Category Archives: new recipes

Confused, Quick, And Crazy

Posted on February 22, 2011 | 2 Comments

When I woke up this morning I was genuinely convinced that it was Monday. Gotta love that about a long weekend! As soon as I opened my computer while eating breakfast I saw it was Tuesday and I was no longer confused. What a pleasant surprise / reminder too!

I also have to love days that fly by, which today did. I got pulled into 2 different meetings unexpectedly that both took up much more time than I had anticipated. They both made the day fly by and also made me feel a bit crazy and tense because I have my work cut out for me tonight!

In between the craziness I still managed to get to the gym for my total body conditioning class. I knew it was going to be a bit rough because yesterday I did an hour of cardio followed by my new (to me) class of the month – vinyasa yoga at a differently location of my gym. When I woke up my back, lats and shoulders, and hamstrings were sore so the lifting we did in class felt like extra hard work.

Feeling accomplished, I tore into my packed lunch – teriyaki stir fry! Last night I stir fried onion, carrot, red bell pepper, ~1/3c pineapple chunks, broccoli, and chopped asparagus in garlic, rice wine vinegar, GF teriyaki sauce,and a splash of GF soy sauce. I ate last night’s bowl with a serving of chicken breast over brown rice and packed the leftovers for today with 1/4c each of black beans and chick peas. Both meals left me completely satisfied!

I skipped my usual snack time because of a meeting which meant I ate a pear on my walk home. As soon as I walked in the door I threw together a chili based on this Whole Foods recipe and enjoyed a serving on top of spinach with a salad on the side.

Spicy Chicken and Corn Chili

  • 9oz precooked chicken breast, chopped
  • 1/4c chopped onion
  • 3/4c frozen bell pepper strips
  • 1.5T chili powder
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 2T oregano
  • 1T cumin
  • garlic powder
  • 15oz canned tomato sauce (I used 1 8oz can plus 7oz plain pasta sauce since that’s all I had on hand)
  • 1/2c mild fire roasted salsa
  • 2c water
  • 2c corn

It’s Biggest Loser tonight but I also have to add to my list:

  • review of workshops, etc. for my sorority leadership team (our big conference is this weekend!)
  • freelance article
  • some decluttering / organizing

Do you ever find yourself thrown off by a short work week?

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Vegan White Bean Burgers

Posted on February 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Last week I cooked a batch of Great Northern Beans from scratch. I was proud of myself for the cooking success but didn’t actually get to enjoy the fruits of my labor (hehe). To make sure that they didn’t go to waste I froze 2 cups in individual servings to use at a later date. That left me with 1.5c left and a burger craving.

Last week I found this recipe and thought it would be a great guide to follow to make my own bean burgers.  I halved the recipe and am pretty proud of this little culinary project!

Vegan White Bean Burgers

  • 1.5c Great Northern Beans
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1/4c chopped onion
  • 1t olive oil
  • 1t rosemary
  • salt, pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, chili powder to taste
  • 1/4c dried roasted buckwheat groats
  • 1/4t cayenne pepper

I followed the directions exactly as they are listed so you should definitely check out the original recipe.

The finished product:

The nutritional stats per burger: 135 calories, 2g fat, 6g fiber, 7g protein, 24g carbs, 52% Vitamin A, 10% iron

I had mine with BBQ sauce on a slice of toast with a spinach salad on the side. This spring-like dinner was perfect on a day where temps were warm for this time of year!

Have you ever made your own veggie / bean burgers before?

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Adjusting and 2 New Recipes

Posted on February 1, 2011 | 2 Comments

Somehow I’ve managed to fill up my entire weekends with activity through January and February. The old me might see this as a bit of a problem but the new me that’s trying to be more open and do more things is attempting to embrace a fuller Sunday schedule. I love spending that time relaxing with friends but am not gonna lie – I miss having my Sunday afternoons to cook and relax and am adjusting to this new routine.

Since I didn’t cook on Sunday I had no viable options for a packed lunch yesterday. I actually wasn’t too concerned because my new breakfast kept me full until 1pm. That never happens! When I finally got hungry I walked myself over to Java Green to pick up the Bibimbap which is various veggies served over brown rice with chili sauce. Light, filling, and a good clean lunch.

I ate all my veggies and about 3/4 – 1c of the rice and was surprisingly full. I’m attributing it to breakfast curbing my appetite.

For a snack at the end of work I had some pistachios and then headed to Trader Joe’s. The store was surprisingly empty for a Monday night after work and I was home in no time. I had soaked some Great Northern beans before work in the morning so I rinsed them and set them to boil away on the stove.

Do you ever turn on the tv (I love the evening news) only to realize you’re not in the mood? Well that happened yesterday. Instead I flipped it off, turned on some music and proceeded to cook away for 2 hours. It was actually amazing. When my play list ran out I just kept the apartment quiet and loved it. And I cleaned as I went so I avoided a big mess. So, what did I make?

Well, first I roasted some carrots and half a head of cauliflower.

I made a lot of beans

Then I started on a vegetarian chili that I actually had on Sunday night at Suzy’s apartment for dinner. It was so good I had to make a batch for myself! This recipe was my inspiration and I added my own touch as well:

Peanut Butter Vegetarian Chili

  • 2/3c chopped onion
  • 1/2c chopped carrot (1 large carrot)
  • 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne, paprika, chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3oz tomato paste
  • 2c vegetable broth
  • 1 (14.5oz) can black beans (~1.5c)
  • ~1 1/3c Great Northern beans
  • 2T peanut butter (it’s all I had left in the jar!)
  • 1c frozen corn kernels

In a non-stick sprayed stock pot, heat onion and carrot with garlic powder until onion begins to turn translucent. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Stir again,  reduce heat to a simmer, and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer for an addition 15 minutes or so until chili reaches desired thickness.

I love the peanut butter flavor in this chili. Seriously – it’s a great new “secret” ingredient. This halved recipe made 5 servings that clocked in at 230 calories, 4g fat, 8g fiber, and around 9g protein.

I topped my bowl with a few spoonfuls of cauliflower mash and some grated cheddar and didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the night. It packed a great nutritional punch!

I made the cauliflower mash while the chili was simmering which took 10 minutes, max. I washed half a head of cauliflower and cut it into florets. Then I steamed it in the microwave with a few splashes of vegetable broth and shakes of garlic powder (maybe 3-4 minutes). Then I added it into my blender with a couple extra splashed of broth and pureed until smooth.

It appears as though I’ve made up for my lack of Sunday cooking and will have some good and nutritious foods to eat for the week (and stock my freezer with)!

Do you do one big round of cooking for the week or cook as you go?

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Down Home Goodness

Posted on January 24, 2011 | 2 Comments

For as much as I managed to fit into my day on Saturday, Sunday was all about quality down time, staying warm, and relaxing.  My little trick of ignoring weather reports seems to be working as far as encouraging me to just bundle up although when I woke up I knew it was cold because my apartment was chilly.

Since I wasn’t hungry when I got up, I made myself hop on over to the farmers market to pick up eggs and apples. I quickly discovered how cold and windy it was and bribed myself with a tall drip from Starbucks. I loved the word on the side of my cup (I like it dark roasted).

I was finally hungry and had PB&J on a toasted English muffin and an egg white. I also had some berries on top of a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt.

That’s when the craving set it. No sooner had I put my breakfast dishes in the sink when a craving for a warm, comforting bowl of soup struck.

I found this recipe for Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with my favorite kind of mushroom – shiitake and knew I had to make it. I make a ton of substitutions, halved the recipe, and it came out wonderfully.

Chicken, Wild Rice, and Shiitake Soup inspired by Gina

makes 4 1.5c servings

  • 1 teaspoon Earth Balance
  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 small onion (~1 1/3c chopped)
  • 3.5c low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 c water
  • garlic powder
  • 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2.25 oz brown and wild rice mix (I used Lundberg Farms)
  • 1/4c short grain brown rice
  • 2.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced

In a large stock pot sprayed with cooking spray cook your onion in Earth Balance for 3 – 4 minutes or until translucent.

Add chicken broth, water, chicken, carrots, and garlic, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add wild rice, brown rice, salt, pepper, and mushrooms, stir well, and cover and simmer for 25 – 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Remove the chicken from the pot, shred, and add it back into the soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve.

This tastes homey, rich, and delicious and packs quite the nutritional punch! I had my first bowl for lunch with some hot red pepper mixed in and it was amazing.

For lunch today I added ~1/8c frozen peas, a ton of frozen spinach, and some extra water to loosen things up and it was even better. Spinach makes everything better :)

With the temperatures being so cold this week in DC a warm, comforting bowl of soup is exactly the cure for a constant winter chill. I tweeted yesterday that a bowl of soup just like this one is just like a big hug. I highly recommend this recipe!

What’s one of your favorite comfort foods?

 

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