Fetalicious For The Fourth

If you're looking for a great dish to serve at or bring to your 4th of July cookout, I've got just the thing for you!  It is healthy and flavorful and can be served hot or cold.  Make it ahead of time so you can spend the 4th relaxing with your family and friends!

Summer Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dry quinoa
• 1 medium cucumber, diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped and steamed
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 container feta cheese crumbles (I used Trader Joe's Crumbled Feta with Mediterranean Herbs)
• 3 T olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. I used half water and half chicken broth.

2) Chop and lightly steam broccoli.  Dice the cucumber, onion, and tomatoes.  Add vegetables to a large mixing bowl.

3) Add cooked quinoa to the mixing bowl.

4) Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to mixing bowl.

5) Gently mix the contents of the bowl.

6) In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, salt and pepper, and whisk to combine.

7) Pour liquid mixture over quinoa mixture and allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

8) Top with feta cheese crumbles.

Enjoy!

Ode to Taylor

So, as you may or may not know, I am a big Taylor Swift fan.  I am going to her concert on Sunday and am super pumped!

Today, I had a fun little afternoon of arts and crafts.  The result?  A sweet shirt to wear to Miss Swift's concert.  Take a looksie!

 Two of the songs on Taylor's Speak Now album are "Long Live" and "Mean," so I decided to incorporate them into my little slogan.

                          This goes along with my life's motto, "B*tches get stitches."

                                                    Exhibit A: Paperweight from Mike.

                              And then, a little something something on the back!

Simple Stir-Fry

Stir-fries are one of my go-to meals.  They are great because they easily take care of your veggie,  starch, and protein.  Just throw everything in the pan, pick a tasty stir-fry sauce, and cook at medium heat until the vegetables are slightly tender.

A lot of people are afraid of tofu.  Don't be!  Tofu is an inexpensive and versatile protein.  It takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking with, so you can season it however you like.  I prefer extra firm tofu, because it holds it's shape better and cooks faster.  Simply remove the tofu from its container, put it between several layers of paper towels or a clean hand towel, and place something heavy on it for about 15 minutes (I use either a cookbook or heavy saute pan).  This pressing process removes the excess water.

Soyaki Tofu Stir-Fry


Ingredients:

• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 cup baby carots, sliced
• 1 cup sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 box of whole wheat linguini

Directions:

1. Drain and press tofu and cut into cubes.

2. Cook linguini according to directions on the package.  Drain and set aside.

3. Spray saute pan with olive oil cooking spray and add snap peas, carrots, green pepper, and mushrooms.  Add about 1/2 cup of Soyaki sauce and cook over medium heat until vegetables are slightly tender.

4. Spray another saute pan with cooking spray and warm pan over medium heat.  Add the tofu, flipping the cubes occasionally, until golden brown.  Drizzle with Soyaki sauce.

5. Add the linguini to the vegetable mixture and stir to incorporate.  Add the tofu, and serve!

Recharging

I think it's safe to say that summer has finally arrived.  There is something so refreshing about long days, bright sunshine, and carefree attitudes.

I spent this past weekend in Old Forge, NY, boating, relaxing, and spending time with family.  It was so nice to bask in the sunshine and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

If you can't escape to the Adirondacks to recharge, though, this recipe is for you.  You can thank my mom for this request (Hi Mom!).

Super Charge-Me Cookies
Adapted from http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com
Makes 11-12 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup shredded coconut
1/4 –1/3 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit (I used dried cherries)
3–4 tbsp chocolate chips 
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 tbsp almond butter (or any other nut butter)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, dried fruit, and chocolate chips; sift in baking powder and stir until well combined. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine flaxseed meal, syrup, almond butter, and vanilla and stir until well combined.  Stir in oil. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until just well combined (do not overmix). 
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon batter onto baking sheet and lightly flatten. 
5. Bake for 13 minutes (no longer, or they will dry out). 
6. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.

What Would Matt Lauer Do?

I feel like Matt Lauer always has a clever statement or witty retort to make.  (I've noticed this even more so lately since I've had the luxury of being able to watch The Today Show on a daily basis).  I was at a loss for a catchy title for this post, when the above came to me.  He would know what to call it.  He would then cross his legs and shovel these enchiladas into his mouth like they're going out of style.

If you are on a first name basis with the staff at Chipotle, this recipe is for you!

Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from allrecipes.com


Ingredients:

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken tenders
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 10 oz can enchilada sauce (or smaller--I used about 1/3 of the can)
• 6 whole wheat tortillas (I used Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a medium skillet, cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink.  (I also used a splash of chicken broth that I had in the fridge).

3. Drain excess fat, cut chicken into cubes, and return it to the skillet.

4. Add the onion, 2/3 cup of Cheddar cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, and pepper.  Heat until cheese melts.

5. Stir in salt, tomato sauce, water, and garlic.

6. Remove from heat and spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the tortillas.  Fold the edges under and place tortillas in a 9x13 glass baking dish.

7. Cover with enchilada sauce and the remaining Cheddar cheese.

8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes before serving.

You can feed these to kids, friends, or hungry boyfriends as payment for bedroom furniture assembly.

Enjoy!

Calling All Cookie Monsters

So, today I had the urge to bake some cookies.  This was my third batch of cookies in 8 days. Don't judge.  One was for company!

I was thinking of making some oatmeal raisin cookies.  I always have a huge canister of oats on hand (I heart oatmeal), and I just bought a new container of raisins the other day.  Then I realized that I didn't have butter.  And that chocolate should probably be involved.  Shouldn't it always?

I consulted one of my favorite blogs, Carrots 'N' Cake, because I remembered a recipe I had read on there that would work!  I made a few modifications based on the ingredients that I had and came up with the following:

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from http://carrotsncake.com/
Makes 8-10 medium cookies


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (all out of whole wheat!)
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• pinch of salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined.
• Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and use a spoon to portion cookies onto baking sheet, placing them about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 11 minutes.
• Place cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Now, I wouldn't make these cookies if you are craving a decadent, buttery cookie. These are more on the healthy side, but in my opinion, are banana-y and chocolatey and quite tasty!  Plus, they contain whole grains and fruit, so they are basically a health food!  And, as an added bonus, there is only one mixing bowl to wash!

Enjoy!

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner & Nobody Puts a White Spoon in the Curry

Luckily no white spoons were harmed in the making of this dinner. That was a lesson I already learned the hard way.

I'd like to dedicate this post to my former roommate. She just loved Indian food-NOT (said Borat style).

I have made this recipe a couple of times before and love it every time I do.  I took an Indian cooking class back in January, and have been meaning to whip up some delicious curry and naan ever since. Or in this case, just curry. Whatevs.

Chana Masala
Adapted from: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/ethnic/indian/chana-masala.html

Ingredients:
-2 T vegetable oil
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 large clove of garlic, minced
-1 T curry
-1 T tomato paste
-15 oz can of chick peas, drained (reserve 3 T of liquid)
-1/2 T lemon juice
-1/2 t salt
-fresh black pepper
-crushed red pepper
-1/2 T margarine

Directions:
1. Heat oil on medium high heat.
2. Add onions and cook until slightly browned.

3. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, currry, and tomato paste.
4. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.

5. Add chick peas, liquid, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

6. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add red pepper to taste.
8. Add margarine and stir to allow it to melt.
9. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes or until chick peas are softened and dish is hot.

Serve over brown rice.

I also served the chana masala with some collard greens.  To make these, simply wash and trim your collards,  add about a cup of vegetable or chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and half an onion to a saute pan and cook on medium-low heat until the greens are soft.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

I've been reading health, food, and fitness blogs for about three years now. It started as something I did to pass the time at my old full-time jobs when things were slow, and grew into a hobby that I quite enjoy!

I moved to Boston in August of 2007 after graduating from Hartwick College with a BA in Psychology. I had spent that summer furiously applying to and interviewing for jobs. Finally, I landed an admin job at a prominent Boston hospital.  I ended up staying there for three and a half years. I didn't mind my job. I worked for a great surgeon, had some nice coworkers, and was good at what I did. But I wasn't truly happy there. I felt like I was just passing time until I figured out what I really wanted.  I started to explore my passions and research graduate schools.

I have always had an interest in health, wellness, and nutrition.  I took an introductory nutrition course during my senior year at Hartwick that I really enjoyed.  I liked the idea of nutrition and dietetics, but the highly scientific aspect of the field didn't appeal to me. You see, I had always done well in my science classes, but they weren't my favorite, and I knew how hard I had to work at them in order to do well.

After months and months of hemming and hawing, I finally bit the bullet and applied to the Food & Nutrition Masters program at Framingham State University.  I was ecstatic when I received my acceptance letter--I was really doing this! I started my program part-time (finishing up prerequisites) while still working full-time.  When that became too much, I went down to working part-time.  It took me about a year and a half to finish up all of the prerequisites--Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry.

This past February I applied to and was accepted into one of 24 spots in a very competitive program called the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD).  The CPD combines the coursework and internship experience needed to become a registered dietitian.  I begin my CPD coursework this coming fall.

Which brings us to now.  I finished up my spring semester about a month ago, moved into a new apartment with my boyfriend, Mike, and have been once again furiously applying to jobs for the summer.

Since I have some extra time on my hands until something comes through on the employment front, I thought, why not start a blog of my own?

I don't know the exact route that this blog will take, but I hope to include posts involving recipes, school, fitness, health, life, and more.

Check out my lunch today! I made a stir-fry with tofu, asparagus, carrots, and spinach with Ken's Asian and Sesame with Ginger & Soy dressing. Delish!

Thanks for reading!

Mariel