Think Outside the (Lunch)Box

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a lunch rut, getting tired of eating the same cold cut sandwiches, canned soups or pb&j's everyday? Start the new year off right and get those creative juices flowing by stepping outside the traditional lunch box for some newer, healthier, and spunkier recipes! Unlike most people who view making or packing lunch a tedious chore, I view this task as a time to get creative and pack in my veggies into one easy dish that's ready to go. Usually I take leftovers from dinner the night before for lunch, but with a little planning over the weekend or on a slow weeknight, you can also make one of these three types of all-in-one cold salads that are perfect for a delicious and nutritious lunch, no-heat necessary. And as always with my non-specific recipes, feel free to use what you have on hand and adjust the recipe to your liking!

Fiesta Corn Pasta Salad

Directions: Cook 1lb bag of corn pasta (found it at trader joes), rinse with cool water and put in large bowl. Add 1 can of rinsed black beans, 2 bell peppers (diced), 1/2 small onion (chopped), 1 clove of garlic (minced), 2 avocados (chopped), 2 tblsp of olive oil, and the juice of 2-3 limes. Mix all ingredients together and spice it up with salt, pepper, cumin, chili pepper, cilantro and hot sauce of your choice!! 

Cranberry, Feta and Almond Brown Rice Salad

Directions: Cook about 2 cups of dry brown rice (or any type of brown or wild rice blend), rinse with cold water and place into a large bowl. Add about 1 cup each of dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and feta cheese crumbles. You can also add some raw broccoli pieces (I used a bag of broccoli slaw mix from trader joes) for an extra crunch and added nutrients. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over mixture, season with salt and pepper, and combine well.

Crunchy Apple, Fennel, Cabbage Slaw

 Directions: Combine one chopped fennel bulb, 1/4 head purple cabbage (chopped), 2 apples (diced) and a handful each of chopped or slivered almonds and dried cranberries. In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 tblsp dijon mustard, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tblsp olive oil, and small drizzle of honey. Pour over slaw, mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste! 

Greens Galore!

Yesterday my lovely roommate Mia came home with a wonderful surprise to share with the house that weighed about 20lbs.. No, not a puppy (like we need more animals in our house)... No, not chocolate (although, how sweet would that be!)... GREENS! All sorts of greens... in all sorts of shapes an sizes... kale, bok choy, mustard greens, parsely, dill, peppers, lettuce, cauliflower and the list goes on. Mia took a trip out to One Straw Farm for work and was coerced by Joan, the farmer, to take home with her as much as she could carry. The four or five huge, heavy bags that little tiny Mia carried home with her on the shuttle literally covered our dining room table when emptied out. Check it out.

Now I understand that not too many people would be as excited as us to recieve this bountiful bouquet of greens, but this was like Christmas morning for us and after we neatly organized everything into piles on our table (courtesy of OCD Mia) we couldn't wait to dig in. I know greens may be unfamiliar and even frightening for people, as most of us Americans are not eating many green leafy vegetables on a daily basis and are consequently missing out on all the beneficial nutrients that these vegetables provide. As a soon to be nutritionist, this makes me very sad!! So I'm here to show you that there are a countless number of ways to incorporate greens into your daily diet. Fear not the greens, my friends, but start embracing them! Tis the season!
Here are 8 simple and delicious ways to incorporate greens into your life.

1. Throw greens into soups/stews: this works well for any kind of green and almost any kind of soup that could use an extra boost of color. We added our greens to a hearty chili and it was delish!
2. Kale Chips: A healthy, crunchy snack that is a definite crowd pleaser.
3. Cook greens with eggs: Nothing like a veggie omelet in the morning to get your day going.
4. Mix greens into pasta dishes/casseroles: Add some green goodness to your next batch of mac n' cheese or pasta dish by boiling some greens right with the pasta water for the last few minutes.
5. Combine greens with beans: Not only do they rhyme, but beans and greens also taste fantastic great together! You culd do mexican black beans and greens or mediterranean chickpeas and greens with tomatoes.
6. Go RAW: Lighter greens like lettuce and spinach can definitely be eaten raw in salads, but so can heartier greens like kale and mustard greens. Just dress with lemon juice and some sea salt to help wilt the leaves a bit, and mix in some of your favorite toppings (raisins, almonds, onions, etc).
7. Keep with southern tradition: In the south, collard greens (or a combination of greens) are slowly cooked down with ham hocks and a splash of vinegar. If you don't have ham hocks, just sautee with bacon or ham pieces for extra flavor.
8. Keep it simple: Sautee whatever greens you have on hand with garlic and onions in a little bit of olive oil, and there you have a great side dish!

Any other suggestions? How do you like to eat your greens?

Curried Butternut Squash Hummus

I have been on a curry kick recently, I think because of my determination to stay healthy and not succumb to the common cold/flu that plagues so many during this time of year (including all my roommates!). I am a big fan of curry, not only for its bold, distinct flavors, but also for its acclaimed anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties thanks to the curcumin (aka tumeric, which gives the curry that bright yellow/orange color). When combined with fresh garlic and ginger, which are also both known for their immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, anti-inflammatory properties, curry can and should become your best friend if you too want to fight off sickness and stay healthy!

You should already know by now how much I love making my own hummus (if not, see previous post here), so I don't need to go into that again, but I did just want to share my newest hummus creation using all of the above mentioned ingredients and also butternut squash, a perfect fall combination. I brought this over to a nutrition department cookout with some pita bread to dip and everyone loved it... so if you're looking for a cheap and easy appetizer to bring to a party that will really wow your friends.. this recipe is a must-try!!

CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS

Ingredients

(basic hummus recipe + butternut squash, ginger, curry)

2 cans of chickpeas (preferably organic, no salt-added or low-sodium)

~1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

~2 tblsp tahini

~2-3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

~1 inch (or 1 tblsp) of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated or chopped 

1 medium butternut squash, chopped and steamed until soft

~1 tblsp curry powder

salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Simply add all ingredients to medium-large bowl and mix using immersion blender or food processor until smooth and creamy (may need to add a little bit of water or a tad more oil until smooth). Serve with fresh veggies or pita bread. ENJOY! 

Mexican Sweet Potato Soup

Fall is in the air and I couldn't be happier. Not only because I am that much closer to finishing my program up in January, but also because I'm obsessed with the abundance of root vegetables that defines the fall season. Colorful, earthy, hearty, soulful, versatile... beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, the list goes on. Sweet potatoes were my root vegetable of choice this week from the market and what better way to kick off fall then with a delicious soup?! Sweet potatoes (which are not even in the same family as regular potatoes, surprisingly) are loaded with vitamin A from the orange-licious beta-carotene, vitamin C, fiber and tons of other important vitamins and minerals, which make it no surprise that sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world! But more importantly, sweet potatoes just plain taste good, they are cheap, and they are so so so versatile... a true staple in my kitchen. So here's a super simple and flavorful soup to celebrate the changing of the seasons, the wonderful autumn harvest, the onset of cooler weather, back to school time, or whatever it is you have to celebrate in your life!

MEXICAN SWEET POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tblsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup carrots and celery (traditional/optional soup starters- adds good flavor)

3 large (or 4 medium) sweet potatoes, chopped

6-8 cups vegetable broth (I used my own homemade vegetable broth... more to come on that, but you can used store brought, preferably low sodium)

1 bay leaf

Spices: salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cilantro, cayenne (if you like it hot!)

Chipotle hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until softened.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and cover with vegetable broth. Add the bay leaf, and spices/hot sauce (a few dashes of each, depending on your preferences and what you have).

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are soft (~20-30min).

4. Use an immersion hand mixer or blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy. 

5. Adjust the taste with spices/hot sauce to your liking. You can also add milk or yogurt for extra creaminess. Top with a sprig of parsley or cilantro, maybe a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and enjoy! 

A Girl and Her Fig Tree

That's me! Yes, I have a fig tree in my back yard... yes, figs do grow in baltimore... and yes, figs are real fresh, fruits (not just in fig newtons). The woman who used to live in the house years ago apparently had quite a green thumb (so we hear from other neighbors) and she planted this wonderful fig tree in the back year near the car port that produces more figs than you can imagine.. it's like the community fig tree. Well anyways, before I moved into my house over three years ago, I had never had a fresh fig before and didn't know what I was going to do with a whole tree full of them! But with some experimentation, creativity and determination not to let this precious gift of fig abundance go to waste.. and now after three full seasons of working with them.. I like to think of myself as a fig connoisseur of sorts.  I await their arrival in mid-August with great anticipation every year, and then before I know it, I am out picking bowls and bowls of fresh figs almost every day for a couple weeks and have more figs than even I know what to do with! Any roommates who've ever lived in the house with me (and there have been many wonderful people in and out of this house) can attest to the craziness of fig season when we just have figs everywhere and I'm trying to figure out anyway possible to use them up. Fig jam, fig bread, fig cookies, fig pizza, roasted figs, figs in oatmeal... you name it. I usually start off making big batches of fig jam, experimenting with different flavor combinations for each batch, then jar it up to either give away to friends and family or anyone who will take them, or just to keep in my freezer to use throughout the year in fun and creative ways.

Below are three of my go-to fig recipes. I know fresh figs are sometimes hard to find in stores and can get expensive, but they are usually more easily available this time of year, so if you've never tried fresh figs before, now is the time. And if you have fresh figs or access to a neighbor's fig tree (mine is totally open for picking to any of you in baltimore!) and just need to figure out what the heck to do with them, hopefully these recipes will help! Enjoy!

Lemony Fig Jam
There is no real precision to this recipe, all you really need is fresh figs, a lemon, some honey or brown sugar (or whatever sweetener you prefer) and lemon balm (a wonderfully fragrant herb) if you have it. I also don't even add pectin, so I guess this can't really be considered a jam or jelly, but more of a thickened sauce or fig butter type thing. Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious either way!

Just wash and cut the figs into halves or quarters to fill up a big pot (you can also make smaller batches if you only have a few). Then add the juice and zest of one lemon, and your sweetener of choice, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the figs have cooked down quite a bit and are starting to thicken up. Add some chopped up lemon balm (no worries if you don't have this) and then use an immersion mixer or blender to puree the figs until smooth. If you want to go through the actual jarring process at this point you can, or I usually just let it cool down and put it into jars to be kept in the refrigerator for a week or two, or in the freezer for several months. This tastes awesome just spread over toast or crackers, with some aged cheddar or goat cheese, or you could mix it into your oatmeal, or use like applesauce in your quick breads.

Fig Drop Cookies
As most of you know, I'm not much of a baker due to my lack of precision and patience, but I am a good anti-baker rebel who just likes to throw a bunch of things into bowl, mix it up, bake it, and hope it tastes good. Well that's how this recipe came about and with some tweaking, I must say... these are some pretty darn delicious.. and even pretty healthy... no-fuss cookies. I unfortunately forgot to take more pictures (got too distracted eating the cookies), so this is all I have, but you'll get the gist.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened (just use the real deal, preferably organic, butter.. it's only a little bit)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup fig jam (goes in the actual batter... you can use store bought or make your own, or even substitute applesauce)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup almond meal (if you don't have this, just use all whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (gotta get those omega 3s!) 

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp lemon zest

1 pinch salt

about 1 cup or so of fig jam to drop onto the cookies (you can really use whatever flavor of jam you'd like!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, eggs, and jam until creamy

3. Add flour, almond meal, flax, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest and salt, beating until blended.

4. Use a tablespoon to drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet. 

5. Make an imprint in each cookie either using your thumb or the back of a spoon (may need to grease the spoon so dough won't stick to it) and drop a dollop of jam onto each cookie.

6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges start becoming brown. ENJOY!

THE ULTIMATE FIG PIZZA

Hands down the most mouth-watering, irresistible, sensational pizza you will ever have in your life! Seriously, this is the real deal. I know you wouldn't usually think about putting figs on pizza, but the sweetness of the figs and the saltiness of prosciutto and the creamy, tanginess of the goat cheese all just go together so unbelievably well. This is a must, must, must-try pizza. And if you don't have the figs to make it yourself, if you ever go to a pizza place that offer a fig pizza of any kind, you gotta at least try it once! 

1. I just used a pizza dough that I bought from Iggie's, a fantastic pizza place in Baltimore (most pizza restaurants let you buy plain dough), but you can either make your own or used store bought dough. Just roll the dough out onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan and bake in the oven for a few minutes at about 400 degrees for extra crispy crust. 

2. Take out the dough and spread a thin layer of fig jam on the pizza (no tomato sauce on this pizza.. all figs baby!)

3. Top with sliced fresh figs, crumbled goat cheese, prosciutto (thinly sliced, cured ham) and freshly chopped rosemary. 

4. Bake until bubbly and crispy. Et voila! This is a real crowd-pleaser and conversation starter.. good way to impress your date or group of friends. Gotta try it! 

Favorite Summer Salads

Can you believe it's already August?? Where has the summer gone?! Last time I wrote a blog post was on Memorial Day at the end of May, then I started my dietetic internship in June, and next thing I know it's August 6 and summer is almost coming to an end. How did I let this happen?? This dietetic internship has pretty much taken over my life, and it will most likely continue to consume me until the end of January when it's finally over; BUT I can't go all summer without posting some of my favorite summer salad recipes. Even though I've been busy, I still have managed to find time to cook up some fun dishes with inspiration from the farmers' market, which is just out of this world at this time of the year. Corn, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cucumbers... you name it- it's there. These two dishes I've shared below are made up of the best combinations of summer vegetables and flavors.. I can't make it through summer without making both of these!! I promise you will enjoy them!

RAW CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD
I have to give my new roommate, Mia, props for helping me out big time with this one. Her and I are masterminds in the kitchen and we just work so well together to come up with the craziest, most delicious dishes ever. And this one sure didn't disappoint. We just sat out on our back porch one cool summer night, drinking some Boordy wine and chopping up veggies to throw into the mixing bowl et voila! You can choose to cook the corn (steam, boil, grill) if you want, or just skip that step entirely and just throw it in raw!

INGREDIENTS:
(For one large bowl's worth)
3-4 ears of corn,
1 can of black beans, drained and washed
1-2 green peppers, chopped
Few tablespoons of scallions, chopped fine
1 small onion (red or white), chopped
Few handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
LOTS of fresh squeezed lime juice
~2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil
Few tablespoons of chopped cilantro
Few dashes of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Carefully shave the corn off of the stalk with a serrated knife and place into a large bowl.
2. Add in the chopped peppers, scallions, onions and have fun getting messy mixing it with your hands!

3. Add in the tomatoes, olive oil, cilantro, cumin and salt/pepper, and squeeze in lots of fresh lime juice. Adjust seasonings as necessary and ENJOY!

PANZANELLA (Italian Bread Salad)

I first saw a few of the food network stars (Giada, Tyler Florence, Rachel Ray..  pretty much all of them) make this salad on TV a few years back, and so I had to try it at home. And let me tell you - I've been hooked ever since. I know that having huge chunks of bread in a salad that doesn't even have lettuce in it is kind of a strange concept in the US, but apparently this is an Italian classic, and I think the Italians got it right on this one.  The flavors and colors of this salad are the epitome of summer to me and I'm pretty sure I could eat this dish every day for the rest of my life and be a happy camper. What's great about this salad, as with the corn salad above, you can't go wrong with the proportions of ingredients and you can throw in whatever summer veggies you've got. That's the way I like to cook! Seriously- you gotta try it!

INGREDIENTS:
(for a large bowl's worth)

1/2-1 loaf of day old bread (any kind will do.. a GREAT way to use old bread!)

3 large tomatoes (any color.. I have gorgeous yellow ones in this picture)

2 large peppers (again.. any color. The more colors the better!)

1/2 red onion

2 cucumbers

LOTS of basil

1/2 cup feta cheese

2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tblsp red wine vinegar

Salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. First make the croutons, starting by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the loaf of bread into chunks (I like having big chunks, but any size is fine) and spread onto a baking pan. Lightly toss with olive oil, salt/pepper and bake for about 20min or until golden brown and crispy. 

2. While the croutons are baking, chop up the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and onions into roughly the same size chunks as the bread (This is supposed to be a rustic, chunky salad) and toss into a large bowl.

3. Chop up lots of fresh basil and add to bowl, along with feta cheese and salt/pepper. 

4. Once the croutons are done and have cooled slightly, add them to the bowl. Toss into salad and add olive oil and red wine vinegar. The croutons will soak up all the great flavors in this delicious, hearty, healthy, one-bowl meal! ENJOY!

Have a "BERRY" fun Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone has been enjoying this beautiful, long weekend and kick-off to summer! I know I sure have. I finished up my graduate classes (last classes ever?!?) on the 19th and have had some time off before taking my comprehensive exam this Thursday and then starting my dietetic internship on June 6th. Gosh, it's been so nice to have some real free time this past week to catch up with life! I'm looking forward to a change of pace and getting hands-on experience with my internship, though I can't say that I'm really excited about 40hr work weeks, plus extra assignments, non-stop until January... intense! But the program will be over before I know it and then I can start actually thinking about my wedding, getting a real job, and just starting my new life! Lots of changes, but I always look forward to new challenges and experiences. 


Enough about me.. let's talk food! One great thing about being done with classes is having more time to cook and experiment with new foods. And what better time than right now when the seasons are changing and copious amounts of gorgeous, fresh fruits and vegetables are available at the farmers' markets?! Strawberries, in particular, are booming right now and I couldn't be happier! Not only are strawberries so sweet and succulent (who doesn't LOVE strawberries??), but they are also packed with tons of health-promoting nutrients. Buy them from your local farmers' market while they are still in season to taste the deliciousness of freshly picked, local berries. Yum! Below are two very season-appropriate recipes using strawberries that I think you'll love! 


RED WINE SANGRIA WITH STRAWBERRIES, APPLES, AND ORANGES

What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than to make a fresh batch of sangria to cool you down after a hot day or to wash down all those grill foods? Sangria is one of my favorite drinks, especially during this time of year, and I love how forgiving, flexible and delicious this recipe is. Just use what you have and adjust the tastes to your liking! I personally don't like my sangria too sweet (most recipes call for some kind of fruit juice or sprite), so I just use a splash of triple sec to sweeten it up and add club soda for that extra spritz. You can also make it a few hours ahead of time and keep it chilled to let all the fruit soak into the wine for even more flavor.


Ingredients:
Red or white wine
Few splashes of brandy
Few splashes of triple sec
Club soda to make it spritzy
Chopped fruit: Apples, oranges, and strawberries!


Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl or pitcher.
2. Pour over a glass of ice and enjoy! Eating the wine-soaked fruit out of the glass is my favorite part!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB APPLESAUCE

This is another one of my favorite recipes to make once strawberries and rhubarb hit the farmers' market. The strawberries add great sweetness and flavor to the applesauce, while the rhubarb adds just a bit of tartness.. it's a really yummy combination. Rhubarb is a really fun, unique plant that grows in stalks and almost looks like pink celery. It's traditionally used in pies and other sweet desserts because of it's great tangy and tart flavor.  You just chop it the stalks into thin pieces and add it to the pot.

You can refer to my recipe for plain applesauce here. This one is pretty much the same but with strawberries and rhubarb added. Again, the proportions are totally up to you; you really can't go wrong with making applesauce.. it's all just about how you like it! Just chop up all the ingredients, throw them in a pot with some citrus (lemon or orange juice), cook until soft and mushy, then blend. I like to leave the skins on the apples for extra texture and nutrients, but you can choose to peel the apples beforehand if you'd like. And depending on how chunky you like you applesauce, you can decide how much to blend. Also feel free to experiment with adding spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc), different kinds of citrus (lemon, orange, etc), and different kinds of sweetners (agave, honey, maple, etc). The possibilities are endless!

Throw everything in a pot and cook for about 20-30 min stirring every few minutes until it look something like this...

Then use an immersion blender or processor to blend the applesauce to your desired consistency.

Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold. Great snack by itself or with yogurt. Enjoy!