Food In Many Forms

I had a mental shift recently. The whole adulting thing is hitting me pretty hard, and although nutrition will always be a concern to me, cost has become a much larger factor in my decision-making a the grocery store. That means shopping at cheaper stores, using coupons, and eating in a whole lot more.  It also means I'm less likely to choose recipes with fancy ingredients I don't have, and more likely to just use what I've got in the pantry. This may be why I have been blogging a lot less - because my meals are so run of the mill and don't always seem worth sharing. But I have an ever-growing pile of recipes that I have carefully annotated.When that pile gets too large, I find myself wanting preserve all that work so I can continue to make my cooking better. Ironically, my grocery bill is 1/3 to 1/2 of what it used to be since I started being more budget conscious, but my restaurant spending is right in line with the typical millenial. According to on...

EatingWell Roasted Eggplant Dip I am a lucky dietitian. I now have a farm truck coming to my work every Wednesday morning in addition to the cute farm co-op down the street. They are just the gentle nudge I need to increase my variety of fruits and vegetables. This week, I tried Fairytale Eggplant (see picture above). It cooked up into a delicious dip along with fresh mint from my roommate's herb garden. My only complaint is that I didn't make more of it!  It also worked out very well that today is Meatless Monday, and we got to promote it our webpage at work! I love when things work out that way.  Ingredients: 1 large head garlic 1 eggplant (1 1/4 lb), cut in half lengthwise 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 ripe tomato, cored, sliced in half and seeded 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Fresh ground pepper, to taste Directions: 1. Set oven racks...

During Snowzilla, there wasn't much to do except roll around in the snow and bake, a lot. However, only a combination of boredom and a graham cracker shortage at the corner store would cause me to bake graham crackers. That, and the promise of s'mores over a fire pit in a backyard full of more than 2 feet of snow. I don't know if I would make them again (except under similarly desperate circumstances), but it's nice to know that I can. Ingredients : 3 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon 8 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp honey Directions : 1. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl 2. Melt together the butter and honey. Pour this into the dry ingredients. 3. Mix with a fork, then push the dough together with your hands Don't knead or over-mix. Place the dough on a lightly-floured surface, and roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/8" thick. Cut into rectangles approximately 1 1/4...

Since I started working full-time last September, I have relied heavily on leftovers to save me money and keep me eating healthy during the work week. This was one of the best leftover meals I have made so far. When combined with a 4-pack of chicken sausage, this recipe made about 4 1/2 meals for me last week. The flavors of the Spanish rice meld together making it more rich every extra day it hangs out in the fridge. That being said, I still want to experiment with adding other spices and perfect this dish which is sure to be a favorite. Future additions might include chili powder, oregano, garlic, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, or lime juice. I will keep you posted! Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and diced 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (optional) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup long-grain brown rice 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cumin Pr...

This recipe calls for a "fiery" tomato sauce, but I left out the green chiles for a more mild (but still flavorful) version. Shakshuka Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large bell pepper, diced 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp sweet paprika 1/2 tsp mild red pepper flakes, or more to taste 2 Tbsp tomato paste 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice 1/2 tsp kosher salt Fresh black pepper, to taste 6 large eggs 2-4 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley Directions: Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over low-medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and saute for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red bell pepper, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix well, and let the spices cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the tomato paste, and stir that into the mixture. Finally, add th...

Last week, a good friend of mine texted me, "I just made a very involved pasta salad". At the time, I thought, "hmm, okay cool... random, send me the recipe." But now after having made said pasta salad, I realize how much that is the understatement of the year. "Very involved" is exactly how I would describe it. Don't believe the New York Times' estimated prep time of forty-five minutes - it took me closer to an hour and a half or two hours to make. But it is pretty delicious. And a ton of food.  Ingredients: 2 lb ripe campari tomatoes, cut in wedges 5 Tbsp Olive oil Salt and pepper 2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped (optional) 2 medium eggplants, about 1 pound 12 oz whole wheat ziti or other short pasta 6 oz mild feta 1 small bunch of basil, for garnish Directions: 1. Heat broiler. Put tomato wedges in a shallow baking dish in one layer. Drizz...

Some of my best memories involve sharing a meal, a drink or a sweet. But it is funny how foods that are not memorable at the time become a source of nostalgia later on. For example, when I was studying at the school of public health, the daily grind had curry chicken salad sandwiches for sale. I ate them, just like I ate many things on-the-go, in between classes or to get me through a study session. At the time, it was just a sandwich, but now I have fond memories of eating them. So today, I embraced that nostalgia, and made me some chicken salad... a heavily adapted version of the Pioneer Woman's recipe. Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds Chicken, cooked and diced 4 whole ribs of celery, chopped 1/4 cup sliced almonds 3 Tbsp light mayonnaise 3 Tbsp light sour cream 1/3 cup So Delicious almond milk creamer 1 Tbsp curry powder Salt & pepper, to taste Directions: Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, almond milk creamer, and curry powder until well combined....