Food In Many Forms

It took nearly a month to get my hands on Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, and another month to find the time to bake. But finally, I have produced the most delicious Chipotle Pumpkin Muffins that are the perfect combination of spicy and sweet! I doubled the recipe to use the whole can of pumpkin, and I after baking up a dozen muffins, I poured the rest of the batter into a loaf pan. I also sprinkled some of the muffins with pumpkin seeds and crystallized ginger, just for fun.  Adapted from  http://morganmadeit.net/post/2011/02/25/Chipotle-Pumpkin-Muffins-with-Gluten-Free-Option.aspx Ingredients: 3/4 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 2/3 cup oil 1/3 cup milk 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup pureed pumpkin 1 chipotle pepper, chopped into a paste 2 Tbsp adobo sauce from the peppers In...

At the Diabetes Center, we teach our patients to use the "Plate Method" to get them started on a diabetic diet. We tell them to make half their plate vegetables, one quarter of their plate protein and one quarter of their plate starch. This a great way for everyone to control their portions and increase the amount of vegetables in your diet. So to further my continual mission to eat healthy and exercise. I want to cook more meals that follow this "Plate Method".  What's on the Plate? Penzey's Tandoori Chicken Start preparation the night before.  Mix 1-2 TB. tandoori seasoning with 1 Cup plain yogurt and the juice of ½ lemon. Pour over a cut-up skinless chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from marinade, bake 45 minutes uncovered at 325°, turning and basting every 15 minutes.  Hand-mixed from: coriander, cumin, sweet paprika, garlic, ginger, cardamom and saffron. Trader Jo...

Peppermint Bark reminds me of Christmas. Well,  I could say that about a lot of sweets really.... but it seems as though one of the other dietitians at my internship agrees and brought in an identical-looking batch of dark and white chocolate peppermint bark just last week. Happy coincidence, since my stash had just about run out!  Ingredients: 8 ounces Nestle dark chocolate morsels 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided 8 ounces Nestle premier white morsels 25 peppermint candies, crushed Directions: Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and line with waxed paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside. Place the semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the p...

It's a little early for Hanukkah, but I always think it's good to work for your food. My fingers hurt after shredding and peeling four cups of potatoes, but it was worth it! These labor intensive latkas took about an hour to make, so we fried them up tonight while we had the patience. For dinner tomorrow, we will heat them back up in the oven, serve them with applesauce, and enjoy! Ingredients 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes 1 tablespoon grated onion 3 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup canola oil for frying Directions 1) Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible. (Or use a strainer to get some of the potato juice out, like I did ) 2) In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together. 3) In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them...

It seems like everyone is in pursuit of the perfect milk substitute these days. Whether you are lactose intolerant, you are looking for something new and different, or you just don't like the taste of regular milk, you have probably tried soy milk, rice milk or almond milk at some point.  Well in case you hadn't noticed, I love almond-flavored baked goods. So any recipe that combines almond milk, almond extract and almond paste takes the cake! Literally! These cupcakes are great because they are not too sweet, sort of like scones. They make me feel very British, like I should be eating them at four o'clock with my afternoon tea.  Check out the almond breeze website for more recipes using almond milk! Almond Cupcakes Courtesy of Almond Board of California 3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup Vanilla Almond Breeze® 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted bu...

Molasses cookies, pumpkin cake, gingerbread. These are all desserts that remind us of the holiday season. Already, the malls are decking the halls, and the city is starting to hang Christmas lights on the trees along the harbor. For a healthy meal that stirs up that same holiday spirit, try this pumpkin pie oatmeal from Budget Bytes ! Plus, you'll have leftovers for days! Ingredients 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 cups milk 2.5 cups dry old-fashioned oats Directions: STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Whisk in the milk. STEP 2: Mix the dry oats into the pumpkin mixture. Coat an 8x8 (or similar sized) baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the pumpkin oat mixture. Cover with foil and bake in the pre...

One of my favorite snacks is baked apples, sliced up with a sprinkle of sugar or Splenda. But for when you want something a little extra special, this dessert works like a charm. In my mind, just the presentation makes it special, rather than a gloppy mess of brown sugar, oats and shriveled apple slices, you get a beautiful apple bowl overflowing with oats and a little bit of sweetness.  Baked Apple with Crisp Topping Adapted from Sunny Anderson Makes 6 servings Ingredients 3 apples 1 teaspoon lemon juice 6 Tbsp apple or pear butter 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter, cold and diced 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 cup oats, uncooked 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each apple in half along its equator. Using a melon baller, cut out each side of the core, creating a rounded hole. Rub exposed apple flesh with lemon juice. Place 1 tablespoon of jam into each hole. For the topping: in a small bowl mix to...

I've commented before on the convenience of recipes that use "1 can of corn" or "1 can of beans" or "1 can of pumpkin" rather than 4 oz, 1/4 cup or 1 lb. But of course, no one is ever worried about being convenient, or using what is left over. Well,  between pumpkin risotto and enchiladas, I had a lot of perfectly good canned veggies that were left unused . I used my search engine, and found this great soup recipe  with all three of those ingredients, plus some staple foods I always carry. Suddenly, I have a hearty winter soup that is only 147 calories, 29 g of carbohydrates and 9 g of fiber per cup.  I am getting practice counting carbs and monitoring my blood sugar at the diabetes outpatient center this week, and all of a sudden finding low calorie, high carbohydrate foods that are satiating has become a big problem. However, in this case, I am going to have to go for seconds, or get some extra dessert to fulfill my goal. Extra dessert? Da...

In my excitement over the beginning of the squash season , I decided to buy a pound and a half of pre-cut butternut squash. I definitely overestimated my squash needs , but now I get to make Lauren and Mary's Pumpkin-Butternut Squash Risotto ! They served it at their fall-themed theme meal, along with roasted acorn squash and a pork stew. Everything was delicious, and since I only got to try a bite of the risotto, I was excited to make it for my self with the scaled-down version of the recipe. Unfortunately, mass-produced meals don't scale down well, so there was some guess work involved. It definitely tasted different from the original meal, but I thought it benefited from a dash of salt.  Ingredients: How can you beat this 300 calorie lunch with 8 grams of fiber? 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed 5 fl oz pumpkin, pureed 2/3 cup, onion, coarsely chopped 1 cup arborio rice 4 3/4 cups water 1 Tbsp vegetable broth 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated 2 Tbsp bas...

It was not my idea, but it was a delicious one! Pumpkin cookies are a great way to welcome fall! My roommate thought these would be great with cream cheese frosting, and I'm inclined to agree. One reviewer on allrecipes.com even recommended sandwiching two of these cake-like cookies together with frosting in between. Now I just need a cream cheese frosting recipe... Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup o...

Remember that menu I made for the week? It went out the window tonight in favor of enchiladas. I walked to the grocery store just to get sauce and taco shells, even after buying all my groceries for the week based on my "planned" menu. Oh well.  Sandra Lee has a recipe that uses the leftover components of black bean burgers to make black bean enchiladas. Well, I   didn't want black bean burgers, but I have to give Sandy Lee some credit for the idea. Ingredients: Filling: 1/4 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided 1/4 cup canned corn 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Enchiladas: 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce 4 soft taco shells 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onions in a small pan until browned. Turn stove to low and add garlic, beans and corn. Cook until heated through. Stir in cilan...

After all my pledges to eat better, I sat down last night and made a list of recipes and ordered groceries so I am able to cook healthy food every night this week. My partner at my internship gave me a kitchen-tested recipe for Brussels sprouts t hat was too easy to pass up. But I thought it would be a little easier on the palate  if I mixed it with some whole wheat pasta, chicken breast and Parmesan cheese . Here's the original recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Clean and trim Brussels sprouts and spread them out on a baking sheet (I went ahead and pre-chopped them so I could toss them directly into the pasta when they were done cooking).  Brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Roast Brussels sprouts in the oven until they begin to brown. Enjoy!

I'm on my  third carton of eggs in six weeks , and today I began to wonder if this is a healthy trend. Between 2 quiches, a batch of lemon bars and some scrambled eggs here and there, I have used gone through 21 eggs . Not to mention the hard boiled eggs I eat at work, the egg whites in my favorite spinach feta wraps at Starbucks and the fried eggs going into my Au Bon Pain breakfast sandwiches. I have given myself a little too much wiggle room these past couple weeks, and my scale knows it. So after I finish the quiche that is baking in my oven right now, I am going to switch to egg whites and re-focus on lowering the fat and cholesterol in all parts of my diet . It also means that I am going to work hard to curb my cravings for cookies and sweets, and go for the fruit instead. Just this week, I decided to slice up some very ripe bananas and freeze them and they were such a great snack. I am stocked up on my favorite Greek yogurt, and my pantry is stocked with heal...

I learned recently that Americans eat an average of 28 pounds of cheese every year . I think I am giving America a run for its money this week with all my cheesy nachos, cheese-filled quiche and cheesy zucchini. I just need to make cheesy grits and I'll have covered breakfast, lunch and dinner with delicious cheese.  This recipe is what I would call and "fiber and fat" recipe, because if I was making this for food service class, 70% of the calories would come from fat and I would be in trouble. Luckily. I am not in class, and I can drizzle olive oil and sprinkle cheese to my heart's content ! Slice up pre-cooked polenta and zucchini . Get the polenta slices nice and crispy, cooking it on medium with olive oil, Italian seasonings , and garlic powder . Cook the zucchini separately in the same way, until soft. Place the crispy polenta slices on the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer zucchini on top. Sprinkle  Parmesan  and Mozzarella cheeses on top. Bake at ...

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 am starting to notice a trend . All the recipes I try that turn out really well are recipes from manufacturers. All the recipes that are so-so are from random people. My dark cherry muffins , spinach & cheese crescents ,   yellow curry chicken , and chocolate scotcheroos were all recipes from the manufacturer of the products I was using. My unfortunate spaghetti squash and my average-tasting lemon cookies, on the other hand, were someone's home-grown recipes. Not to say that all home recipes on the internet are bad, but they just haven't been tested for consistency the way professional recipes are. Also, I'm sure the processed foods (like crescent rolls) are going to taste good no matter what I do with them, but that's another story....  This is an example of yet another manufacturer's recipe that is awesome, awesome, awesome . I NEVER enjoy leftovers, and I thought this quiche recipe tasted even better after I reheated it two days later.  INGREDIENTS 8...

After eating take out for lunch and dinner, I knew I couldn't sit around in my apartment and wait for the cravings to strike. So, I dragged myself to the gym, and when I got home, I baked. It seems counter-intuitive to bake to prevent snacking, but it keeps my mind off of the tortilla chips in the cupboard and the Ben & Jerry's in the freezer. And even when I have "no food in the house", I always have flour and sugar. Kill two birds with one stone and bake your breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next day in advance! 1 3/4 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup frozen, pitted dark cherries, quartered In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add egg, milk and oil. Stir until combined. Stir in dark cherries. Fill greased 2 1/2 inch muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until tes...

The lemon bars turned out great... just a few minor flaws... 1) I used half the butter (1 stick), and it made the lower crust a little crumbly, no big deal though 2) I used yellow food dye instead of red...oops... it looked red in the bottle! I think I used all the red dye making red velvet cake.... 3) I forgot to share them... I'm going to have to bring them to work tomorrow...

Somehow a search for healthy kid's recipes led me to pink lemonade bars... they certainly are fun... but not so healthy. On second thought, I promised baked goods to a friend I'm visiting this weekend.... yep, Thursday night this is happening. Hands-On Time:  15 minutes Ready In:  1 hour 20 minutes Yield:  Serves 24 Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups flour Pinch of salt 6 large eggs 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup flour Several drops of red food coloring Powdered sugar for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Cream together butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir flour and salt together and add to butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove ...

The only way I have ever eaten spaghetti squash (before today) was with lots of butter and some spicy, ground sausage ... it was delicious! Today, I found a healthier recipe to try on my own, but it really lacked that oomphiness that I remembered. The water seeping out the bottom didn't help it either. However, I did get to use a melon-baller to scoop out all the "spaghetti" which was tons on fun, and tomorrow I am going to add some spice when I eat the leftovers and see if that improves it.  If there is no significant improvement, I will just have to accept that spaghetti squash needs a little more help than it's delicious cousins, butternut and acorn . I'll keep y'all posted... I'm crossing my fingers that there is a magical fix and I just don't know it yet... 

In my attempt to give some store-bought crescent rolls a little boost of nutrition , these crescents are filled with spinach, Parmesan and caramelized onions. Plus, these little guys can be made the night before and refrigerated until breakfast time. This also means you don't have to cook (or eat) all 8 at once ! Ingredients 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 (8 ounce) Open Nature refrigerated crescent rolls Directions Caramelize onions. Add spinach, Parmesan cheese, onion, oil, salt and pepper to a bowl.Unroll and separate the crescent dough into eight pieces. Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough to within 1/8 in. of edges. Roll up and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Check out this gooey deliciousness... Adapted from:...

I am the worst when it comes to using leftovers before they go bad. Not because I don't know how, but because I think I have a mental block against food that tastes worse the day after I cook it. Sooo... logically this means I have to make leftovers taste BETTER than they did in order for them to be appealing to me. These green beans were just humble microwavable steamed beans. But after a few days in the fridge, they magically became green bean salad with feta, pecans, garlic-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar . There was a recipe, but I really just threw stuff on top until I was happy with it. A great lunch to bring to work! I also did I redo of my favorite eggplant dish - Eggplant Caponata - and it was even better today when I had it cold for lunch with some organic blue corn tortilla chips! You have to admit, I'm finally getting the hang of this whole leftovers thing!

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!

While working for a group in Baltimore Public Schools, my partner and I had to come up with recipes that could be made with foods found at the corner store and little or no pans or appliances. After doing some research at the local 7-Eleven, this is what we came up with and it has a lot of potential I think. Materials 2 Bananas 6 oz low-fat or fat-free yogurt in the flavor of your choice Two paper plates or plastic container Popsicle sticks, chopsticks (optional) Toppings, such as granola, cereal, crushed pretzels, peanuts, chocolate syrup Directions: Peel the bananas and cut them in half horizontally. Insert popsicle sticks or chopsticks in the bottom of the bananas at this time. Place bananas on the plate or container and spoon yogurt over top, until covered. Sprinkle your favorite toppings over the yogurt. Use your creativity! Cover with second plate or lid and place in freezer until firm (3-4 hours)...

I have a habit of picking up unusual baking supplies at the grocery store, just because I have never seen them before. Almond paste, poppy seed filling, dutch process cocoa, orange and lemon extracts have all caught my eye on one occasion or another. But of course I always forget the essentials . Without baking powder, unsalted butter or confectioner's sugar, I resorted to a lemon sugar cookie to fulfill my sugar craving . Compared to other untested recipes I've tried, this recipe was pretty successful. But I think they would be even better with a lemon icing or a lemon glaze , or even just some colorful icing on top!  Adapted From:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/crisp-lemon-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened  1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon sugar  1/2 egg  1-1/2 teaspoons milk  1 teaspoon lemon extract  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1-1/4 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/4 teaspoon baki...

Can I first say that it is great to be back in a kitchen I can call my own ? Even working 40 hours a week, I've cooked and baked more in the past two weeks than I did all summer. Having a consistent schedule really helps, along with a few easy strategies. 1) Make meals on the weekends for the week... this feta and summer squash orzo with feta cheese and basil was the first dinner of my internship. I had no idea how I would feel after my first day and I was grateful for anything I could throw in the microwave and eat. Luckily, I had gotten to the grocery store that weekend. Unluckily, the squash was less than fresh after a day in the fridge. Live and learn. 2) If you can't cook for tonight, cook for tomorrow... I also bought chicken that week, which needed to be cooked pronto. When I got home hungry the next night, I popped a frozen dinner in the fridge, and once I was fed, I figured out what to do with all that chicken. I ended up making my own breadcrumbs and using an eg...

I just moved to Baltimore so naturally I had to break in my new kitchen with a little baking! A friend from University of Maryland gave me this recipe for Chocolate Muffins and they always turn out moist and delicious . Plus, they are full of vitamin A and fiber . I wonder what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow? Ingredients Duncan Hines Devil's food cake mix 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin 1/3 cup water Dark chocolate chips (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pumpkin, cake mix, chocolate chips (optional) and water. Grease 2 muffin tins and fill them half-way up with batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Allergens: Wheat, gluten, soy, milk

Kensington Market, Toronto, ON I just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - a great book about one family's year of eating local foods - so naturally, when I arrived at Kensington Market in Toronto, I was excited to buy produce grown in Canada. Not only did I find local produce, I found something cool and new that I have never seen before at home - yellow plums! They are more tart than our red plums, which makes them great for baking! (See the Plum Primer .) This recipe comes from none other than Canadianliving.com . When I get home, I wonder if I could adjust down the sugar and use this recipe with sweeter plums.  Ingredients: 3 cups (750 mL) quartered pitted red or yellow plums or pluots, (about 2 lb/1 kg) 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar 1 lemon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves Preparation: Place plums and sugar in saucepan. Using vegetable peeler, peel off strips of lemon rind; add to saucepan. Squeeze lemon to make 1 tbsp (15 ...

Ft. Lauderdale Beach I am always the first person to make excuses about why I can't cook - I don't have time, I haven't been to the grocery store, I just don't feel like it... the list goes on. But I do genuinely enjoy cooking , so when I go on vacation, it's great to be able to relax and make a meal for the people I care about . Making dinner for someone is also a great way to thank some one for their hospitality , if you are bumming a couch, or using the guest bedroom. (See  Three Tastes of Chicago ) So I jumped on the opportunity to stay in Ft. Lauderdale in an apartment with a well-stocked kitchen and with a friend willing to be subjected to my cooking. We went to the grocery store together and based our meal on the Thai Kitchen Yellow Curry 10-minute Simmer Sauce that caught our eye. The peppers were just the right amount of crisp and flavorful and the sugar snap peas were deliciously sweet and crunchy! Yellow Curry Chicken  Serves 4  Ingredients: ...

I don't pretend to be an expert on gluten-free foods , but I thought I knew a thing or two, considering my background. I have been compiling and checking the allergen information for the menu items we serve at my hospital for the past few weeks now. It was really frustrating when I realized how many allergens there really were in our foods, and how difficult it would be to eat a gluten-free or soy-free diet. Last week, I had a lesson in the difficulty of finding products absent of gluten, soy, coconut, dairy and many other mischievous allergens .  I made a false assumption that Rice Krispies were made of rice and hence were gluten-free. I was excited to blog about a delicious gluten-free recipe that I could share with one of my friends with Celiac disease. Before I sent it to her, I went on the Celiac Foundation's Website , only to discover that " malt ", a component in many cereals, contains gluten. Kellogg's does make a gluten-free variety from brown r...

Have you ever heard of Skyr? The Icelandic yogurt that is full of protein and probiotics? It was on sale this week at my local grocery store so I had to try it! The orange ginger flavor had just the right amount of sweetness and the straining process gives the yogurt this amazing thick texture. Their website says: "...to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 3 - 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt."  You have to try it if you get the chance. If you like Greek yogurt, you will definitely like this too, and skyr is naturally fat free!!

A new blog seemed necessary since I am no longer a "College Girl". Being a college graduate has its own unique issues and I am excited to share my first year out in the real world and all the cooking blunders that will go along with it! All my old posts have been imported so you can still view any of my previous recipes, but I am hoping that this year will bring a renewed focus on both "budget-friendly" recipes and the use of natural, unprocessed foods. Enjoy!

These past three months have been really stressful while I waited to see what next year would bring . But now that I have my plans locked in for next year, I am definitely going to be posting more! With little time to cook or go to the grocery store, I was living off of cereal, fruit and yogurt. It's no wonder that I was craving some vegetables today! Chick Peas and Spinach Background : At work, I will sometimes grab Asmar's chickpeas or hummus before I start my shift. The chick peas are prepared with lots of olive oil and lemon, a little bit of spinach and a mixture of spices. Today, I tried to make a similar meal. Ingredients : 1 can of chick peas, washed and drained, 1/2 bag of spinach, washed, olive oil, 1/2 fresh lemon, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper Procedure : Saute garlic and spinach in a little bit of olive oil. Once the spinach is cooked down, add in the chick peas, and spices, to taste. Use lemon juice sparingly, as the spinach...

Hmmm... this picture may look questionable, but if you are looking for a satisfying, low-calorie breakfast, this may be just the thing.  What is in it? Well, turkey sausage bits, egg whites, 1 whole egg, and tomatoes and onions. How many calories? About 200 when you use non-stick cooking spray, like Pam.  Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped tomato 1 whole egg 1/2 cup egg whites Milk, Salt, Pepper (optional) 1/3 cup pre-cooked turkey sausage bits  Cooking oil Fresh Thyme (optional) Directions: 1. Saute the onions, and add tomatoes when they begin to brown. 2. Throw in the sausage and cook until heated. I also added thyme at this step because I had it laying around.  3. Combine the egg and egg whites, and add milk, salt and pepper, if desired 4. Pour the eggs over the rest of the ingredients in the pan and cook until done.

This Upcoming Friday is Purim, a Jewish holiday which is celebrating with dressing up in costumes and making Hamantaschen. The recipe I used was actually really easy to use, and the results were better than anything store-bought!  These are them before they went into the oven. I thought they looked pretty good, but in the first batch, the corners separated and they opened up. The second batch turned out much better because my friend showed me how to mercilessly pinch the corners of the cookies until you can't pinch anymore.  The results were delicious! I used pre-made poppy seed filling in some and raspberry jam in others. There were also one or two we stuffed with chocolate chips, but that didn't work so well. Here's the recipe, from the Food Network, for the Hamantaschen dough.  Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter 2/3 cup sugar 1 egg 1 egg white 1/2 orange, zest gr...

The months of February and March are filled with so many great holidays that are made better by homemade food. Valentine' s Day is one of my favorite occasions to cook and avoid the crowds, Purim is a great excuse to cook some of my favorite desserts, and St. Patrick's Day brings Irish Soda Bread and Scones. Easter is around the corner too, which means Cadbury Creme Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies.  For a Valentine's Day at home, I used grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil to make these cute appetizers on colorful plastic swords.  I cooked up some wild rice while I was preparing the appetizers. Then it was mixed with dried currants, dried apricots, craisins, toasted pecans, thyme, chopped celery and chopped onion .   Next came the Cornish hens. I found them in Whole Foods, and they were all ready cleaned and prepared. All I had to do was unwrap them, stuff them with the wild rice, and brush a little melted butter on top.  Voila! Beautiful Dinner for Two, with l...