Tag Archives: vegetables

What I Ate Wednesday #58

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 5 Comments

Another week, another Wednesday. You know what that means…another What I Ate Wednesday. As always, thanks to Jenn of Peas & Crayons for hosting the link party! Visit her site to see more WIAW from other bloggers. 

I’m someone who can always make time to eat, but for some reason, lately it’s really easy for me to get absorbed in what I’m doing and not realize I’m hungry until I’ve reached that point of no return. Any notes I attempt to write in that half-hour before lunch, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll have to revise them after. But then I eat and it’s all good. Overall, I have a lot more energy this go-around thanks to a kinder schedule. This 8-4 really works for me.

Monday was kind of a weird day but here goes…

Breakfast: Made-ahead steel-cut oats w/ apple, dried apricot, chia & flax and spices, topped with PB and applesauce 

Lunch: A pretty weak cafeteria salad. Later, I had an orange. Meh. 

Dinner: A “what’s still good in the fridge” concoction of spaghetti squash, lentils, veggies, and goat cheese. Seriously, it was like a page out of a clean-eating stoner-food cookbook. So freaking random. But delicious.

Recycled pic thanks to a camera mess-up, but you get the idea

Snack: Yogurt with cereal, banana and berries

Do you ever forget to eat? What’s the best thing you’ve had recently? 

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“Juicy” new story

Posted on May 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

consider the source…

I’m sorry about the silly title, but I just had to go there…

This month, I have an article up about juicing on Food & Nutrition’s website. If you’re interested or even just a little curious, check it out!

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What are you cooking this weekend?

Posted on May 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy Saturday, y’all (not sure what’s up with the ‘y’all,’ but hey…). How’s your weekend going so far? Any fun plans? I spent last night doing karaoke, and this morning, I went to a hot yoga class. I’m just settling in for an afternoon of work.

A gal doing a 40-hour-a-week unpaid dietetic internship still needs to keep the lights on. If you’re thinking it’s strange that one needs to “work for free” to become an RD, you’re not alone, but save for a few exceptions, that’s just how it is. And if you’re wondering what the hell a dietetic internship is, anyway, you can read a little more at the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ website.

Though I really enjoyed a lot of things about my Behavioral Health rotation, I’m glad to be moving on to General Med/Surgery. Nutritionally speaking, you see more challenging cases in the acute care setting, and I’m looking forward to getting more practice. I’d also be lying if I said the shorter commute wasn’t a factor. Still, I’ll miss some of the “you don’t hear that every day”ness.

At some point over the weekend, I’m planning to make some food to get me through the week—roasted veggies, perhaps a batch of seitan, and I need to figure out what to do with these  little potatoes…

Any suggestions? What are you cooking this weekend? 

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Kabocha Squash Risotto

Posted on April 26, 2012 | 2 Comments

Once in a while I get a recipe idea in my head that takes me months to get around to trying. Kabocha squash risotto has been on the list for quite some time, but it was only this past weekend that I got around to making it.

It’s not the most traditional recipe, as I was out of a lot of things (i.e. butter), but I was so happy with how this came out. The squash practically melts into the risotto, and the splash of green balances out the orange-ness really well.

Ingredients: 

  • ~1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c aborio rice
  • 1/2 a kabocha squash, steamed (I did mine in the microwave  )
  • 1 c vegetable broth
  • 1-2 c water (could sub extra vegetable broth)
  • 1/2 c dry white wine
  • 1/2 c green peas (frozen & thawed is fine)
  • 1 big handful chopped kale
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • cooked shrimp (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pot or stock pot.
  2. Add garlic and rice. Cook until well coated, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add broth. Add wine and bring to a rapid boil. Lower heat once half the liquid has cooked off.
  4. Add squash. Begin to add water gradually, breaking up pieces of squash and stirring well as you go. Wait until liquid is absorbed before adding more.
  5. Add peas and kale. Fold in and continue cooking a few more minutes.
  6. Fold in shrimp.
  7. Serve warm, preferably topped with cheese and with salad and wine on the side.
Do you like risotto? What’s your favorite kind?

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What I Ate Wednesday #53

Posted on April 11, 2012 | 10 Comments

Does anyone else think this week is going super-fast? I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already!

That means it’s time for another What I Ate Wednesday over here. As always, thanks to Jenn for hosting the link party. To see what’s on other bloggers’ plates this week, visit Peas & Crayons.

I’m kinda loving this month’s theme. I’m a big fan of adding in extra veggies wherever possible, so I’ll take any excuse to highlight how easy it is to throw some extra green stuff in with pasta or whip together a salad.

I’ve been in a rhythm lately of showing you guys Monday’s eats, but we’ll see how that goes when I change to a new rotation next week. Not only will I be working with a different patient population, I’ll be at a whole other facility with a much longer commute. Haha maybe we’ll do a few weekend-themed WIAW posts…

Some days, what I make for dinner and snacks is largely dictated by what needs to get used up before it goes bad. Or who are we kidding—most days are like that lately. This Monday was a good example.

Breakfast: steel-cut oats with ground flax, chia seeds, apple, plum, and dates, topped with PB & apple sauce (I made a bitch batch on Sunday night) 

Lunch: The Monday Greens; an unpictured apple; coffee 

Snack: (unpictured) cherry tomatoes (random but good)

Dinner: Mushroom tortellini with vegetarian sausage and veggies, topped with goat cheese

Snack: Greek yogurt with cocoa powder, cereal and strawberries 

How do you decide what to make for dinner? What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week? 

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After School Snacks

Posted on March 29, 2012 | 3 Comments

A kale smoothie with a side of coal...

Do you remember what kinds of after-school snacks you used to eat when you were a kid? Weirdly enough, I can’t, though I have vague memories of cereal in the afternoon, and I did go through a phase in high school where I often craved tomato soup when I got home. Oatmeal with banana was another thing I reached for a lot.

Some days when I get home from the hospital, I’m ready to start thinking of dinner, but more often, I need a little something to get me through email checking or an “Oh! It’s actually nice out!” walk around the block.

I’m glad the weather is starting to warm up—smoothies are back in a big way. I have dinner plans with a girlfriend tonight, so to avoid a low-blood sugar meltdown, I whipped up an ugly-but-good shake with:

  • 1 big handful kale
  • ~3/4 c skim milk
  • half a frozen banana
  • a handful of ice.

That should just about get me from point A to point B. Let the inbox-cleaning begin…

What were/are your favorite after-school snacks? 

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Deep purple thoughts for Saturday

Posted on March 24, 2012 | 3 Comments

I’m almost disappointed no one saw all those eggplants fall on me at Whole Foods this morning.

DEFINITELY not the eggplant I wanted

As a petite gal, grocery shopping can be something of an adventure in comic timing. It’s also a good time to practice my decision-making skills. Is xyz worth the reach? I guess you could look at it as a metaphor for dating. Or life—whichever one takes up more real estate in your brain.

But wow. There is nothing quite like when you take a risk, get on your tip-toes to grope around for that Good Eggplant you think you saw, only to wind up overwhelmed by a whole bunch of “Not the eggplant I wanted.”

Anyone agree with me on this?

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Easy Being Green

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 7 Comments

I try not to talk about my personal life too much on the blog, but I do have to say that the years 2008-2011 were really, really stressful in a lot of ways. Though the things I wrestled with are pretty to the generic 20-something  set, stress is stress, even if you can later chalk most of it up to growing pains.

A very green cafeteria creation

Fortunately, the end of last year made room for and ushered in a lot of positive—and new—energy into the mix.

Around this time last year, I was writing about craving green foods, and when I found myself in the same mindset today, I wondered if it, in some way, also spoke to satisfying a yearning for new beginnings. As a fresh-out-of-orientation dietetic intern (yesterday was my first official day on the floor seeing patients and writing notes), I’m as green as it gets, and I couldn’t be happier.

After years of dealing with a sense of disconnect and discontent that was, at times, overwhelming, it’s amazing to feel some things moving into alignment in certain areas of my life.  I’m grateful to feel I’m in the right place at the right time. Cheers to a fresh start!

What new things in your life are you most excited about or looking forward to? 

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What I Ate Wednesday #46

Posted on February 22, 2012 | 8 Comments

Good morning! How’s your week going? Did you celebrate Mardi Gras?  I think the last time I did was in middle school French class! It’s also been a while since I’ve made any morning-after Lenten-type vows, except maybe that one time in 2008 I thought about giving up alcohol, but let’s never speak of that one again, k? Still, kudos to you if you’re spending the next 40 days trying out a new good habit, whether it’s for religious reasons or just because now seems like a good time. With so many huge changes in the works, I think my goal for the next 6 weeks is to not freak the f*** out, which will hopefully benefit those around me.

Wednesday totally snuck up on me this week, thanks to the long weekend. No complaints, though. Yesterday was my last Tuesday working from home in who knows how long, so I took advantage of the extra time by doing a ton of laundry, stocking up on groceries, and cleaning the hell out of my apartment. I also ran a bunch of errands I’d been putting off.

Because I felt like I was constantly moving, my meals and snacks were mostly quick, thrown-together assortments of leftovers. Sometimes I forget just how much of a workout you get cleaning and rushing around crossing things off your to-do list. So much for that active rest day. I’ll make it up later this week…

In the spirit of What I Ate Wednesday, let’s do this thing.

Breakfast: Oats with plum and chia seeds, topped with fig butter and PB2 sauce (I’ve been won over—this stuff is kinda neat) 

Lunch: Butternut black bean chili over kale; toast w/ hummus & roasted pepper

Snack: Kefir w/ berries & cereal 

Dinner: Spaghetti squash  w/ roasted broccoli & eggplant, kale, Tofurkey sausage, marinara, and parmesan 

Snack: (unpictured) glass of white wine at writers’ group; banana w/ 1 tsp-ish of Biscoff when I got home (I tell myself the potassium will counteract the onset of a wine headache, but this may or may not be true)

As always, thanks to Jenn for hosting the link party. For more WIAW from other bloggers, visit Peas & Crayons.

Did you do anything for Mardi Gras? Giving anything up for the next 40 days? 

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Progress

Posted on February 16, 2012 | 6 Comments

While I know I’m hardly the only person guilty of this, it drives me crazy sometimes that I tend to order the same thing at certain restaurants. Case in point: whenever I go to a diner, I pretty much always get an egg-white omelet with spinach and feta. Wheat toast.  True, it’s delicious and fairly healthy, but I always roll my eyes at myself for being so predictable.

Yesterday, I met a friend for lunch at the Renaissance Diner in Hells Kitchen—trying to make time for weekday lunch dates with my girls while I still have a flexible schedule! We were both craving eggs, so of course I thought about ordering my old stand-by. But I didn’t! Instead, I ordered an egg-white vegetable frittata…So okay, maybe it’s almost the exact same thing, but this had mushrooms and tomatoes and broccoli. And it was amazing. I’m a little obsessed with mushrooms right now. Progress.

Pardon the abundance of “what I ate”-type posts lately. I’ve been trying to squeeze in as much bill-paying work as I can while I still have control over my schedule. A lot of people have been asking me how I’m going to handle freelancing once I start my internship, and to be honest, I haven’t totally figured that out yet. I have a few plans in place to help keep me sane, but I know it’s going to be a bit of a balancing act, at least in the beginning.

Still, I’m excited. I’ve been working toward this since 2009, and within a year, I’ll be just about ready to add MS, RD to my business card. Even if the next year is going to be nuts, I know I’m going to learn so much and, because I can never seem to help it, end up with a lot of stories to tell.

Do you tend to order the same thing at restaurants? How do you stay sane when your schedule is crazy? 

 

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