Fabulous fiber-filled diet

My mantra this month has been "recover."  Adjust back into early wake-up calls, loud classroom moments, and remember what it's like to teach, plan, cook, clean, repeat each week.  While I miss my family and wish winter vacation could go on forever, I enjoy my little routine and one of my favorite parts of each week is trying new recipes.  I love to pack exciting goodies in my school lunches and fill up my apartment with new aromas that my roommate can come home


 
One of the largest parts of my holiday-hangover is reminding my body that chocolate, heavy creams, and carb-on-carb-on-carb are NOT the norm.  This week I went for some higher-fiber foods in my grocery cart and did a little research to find out how to get my fill of lentils, brussel sprouts, and quinoa. :)



 
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
(inspired by Epicurious and shutterbean)
1) I chop up/shave eight whole brussels sprouts into a salad tupper-ware to make one serving for school lunch...just eyeball it. :) I don't have a mandolin so I just chop with a big chef's knife.
**Don't forget to clean your veggies**



 
2) Toast walnuts on the stove for about 5 minutes (flip them over, move around in pan, keep eye out).  After they cool I crunch up about a handful of them into brussels.



3) Chop up one small apple (or half of a large apple) into cubes to toss into salad as well.  I like apples in the pink families (pink lady, rainier, etc).  I leave the peel on.  FIBER!
4) Instead of making my own dressing (which is hard to transport between work and home) - I mixed together 1/2 and 1/2 of my two favorite flavors of Annie's Organic dressing to get a good mixture of garlic, lemon juice, honey, mustard, and olive oil. 
5) DISCLAIMER: I am trying not to eat unnecessary cheese, but shaved parmesan would be amazing.
6) Toss and eat! So satisfying and crunchy! Delicious addition to any lunch or dinner.



101 Cookbooks Lentil Soup - adapted
Heidi Swanson's version of tomato and lentil soup was so satisfying this week while we were having another ridiculously cold evening.  It packs great as leftovers and makes enough to serve about eight people.  I will say that she makes the recipe OVERLY simple and plain so that you can season it how you want to.  I had to 911-call my sister Kiki (the gourmet chef of the family) and have her walk me through the best way to enhance the flavors of the tomatoes and kale.
Again, with the no-dairy, my roommate and I decided to skip her saffron yogurt topping and just to eat it plain, though we vowed next time to add some sliced avocado on top since the cumin made it taste so hispanic. :)

Here are the steps.  I have added below my "finishing touches." --
2 cups black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Saffron Yogurt
a pinch of saffron (30-40 threads)
1 tablespoon boiling water
two pinches of salt
1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils,
and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

While the lentils are cooking, make the saffron yogurt by combining
the saffron threads and boiling water in a tiny cup. Let the saffron
steep for a few minutes. Now stir the saffron along with the liquid into
the yogurt. Mix in the salt and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then
add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in
the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more
minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped
greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need
be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the saffron yogurt.

Serves 6 to 8.

To finish I heated up several cloves of roughly chopped garlic (I like big chunks) in a pan of olive oil with a little salt and pepper. Then I dumped that in and stirred it into the soup while it was simmering at the end.  Then I salted the soup (almost to death because it is so tomato-heavy!) and added lots of pepper and cumin to taste.  To finish I crushed dried oregano and stirred it in as well.

Can you tell that I was winging it? :)

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge with Almond Milk
Last weekend in Austin, my bff Vanessa turned me onto this "new and improved" way to get your oatmeal-fix.  I found this online this week and woke up to make it this morning! Add any fresh fruit or "oatmeal topping" you normally would.  I had my first bite this morning for breakfast! (I doubled the recipe because apparently it reheats and saves well - so I can enjoy it during these next few cold mornings.  It made about six cups DOUBLED.  The ratio is 2 cups of almond milk to every 3/4 cup of quinoa.)

**I used quinoa from Whole Foods and my favorite brand of Almond Milk that I've tried.  It's "vanilla flavored" so I will skipped the step where you add "vanilla extract" in the recipe.**



 
1)  Brown 3/4 cups of quinoa over medium heat.  It takes about 5-7 minutes and you need to constantly stir it or the little pieces will burn quick!  This will make it taste toasted and nutty!
2) Add spices that you like.  I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and a few dashes of nutmeg.  You can use pumpkin spice too! It smells SO good.



3) Add 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk to the pan. It will seem like there's WAY too much liquid but the quinoa will expand and soak it all up.
4) Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract (if you don't have vanilla-flavored almond milk).
5) Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Or maple syrup.
6) Bring mixture to a boil.  When it starts to boil you are going to reduce heat to low.  You will cover the mixture but it helps to open the lid and stir it every once in a while because it will get sticky on the bottom.
7) When it is done, and looks like porridge (liquid is mostly gone but it has similar consistency to oatmeal), serve yourself.  You can enjoy it by itself or top how you like it.  YUM!



I would suggest any combination of the following:
-raisins
-bananas
-honey
-apples
-berries
-nuts (chopped almonds even!)

If it is not moist enough, add a little bit more milk to it if you like yours a bit soupier.

 HAPPY SATURDAY!

The perfect Saturday at home.  First time in a month!

Speaking of perfect mornings, I have also discovered this fabulous App SONGZA. Much like Pandora radio, it streams music for you.  The beautiful difference?  It picks music based on where you are, what time it is, what activity you might be doing, or what you are in the mood for.  I played some fun, upbeat wake-up music this a.m. while I cleaned my apartment.  You can use it to set the mood for any occasion!  It's free!

Mary Kinder Cookies

Even though it is 83 degrees outside, and people are jogging in tank tops past the winter lights in Highland Park Village, Jessica and I are setting the winter scene indoors.

There is NOTHING more holiday-Saturday-afternoon-tastic than a batch of cookies for a Christmas party!

This fabulous recipe comes to us from Jessica's aunt Judy.  It is a favorite for her family.  I have only tasted the batter (woops!) because they are still cooling on my counter top.  BUT these babies are making my apartment smell like pecan pie!  If you aren't a fan of chocolate chips or chocolate in your cookie mix, these are for you!

Mary Kinder Cookies

1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
1 C margarine
2 C flour (shout out: I LOVE to use White Lily Baking Flour - it makes cookies SO fluffy!)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 C flaked coconut (we used the sweetened Baker's coconut - so moist!)
1 C quick oats
1 C raisins (we left these out)
1 C chopped nuts (PECANS of course!)
2 C Rice Krispies cereal

Make balls of dough the size of walnuts and flatten.  Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375. 

Notes:
We think 10-12 minutes is a better baking time.  We mixed the more moist ingredients first in the Kitchenaid mixer and then added in the nuts and rice cereal last (so it wouldn't get all smushed up) by hand. We made balls that were a little bit bigger in size (more like a heaping spoonful).

ENJOY!
and HAPPY DECEMBER! 

broiled grapefruit

There is NOTHING I love more than Texas grapefruit. 

I loved it so much my Abuelo used to ship me boxes of it in college to my dorm room in Virginia and when I moved back to Texas I immediately started regularly buying it at the grocery store. 

Heck, I love it so much, I named my car after it - Ruby Red :)

Tonight my roommate and I made this delicious, SIMPLE dessert!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/broiled-grapefruit.html

It's a MUST try.  Perfectly crunchy, warm, sweet yet tart, and light!

h.o.m.e.

Today I am thankful for: 

21) my parents.


It has been nearly 10 years since I graduated from high school.  I have NEVER lived close enough to my family to "drive" home and what a treat it is.  My new school also gave us the entire week off for Thanksgiving and let me tell you - I'm never going back to my old holiday schedule.  

After a week on the couch throwing up, my mom and dad treated me to a steak dinner, baked potatoes, champagne, and homemade pie.  To say that it was the best food I have eaten in a long time is definitely an understatement.  

I got in after a long morning on the road and had such a pleasant time hanging out with my mom before everyone else gets into town.  We giggled our way through the grocery store, swapped knitting patterns on the couch, and even got to Facetime with my baby godson, Everett.  (He is getting SO big and we got to see his teeth and watch him crawl - thank you, iPhone!)


When my dad got home we poured through all of the food magazines I brought with me (have I mentioned I am OBSESSED with Bon Appetit?) and got to work on a lemon chess pie (the recipe is from Billy Reid, this southern men's clothing designer who my dad loves, so of course, he had to bake with a bowtie on!).

I take after my father VERY MUCH and when we are together we often get a little bit silly.  It was sort of like a cheesy cooking show. :)   

We made ate a delicious dinner, made several toasts, watched bad TV, and talked about how excited we are for Christmas and New Year's with the whole family.  


My parents are simply incredible people.  They have created such a wonderful home for us in this new-ish city, are amazing entertainers, prove constantly to be great role models and listeners, and I can not even put into words how cool it is to be a Casanova.  

So thankful for them this holiday season, and to be living closer to them, which is a dream come true.  

supper club: recipe recap

Here are two gems that were TOTAL hits at supper club this week.
Basically the sangria takes about 5 minutes to make and the lasagna takes forever to make, but I'd say they were both worth it!

***************************************************

PARTY*SANGRIA

• Bottle of red wine (I like to get the cheaper double bottles from Target)
• 1 lemon cut into coins 
• 1 orange cut into coins
• 1 lime cut into coins
• 2 tbsp sugar
• pineapple orange banana juice (DOLE brand) 
• OPTIONAL: you can add 2 shots of gin, triple sec or my favorite, Lemoncello
• 1 cup of raspberries or strawberries (some people use frozen thawed ones, I like fresh!)
• 1 small can of diced pineapples with juice
• 4 cups of ginger ale

(I got this ingredient list from the internet but also have added and changed things according to taste and how sweet/tart I want it to be.  I personally hate sugary sangria but make it how you like).

Pour wine into a large pitcher and add the citrus wedges.  (Some people squeeze the juice out of the fruit and then add the wedges.  Whatever you do, leave seeds out!).  Add the pineapple, sugar, orange juice and liquor.  Chill over night.  You want to add the ginger ale, berries and ice right before you entertain because they will get mushy and the bubbles in the soda will get flat and you do want some fizz.  Serve over lots of ice.  

***************************************************

Lady and Sons Lasagna (foodnetwork.com) 

Ingredients

• Sauce
  2 cups canned, diced tomatoes
  2 cups tomato sauce
  1 cup water
  1/2 cup onions, diced
  1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced
  2 cloves garlic, diced
  1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley leaves
  11/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
  1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  2 bay leaves
  1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  11/2 teaspoons The Lady's House Seasoning:
  (1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder; mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Yield: 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 to 9 Long strips lasagna noodles
• 12 ounces cottage cheese, mixed with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan|
  1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
  1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
  2 cups cheddar, grated
  1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  1 cup mozzarella, grated
  
  

  Directions

  To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions (if sauce is too thin, for your taste, you can thicken it up at this time by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a 1/4 of a cup of cold water. Bring sauce back to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly). Remove bay leaves.

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  To assemble lasagna, place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan. Layer 1/3 of each, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, Gruyere, Swiss and cheddar cheeses. Pinch off small pieces of cream cheese and dot over other cheeses. Add another layer of sauce. Repeat layering 2 to 3 times ending with sauce. This may be covered and refrigerated at this point. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Note: If lasagna has been refrigerated, bake for 40 minutes total.

world's best turkey burger

This is one of my favorite things to make for dinner and pack for school lunch. A turkey burger is so satisfying and goes great with a salad, some vegetables, cous cous, and this one is definitely the kind where you don't even need cheese or ketchup on top. My roommate Sarah makes some seriously delicious sweet potato fries that we love to pair with these babies.

These would be great on a George Foreman Grill, but I even cook them in a pan (flip over in the middle of the cooking) and tonight I baked mine in the oven (375 degrees for 30 minutes) and they were so juicy!



(Sometimes I make 4 patties out of the mix, but tonight I made smaller ones and divided the meat up into six patties. If you make six, each patty is under 200 calories and pretty filling/decent sized).

TURKEY BURGERS

1 lb ground turkey 1 cup grated parmesan 1 tbs balsamic vinegar 1 tsp parsley 1 tbs dried chives or 2 of fresh chopped (I always forget to buy these.) 1 tsp dried onion 1 tsp garlic powder dash of each salt, pepper, paprika Form loosely packed burgers Spray a non stick pan with cooking spray Heat pan on high add burgers to hot pan reduce heat to medium cover pan (keeps everything moist) Cook 3-4 minutes on each side turning as little as possible.

Source: adapted from "Turkey and Cheddar Burgers" on Cooks.com

dear george,

you are so good.  you make dinner so easy.  you make me feel like I am having a weekend barbecue on a Tuesday night.

What is easier than marinating chicken right after work and then popping it on the grill?  I have even been known to grill several portions of meat all in one night and then pack it to eat all week - sliced up on a salad, sandwich, or even with veggies and hummus for school lunch.

I have smothered my chicken in all kinds of concoctions - but this one is my current favorite:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar (I think you can use honey also)
1/2 cup orange juice (I love simply orange)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

Combine ingredients in a bowl (some people use a ziploc bag) and add chicken.  Turn to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours.  Remove chicken to grill/cook.  If you want to serve the marinade as a sauce, bring it to a boil in a small saucepan and boil hard for 3-4 minutes until it is "reduced."

For the George Foreman, all meat is different depending on size/thickness.  I like to grill it on the GF for 4-6 minutes until thoroughly cooked (not gonna lie, I cut into it a few times to check!).  Serve!

Aunt Suzannes Bean Salad

Looking for something amazingly easy to make that you can enjoy for days?

Do you love recipes that taste better with time?

This is what I enjoyed tonight for dinner.


When I was in high school my sister Kiki and I used to babysit twin little girls. Their dad and our dad grew up together and the best part of every summer was when we got to accompany them to the beach for a week.

Those trips were so fun, Suzane and Jeff have been like an aunt and uncle to us ever since, and the first year we went, Aunt Suzanne taught us her favorite summer snack. Since then, the Casanovas have enjoyed this soupy bean salad every chance we get. It reminds me of summer, of my old house in Austin, of the twins Ellie and Rachel (who are so grown up!!!) and my sister.

The Bean Salad Recipe:

1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup oil, not olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can green beans
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can corn
1 can red kidney beans
1 can wax beans
1 can garbanzo beans
2 fresh carrots sliced (get them soft in the micorwave)
1 red onion sliced

Rinse all the vegetables when you take them out of the can. In large bowl combine all beans and sliced onion. Make dressing and pour over beans tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate.









This recipe makes like 12-15 cups of bean salad, so take it to a potluck, serve it with BBQ, force feed it to your family/coworkers/roommates, or pack it for lunch for a week!

It is so easy and it gets better every day with the onion and vinegar marinating and the beans soaking up the juice so it will last a while. YUM!!!

Happy eating!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the menu

I am facing my first full "working" week starting tomorrow - so I am bidding my farewell to carefree summer meals, not-so-clean clothes, and living in a less organized fashion to prepare myself for being back in my routine (I LOVE ROUTINES!) and getting settled into my little nest.

Of course, that means making a trip to the grocery store to stock the fridge! :)




And boy does this girl love to eat! Love to try new recipes, find fun things to spice up the 'teacher-packed-lunch-blues' and I have always loved grocery shopping. I come by it honestly - my Abuelo used to visit the grocery store every single day to buy SOMETHING. When you grocery shop with my family, it's not an errand - it is an experience! (I was so excited when I realized that being a nanny meant doing the shopping and menu planning and sometimes I miss it!)

So, this morning I sat down and made a list.




And when I got to the grocery store I made myself STICK to the list. I'll be honest -- it was not an easy task. I was tempted to try a new flavored beverage, I wanted to get some fancy schmancy pre-seasoned meats, wanted to buy all of the fruit in the produce section, and was tempted to even veer away from the Grocery section of Target into the clothes and jewelry and shoes, but.... I used my willpower and walked out of there having spent less than $65 on food for the week. (And I stocked our fridge with items like butter, hummus, dressing, etc. that I won't be buying again for a long time!)

WOW!

Now that I am not living alone, I am excited to cook with Sarah (our first roommate homemade pizza and salad was a hit!). This week we are going to be pretty swamped with pre-planning training days, so I sat down and actually made a calendar and planned. I tried to fill in my packed lunches, dinners (eating out and staying in) and come up with healthy snack and breakfast ideas. I tend to eat the same things over and over and get sick of them, or buy tons of groceries I don't use, so I am setting some goals:

1. Waste less food. Only buy what you need and will use. There is NO reason I need to go to the deli and get a whole pound of any turkey/ham/cheese when 1/4 pound will do. And it won't sit in the fridge and get gross and then later tossed out. The only items that I can perhaps get a little extra of should be canned/frozen. Like tuna or beans.
2. Watch calories and portion control. In an effort to keep this blog from turning into a "I'm on a diet" campaign, that's all I'm going to say about that.
3. Cook and pack left overs. This will keep me out of the sandwich/frozen entree rut. This week I am trying black beans and instant rice with lime and cilantro (see below). I am gonna make a batch of it and eat it 2 or 3x this week.
4. Try a new recipe - and try to do this once a week. :) I rediscovered all of these un-opened cookbooks when I unpacked and I need to use them!
5. Stick to budget! I am trying to save money for so many different things all of the time, and I think by doing the 4 things above, I will hopefully end up with a little bit more cash in my pocket and less food in the trash can at the end of the day. If I meal plan, I can be flexible and it's OK to eat out because my food won't knowingly be going to waste at home in the fridge. For example, I know which days my school will have lunch provided this week, so I didn't plan on making a lunch that day. Or if I have a happy hour to go to on Monday night, I might leave that night as a "flex" night (my food-guru Lexi turned me on to this idea!) so I can have leftovers, eat a frozen burrito + salad, or go out with people.

YAY!

And let me just say - I LOVED exploring the Target Grocery today. I got really attached to my Publix grocery back in GA and was feeling upset to say goodbye to their great bakery, deli and produce prices. When I have been driving around I feel sort of overwhelmed by Dallas and I am not sure which of the 10980797 grocery stores that are in my neighborhood/on the way home from work I will shop at regularly, but I fully explored my options today at the big T and liked what I saw. There's also Tom Thumb, Kroger, Whole Foods, Central Market, and the list goes on and on and on.....

And if you have read this far, KUDOS! That was a LOAD of rambling about food and I'd be surprised if anyone is still reading this.... maybe it made your tummy growl a little bit?

Here's my recipe for the week - so easy, summery and fresh! (Thanks Mama!)

• Uncle Ben's "Ready Whole Grain Medley"- cooked- any flavor - Garlic, Brown Mix, etc.
• One can of black beans - rinsed and drained
• chopped purple onion
• cilantro - chopped
• cumin
• salt / pepper
• lime juice
• extra virgin olive oil

Toss and serve room temperature for a great lunch or dinner!

OH, and for all of my teacher/bookworm/board game lovers out there - look what I discovered today!

Happy Snacking!

summer salads

Fresh produce in the summer! There is nothing I'd rather eat in June, July and August.

Each week my parents go and pick up a "box" from the farm in Lubbock where my mother owns a share in a local farm, or CSA.  Whatever she comes home with is what she decides to make for dinner that week - and she freezes/prepares and cleans the rest.  Sometimes she shares with friends (today we had a LOAD of peaches so we took some to her friends) but I have learned so much about how to creatively cook and what to do with ingredients I might never buy on my own.

Something I DO love to eat (and eat all of the time) is CORN!  There is nothing I love more than corn on the cob - so much so that I would cut it off of the cob when I had braces, and will put it on just about anything.  It might be my favorite veggie.

SO...when we got corn on the cob in the box last week, my mom busted out the FAMOUS salad our friend Jessica sent over.

Ingredients Add to grocery list

1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1   avocado, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cup cooked corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion.  In a large glass bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients in a glass bowl. Pour over the salad and toss gently to mix. 

The best part was having fresh corn to use - instead of frozen.  Mami steamed the corn for just a little bit so that it was very crunch and so crisp!  I am embarrassed to admit how much I ate! 

And of course, Mami did it up right for dinner!  We had chicken fajita meat, a plate full of grilled onions and roasted poblano peppers (home-roasted, I might add...), peach and cucumber salsa (remember the large batch of peaches I mentioned earlier?), queso cojilo (farmer's cheese to crumble on the top), tortillas from Market Street, and spoonfuls of other toppings and salsas.  

Here's to eating fresh, local ingredients, making dinner with my Mami and sharing a margarita with my Papi. :)