So I went grocery shopping a few days ago and while I was at the store, I saw some baby bok choy. I have always wanted to try my hand at cooking and preparing bok choy, so I thought this the perfect opportunity. The only problem was that I wasn't sure what to make with it. . .
Enter Google - I looked up some recipes and found one on rachaelraymag.com for a roasted bok choy gratin or something like that. I was going to make it last night for dinner but then I remembered I had an audition, so it did not get made. So I will be embarking on this culinary adventure tonight.
I have had made a few different things the past couple of weeks or so, but with my up and coming wedding I haven't really focused on anything else, but I really will try to blog about how this recipe turns out!
Well, tis all for now!
Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, November 14, 2011
New Menus Ahead
So, I have really slacked in my blog as of late! I really don't have an excuse other than I just didn't feel like it. To be honest, I haven't felt like doing much of anything lately. For the last few months I have just felt icky and after I get home from work all I want to do is just be lazy and play with my iPod.
I have been going to the doctors a lot these past few months searching for answers because no one in their twenties should feel like they are a 100 years old! I found a chiropractic physician who seems to know what he is talking about, so I am going to give him a chance. As a result of this treatment, he has put me on a very strict diet. It is the anti-inflammatory diet, so there is a lot of things that I cannot eat.
So I am going to be using this blog to post the new recipes I am having to learn out of plain necessity. This strict diet will be lasting three weeks only. I started today.
Basically here is the run down of the diet. These are the foods I cannot eat: dairy, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, corn, peanuts, soy, beef, pork (in all of its forms), canned meat, coldcuts, rice, potatoes (except for sweet potatoes), shellfish, dried fruit, fruit juices (unless I make them from the fresh fruit myself and don't anything else to them) caffeine, soda, and sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
The foods I can eat are: Fresh fruits and veggies (except for tomatoes and soy), peas, legumes and beans of any kind (except edamame which is soy), raw nuts (except for peanuts), fish (except for shellfish), turkey, chicken, lamb, water, herbs, sweet potatoes, spices, herbal teas, buckwheat, quinoa, and almond milk.
So looking at the lists above it probably seems like there are more foods that I cannot eat than I can eat. I enjoy chicken and I like a lot of fruit and veggies, so I know I will be able to survive. There are a few things on the CAN EAT list that I have never had before, so I am looking at this as an opportunity to try new foods. And there is also a variety out there so I will be getting all of the nutrition my body needs, so if anyone was worried about that, I am good.
I addition to this diet, the doctor also has me on some supplements and a "protein" shake. So I will be getting the additional nutrients that I may not get from some of the foods I am permitted to eat. My biggest challenge is going to be no caffeine. I usually drink at least one 20 oz. Diet Pepsi at work every day. I know I can do it - I am just not looking forward to the headaches and withdrawals.
Now you know what I am being faced with for the next few weeks and in the months to come. I am thankful I can have turkey cause if not I don't know what I would do this coming Thanksgiving!
I have been going to the doctors a lot these past few months searching for answers because no one in their twenties should feel like they are a 100 years old! I found a chiropractic physician who seems to know what he is talking about, so I am going to give him a chance. As a result of this treatment, he has put me on a very strict diet. It is the anti-inflammatory diet, so there is a lot of things that I cannot eat.
So I am going to be using this blog to post the new recipes I am having to learn out of plain necessity. This strict diet will be lasting three weeks only. I started today.
Basically here is the run down of the diet. These are the foods I cannot eat: dairy, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, corn, peanuts, soy, beef, pork (in all of its forms), canned meat, coldcuts, rice, potatoes (except for sweet potatoes), shellfish, dried fruit, fruit juices (unless I make them from the fresh fruit myself and don't anything else to them) caffeine, soda, and sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
The foods I can eat are: Fresh fruits and veggies (except for tomatoes and soy), peas, legumes and beans of any kind (except edamame which is soy), raw nuts (except for peanuts), fish (except for shellfish), turkey, chicken, lamb, water, herbs, sweet potatoes, spices, herbal teas, buckwheat, quinoa, and almond milk.
So looking at the lists above it probably seems like there are more foods that I cannot eat than I can eat. I enjoy chicken and I like a lot of fruit and veggies, so I know I will be able to survive. There are a few things on the CAN EAT list that I have never had before, so I am looking at this as an opportunity to try new foods. And there is also a variety out there so I will be getting all of the nutrition my body needs, so if anyone was worried about that, I am good.
I addition to this diet, the doctor also has me on some supplements and a "protein" shake. So I will be getting the additional nutrients that I may not get from some of the foods I am permitted to eat. My biggest challenge is going to be no caffeine. I usually drink at least one 20 oz. Diet Pepsi at work every day. I know I can do it - I am just not looking forward to the headaches and withdrawals.
Now you know what I am being faced with for the next few weeks and in the months to come. I am thankful I can have turkey cause if not I don't know what I would do this coming Thanksgiving!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Harvest Time - Does It Get Better?
I maintain that my favorite season of the year is summer because it is warm and toasty and not a lot of snowflakes in site. I also enjoy all of the summer time fruits and veggies you can get. Probably my favorite vegetable in the summer is asparagus and strawberries are my favorite summer fruit!
This time of year is in a close second to the summer because I love all of the yummy foods that come on this time of year with two my all time favorites - apples and pumpkins! I am a huge Rachael Ray fan and I was thrilled that October's magazine is filled with apple and pumpkin recipes. Awesome!
I could live off of pumpkins and apples all through the autumn season and right into the holidays. I love just about anything with pumpkin in it - pie, cookies, cocoa, pasta; if a pumpkin is in it I will most likely eat or drink it. I also love apples as well. I love applesauce, juice, cider, pie, chutney, and my favorite guilty pleasure - caramel and candy apples! I love going to the fair and getting these! They are so yummy and I can justify eating it because it is "healthy."
I want to expand my baking skills as they are quite lacking (ask my sister or mom about the time I added too much salt to the cookies) and I found this decadent pumpkin recipe on Rachael Ray's website: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! It is an Amish recipe and pumpkin - best of both worlds! And then I want to try and make my own caramel or candied apples. I love candied apples because it is like eating your favorite hard candy over an apple and the caramel apples are delicious because they are!
What are your favorite recipes that incorporate all of the yummy fall fruits and veggies?
Pumpkin Whoopie Pie:
Candied Apples:
This time of year is in a close second to the summer because I love all of the yummy foods that come on this time of year with two my all time favorites - apples and pumpkins! I am a huge Rachael Ray fan and I was thrilled that October's magazine is filled with apple and pumpkin recipes. Awesome!
I could live off of pumpkins and apples all through the autumn season and right into the holidays. I love just about anything with pumpkin in it - pie, cookies, cocoa, pasta; if a pumpkin is in it I will most likely eat or drink it. I also love apples as well. I love applesauce, juice, cider, pie, chutney, and my favorite guilty pleasure - caramel and candy apples! I love going to the fair and getting these! They are so yummy and I can justify eating it because it is "healthy."
I want to expand my baking skills as they are quite lacking (ask my sister or mom about the time I added too much salt to the cookies) and I found this decadent pumpkin recipe on Rachael Ray's website: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! It is an Amish recipe and pumpkin - best of both worlds! And then I want to try and make my own caramel or candied apples. I love candied apples because it is like eating your favorite hard candy over an apple and the caramel apples are delicious because they are!
What are your favorite recipes that incorporate all of the yummy fall fruits and veggies?
Pumpkin Whoopie Pie:
Candied Apples:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Ole! Squashamole!
I haven't blogged in forever, I know. What a busy summer it has been! Last night, though, I was finally able to do some cooking. Last night I made a dip called Squashamole. It is like guacamole but made with squash and zucchini instead of avocado.
This dip has very unique taste. The veggies are cooked before they are pureed so there is a little bit of sweetness but the garlic and salt and pepper even that out. The recipe said it makes five cups, but I would surmise there may be a little bit more than that.
This dip is awesome with tortilla chips, but as I was eating it last night I was thinking it would be really good with a quesadilla or taco. There is also walnuts and parmesan cheese in the dip, and those alone would make an awesome coating to some fish, chicken, or pork. But the walnuts and cheese do get pureed with the veggies, so except for the taste, there is no noticeable texture from the nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, the best thing to do would be to omit the nuts. I definitely think the dip can stand on its own without the nuts.
If I make this again, next time I will cut the veggies up a little bit more after they are cooked as it took a very long time to puree everything in the food processor. This dish is vegan friendly as there are no animal products in this, so this dish is crowd pleaser for all! Happy dipping!
Squashamole:
This dip has very unique taste. The veggies are cooked before they are pureed so there is a little bit of sweetness but the garlic and salt and pepper even that out. The recipe said it makes five cups, but I would surmise there may be a little bit more than that.
This dip is awesome with tortilla chips, but as I was eating it last night I was thinking it would be really good with a quesadilla or taco. There is also walnuts and parmesan cheese in the dip, and those alone would make an awesome coating to some fish, chicken, or pork. But the walnuts and cheese do get pureed with the veggies, so except for the taste, there is no noticeable texture from the nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, the best thing to do would be to omit the nuts. I definitely think the dip can stand on its own without the nuts.
If I make this again, next time I will cut the veggies up a little bit more after they are cooked as it took a very long time to puree everything in the food processor. This dish is vegan friendly as there are no animal products in this, so this dish is crowd pleaser for all! Happy dipping!
Squashamole:
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies!
Sometimes I am surprised by what you see in the grocery store ads. A few days ago I was looking at the sales in the local ad for the grocery store here. In the ad there was a recipe for a crock pot recipe. I love cooking in the crock pot because you can throw in all of your ingredients in it and then turn it on and walk away and a few hours later you have a delicious meal and you didn't have to babysit it.
So, I decided to try the recipe that was in the ad. It was a recipe for Chicken and Vegetables. I went to the grocery store and bought the little meal pack you could get. The only thing I switched up was the Cream of Mushroom soup that was in the recipe. I substituted a can of Cream of Asparagus soup instead. I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and turned it on and went to work. When I came home a little over eight hours later, I had a delicious meal. The chicken was so tender I could barely get it out of the crock pot without it falling apart. This was by far one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The recipe below feeds six people. I modified it a little because I am only one person. I cut the recipe in half. I still have enough for another batch. But this recipe is perfect for a family. In fact, my sister made a similar meal from this idea. I will post her idea below as well. So, if you want a healthy, easy meal this is my suggestion!
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies
6 Boneless chicken breasts
10 Red Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom (or another Cream of Vegetable soup if you aren't a fan of fungus)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (for another level, I used one garlic clove)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Add the potatoes to the crock pot. Cover with the carrots. Top with the chicken breasts. Combine the soups and add the garlic. Pour over the chicken and veggies. Turn on crock pot on low and cook for eight hours. Salt and pepper to taste upon serving. Serve with rolls if preferred.
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pies:
Follow the recipe above, but add some additional vegetables such as frozen peas, corn, or whatever you prefer. You may also want to cut up the chicken into smaller pieces. Bake some of the pop can biscuits (such as Pillsbury). When the chicken is done, spoon some of the chicken and veggies over one half biscuit and top with the other half biscuit. Instant "pot pie." You could even make this more pie like if you have a ramekin. You could split one biscuit and put it in the bottom of the ramekin and then scoop the mixture over and then put the top on it!
So, I decided to try the recipe that was in the ad. It was a recipe for Chicken and Vegetables. I went to the grocery store and bought the little meal pack you could get. The only thing I switched up was the Cream of Mushroom soup that was in the recipe. I substituted a can of Cream of Asparagus soup instead. I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot and turned it on and went to work. When I came home a little over eight hours later, I had a delicious meal. The chicken was so tender I could barely get it out of the crock pot without it falling apart. This was by far one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The recipe below feeds six people. I modified it a little because I am only one person. I cut the recipe in half. I still have enough for another batch. But this recipe is perfect for a family. In fact, my sister made a similar meal from this idea. I will post her idea below as well. So, if you want a healthy, easy meal this is my suggestion!
Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies
6 Boneless chicken breasts
10 Red Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb. bag of baby carrots
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom (or another Cream of Vegetable soup if you aren't a fan of fungus)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (for another level, I used one garlic clove)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Add the potatoes to the crock pot. Cover with the carrots. Top with the chicken breasts. Combine the soups and add the garlic. Pour over the chicken and veggies. Turn on crock pot on low and cook for eight hours. Salt and pepper to taste upon serving. Serve with rolls if preferred.
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pies:
Follow the recipe above, but add some additional vegetables such as frozen peas, corn, or whatever you prefer. You may also want to cut up the chicken into smaller pieces. Bake some of the pop can biscuits (such as Pillsbury). When the chicken is done, spoon some of the chicken and veggies over one half biscuit and top with the other half biscuit. Instant "pot pie." You could even make this more pie like if you have a ramekin. You could split one biscuit and put it in the bottom of the ramekin and then scoop the mixture over and then put the top on it!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!
So I made this for dinner quite some time ago. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my cat had a freak accident and so I was dealing with that. He is all healed now, so now I blog.
I made Nut-Crusted Tilapia With Spinach and Carrots. This was so good! This was also a first for me in terms of cooking something I have never cooked before. I have grown up eating all kinds of fish, but I have never cooked it myself unless you count frozen fish sticks. The tilapia was quite easy to cook. I ground up some bread and cashew nuts in my food processor and then coated the fish with some horseradish infused spicy grainy mustard and the nut mixture and then baked the fish. It turned out really well and was very tender and flaky! With the leftover fish I cooked it a few days later and "fried" the pieces. That was good too! I consider this a hit because my friend ate the fish with me and she isn't a big fan of having nuts in her food, but she didn't even know until I told her. So I think if you are someone who hates nuts in food because of texture, this is the perfect recipe because the nuts are ground up into a powder almost, so it eliminates the texture that nuts tend to have.
The recipe also had spinach and roasted carrots on the side. The carrots were roasted in the oven. They turned out really well. The only I would do different is double the carrots, because there wasn't that much after I was done cooking them. And hey, they are vegetables so there is no guilt in doubling up on them! The spinach was easy to cook. The recipe suggested adding a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the spinach, so I did -- won't do that next time! It definitely took the spinach up another level, but it was spicy! Next time I will omit the pepper flakes.
So, all in all, this was a great recipe and I think kids would love this recipe! It would expose them to something more than frozen fish sticks but still have that fish stick appeal with the nut crust. I am thankful that my parents didn't always have money for eating out and even store bought meat. My dad always went fishing and so we always had fish in the house, and so I grew up loving fish and still do to this day! If prepared right, fish is mighty tasty!
Nut-crusted tilapia with Spinach and Carrots:
I made Nut-Crusted Tilapia With Spinach and Carrots. This was so good! This was also a first for me in terms of cooking something I have never cooked before. I have grown up eating all kinds of fish, but I have never cooked it myself unless you count frozen fish sticks. The tilapia was quite easy to cook. I ground up some bread and cashew nuts in my food processor and then coated the fish with some horseradish infused spicy grainy mustard and the nut mixture and then baked the fish. It turned out really well and was very tender and flaky! With the leftover fish I cooked it a few days later and "fried" the pieces. That was good too! I consider this a hit because my friend ate the fish with me and she isn't a big fan of having nuts in her food, but she didn't even know until I told her. So I think if you are someone who hates nuts in food because of texture, this is the perfect recipe because the nuts are ground up into a powder almost, so it eliminates the texture that nuts tend to have.
The recipe also had spinach and roasted carrots on the side. The carrots were roasted in the oven. They turned out really well. The only I would do different is double the carrots, because there wasn't that much after I was done cooking them. And hey, they are vegetables so there is no guilt in doubling up on them! The spinach was easy to cook. The recipe suggested adding a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the spinach, so I did -- won't do that next time! It definitely took the spinach up another level, but it was spicy! Next time I will omit the pepper flakes.
So, all in all, this was a great recipe and I think kids would love this recipe! It would expose them to something more than frozen fish sticks but still have that fish stick appeal with the nut crust. I am thankful that my parents didn't always have money for eating out and even store bought meat. My dad always went fishing and so we always had fish in the house, and so I grew up loving fish and still do to this day! If prepared right, fish is mighty tasty!
Nut-crusted tilapia with Spinach and Carrots:
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Pizza Done Healthy!
I have been in a not so good mood today and when I get in bad moods, I tend to eat unhealthy foods, so I decided to come home and make a pizza. This pizza actually was very healthy. I made an Onion, Red Pepper, and Sausage Pizza. You are probably thinking, "How is sausage healthy?" Yes, sausage isn't typically healthy, but I actually found chicken sausage and that is what I used in this recipe. Chicken is much healthier than your standard pork sausage.
The recipe called for hot Italian sausage and the only thing could find in hot Italian was chicken, so that is what I used. The chicken sausage held well in this recipe and had a little bite to it. Quite enjoyable.
The onions and peppers were a nice addition to this pizza. I liked them a lot and I typically do not like veggies on my pizza. The onions and peppers added the right amount of flavor and went well with the hot sausage.
Of course, what is pizza without cheese? Unlike most pizzas, the cheese on this was not the standard mozzarella. This pizza had ricotta and Parmesan on it. I was really surprised I would like the ricotta. Ricotta is a little healthier than mozzarella and way more healthy than cheddar! The pizza sauce on this was just olive oil. Personally I think a thick sauce would have been too much. There was also rosemary in the pizza which gave it a nice flavor.
I added fennel seed to the pizza as well. Quite yummy! But fennel goes well with Italian sausage. The dough for the pizza was just a store bought pizza dough, which is probably the best way to go when making quick and easy recipes! I would also encourage that if you are going to make pizza, you should get some stoneware to cook it one. The stoneware cooks the pizza dough more evenly and makes it have that pizza oven\brick over restaurant feel to it.
The only thing I would do differently next time is maybe do two different colors of bell peppers for more color appeal! So, I was able to get my comfort food but on a healthier level!
Onion, red pepper, and sausage pizza:
The recipe called for hot Italian sausage and the only thing could find in hot Italian was chicken, so that is what I used. The chicken sausage held well in this recipe and had a little bite to it. Quite enjoyable.
The onions and peppers were a nice addition to this pizza. I liked them a lot and I typically do not like veggies on my pizza. The onions and peppers added the right amount of flavor and went well with the hot sausage.
Of course, what is pizza without cheese? Unlike most pizzas, the cheese on this was not the standard mozzarella. This pizza had ricotta and Parmesan on it. I was really surprised I would like the ricotta. Ricotta is a little healthier than mozzarella and way more healthy than cheddar! The pizza sauce on this was just olive oil. Personally I think a thick sauce would have been too much. There was also rosemary in the pizza which gave it a nice flavor.
I added fennel seed to the pizza as well. Quite yummy! But fennel goes well with Italian sausage. The dough for the pizza was just a store bought pizza dough, which is probably the best way to go when making quick and easy recipes! I would also encourage that if you are going to make pizza, you should get some stoneware to cook it one. The stoneware cooks the pizza dough more evenly and makes it have that pizza oven\brick over restaurant feel to it.
The only thing I would do differently next time is maybe do two different colors of bell peppers for more color appeal! So, I was able to get my comfort food but on a healthier level!
Onion, red pepper, and sausage pizza:
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