Cinnamon Apple Chips

Happy Meatless Monday everyone! I know I haven't been quite on top of posting a new meat-free recipe every Monday, but I hope you are still trying and challenging yourself to go one entire day each week without meat.  Anyone have any comments on their own experience trying Meatless Mondays? I'd love to hear about it!

While procrastinating doing biostatistics homework, I thought I would go ahead and post an easy and delicious recipe for apple chips that I made this weekend (Okay so it's not that exciting of a hearty Meatless Monday recipe, but it's still a tasty snack that will keep you going through a meat-free day!). I eat a lot of apples during this time of year and I'm always looking for creative ways to use them (kind of like my last cabbage post.. ), especially with apples that are starting to go bad or have a few bruises here or there. Applesauce (click here for my recipe) is usually my go-to way to prepare apples if I have a ton that I need to use up, but this weekend I tried making oven-baked apple chips with a few extra apples I had laying around... and I fell in love.   I sliced them up real thin (the thinner the slice, the crispier the chip), sprinkled with some cinnamon and popped them in the oven on really low heat until they got nice and crispy and golden brown. They are great to snack on and to take on-the-go for a super healthy munchie (wayyyyy better than greasy, fatty potato chips.. yuk!). These are soooo good, you will probably want to make more than you think you will want...

CINNAMON APPLE CHIPS 

Ingredients:

(makes about 4-5 cups worth)

3-5 apples, any type

cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. 

2. Cut the apples into chunks around the core (or use an apple corer, if you have one), and slice very thinly. A mandolin is the best option for getting thin, even slices for crispy chips. 

3. Spread out the slices in a single layer on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (or tin foil, but use a cooking spray first). Sprinkle side facing up with cinnamon.

4. Bake for about 20min or so on the first side, until the slices start shrinking and shriveling up, turning slightly golden brown.  Then flip over the slices, sprinkle the other side with cinnamon and put back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes until this side is golden brown and crispy. You may have to work in batches depending on how many cookie sheets you have and can fit into your oven at once. I had to do two shifts of two cookie sheets. 

ENJOY!

Food Resolutions for You in 2011!

Just came across this great Huffington Post article, "11 Food Resolutions for You in 2011" that I had to share with everyone. If you're not already burnt out from setting resolutions for the new year, you gotta check this out and add a few more food-related ones to your list! Also - notice how Meatless Monday is #1 !! See.. the movement is spreading and I am not alone is my belief that Meatless Monday (EVERY Monday) is a great way to reduce meat intake, while improving your health and the health of the planet at the same time. 2011 is going to be a good year for us foodies spreading the love for local, seasonal, healthy, homemade food... so join the movement!

Click here to read the article. 

Meatless Monday- Homemade Broccoli & Cheese Pizza

Happy Meatless Monday everyone and hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and families. I know I sure did- so much good food and so many wonderful people! I have so much to be thankful for!

With some extra time during this (too short) break, I decided to make an entire pizza from scratch. Daunting, I know.  We all love pizza, but how many of us actually make it ourselves at home anymore? Even when I try to make pizza at home, I usually cheat and buy pre-made dough from Trader Joe's or the grocery store because I've always been afraid of making my own dough. Pre-made dough really does make things so much easier, but I just had to try making dough from scratch at least once while I had some extra time on my hands. And let me tell you- homemade dough makes SUCH a huge difference in the pizza! So tasty!

I found a really easy dough recipe from a random food blog called Fabulous Foods that gives really great step-by-step instructions, whether you are doing it by hand or in a food processor or bread machine. I didn't take any pictures of my dough-making extravaganza, so I'll have to refer you to their website for the recipe; but I can say that it was a really fun process and it just took a little bit of time out of one morning to make, which was definitely worth the final product. I also substituted white whole wheat flour because that's what I had on hand, but I'd actually prefer using regular 100% whole wheat flour. Any type of flour will work, but why not try to get as much nutritional bang for your buck by using whole wheat flour in the crust??

For the toppings, I tried to load up on the veggies and local/sustainable products as much as possible. I used broccoli, onions and garlic I bought from the farmers' market that morning; I used organic canned tomatoes and paste for the sauce; and I used a combination of local Muenster and Colby Jack cheese. It turned out as a delicious ooey-gooey tasty mess that I urge you all to try and get creative with toppings! Pizza really is a great way to load up on the veggies, while also indulging with the cheese :-) yum!

HOMEMADE BROCCOLI & CHEESE PIZZA! 

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (store-bought works, but try homemade! I used this recipe from Fabulous Foods)

1 can of organic diced tomatoes

2 tblsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 head of broccoli, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

1 cup cheese (get creative!

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Lightly grease cookie sheet or pizza pan and roll out pizza dough thinly.

3. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork and bake for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and tomato paste to make a pizza sauce. Add some salt and pepper and other herbs, if you wish. Put aside. 

5. Cook the garlic and onions in pan on med-high heat with a little bit of olive oil until softened. Add in the broccoli and cook for an additional minute or two. 

5. Pull the dough out of the oven and flip it over. Top with tomato sauce mixture and spread evenly to the edges with a spoon or spatula

6. Top with cheese. 

7. Spread the broccoli, onions and garlic evenly all over the pizza. 

8. Put back into the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, with the last minute or two on Broil until the cheese in bubbly and slightly golden brown.  

9. Cut into squares and serve! ENJOY! 

Meatless Monday- Spaghetti Squash!

Happy Meatless Monday everyone! For some fantastic fall-themed healthy and meatless recipes, check out the Meatless Monday website (CLICK HERE). They update it every Monday with new recipes and information, so add it to your bookmark list and check weekly for fun meal ideas!

As for my weekly idea, why not try Spaghetti Squash? Not spaghetti with squash (though this is quite delicious), but an actual vegetable, a variety of winter squash called Spaghetti Squash.

Any guess as to why it's called that? Yup- you got it! When cooked, the squash flesh separates out into long noodle-like strands.. So cool! Spaghetti squash, which is very low in calories and high in water and nutrient contents, is a GREAT substitute for pasta. I know for most people, myself included, pasta is a really easy go-to weeknight meal. But if you are bored of your plain old everyday pasta, why not change things up a bit and try Spaghetti Squash?? I just cooked it and ate it plain with some salt, pepper and herbs; but it is also really tasty prepared just like pasta with marinara sauce, lots of veggies and topped with some cheese. You won't even be able to tell the difference. This is a great Meatless Monday meal or on any other day of the week for that matter!

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper
Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half longways and scoop out the seeps and pulp from the middle.
3. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt/pepper and put on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for about 50-60minutes until golden brown and soft when poked with a fork.

5. Let cool and then scoop out the center with a fork so it separates into noodle-like strands.
6. Top with additional salt/pepper and herbs to taste. Marinara sauce and cheese are also great additions to make a complete meal! Enjoy!

Messy Green Tacos

Yes, I know it's Tuesday, not Monday. I already failed on a promise that I would post a great veggie-friendly, hearty recipe every Monday for Meatless Monday. I was up late working on a paper due a midnight (got it turned it at 11:30 with 30min to spare.. woo!) so I have to admit that I just popped into the oven a Trader Joe's frozen spinach pie for dinner with some acorn squash. Still meatless, but not quite homemade. What can I say? There are some nights I just don't have the time or desire to cook a meal from scratch!  So here is a meal I made last week and didn't have a chance to post yet, but its a perfect fit for a easy, hearty and healthy Meatless Monday meal. 

MESSY GREEN TACOS

With the plethora of greens in my fridge recently, I have had to get creative with what I how I cook them. (Yes- even I can get sick of eating my greens sometimes). I found a box of hard shell corn taco shells in my pantry from a while back, and I thought, "Why not try greens in tacos??" Okay so they aren't really "green" tacos, but they have greens in them and they certainly are messy! So fun! I sauteed up some radish tops with onions, garlic and leftover chickpeas with some mexican spices (lots of cumin and chili powder with a touch of cayenne for some heat) for a flavorful, colorful, and nutritious taco stuffing. Any type of cooking greens and beans will work great, and feel free to throw in whatever leftover veggies you have in the fridge- that's the beauty of the recipe-less dish! Once the filling is all cooked up, just stuff the tacos and top with your favorite salsa, hot sauce and shredded cheese, and there you have a fun and messy way to eat your greens!

Couscous and Lentils with Goat Cheese

Here is a great, one-pot, quick, healthy and hearty meat-free meal to help you start your week off right. Lentils are a great meat alternative because they are packed with protein, fiber, iron and B vitamins, and they are also really tasty, cheap and quick-cooking. They are many different types of lentils; all are extremely versatile and go well in soups or with grains.  I chose to cook up some lentils with whole wheat couscous tonight, which is also really quick and easy to make. And I made a big pot so I have plenty of leftovers to eat throughout the week- yes!

COUSCOUS WITH LENTILS AND GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients
1 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tblsp chopped onion
2 tblsp chopped carrot
2 tblsp chopped celery
salt/pepper
1.5 cup lentils (I used a mix of brown, red and yellow)
1 cup whole wheat couscous
4-5 cups water
goat cheese

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in pot, stir in garlic, onions, celery, carrots and salt/pepper and cook for a few minutes until softened.
2. Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes until lentils are soft.
3. Add couscous to the same pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes until couscous absorbs the remainder of the water and becomes soft. (If there is excess water, simply drain it out; and just add more water if there is not enough).

4. Once mixture is nice and fluffy and all the water is absorbed, serve a bowl and top with goat cheese.  ENJOY!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Happy Monday everyone! While most people dread Mondays and going back to work, I look forward to Mondays more than any day of the week. Why? Because on Mondays I get my life back together after the weekend, plan for my upcoming week, and participate in the Meatless Monday campaign (meaning absolutely no meat on Mondays for me!).  What is the Meatless Monday campaign, you ask?

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with Columbia's School of Public health, Syracuse's School of Public Communications, and the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health (hence the connection to me!). Meatless Monday is one of a number of campaigns, including Move It Monday, Kids Cook Monday, Quit & Stay Quit Monday, and Healthy Monday, which all aim to help end chronic preventable disease by offering a weekly prompt that can support people in starting and sustaining health behaviors. And what better day for healthy behavior changes than on Mondays? Read more about The Mondays Campaigns here.

Meatless Monday simply asks people to cut out meat one day a week to help reduce meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of the planet.  Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity; and it can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious natural resources like water and fossil fuels.  The initiative promotes healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives, and encourages those who do eat meat on other days to eat grass-fed, hormone-free, locally-raised options whenever possible.  Meatless Monday is sweeping the nation (and many countries across the world!) as a simple and powerful step individuals can take to improve their health and the health of the planet. I encourage and challenge you all to read more about it here and join the movement! The website has incredible meatless recipes and tons of resources to help you along the way!

I have been eating meat-free on Mondays for several months now since I began grad school and first heard of the campaign through my work study job at the Center for a Livable Future (a key contributor and supporter of this campaign).  As I said in my intro, I am not a vegetarian, but I eat meat-free the majority of the time and that works for me. When I do eat meat, I like to know where it came from and how it was raised (easier said than done, especially when eating out or with others, but I try).  And that's the point of this campaign- less meat, better meat.  I promise you, with all the fantastic meat-free recipes out there, you won't even miss your meat.  From here on out, I will be posting easy and delicious meat-free recipes on Mondays to give you some ideas if you want to give it a shot! Let me know if you do and what you think!