Food In Many Forms

It only took about 3 tries, but I finally perfected this recipe. The proportions of tuna to breadcrumbs to egg is pretty crucial, so I included 2 different scaled versions of the recipe. The great thing about these tuna cakes is that they go great on a bun, roll or pita, but they are also good alone with tartar sauce, just like crab cakes. Deck them out with plenty of lettuce, tomato or cheese, and enjoy!  This recipe has the added bonus of including a lot of pantry staples, being relatively affordable when you're eating on a budget, and super quick to make! Ingredients : Makes 2 burgers:                                     Makes 7 burgers: 1 3 oz can tuna                                         2 1/2 5 oz cans tuna 1/8 cup of finely chopped onion          ...

Some dishes, you just don't forget the first time you had them. In particular, the egg chilaquiles I had at Lauriol Plaza have been stuck in my mind: Three scrambled eggs with tortilla chips, and green tomatillo sauce. Topped with Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream. Served with seasonal fruit. Recommended for a hang over. - Lauriol Plaza Menu It came to my table still piping hot and comforting after a late night on the town. So, now that I have the time, I had to try my own version of it, perfectly portioned for 1. Ingredients : 1/2 cup salsa  3 oz chicken or vegetable broth 1 large egg 3 corn tortillas, in pieces, baked til crisp at 375 degrees OR 2 oz tortilla chips .75 oz queso fresco Nonstick cooking spray  Directions : 1. Heat salsa and broth in large saucepan to medium-high. Stir in the chips, coating all of them well with the mixture. As soon as the salsa mixture is at a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes...

I always tell my patients, the worst thing that can happen to their diet is complacence . When you stop working to improve your diet, it will inevitably go in the opposite direction . So I recently set some goals for myself to improve my own diet. 1) Eat more meals at home 2) Cook more meals at home 3) Use more home-cooked meats , rather than processed/packaged meats 4) Bulk up on vegetables at lunch and dinner 5) Use only whole grain products at home A lot of this has to do with finding products and recipes I enjoy, but also making time to prepare meals ahead of time. At first, this meant using a lot of frozen vegetables and microwaveable rice, and cooking meat in large batches for several days. But eating 90-second brown rice and frozen broccoli everyday can get a little boring, even if it does help me meet my goals. So now that I have a regimen that I am comfortable and happy with, it's time to shake it up a bit . Asparagus is going to be in season in Maryland ...

It was just a matter of time before Pinterest entered my life in food form , and this recipe was too easy to resist. It took 10 minutes to prepare after I got home from the gym, and 25 minutes to bake. The original recipe had too many egg whites , and too few whole eggs for my taste, so the modified version below has twice as many whole eggs and half the egg whites. There are four servings after all, I think one egg yolk per person is okay. And that is my professional opinion ;) Healthy Breakfast Frittata Makes 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 Cup Eggwhites (I use eggwhites from a carton to make my life easier) 4 Whole Eggs 1/2 a Small White Onion Finely Chopped 2 Cups Spinach (not packed) 1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Feta Cheese Black Pepper, to taste Crushed Red Pepper, to taste Salt, to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Place all ingredients in an 8×8 previously oiled baking dish sprinkling your spices on top. Using a fork fold ingredients together....

Monday night, after the gym, I was inspired to pick up some sliced almonds and nonfat Greek yogurt, and make myself a fruit parfait for dinner. It took about 10 minutes to assemble, and it made for a healthy, satisfying dinner. A few Google searches later, I found this recipe for a Chicken, Pesto, Celery, Walnut, and Spinach Wrap . It's just as easy to assemble, and made for plenty of leftovers! Ingredients: 6 Fiber One garden vegetable wraps 1 1/2 pounds rotisserie chicken  4 stalks celery, diced 2 Tbsp pesto 3 cups spinach, fresh 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped Directions: 1) Pull the meat off the rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, and divide it into smaller pieces.  2) Mix the pesto, walnuts, and celery in with the chicken. 3) Sprinkle 1/2 cup spinach on a vegetable wrap and cover with approximately 3 oz chicken 4) Roll it up like a burrito and enjoy! Adapted from:  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/qui...

There is a lot to be said for a recipe that cooks up quick and requires minimal prep time. Even more so if it is also healthy, cheap, and uses nonperishable ingredients. So even though this is not my favorite Giada recipe, it is definitely worth keeping the ingredients around in case I ever need to cook up  a good amount of food in a short amount of time. I promise you, it will grow on you as you eat, especially if you are generous with red pepper flakes and the parmesan ;) Ingredients: 1 pound farfalle pasta - I had gemelli so that's what I used 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups) - I used frozen 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, chopped 5 anchovy fillets, diced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan - I used Romano cheese Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook the bro...

This past Sunday, I fully intended on running the 3 miles to the nearby Safeway and taking the bus back with groceries in hand. Well turns out, I forgot my knee brace, I was dehydrated and tired, and it was already starting  to get dark when I finally set out at 6:30 pm. Darn, I had to go to Whole Foods.  I was hungry by the time I got there, and ravenous by the time I got home . So this was a good compromise. I bought the beef and bean chili from the hot salad bar, and the chips and Mexican cheese from Whole Foods, but I had Safeway "salsa fresca" at home. It is so easy to make , and really it's " healthy enough " when you're in a pinch. Pour beef and bean chili over top of a handful of blue corn chips. Sprinkle Mexican cheese on top. Microwave 30-45 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Spoon salsa on top - be generous, it's probably the healthiest part!  The only way that this recipe is moderately healthy is if you use the cheese sparingly , lather o...

I enjoyed my dinner too much not too share! Cut a whole wheat pita in half and layer with southwestern-style chicken, scallions, and part-skim mozzarella! Stick it in the toaster oven until the cheese melts and top with fresh salsa... stick the other half of the pita on top and dig in!

I needed to go grocery shopping yesterday, but with two exams this week, it just isn't happening until tomorrow. So, for once, I checked the freezer last night to see what I could defrost. I found Imitation Crab Meat - the kind you find in salad bars and is pre-cooked. I figured the worst case scenario was that I would eat it straight out of the bag as a snack. Well turns out inspiration came at the right time and I had delicious and light crab cake sandwiches for lunch! Ingredients: Whole wheat bread, 2 slices I package (7 oz) Imitation Crab Meat Two stalks of celery, finely chopped 2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped 4 Tbsp stone-ground mustard 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce  Zesty lemon seasoning, to taste Pepper, to taste  Sliced Cheese (optional) Directions: Mix together last 7 ingredients in a bowl and spread on toasted bread. Grill in George Foreman grill or panini maker until warm, or cheese is melted.

This is a great convenience meal because most of the ingredients can be frozen - I ate it several times during exams ! This is a great way to get vegetables, and saves time because the pasta is precooked. The whole bag of veggies is only 270 calories so load up! Recipe Courtesy of  Birds Eye ( see product website ).  Ingredients: Birds Eye Asparagus Stir Fry (w/ Asparagus, Carrots, Cauliflower, Noodles, Green Beans) Frozen, Uncooked, Peeled Shrimp Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder Sesame Oil Directions: 1. Cook shrimp in a skillet in 1-2 Tbsp of sesame oil until pink, being sure to flip them occasionally 2. Pour in as many vegetables as you want (you may need to add some more oil too!) 3. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste 4. Cook until hot

Cheese Tortellini with Green beans steamed in a Microwaveable bag and topped with fresh grape tomatoes - a sprinkle of basil or a pinch of pesto make this meal quick and gourmet! Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Finals are around the corner, but no matter how many times I try to convince myself to stop cooking for a while, I always slip back... I went to the grocery store yesterday, my biggest inspiration for cooking, and I was excited to try a new sauce I bought - Bertolli's Four Cheese Rosa . I normally don't love cream sauces , but this version of Alfredo Sauce has added tomatoes and four different cheeses (In case you couldn't tell from the name). When I opened the jar, the cheesiness was a little overwhelming, and I felt kind of nauseous. As I was cooking, I couldn't decide whether I should use the sauce or not. Luckily, I had made enough vegetables for two meals, and I set one aside before adding the sauce. However, with all my concerns about the sauce being totally gross and inedible, it was actually really good! My Shrimp Campanelle Recipe Serves 2-3 Ingredients Campanelle (or other fun-shaped pasta) 1 small bag of Frozen shrimp 1 jar Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa sauce 1 ...

Before I came to college, I had already tried many different kinds of "veggie burgers". My family ate Boca Burger's, Gardenburgers and Dr.Praeger's California Burgers. My Dad even puts them in his grilled chicken sandwiches to get extra veggies in his diet. Consequently, I feel somewhat qualified to say that these are real tasty, especially when cooked in a George Foreman Grill, covered in melted provolone cheese and served in/on your favorite form of bread (today, I used Naan ).  After talking a lot about people in college who "don't cook" , I hope I can give people some ideas or inspiration to take simple steps towards eating healthy. These are really great because they can be frozen for later...I am going to find out how long they stay good in the refrigerator.