Posts tagged vegetables

Does anyone know when I can find a fully functioning brain? Because mine has just vanished. Seriously. It seems as though after my capstone presentation day, I have not been able to function normally. I can’t form sentences when speaking, I keep tripping and falling, I feel it is unsafe for me to drive, and all I want to do is nap and be extremely sedentary.. and I’m NOT EVEN DRUNK! Ugh so frustrating. It needs to turn back on and QUICK because I start my residency in about two weeks and I am going to need it to be sharp and smart!!

While I search, please enjoy this savory quinoa recipe. Yum!

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

(Revised from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage (1/2 head)
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup green onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 the juice of 1 lime

Method:

Cook the quinoa as directed on the package. When it is done, let it cool for about 10 minutes. While it is cooking, chop your veggies.

Add peanut butter and agave in a small microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, juice of a half lime and both oils. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. Thin with the lime juice.

Add all of the dressing to the cooked quinoa. The more the merrier.

Next fold in the red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and chickpeas into the dressed quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

The longer this sits, the better it gets. All the flavors dance in the fridge as it waits for you to eat more. This is a GREAT meal to take for lunch! If you are going to pack it for lunch wait to add the cashews or they will get a little soggy.

If you happen to locate my wandering brain, please email me!

Yeah. Jacki and I are did a three day cleanse. The beginning of May was a wee bit stressful which means I make poor food/nutrition choices (why I do this, I don’t know. But I wish I didn’t). SO now that I have completed my last suggested eight page paper, I attempted to flush all of my toxins and bad grad school memories from my system. 

The cleanse comes from Dr. Oz. Yes, I think he is weird and actually don’t care for him much. But this cleanse looked the easiest least difficult and painful. I can’t afford a juicer and all you need is a blender for this; another reason I chose this one. 

3-Day Cleanse

Step 1: Right when you wake up in the morning. (7am-9am)

Start the morning off with some detoxifying green tea with lemon.

<I enjoy tea, so having a cup in the morning was not hard for me>

Step 2: After you have finished your tea (7:30am-11am)

Red Beauty (Breakfast Drink)

• 8 oz water
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 banana, chunked
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

<The red beauty is tart from the raspberries and lemon. You can taste a hit of the almond butter, and it is thickened by the chia seeds. Overall not a bad smoothie>

Step 3:After you have finished the breakfast drink. **Many people I know, including myself get very upset stomach/nausea if you do not eat before talking certain supplements.**

One probiotic supplement and half of a multivitamin

<Probiotics are really freaking expensive. Oh the cost of beauty…>

Step 4:Take this around your natural lunch time (12pm-2pm)

The Green Monster (Lunch Drink)

• 4-oz almond milk (unsweetened)
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup kale leaves, packed
• 1/2 green apple, chopped
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

<I call this the green monster because it is very green and there is a lot of it to drink! Aside from the fact that it is kind of unpleasantly chunky, it really doesn’t taste that bad. The pineapple and apple give it enough sweetness so that you don’t really feel like you have to choke it down>

Step 5: Again, take these after you have finished your lunch drink.

One omega-3 supplement and half of a multivitamin

Step 6: No blender needed! Drink during your afternoon snack time. (2pm-5pm)

Spicy Lemonade (Master Cleanse)

• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons pure natural maple syrup (grade A or B)
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 10 oz cold filtered water

<This tastes like lemonade but with a kick, or a hot punch in the back of the throat. The faster you drink it, the faster it is over. Take it down like a champ>

Step 7: Dinner time! Obviously, drink for your dinner! (5pm-7pm) Try to finish this drink at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed so it has time to digest.

Purple Spice (Dinner Drink)

• 12-oz coconut water, natural no sugar added
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 cup kale leaves
• 1/4 avocado, cubed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

<This one is tasty as well. Aside from the cayenne punching you in the throat again, it is very do-able>

Step 8: This was more challenging for us because we do not really fit in our bathtubs. Small tub + large human = cold knees or cold chest (lose-lose situation). But we figured this was an important step so we attempted it anyway. (Before bed)

Detox Bath

• 2 1/2 cups Epsom Salt (lavender scented)
• Tub of hot water

<Even though I’m not really able to fit in my tub, it was still very relaxing. The lavender helps with that too>

In conclusion, things I have learned:

• On a 3-day cleanse, I think I looked bloated and only my fingers lost weight
• I need to take more baths
• A detox cleanse makes you super tired (or it was me releasing all the stress from grad school)
• I am a much happier person when I am able to chew and eat food
• I will probably not do this ever again

Eat. These. Pot. Stickers. They are soooooooo gooooood!!! The bottom is crispy and dough is soft and the vegetables are still slightly crunchy and salty. 

Vegetable Pot Stickers

Ingredients

Makes 20-24 dumplings

(Revised from Ming Tsai)

• 1 + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup white cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 pinch salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 package wonton wrappers (in the produce section)

Method:

In a large saute pan over medium to medium-high, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute the onion, ginger and garlic for 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes. And in the cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Place in a colander to let drain. When the mixture has cooled, add sesame oil. 

Lay a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface and add a large tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Wet the edges with water. Now attempt to fold the edges to make a purse/pouch/dumpling that has a flat bottom to stick to the pot.

In a flat bottom skillet that has a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium to medium-high. Add dumplings to the pan to sear the bottom of each dumpling, about 3 minutes. You might have to work in batches because you do not want to overcrowd the pan. After 3 minutes, add in 1/4 cup of water and cover immediately. The dumplings will steam as the water evaporates. When all of the water evaporates the bottoms will get crispy again and stick to the pot, about 5 minutes. They are now ready to enjoy.

For a dipping sauce use soy sauce or add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and some scallions together. 

My roommate was watching TV and saw this recipe. It is meatballs, made healthier with eggplant and ground turkey. So naturally as girls trying to look good for Vegas in a few months, we will try anything that tells us it is relatively healthy/lower calories and fat. Funny thing, I had the recipe the whole time in a cookbook on my shelf. I did some fiddling with the proportions to make my life easier (because Jennie-O ground turkey comes in packages of 20-oz, not 12-oz… Duh Rocco DiSpirito).

Mini Turkey Meatballs

(Revised from Rocco DiSpirito Now Eat This! Diet)

Makes 24 Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 small eggplant (you will need 1/3 C of flesh)
• 3 tablespoons low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 large egg whites
• 20-oz lean ground turkey (1 package)
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup low-fat marinara sauce + more for pasta
• 1/2 lb of whole wheat spaghetti

Method:

Turn your broiler on. Place the eggplant on a sheet pan under the broiler to char the skin until it is blackened and the flesh is cooked through, about 10 minutes depending on the size of your eggplant.

Allow the eggplant to cool slightly then cut in half, Scrape out the flesh being careful not to incorporate the skin. Measure out 1/3 cup of the flesh.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a mini-muffin plan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a blender, combine the cooked eggplant, chicken broth, onion, garlic and egg whites. Puree until it is a smooth consistency.

In a large bowl, combine the mixture with the ground turkey, parsley, 3 tablespoons cheese, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

In each muffin cup, add 1 teaspoon of marinara sauce in the bottom.

Drop a rounded tablespoon of meat mixture into the cups. Top with another teaspoon of marinara sauce. The cups will look overfilled, but the meat will shrink down a bit when they are cooked.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are done. While the meatballs are cooking make some pasta to go with it!

The sauce will run off the sides of the muffin pan so have some aluminum foil underneath the pan to save time on cleaning it!

Time to eat: pasta + meatballs + more sauce + more cheese = in your mouth. YUM!

I thought that these were super delicious. You get to eat a traditional comfort food and I felt way less guilty. The meatballs are super savory and juicy from being cooked with the sauce. Thrown on top of some spaghetti and I was in heaven! You couldn’t taste the eggplant so if that scared you no worries, it is just a secret skinny ingredient.

Happy Cooking!

There are days when I wake up thinking I have plenty of time to get ready before leaving, then actually realizing I have about 7 minutes to get to my next destination… or the days when I fight the age old battle of bed vs. alarm clock. So when these days happen, I need something to sustain my panic and frantic movements out the door. When I came across a recipe for frozen breakfast burritos I thought, “Why haven’t I ever thought of this before!?” Now my hysterical travels to school and clinic can be spent shoving my face with a homemade breakfast burrito.

Homemade Frozen Breakfast Burritos

(Idea taken from Amanda’s Cookin’)

Ingredients:

• 6 large flour tortillas, warmed and pliable
• 12 eggs (6 whole eggs and 6 egg whites)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can fat-free refried beans
• 1/2 cup corn, frozen or fresh
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• about 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• pinch chipotle powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• waxed paper

Method:

Preheat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat with the olive oil. Saute your onion and bell pepper until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the garlic and corn and saute for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the veggies cool.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cumin, cayenne and chipotle powder. Whisk to break up all the eggs. In the same skillet over medium heat spray with nonstick cooking spray and add the eggs, and cook until fluffy and tender scrambled eggs. Remove from heat.

Assembly!

Lay a tortilla in the middle of a 12x12-inch piece of wax paper. Spread about 1/4 cup of refried beans on the tortilla and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of cheese.

Place 1/6th of the veggies on the lower-center part of the tortilla, followed by 1/6th of the scrambled eggs.

Fold in the 2 sides, take the bottom up over the center and pull the filling back so fit snug in the wrap, then continue to roll until it looks like a fat tight burrito. (*Note: this will make so much sense if you have ever seen someone fold a burrito or wrap. If you haven’t… best of luck with my pictures.)

Wrap with the burrito tightly in the wax paper and place seem side down in a plastic zipper bag or on a plate with its burrito buddies. When you have completed all of them, place them in the freezer.

Running late and need a breakfast burrito? Unwrap the burrito from the paper, place on a paper towel lined plate, microwave for 2-3 minutes turning once during the cook time. Smile and enjoy your breakfast on the go.

Happy Cooking!

I work for a catering company that serves weddings, private parties, luncheons and so much more. The food that comes out of the catering kitchen is some of the best I have ever tasted, no lie! Maybe I don’t eat at places that warrant food this delicious but I give mad props to Chef Paul and his crew!

One of my favorite things that Chef Paul makes (I have about 15 favorite things) is what he calls a Vegetable Wellington with Red Pepper Cream Sauce. It is vegetables rolled into phyllo dough with a thick pepper cream sauce. The vegetables are still crunchy but tender in the flaky pastry, and then I dip it in the creamy sauce and it is just heaven in my mouth. This is my attempt at creating what I wish I could do daily.

Vegetable Pockets with Tomato Cream Sauce

(Makes 4 pockets)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 plus 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into sticks
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into sticks
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into sticks
• 1 large carrot, grated or cut into sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup mozzarella or provolone cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup half & half
• 12 sheets phyllo dough, THAWED in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 2 hours
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 4 oz water
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cooking the Veggies

I strongly suggest that you prep ALL of the vegetables before you get cooking. Look at those beautiful colors of nature!

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallot and then 2 cloves of minced garlic until they are just translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in the thyme and give a quick stir.

Add in the zucchini, squash, bell pepper, and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 4-6 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still tender.

Sprinkle on the cheese and add in the 3 tablespoons of half & half. Mix together and let cook for 1 more minute, then kill the heat.

Let it cool for a few minutes and transfer to a medium sized bowl to cool down.

Creating a Sauce

One thing that I often always fail at in the kitchen is making sauces… correction thickening sauces. There is obviously a science to it that I have yet to learn and master but for now I will eat, dip and dine with delicious thin runny sauces.

In a small pot over medium-high heat, add in the tomato sauce and water. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and 1 clove of minced garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until it is reduced (if you can accomplish that, unlike me). Add in the cream and stir to combine.

Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the sauce so there are minimal imperfections. You may have to use a spoon to help the sauce through. Return to the pot to keep the sauce warm.

Making your Pockets

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. When the filling is cooled, it is time to work with the phyllo dough. This was my first attempt ever with phyllo dough and for the most part I think I did something right. Be sure to get your butter melted and ready!

On a nice flat dry surface, gently peel and lay down one sheet of phyllo. Brush cautiously with butter using a pastry brush. Add another sheet on top and repeat until you have 4 sheets all covered with butter.

Add 1/4 of your veggie mixture to the left side of the phyllo sheets leaving at least a two inch boarder.

Fold the left flap over the veggies, then fold over the top and bottom edged, as if you were rolling a burrito.

Roll the veggies and flaps over toward the right until it is all wrapped up. Do not fret about rips and tears, lay them where they should be and the butter will glue it all back together. Place the pocket seam side down on a buttered baking sheet, brush the tops and sides with butter to assist with browning and deliciousness.

Repeat until you have 4 perfect pockets. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the pockets are golden brown and crispy on top. Just look at that crispy awesomeness!

Enjoy your Pockets & Sauce

I would call this a success for my first attempt! The filling was cheesy and the veggies still had a crunch. The phyllo was flaky and one of the bests parts. The sauce gave the pockets another element of savory bliss. They were so satisfying I had to eat two of them. Shocker.

Happy Cooking!