Tag Archives: recipe

7 or 8 Vegetable Soup

Posted on November 12, 2011 | 3 Comments

Happy weekend, guys! Anyone have any good plans? I’m spending Saturday with my mom and then heading to NJ for my grandfather’s 80th birthday party.

Friday night, I stayed in to work on an article and a paper, but I also took advantage of the time to make a giant pot of what we’ll just call “7 or 8 vegetable soup,” since it was such a random assortment. Most of this went straight into the freezer, as I have a feeling I’ll be needing something quick and easy I can warm up over the next few weeks. 

Basically, all you do is throw a bunch of stuff in a pot with water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for a few hours. Here’s what I was working with:

  • 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 leek, sliced/cut/whatever you do to leeks
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 turnip, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas
  • 1 15-oz can small white beans
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • oregano (1/2 tsp?)

What are you favorite kinds of soup? If you’re not a soup lover, what’s one of your go-to weeknight meals?

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

Shortcut Apple Pie for One

Posted on October 15, 2011 | 3 Comments

So I know posted my mom’s apple pie recipe a few weeks ago, but sometimes baking a whole pie is just not in the cards.

First, you have to prep everything and wait while it bakes and cools. There’s also the fact that while apple pie makes a great once-in-a-while treat, the fat and calories in the crust don’t give you a whole lot of nutritional bang for your buck.

The other night I finally tried out something I’ve been meaning to get around to for freaking ever. This snack (which could stand in for breakfast as well) combines the good stuff about apple pie and bypasses the oven—and the crust. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp raw oats

Directions:

  1. Mix ingredients in a small bowl. I did this in a mixing bowl but you can do it in the one you plan to cook it in.
  2. Place mixture into microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes or until apples are soft and oats have absorbed some of the liquid from the apples.
  3. Add granola or other toppings.

I topped mine with some cottage cheese (no-salt added) because I needed some protein, but this would be great on its own or eaten with yogurt or vanilla ice cream or even milk. I admit, this photo is super-ugly, but it tasted so good, I don’t care. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Do you have a favorite shortcut dessert? 

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , ,

Emergency Soup

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 2 Comments

So it looks like whatever was biting at my heels yesterday got scared and ran away. I woke up this morning feeling a million times better. Though I’ll never be able to tell if it’s really the green juice or the turmeric or the probiotics or any particular thing, I never regret taking care of myself.

Yesterday afternoon, as I studied for Monday’s Proteins, Fats & Carbs exam, I threw together a batch of emergency soup. It was very loosely inspired by this recipe, but I made so many substitutions, it’s practically a different soup entirely. It turned out even better than I expected, though. It even passed the Chris test. Continue reading →

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Ingredient of the Week: Bananas

Posted on October 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Ingredient of the Week is back!

This week we’re going to talk about bananas—which are packed with nutrients and delicious on their own and in all kinds of dishes.

First up, the nutrition stats. One medium-sized (7″-7 7/8″) banana gives you:

  • 105 calories
  • 0 g fat
  • 27 g carbohydrates
  • 3 g fiber
  • 1 g protein
  • 17% of your daily vitamin C
  • 22% of your vitamin B6 needs
  • 422 mg potassium (12% of what you need in a day)
  • 39 mg magnesium (about 8% of your daily needs)
  • 16% of the manganese you need in a day
There’s some hype out there about bananas being a  ”bad” fruit because of the high sugar content, and while it’s true that a good portion of the calories in bananas come from its naturally-occuring sugars, I personally don’t believe there is such a thing as a “bad” fruit. There are so many other important nutrients in a banana that there are more good reasons to eat them than to not eat them. That said, if you’re concerned about the sugar content, just have half at a time and eat it with something else—it doesn’t get much better than a slice of toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter when you need a filling, energizing snack. 

Though some worry bananas are in danger of going extinct, others roll their eyes at the mention of the threatening Tropical Race Four fungus. I guess we’ll see. A world without the bananas we know and love would be a sad thing.

Though bananas are great as is, they can also be used as an ingredient and substitute in other dishes, especially baked goods. One of my favorite ways to use them is to sub mashed ripe banana for eggs and/or oil in cakes and cookies.

It’s also hard to go wrong with banana “ice cream.” It doesn’t get much easier than this.

frozen banana slices

Take frozen banana slices. Place them in a food processor (blender works too), and process until it has the consistency of soft serve. Eat plain or add toppings and mix-ins. 

Bananas are also a great way to add volume and sweetness to oatmeal. The trick is to keep stirring it and breaking up small pieces. It may sound tedious, but it’s totally worth it. Look what you end up with…

pumpkin banana oatmeal topped with roasted figs, granola, and peanut butter

What’s your favorite banana recipe? 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for Fall

Posted on September 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Autumn is upon us. The Fall Equinox occurs tomorrow, but today is considered by many to be the first day of fall. I don’t know about you, but I think last week felt a lot more autumnal (at least in the NYC area) than this week does. It’s so muggy outside I’m tempted to reach for my sandals and a sundress one last time.

So, in celebration of a fall beginning that feels a little more like summer, here’s my favorite recipe for a pumpkin pie smoothie:

Ingredients

  • 1-2 dried, pitted dates
  • ½ c unsweetened almond milk (any milk is fine)
  • ½ c canned pumpkin (or less, depending on preference)
  • ½ a frozen banana
  • cinnamon, powdered ginger, ground cloves or pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 c ice

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into glass or bowl and serve immediately.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Immune-Boosting Quinoa Recipe

Posted on July 23, 2011 | 2 Comments

So, those of you who know me well may know that quinoa and I are not friends. I’m not sure if it’s a full-blown food allergy, but I have a strong enough reaction to know to stay away. It seems kind of ironic that I should be unable to eat a food often suggested to people with gluten intolerance. Me and gluten are just fine, for the record.

However, quinoa is a nutrient-dense, versatile food that I would recommend to anyone who doesn’t share my sensitivity.

At the clinic on Friday, we did another of the “Feed Your Immune System” workshop. We put out a lot of the same foods, including my supervisor’s quinoa dish, which was a hit at the last two events. She was kind enough to let me share her recipe, which calls for delicious spices and pumpkin seeds.

Here it is:

  • Take one cup of quinoa
  • Rinse grains once or twice (use a sieve)
  • Boil 2 cups filtered water in a pan or pot
  • Add a little sea salt while water is heating
  • When water starts boiling, add the cup of quinoa
  • Stir while mixing quinoa with water
  • Cook the quinoa (takes 8-10 minutes) on low to moderate heat
  • Towards the end, add a few teaspoons of raw pumpkin seeds
  • Once cooked, cover the pan with a lid
  • Warm 1-2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil in a saucepan and while the oil is hot add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of asafoetida, and pinch of red chili powder, and add this mixture to the quinoa, then add 1 tsp coriander and cumin powder
  • Add hemp seeds to the quinoa is desired

I’m planning to try making this with another grain. The spices can be found at Indian grocery stores and some of them also in mainstream markets. If anyone tries this, definitely let me know what you think!

Hope you’re having a great weekend.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Rainy-Day Lentil Soup

Posted on June 10, 2011 | 2 Comments

So, after proclaiming it too hot for soup, I went and had exactly that for dinner. It was actually Chris’ idea for using up some leftovers, so he started making it while I was out for a few hours. Thanks to a giant rain storm that left me soaking wet, soup suddenly sounded like a pretty good idea. Here’s an approximation of his recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 jalepeno, minced/diced/whatever you do to jalepenos
  • 1/8 tsp corriander
  • 1/8 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 bouillon cube +1 tbsp red miso +  4 cups water
  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • leftover sauteed zucchini (about 1, sliced and quartered)
  • 1/2 a bunch of kale, rinsed then soaked in salted water, rinsed again, and shredded

Directions:

  1. Sautee garlic, onions, and carrots for about 20 minutes.
  2. Add bouillon/water mixture and rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and bring to a simmer.
  3. Cover and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

It was delicious. Eating a bowl of soup while lightning continued to flash outside was very comforting. I used to be a big scaredy-cat about storms. For the most part, I’ve outgrown that, but I still have my moments.

Even thoughI love the hot weather, it makes me so sleepy. Sometimes you just need to curl up and call it a day early. I mean, hey, how else are you going to have the energy for all the goings-on worth staying up late for?

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

Baked Falafel

Posted on May 26, 2011 | 6 Comments

Somehow, I managed not to try falafel until one of the first times I went to visit Chris in NYC—I was 22. How is that possible? Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time. Falafel with salad is something I could easily eat multiple times a week. Unfortunately, most falafel served in restaurants or from street carts is fried, which is fine once in a while but not ideal everyday fare. Plus, takeout gets expensive.

Gazala Place in Hells Kitchen makes great falafel!

I’ve been wanting to try  making baked falafel at home for ages but Chris has always talked me out of it, arguing in favor of authenticity over an at-home approximation. For a long time, I let it go, but the other day, I was in a mood, like, “Dude, I’ve got these chickpeas and this parsley and all these spices—screw authentic.” All signs were pointing to a falafel experiment.

I stuck with a really simple version that more evokes the essence than nails down anyone’s Lebanese grandmother’s secret recipe, but for a first attempt, I have to admit I was pretty happy with the results. I’m looking forward to tweaking it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 15-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • ~1/2 c parsley, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth but not totally pureed. 
  2. Form mix into little balls (I ended up with 18) and place on a lightly oiled or sprayed baking sheet.
  3. Bake 15 minutes then flip over and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Served with salad, a (slightly failed) attempt at cabbage and corn salad and (unpictured) hummus, these were really great. In the future, I might add more coriander and some cilantro. I might also add something a little crunchy—I know this is unconventional, but I’m curious to see how ground flax might taste in these. We will see. Enjoy!

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged

In Which I Manage Not To F*** Up Homemade Bread

Posted on May 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

On Tuesday afternoon, I crossed two of my May goals off the list. After making a few phone calls and getting organized for some weekend apartment-hunting, I baked a loaf of bread from scratch.

Not the prettiest loaf ever, but not bad for a first try!

Because this was my first time baking bread since my Intro to Food Science lab two years ago (seems so much longer!), I played it safe and stuck with the recipe on the Fleischmann’s yeast packet. I halved the recipe and made a couple small substitutions due to availability of ingredients, but the final product was still really tasty! Why had I been so intimidated? For dinner, I enjoyed a couple slices with hummus alongside a bowl of leftover split pea and kale soup.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (I’d run out of whole wheat)
  • 1 packet rapid-rise yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 c water
  • 1/2 c unsweetened soymilk
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Heat water, milk, oil, honey, and sugar until very warm (120-130 degrees).
  2. Gradually add warm liquids to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer (I used a hand mixer), occasionally scraping the sides. Add 1 cup remaining flour and beat 2 minutes again at high speed.
  3. Add remaining flour and stir in with a spoon.
  4. Knead on a lightly-floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic, around 6-8 minutes. Cover kneaded dough and allow to rest on floured surface for 10 minutes.
  5. Roll dough into a 12″ x 7″ rectangle. Beginning at the short end, roll up tightly as you would for a jelly roll. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in a greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pan (original recipe called for a 8.5″ x 4.5″ pan). Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30-60 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 35-45 minutes or until done. Let cool before serving.

That wasn’t so scary after all…

It doesn’t get much better than soup and bread on a dreary day (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the warm weather to come back ASAP). Every time I eat that combination, though, I am reminded of the Pixies song “Cactus” (you gotta wait for the 2nd or 3rd verse).  Does that kind of thing ever happen to anyone else?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

New and Improved Seitan Log

Posted on May 16, 2011 | 4 Comments

As mentioned in an earlier post, both Chris and I have been tweaking the original seitan log recipe we made. This current version is my new favorite—it comes out much moister (hate that world), and the addition of the miso paste lends a fantastic savory flavor. Enjoy!

with a sweet-and-spicy sesame sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1.5 c. vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1-2 t. pepper
  • 3/4 c. cold water
  • 4 tbsp miso paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1-3 cloves garlic or garlic powder to taste
  • 1-2 drops liquid smoke

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 300°.
  2. In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.
  3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes.
  4. Form into a log (6-8″ long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90-100 minutes. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,