Kale is King: All Hail Kale

I love salt, so much that I would make a sodium podium and preach from it daily. I love peanuts, popcorn, jerky and potato chips....Mmmmm chips. A new bag of chips is like opening a can of worms.... actually I never understood that expression but it applies to the point I'm trying to get across. It takes an intangible and god-like power to resist polishing off an entire bag. So, since this is obviously impossible... I have a chip alternative: Kale.

Kale is king. It represents a love child made by broccoli and seaweed and also is one of the most nutritious vegetables! It's high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. There's 18 kcals in a 1/2 cup and 0 fat. But the most fascinating thing that I discovered about kale is that it takes on a salty- chip consistency when baked... I present to you kale chips. Call me crazy (it won't be the first time), but these chips are a great and healthier alternative to the fatty and oily potato chips, plus they're super simple to make.


         What you'll need:

• A bushel of kale
• Oven
• Pan
• Aluminum foil
• S/P for seasoning

First, pre-heat the oven to 350. Perfect. Now, line the pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Shuck the washed leaves of the stalks and scatter on the pan (there's no need for the stalks for this recipe). Spinkle with some salt if desired but I find naked kale to be kind of salty so salt with caution. Next, bake for 10-15 minutes andddd wait.

Here's a joke while you wait:

What did the lettuce say to the celery? 

......

......

......

A: Quit stalking me!

HAHA!

Kale's done! Voila!

GO FISH

The days I work out, my appetite is through the roof. I can't stop eating. Plus, I'm trying to keep my meals well rounded and nutritious. I'll admit that I can be a victim of convenience (and being a college student). Sometimes that frozen dinner looks a heck of-a-lot more appealing than whipping up a whole meal while dirtying dishes. But, I think that's why I'm always hungry because the easy, I'm-a-lazy-college-student-on-a-budget, throw-in the mic meals are not always the most filling (or nutritious because many of them include ingredients that I can't pronounce = gross). For the sake of my stomach, I need to de-lazify my cooking habits...sigh, I guess college does that to ya.

So today, I say no to the microwave and hello to cooking ahead.

My Game Plan: I'm gonna cook for two! I shall make a big meal, divide it in two and then voila!, I have lunch/dinner for tomorrow. So simple.

I love haddock and I love asparagus, so that is what I'm going to make (and a lot of it).
Lemon Peppered Wild Haddock with Steamed Asparagus


One thing I love about this fish, is that it's wild. Well, duh you're thinking; the fish was wild, but I mean that it was "wild-caught"....meaning a nice fisherman in Iceland caught this fish with a big ol' net. I'm not a huge fan of fish farms because it's like mass producing food (similar to what I talk about in my post: Happy Food comes from Happy Animals). I like my fish happy, and I think they're happier when caught in the wild than in a cramped fish farm.

I'm thawing out two (count 'em, two!) haddock fillets. Plan ahead because thawing these babies takes some time. I once thawed my fish in the microwave and instead of thawing out they came out cooked! Learn from my mistakes, people, and plan ahead!

Pretty fillets

I preheated the oven at 300. I placed the fillets in aluminum foil and seasoned with pepper and fresh squeezed lemon. Yum! While the haddock cooks, I'm going to steam the asparagus in the microwave. I sprayed the foil with butter spray to avoid stick and give the fillets a little extra flavor.

Before

After

I wrapped the fillets up like a present; this will help them cook more thoroughly. I'm gonna stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes, but keep checking them periodically because our oven was made by the devil and gets unusually hot.

Dinner is served for the next 2 nights. I like it.

Happy Monday!

Monday Yumday: Marinated Veggies

In attempts to mimic our role models on Food Network, my roommate and I are starting to get crafty in the kitchen. We're attempting to plan our meals ahead of time in hopes to eat healthier when we come back from class ravenous. 

One easy food tip I learned in college: dressing makes a great and cheap marinade. I also learned that you can basically marinade anything. Hence, our craftiness. Italian dressing + Vegetables = Greatness

We marinated onions, squash, and a giant zucchini in Italian dressing overnight. Simple. I sauteed mine along with a few green beans and batta bing batta boom, dinner. It's not rocket science, but it's simple which makes its a quick and delicious meal. Pair it with chicken, whole wheat pasta or savory by itself. Yum. Gosh, I love vegetables. 

Our next planned meal is yellow squash spaghetti from scratch. Stay tuned, y'all.

  

The 5 Minute Ice Cream-less Cinnamon Banana Milkshake

I am going to the Adirondacks for a fun-filled vacation of reading, relaxation and everything outdoors. Yay! Many wouldn't define a vacation by hiking, biking, running and camping or really anything that requires exerted engery; but, these activities are the cherries on top of a perfect week. So, being vacation and all, I will have little to no contact with the social world (and that is A-OK with me). So I leave you with an incredibly simple and delcious recipe before I bid farwell to civilization and say hello to the wilderness; I have been obsessed with this healthy and yummy treat for the past week!

This ice cream-free shake is perfect for an after workout snack because it contains essential ingredients to rebuild and refuel the body (bananas and milk are post-workout superfoods). I often can't wait for a work out to have one, so I'll make it for breakfast! It's the easiest milkshake/smoothie you'll ever make.

What you'll need

2 (or more) Bananas

Milk of any kind (or soy/almond)

Cinnamon

A Blender

Optional Add-Ins

Protien Power (check)

Flaxseed (check)

Honey

Wheatgerm

Cocoa Powder

First off, the key to this shake is to freeze the bananas prior (this may require a little planning ahead); the frozen bananas makes the consistency super thick and creamy without the ice cream, delicious! Once frozen, break them into pieces and place in blender (you may need to throw 'em in the microwave for a few seconds depending on how rock solid they are). Add about a cup of milk and a couple dashes of cinnamon to taste. I also add a scoop of soy protien for a boost, some flaxseed, and a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder if I'm craving a chocolate fix.

Blend together, pour, and enjoy!

So good!, let me know if you try this recipe out :)

Adios! See you soon!

 

 

Healthy Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

I have never stuffed an eggplant or really anything besides a stocking or my stomach; but the opportunity arose this weekend at my local farmer's market. I was magnetically drawn to this beautiful, plump eggplant that was begging stuff meee and eat meeee; so, of course, I must honor its last wishes.

I found this awesome stuffed eggplant recipe from my BFF, Betty Crocker (she's always clutch in these situations).  The recipe calls for ground meat, but I'm going to negate this ingredient to make a delicious vegetarian dish a la moi; plus I can find most of the ingredients in my garden! Eureka. My parents are pumped that I'm making dinner tonight, so in the famous words of Paula Dean: here we go y'all.

What you'll need:

1 large eggplant

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 onion, diced small (about 1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced small (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 1/4 cups grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup panko crispy bread crumbs

1 whole egg

2 small tomatoes, chopped
1  medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash


Firstly, heat the oven to 350.

Freshly picked veggies from the garden with our main star (far right)

Next, slice open and scoop out your lovely eggplant. I felt like I was preparing my pumpkin for carving, and in a way it's the same idea except you don't carve your eggplant (but I mean, I guess you could...if you do, send me pictures). Leave enough of the eggplant meat intact, so the halves keep their shape. Put the eggplant "guts" in a separate bowl.

I don't know if there is a way around the seeds, but I kept 'em. I think it gives the dish a little more panache, don't you think? Next, take the eggplant "guts" and warm over the stove with water until soft.

While that cooks nicely, chop up your veggies. I added a zucchini and yellow squash in lieu of the meat, but you can add any veggies you want, be creative...this is your time to shine, y'all!

Cook the veggies until sauteed and the eggplant is soft. How pretty. Next, mix the above with the picture below (1 egg, 1/4 bread crumbs, 1/2 cheese and herbs).

+

Mix everything together in a gigantic bowl and you're almost there. I think this was the most involved recipe I have ever taken on from the picking to the chopping to the mixing to the packing; but my dad just walked in and asked "what smells so good", so I know I'm on the right track.

Lastly, scoop the mixture into your hallowed eggplant halves. Stuff as much as you can; you're really going to have to put your snowball packing skills to use.

=

Pretty!

YUM. Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs and cheese on top along with some chopped up tomatoes. Stick those suckers in the oven for about 50 minutes and watch carefully. The 50 minutes gave me enough time to clean (ew) and write this post (yay).

She's beautiful!; I feel like a proud mother. It's so funny how a meal can take over an hour to prepare but only minutes to eat; this was definitely worth the preparation though. It was really fresh, organically flavorful and super dooper healthy. Even my dad, whose a "meat & potatoes-kinda-guy," liked it...now that's saying something.

Bon Appetit, y'all.

Deena's Organic Fiber Bran Muffins Recipe

Yum! I love bran muffins especially when they're homemade, and I love getting my DV of fiber without having it taste cardboard-y. A woman I work with, Deena (who's a baking/cooking god) gave me this recipe; and if Deena makes it, you know it's good stuff. I need a fiber boost, so I'm excited to make these delicious, nutritious, health bombs.

*Warning* Do not adjust your monitor--If you didn't notice, the first ingredient is a box of raisin bran...yes, you read correctly (I double checked with Chef Deena). This recipe makes alot of muffins, so you're either going to want to freeze 'em (muffins or batter) or give 'em (unless your family is similar to that of TLC's 19 and Counting, then you're welcome to eat 'em up)! 

Lets jump on the Bran Band Wagon, yeeehaw!

Ingredients:

1 box of Raisin Bran Cereal

1 quart of Buttermilk/ or Almond Milk with 2 tablespoons of Lemon Juice

2.5 cups of White Flour

2.5 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup of Sugar

3 teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon of Salt

4 Eggs

1 cup of Oil

Optional Yummy Add-Ins:

Nuts

Wheatgerm

Flaxseed (check)
Pumpkin seeds (double check)

Dried fruit (I'm adding dried cherries and apricots)


Before you start mixing, set the oven at 400 degrees...and get a lot of muffin tins. You'll need 'em.

That's a big bowl of cereal

I mixed all of the yummy add-ins (which turned out to be a lot of odds and ends that I found in my cupboards, but it's a fun way to personalize your muffins!) to the raisin bran then combined my wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Mix all the ingredients together and scoop into tins...the batter tastes awesome!

Finally, throw them (gently) into the oven. Deena said to let them bake about 20-25 minutes, but mine were ready in a lightning speed of 15 minutes!...So watch them carefully so they don't burn.

Yum! Look at those cherries, raisins and yumberries. I don't mean to toot my own horn (toot), but they came out really good! What a delicious way to get in your fiber dose; but being so high in fiber, I need to remind myself not to inhale a ton or I may end up in the bathroom later tonight. They're so good, you may forget they're actually good for you! Suddenly the FiberOne commercial with the creepy man comes to mind: Cardboard? No. Delicious? Yes!

If you try this recipe, let me know :) Happy eating!

   

Homemade Sweet Pickle Recipe

I love pickles. When my mom and I went grocery shopping at the beginning of the summer, I rushed to the pickle aisle. Upon discovering me, she almost endured a small heart attack before asking "you're not pregnant, are you!?". No Mother, who says I have to be preggo to enjoy a pickle?--what an awful and misunderstood stigma that a Claussen pickle has to be associated with. Pickles are everyone friendly, knocked up or not.

Since I'm becoming quite the farmer and living off the land, why not make my own pickles. Plus, my cucumbers are latching onto everything in sight (my tomato plants, trees, small children) and I need a good reason to harvest 'em. So, I've acquired a nifty, little, sweet pickle recipe from a friend. All you have to do is shove 'em in the fridge for two weeks and they're ready to munch.

I have never pickled anything. The only thing I think that should be pickled is, well, pickles (hence the name).  The pickled beets, pigs feet, eye balls, etc. in the grocery aisles just seem to float in their jars like something from a Potions class at Hogwarts, aka they skeeve me out. I never saw myself as one to pickle anything, but I suppose there's a first for everything. I'm going to document my pickling experience with pictures from my high-tech Blackberry, 3.2 MP, camera (note the sarcasm if you missed it). Here we go.

Ingredients:

Cucumbers

Kosher salt

Onions

Sugar

White vinegar

Celery seeds

Whole cloves and;

A jar

...pretty simple, I like.

 I didn't have a jar so I'm recycling! The onions are from my garden, I used red and white ones. I cut up the cucumbers and, luckily, left enough after kidnapping a few for a snack...so good!

The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of salt mixed with 12 sliced cucumbers. Well,  my garden isn't industrial sized (yet) and I didn't have 12, I had 5; and unfortunately, I read that little detail after I added my salt; so my pickles will either be salty troopers or salt blocks, oh well. If using less cucumbers, guesstimate the amount of salt but I would say about 1 tablespoon. Then mix in about a cup of chopped onions. After all is mixed, let it stand for 1.5 - 2 hours while you twiddle your thumbs.

While waiting, mix 3 1/2 cups of sugar (remember!, this is only when using 12 cucumbers! I only used 1 cup for 5 cucumbers), 2 cups of vinegar (I scaled down to a cup), 1 tsp. of celery seeds and ground cloves in a separate bowl.

My co-chef

2 hours later...

Drain the cucumbers and then place them in the jar...and finally(!) pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and screw on the lid. Give it a shake, and place that puppy (jar, not my dog) in the refrigerator.

Viola!--my perfect pack of pickled pickles. See ya in two weeks! 

*Update!* Just tried my pickles and they're delicious! Pickle perfection :)