead and handle for the next draft of my dissertation that is DUE WEDNESDAY. That's almost now. So I was cruising along, trying to finish up all of my corrections for him, and got this curveball thrown at me. In addition, he asked that I address the comments for a resubmission before I defend, which is July 20th. SO my diss. is due July 6th, I defend the 20th, and somewhere in between there I have to rewrite a paper, prepare my public defense, start packing up my house.. I don't even want to go on.

I just had to get up right that second and go for a walk downtown for a few minutes to clear my head and calm down. It will all get done... it's just a stretch. A big one.

Anyway- food today was good. I was hungry almost every second of the day- so I will have to add some snacks tomorrow so that I don't feel like I am about to die at 4:30 like today.

Breakfast - egg whites with salsa verde. Green smoothie - banana, strawberry, greek yogurt, lots of spinach and some almond milk.




Lunch - some tuna salad boats with this tuna salad.




Dinner- Gazpacho and Burritos.

I wanted to make these today since I had leftover guacamole from yesterday. However, when my husband got home from the gym he fixed that issue - so we were Guac-less.

The Gazpacho is Angela's recipe. So, so, so good and simple. Great flavors. This will be added to my tuna boat lunches!



And because of the debacle this morning/afternoon/whenever it was - I made true emergency bean burritos.

Bean Burritos - the fastest and easiest ever
1/2 sliced onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
Na++ and pepper
4 large whole wheat tortillas
1 can fat free refried beans
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese
Salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a pan with some cooking spray and add onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and add frozen veggies. Add cilantro once the veggies are thawed. Add spices. Done.

Put 1/4 can refried beans on the middle of each tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with veggies. Roll up. Bake for 15 minutes at 350. Garnish with salsa. So fast, so easy, so good.



Now I really need to get to work!

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Tonight the husband had a sports banquet to attend - so I was on my own for dinner. This is always a good opportunity to make something that I know would prompt complaining from my spouse. I wanted a light dinner since I snacked on random free crap at a bridal show with my friend yesterday (followed by a Sunday special Bloody Mary and home made buttermilk biscuits at the local hipster bar).

I decided to use the spaghetti squash I had been hoarding for an occasion such as this and make a veggie only meal.

Spaghetti Squash Marinara
1 spaghetti squash - obviously
cooking spray
4 cloves garlic
1 sweet onion
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup red wine
1 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes- cut up by your own hands
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 large, large handful baby spinach
Na++ and pepper
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Use your best knife to cut your squash in half. It will be kind of a pain. Then poke it with a fork a couple of times and place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the delicious sauce. Spray a pot with cooking spray and add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the herbs and saute until they begin to smell herb-ey. Add the wine and let it cook off until the smoke stops for the most part. Add the tomatoes and paste and bring to a boil. Lower the temp and let simmer until the squash is done (it's convenient). Add the spinach and season with Na++ and pepper.

Make into 4 portions and top with cheese. Yum. Nice and light and delicious.

Egg-y breakfast

Today I am refining my talk for my final post doc interview. I'm being flown up north to a very prominent university tomorrow. I am so nervous! I leave tomorrow afternoon and get in really late - in fact the guy who booked my flight gave me a 5 hour layover in Atlanta (one of my least favorite airports). Hopefully I can get an earlier flight out of there, because I will be in a BIG city and don't really want to be arriving at my hotel at midnight.

Thursday I meet with the department in the AM, have lunch with a current post doc and accompany her on grand rounds - which is immediately followed by an hour long talk by yours truly about my work. That is the only thing that's really making me nervous- I'm a pretty good public speaker, and I've spoken in front of all types of people, but never for an interview! Ah. After my talk I spend the rest of the day meeting with the lab staff I would be working with, so hopefully it all pans out and we know for certain where we are living next year.

Today I plan on spazzing out over my talk all day - reading old papers of my potential mentor - and getting a new outfit later on. To fuel up I started with a simple egg white burrito on a low carb whole wheat tortilla. I love these with salsa verde, a la the Fitnessista. Accompanied by a smoothie of a small banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup spinach and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk.



Now to perfect this talk!

Three-grain bread --> lunch

Sine I obviously have decided that work is for the birds today, I'm going to share one of my favorite lunches: sauteed spinach and tomatoes over garlic bread. Oh yeah. So good.


I made a loaf of Three-Grain Bread from Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian Family Cookbook this week. I love all of the quick breads, and this one is no exception. The bread is a little sweet, almost like cornbread, thanks to the addition of maple syrup. Yum.

Three-Grain Bread:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rye flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Na++
1 cup yogurt (I used 0% greek)
2/3 cup milk (I used almond)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or molasses)
2 Tbsp safflower oil.

Mix dry, mix wet, add wet to dry. Put in 350 degree over for 40 minutes. Easy peasy.

Now onto lunch:
just saute up some halved cherry tomatoes for a few minutes, then add spinach when they start to soften. Add any herbs you'd like if you're feeling adventurous.

For the bread: Either spray with cooking oil on both sides, or rub with olive oil. Add some Na++ and pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese to each side. Broil on each side for about 1 minute.

This bread pairs perfectly with the veggies - but obviously you can use any bread. Great filling, light lunch.

I added a small side of tuna salad for protein because why the hell not? Now I can see how much work I can get in before it's beer tasting time... by myself... because my husband decided yesterday he now coaches softball for free and will be heading to their game tonight. Good thing track is over.

Oatmeal magic

My overnight oatmeal hit the spot the other day- but for whatever reason the temperature here in NC dropped to the 60's - and it's been a little chilly. As a result, I decided to try the same recipe in a warm form (just no chias)

I heated up 1/2 a cup of unsweetened almond milk, and added 1/4 cup rolled oats. After a minute or so of stirring I added a tiny, tiny banana to the mix and a shake of cinnamon. I stirred in about 1/3 of a cup of greek yogurt at the end. I wasn't sure how the greek yogurt would taste- but it made the oatmeal super creamy and delicious.

I topped it with some granola and peanut butter and again was full until 2pm... at which point I went and grabbed a whole foods salad (addiction). When I came back to work I found that my first manuscript had finally been published. Yay! I also received feedback from my advisor that wasn't so bad (about a week's worth of work and 3 whole weeks to complete it) and an itinerary for my post doc interview next week. I was having a sweet day obviously.

For cinco de mayo, my husband and I grabbed some coronas and brought over some nachos to our friends' house (the new parents). I didn't get a picture of the blue corn chips topped with leftover three-bean chili, but I can tell you that I topped it all with MANGO GUACAMOLE which is honestly the best I've ever tasted. I had a mango in the fridge all week and it was obviously destined for this guacamole. Check out the recipe on How Sweet it is and try it, you'll be glad you did.

Another day working from home today - yay!

Oatmeal and Enchiladas

I have been having a smoothie every day for breakfast for about... I don't know... 7 months? I felt a need for change after seeing a post of Kath Eats Real Food describing THESE overnight oats. They sounded so good I went and threw some together right that second to have the next morning. I was also tempted by the thought of granola on top of oatmeal - so I threw together some of my favorite granola from a recipe given to me by a friend at work. Check out the recipe on her blog HERE. It's seriously so good and simple to put together! I had a serious addiction to this granola for a long time and was afraid to make it again for fear I would eat every last bit. But it's survived two days so far so I think we're safe.

These oats are based of the recipe above, here's what I threw together:
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 small (and I mean tiny) banana
1 tsp chia seeds
1/3 cup 0% greek yogurt
1 shake of cinnamon

Mix together and leave overnight. Wake up and sprinkle on a Tbsp of granola and a tsp of reduced fat peanut butter. Um yum. I had to take a break while eating this because it was so filling. I lasted until 2pm (seriously) without the thought of food. The entire french press was filled with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee helped also.

I then proofread all 180 pages of my dissertation and sent the first draft off to my advisor to see how much of it he hates. I then took the day off to get some crap done as I haven't had time to do much else other than write.

After a day full of running errands, I stopped home to make some butternut squash enchiladas. My good friend just had a gorgeous baby girl and I asked her what meal she wanted the most. She requested these enchiladas after I had made them for some friends and they kept bragging about how good they were to her. So I threw them together, set two aside for the husband and I and then dropped over for some baby time.

Of course my husband texted me 70 times while I was over with the new parents. All dinner related texts of course. He even threatened to eat without me! Yeah right! That would mean he would have to turn the oven on and warm the enchiladas and resign himself to the fact that there were only 2 and he would surely starve.


I came home and threw together a random chili that I will use to make nachos for cinco de mayo this evening! Of course he had not started eating or dinner prep without me!

asparagus pea barley risotto

Well things are going just dandy here over in almost-PhD land. My first draft of my dissertation is due on the 4th - and I've written all that I feel needs to be written until I get feedback from my advisor. Total page count is 169... doesn't seem like a lot when you consider it's a full 5 years worth of work. Today I took it easy and did some formatting at home. At noon I went for an hour long walk around my neighborhood and listened to the Bugle.

This evening I threw together a nice meal of a barley risotto with asparagus and peas. I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the barley- so I'd suggest using arborio rice instead - and you'd have to adjust the cooking time for that. But if you like barley- this dish is super fast and not that bad!

Asparagus Pea Barley Risotto
2 tsp EVOO
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 cup quick-cooking barley
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch sections
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tsp lemon zest, plus more for garnish
1.5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
Na++ and papper

Heat oil in a pot and add onion to saute. Saute maybe 6 minutes, and add the barley. Saute that mixture for a minute and then add the broth. Turn the heat to low and cover, and simmer 8 minutes. Add asparagus, chives, and zest - return cover and simmer 2 more minutes. Add the balsamic and cheese and season with salt and pepper. I had a lot of liquid, so I turned up the heat at the end and boiled it off.




It's not creamy like a traditional risotto, but it's a very light meal and pairs well with a nice mixed greens/goat cheese/roasted beet/pecans salad.

On the side are some sauteed cherry tomatoes. These are literally my favorite side dish of all time. I toasted some chopped rosemary in olive oil until fragrant, then added the tomatoes. They cook up in no time and are sweeter than candy. Mmm-mm. Try mixing them with spinach and topping garlic bread with the mixture. Meal from heaven!

Now to turn off my brain and watch Gossip Girl. Love it!!!

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

I have made these before- but haven't gotten a photo of them yet! Oh it was worth it making these again! I had half of a butternut squash left over from the Mac and Cheeze earlier in the week. I was wondering what I could possibly use it for, when I remembered that this was one of the best recipes I have ever eaten in my life EVER... so why waste precious squash on some inadequate dish.

I looked up the recipe and had EVERY SINGLE ingredient - serendipity! So I roasted some squash and made these glorious, glorious enchiladas. Ah yes, can't you just taste the goodness?


Along with the enchiladas, I threw together some little taco salads (chopped spinach, cilantro, black beans, sweet corn, crumbled tortilla chips and avocado). Check it out.


The dressing was simple, I threw together some salsa, Vegenaise, chili powder, cayenne pepper and hot sauce)

The wine... of the wine. We rarely (and by rarely I mean NEVER) by reserve ANYTHING... but we tasted this Pinot Noir at our grocery store of all places, and knew that it was a worthy splurge. I'm going to keep enjoying it for the rest of the night.


All anyone needs, wine, hot sauce.. dressing (?) Okay I could live without dressing. And hot sauce.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas (adapted from Vegetarian Times)
1/2 large butternut Squash, cubed
1 tsp olive oil
3 oz. cream cheese
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 chiles in adobo, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Na++ and pepper
6 small flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (hot works best!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Toss butternut squash cubes in olive oil, bake for 40 minutes at 450 - flipping once halfway (doing the squash this way gives it an awesome smokey flavor from the nicely browned edges). When done, mash in the cream cheese.

While the squash is baking - saute red onion and garlic about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add in spices and stir for a second or two. Add the mashed squash and cream cheese mixture. Oh yeah. Mmmm. Then add the chopped cilantro.

Assemble the enchiladas - I hope I don't have to explain this further. Pour on the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese - and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Eat and be in awe of the glory of butternut squash enchiladas.

Drink wine. The end.

Time is fleeting

I cannot believe that I am finally finishing up school. I started my Master's degree in Summer of 2005, and my PhD in the Summer of 2006. It's 2011 and it's felt as if the end would never come. The first four years of my doctorate felt as if I were wading through molasses. Everything seemed to be difficult... there was one roadblock after another... and there were many times in earnest I never even wanted to finish. I just wanted to pack all of my stuff and move somewhere to work on a vineyard, or behind the counter at a coffee shop, or just spend the rest of my life drinking whiskey. But when it came down to it, I literally had no plan B. So I stuck it out and lo and behold, the end is coming near. Everything is in fast-forward right now, it feels as if I'm swimming in the fast lane and there's no time to come up for air... which is good, but stressful.

Believe it or not, I am slated to finish in August. I have been working a lot, but also traveling a bit now before I lose the opportunity. My committee meeting is tomorrow, and I am currently preparing these CAKE BALLS for them. Since I'm dipping things I've decided to dip some strawberries in chocolate also. Some may call is kiss-ass, I call it being resourceful.

I haven't been able to do much cooking lately - but I have made THIS CREAMY AVOCADO PASTA from Oh She Glows, and also this SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN SALAD.

Dinner tonight was a repeat of Brie, apple and arugula quesadillas, a beet and pecan salad, and a 2 BELOW beer.

Hope tomorrow goes fine! Maybe just one more beer.

Stuffed Poblanos with Bean, Spinach and Avocado quesadillas

I bought poblanos maybe 2 weeks ago to stuff with something. Sadly, working nights got into the way and I haven't made dinner more than twice in two weeks. As my husband doesn't cook - this had meant A LOT of meals out (besides breakfast and lunch) - so although my schedule is tight this week I am making it a point to make dinner each night. I looked for a recipe online for stuffed poblanos, but couldn't find one that sounded appealing - so I threw a bunch of stuff together and luckily it tasted great.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
2 poblano peppers
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove elephant garlic (or two cloves regular garlic), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 can black beans
1/3 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 Tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cream cheese (or tofutti better than cream cheese)

Preheat broiler. Slit open peppers and remove seeds. Char in broiler for about 5 minutes per side, until nice and charred.

Meanwhile, saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add spinach and cook for one minute, then add cilantro, black beans and tomatoes. Season with all of the spices, and if you so desire, add the cream cheese. This makes it into a great consistency that will stay together. Stuff the peppers with the mixture, put oven down to 350, and bake 5 minutes longer.


I served these with what Nava Atlas calls a "big quesadilla." These ones are based on a recipe from the Vegetarian Family Cookbook. They are so simple and you don't miss the cheese at all.

Bean, Spinach, and Avocado Quesadilla:
2 wheat tortillas (I use fajita size)
1/3 can fat free vegetarian refried beans
1 cup spinach
1/2 avocado
salsa, hot sauce

Heat grill pan (or just plain old saute pan). Fill 1/2 of each tortilla with a few Tbsp of the refriedd beans. Top with spinach. Fold in half. Cook on a oiled grill pan until brown on each side- about 2-3 minutes. Top with avocado/salsa/hot sauce. That's it!

No Deer in the Kitchen

On Christmas, my husband's uncle gave him a deer shoulder. I don't know what he was going to do with all of that venison, but my husband accepted it anyway. It was super gross, just a stripped deer leg, hoof and all, hanging out in the freezer for a month. I refused to go in the freezer and kept telling him to get rid of it. Well, today was another *SNOW* day (read: 1 inch of snow, all schools closed.... my entire building empty) so I woke up a little late because I didn't see the urgency of rushing into work.

Well, I happened into the kitchen and it looked like GROSS ANATOMY class in there. Husband Dave had been thawing the leg all night in the sink, and was literally slicing the meat off the bone in my kitchen. There was even a pile of fascia on a plate nearest me. I almost barfed. And WTF was I supposed to do about COFFEE???? There was a half a deer sitting right next to my pot!!!!
Needless to say - I had to wait until I got to work to have a stupid cup of black tea.

After he finished his dissection, I NICELY ordered him to sanitize EVERYTHING. I was completely grossed out and am grossed out again now thinking of it. So now he and his buddy are off feasting upon the abomination that is no longer in my freezer (one positive?) while I am at home alone...

Such a monstrosity in the kitchen deserved a completely vegetarian dinner.. so I whipped up some Polenta Stuffed Peppers from the Moosewood Simple Suppers Cookbook. I've made them before, but neglected to post the recipe! You can find the recipe on my sister-in-law's blog by clicking HERE.



Additionally I made my favorite BBQ tofu with the BBQ sauce I had left over from THIS RECIPE.



Of course I had some wine, a lovely Malbec. But wait, what is that hiding behind my goblet? Well, it's not vegan, but it was lovely. A beet and mandarin orange salad- 2 beets, 1/4 cup orange slices, 1 Tbsp goat cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Oh yeah. No blood, no deer, no meat.



Let's hope Bambi stays out of the kitchen next time.

Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies and Orange-Glazed Tofu

I was having a Lazy Saturday yesterday - watching old Californication episodes (marry me David Duchovny... Hank Moody doesn't trump Fox Mulder for me obviously). Mmm David.




Anyway- I was perusing some food blogs, and saw this wonderful post on Carribean-themed recipes on Love Veggies and Yoga. The recipe for Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies has caught my eye before, and since I had the basic ingredients in the house I decided to go for it. It was incredible! The original recipe can be found here, my changes are below!


Carribean Rice with Garbanzos and Veggies:
1 cup short grain brown rice
1 can full fat awesome coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped and steamed until soft and bright green (this takes two minutes in the microwave- just put in a closed tupperware container with some water and nuke)


Bring rice, coconut milk and spices to boil. Cover and simmer until rice is done (we all know this takes a bit, maybe 40 minutes. Check your bag of rice for exact cooking times). When done, add peanut butter, beans and asparagus. OH MY GOODNESS. It is so creamy, delicious and filling (going with my David Duchovny theme for the most part).

I served it with some orange flavored tofu I made using a wonderful gift of Chinese marmalade from my dear friend in Macau.

Orange-Glazed Tofu:
1 black extra-firm tofu
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 Tbsp honey (or agave to make it vegan)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
(some soy sauce would be good, but I was out)

Slice tofu into cute little cubes. Line a baking pan with tin foil (unless you want to ruin your pan with burnt marmalade mess) and preheat oven to 450. Set out the tofu on your pan and cover in 1.2 the marinade. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip over, cover with remaining marinade and cook ten minutes longer (or longer if you really like it crispy five minutes longer than that). Done. It was delicious. What a good meal. I talked about the deliciousness for a little bit too long during the Sabres game last night!




Now a nice day of spinning, swimming, sauna, Black Swan, and dinner with friends. Eventually I will decide what to cook for the rest of the week!

Fridge and Pantry-emptying chili

My husband and I are going to NY for almost two weeks - so I am trying to empty out our fridge for the exptended period away. I haven't been grocery shopping, needless to say. As I was leaving the house yesterday - to work pretty late- it dawned on me that I never use my slowcooker, and I probably should. So I took about every can I had and threw some stuff together for a chili that was ready when I got home, perfect.

Ingredients:
1 LARGE can diced tomatoes (28 oz. I think)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 package cubed seitan
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can diced chiles
1 can black beans
2 Tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Throw in your slow cooker and put on low! I garnished with some cilantro, avocado and cheese (for shame)

Brie, apple and arugula quesadillas

My friend Sara recently started a food blog - she has an awesome camera and everything always looks amazing. I pretty much bought everything to make a few of the recipes she posted recently. Last night we had to make a grocery store run after work, and neither one of use could wait very long for dinner. Team impatience with the start time of girlie vampire TV night - I decided to make these brie, apple and arugula quesadillas from my friend's blog, cooking for dan.

I won't repost the recipe, and my crappy photo doesn't do this simple dish justice - so just visit her site! It came together in minutes flat- and I was out the door in no time.

BAKED leek, swiss chard and mushroom risotto

When I found out in Nava Atlas' The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet cookbook that I could BAKE risotto rather than stirring it for 45 minutes straight I am almost cried out of joy. You just mix rice, broth, and garlic together and bake for an hour - stirring every 20 minutes. Holy crap. What a miracle.

For this recipe I used short grain brown rice (rather than traditional arborio) - and my Le Cruset 1/2 quart cast iron bakeware to first brown the veggies on the stovetop before popping into teh over with the rice. It was marvelous.

Baked leek, swiss chard and mushroom risotto:
1.5 cup short grain brown rice
2 miced garlic cloves
2 cups boiling water
1 cup plain old water
2 tsp "better than boullion" - vegetable obviously
2 leeks - white parts only, chopped
1/2 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 package sliced mushrooms
Parmesan or soy parmesan

Brown veggies in some oil. Add rice and stir. Add better than boullion to water and add to pot. Add 1 cup water and get ready to bake at 375 for 60 minutes. Set timer every 15 so that you may stir 4 times over the course of baking. When the timer goes off, stir in some parmesan if you wish- and add some for topping. Great stuff I tell you. I had this with my favorite mixed greens/goat cheese/roasted beet/pecan salad.

Life is good.

Pasta with Greens and Tomatoes

I saw this post on my sister in law's blog, Fried Ice and Donut Holes and knew that I wanted it right away. The recipe is a breeze, and came together in no time - it's from the awesome cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. We added asparagus (since I haven't had time to cook the veggies I bought at the farmer's market have just been sitting there in my fridge waiting for Dave to stop eating Papa John's pizza and chicken breasts with no sides). Dave saw some Tofurkey in the fridge and requested I add that as well, so I added two links and it was a nice protein addition.

12 ounces Whole Wheat Pasta ( I used brown rice pasta which wasn't bad at all)
1 medium head Escarole or Curly Endive ( I used Kale)
1/2 bunch asparagus
2 links Tofurkey Sausage - cut into cute little coins
5 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 can (28 ounces) Diced Tomatoes (I used two chopped tomatoes)
1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Olives, optional ( I didn't have any)


Saute garlic in oil, add greens and asparagus and cook until wilted/soft. Add Sausage and brown. Add tomatoes and cook- add herbs and saute until fragrant. Garnish with cheese and olives if you have them.