Homemade S’mores

September 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

S’mores are probably one of my top 5 favorite foods. I love how they taste, what feelings/memories they evoke (bonfires, summer, beaches), and how easy they are to make! Three ingredients and a flame is all you need.

This past weekend a s’mores craving hit! This time I decided to experiment with some homemade ingredients. I had made graham crackers before and they were surprisingly easy. This was my first time making marshmallows. The s’more that resulted was pretty much the best thing I’ve eaten all year! Homemade foods for the win!

Making marshmallows is a little involved mainly because you have to watch the temperature. The basic steps are boil sugar and corn syrup and then whip until fluffy. This Kitchn post has great step by step pics and instructions. I halved the recipe and it made about 20 marshmallows. One thing I didn’t realize before starting the process was that marshmallows have to cure which usually takes a few hours. So our s’mores had more of a marshmallow cream element which was fine by me.

It took about 10 minutes for the mixture to turn fluffy and white.

I cut them up the next day after they had firmed up a bit. I only used a tiny portion of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture that was in the recipe.

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Now on to the graham crackers! I love this recipe from Kitchen Simplicity. It doesn’t call for graham flour and I always have all the ingredients on hand. The dough comes together really easily and rolling it out wasn’t bad at all. I always dread rolling things out because of the dough sticking to everything but using the parchment paper prevented any dough stickage.

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Derek had the idea to put the chocolate on the graham right as they were coming out of the oven since we weren’t going to be roasting the mallows. It melted the chocolate perfectly! That man is a genius. I’m going to be dreaming about this s’more for years to come.

Have a great day!

Pinterest in Real Life

September 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I love Pinterest. I have been a fan since the way beginning when you had to make a request to join or did you have to get a referral? I don’t remember exactly but it wasn’t easy as it is now. Pinterest is looking a lot different these days but I still enjoy it. I know how easy it is to just pin things right and left with good intentions but how often do I really try that new recipe or make the ‘best’ homemade laundry detergent. Well, I’ve decided to take some of my pins and try them in real life! (Hopefully they turn out better than these Pinterest fails!) Here’s what happened:

1. Homemade Ranch Dressing

Homemade ranch dressing so much better than bottled!

(Pinned 2 years ago)

Original Source

Verdict: My version does not look like the picture but it tasted really good. I followed the recipe but substituted sour cream with greek yogurt. I would use this recipe again!

2.

moto jacket + stripes + leopard flats

Original Source (link goes to the website, not sure where actual picture is on that website)

Verdict: I had fun recreating this outfit. Luckily I had all the items already in my closet so it was pretty easy to pull together. I need to work on my modeling skills but I like how the outfit looked.

This was a fun experience! I look forward to pinning and recreating more in the future!

Have a great day!

End of Summer Tabbouleh

September 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Summer may be winding down but it doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in a few more summery recipes. Our basil is kaput but the parsley in our garden is still going strong. It was just calling out to be made into a tabbouleh salad. I believe authentic tabbouleh has a few more ingredients but I worked with what I had on hand. I perused a couple of recipes and then got to work. Bulgur wheat, mint, tomatoes, garlic and lemon were all invited to play along with parsley at this party. I only had curly leaf parsley but it seems like flat leaf or Italian parsley is typically used. Curly worked just fine.

This was my first time cooking bulgur. Bulgur is popular grain used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Bulgur is a whole wheat grain that has been cooked, dried and then ground into pieces. Like most whole grains it is very high in fiber and minerals such as magnesium and manganese. It also clocks in with 6 grams of protein per cup of cooked bulgur. Interesting fact: bulgur in Turkish translates to ‘bruised grain’ which makes perfect sense!

I found a quick cooking version that was done in about 10 minutes. The texture reminds me of a cross between quinoa and cous cous. It a little bit chewy with a very mild flavor.

This salad comes together pretty easily. Tomatoes and cucumbers are chopped. Herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic go in the mini food processor. Bulgur gets cooked. Put it all together and you have yourself a tasty salad!

I think this would pair well with chicken or fish or could be added to a pita sandwich. Or just eaten out of the bowl straight from the fridge which I think happened with the majority of this salad at our house.

End of Summer Tabbouleh

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lemon, juice squeezed

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

Salt to taste

1 cup bulgur wheat, cooked

Mix herbs, oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a mini food processor. (Or chop by hand if you desire.) Mix herb mixture, tomatoes, cucumber, and bulgur. Enjoy!

Homemade Oprah Chai Tea Latte

September 8, 2014 by 2 Comments

Oprah really got it right with her Teavana Oprah Chai Tea line that is sold at Starbucks. I am not a coffee drinker but occasionally I find myself at Starbucks and I had to give the Oprah Chai Tea Latte a try. It is a cinnamony, spicy, delicious chai tea blend that could be addictive if I let it. However, I cannot stand forking out the cash for a drink that I gulp down in less than five minutes so I decided to try my hand at making it at home. And I think I was pretty successful! Plus there is no processed flavored syrup in sight.

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I think the difference between regular chai and the Oprah chai tea is the intense cinnamon flavor. I thought about just adding a bunch of regular cinnamon but then figured a cinnamon tea would probably taste much better. I have a somewhat ridiculous stash of tea which luckily included the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset. A tea described as a black tea with cinnamon, orange, and sweet cloves. But I think any cinnamon tea would work. I mixed the cinnamon tea with regular chai tea and the result is shockingly similar to the Oprah chai. I still want to do a blind taste test to see just how close they are.

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I have been making a large jar of this mixture and then drinking it iced with a splash of coconut milk creamer or homemade almond milk. I prefer it iced right now since it is still pretty warm and sunny outside but this winter I’m sure I’ll be drinking it warm with maybe some whipped cream on top.

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Homemade Oprah Chai Tea Latte

A equal number of chai tea and cinnamon tea bags (I used two each for a large mason jar)

2 ounces of creamer or milk of your choice

Brew tea as usual. I try to only let the tea bags steep for about 5 minutes or I find the tea can taste a little bitter. If drinking warm, add creamer. If drinking iced, chill tea in refrigerator and mix in creamer in before drinking. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!

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Homemade Almond Milk

September 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Almond milk is one of those things that we still buy at the mainstream grocery store. It is a food which I would put under the ‘processed’ category. So in attempts of ridding the fridge of processed food, I made some homemade almond milk. It is so easy peasy I think I’ll continue to experiment with making it regularly. I didn’t follow a particular recipe and just decided to wing it. (I am the worst at taking the time to follow recipes.)

So here’s how it goes down. Most recipes suggest soaking the almonds overnight. I soaked mine for about 12 hours or so. It is pretty amazing how much they plump up. Soaked almonds taste really good! So make sure to eat a couple.

1. Soak almonds for 8 hours or more. Rinse and add filtered or distilled water.

2. Add desired spices and/or sweeteners. I added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract. In the past I have used dried dates as a sweetener but this time I left it unsweetened. Other possible additions are nutmeg, cocoa powder, honey, maple syrup, or I just got the idea to use pumpkin spice for fall inspired drinks! Or almond extract! Why didn’t I think of these additions when I was actually making the milk?? Oh well, next time!

3. Blend with filtered or distilled water until almonds are completely blended.

4. Strain. I used a cheesecloth and mesh strainer combo. It was a bit messy but doable. I might have to invest in a nut milk bag (a special bag used to strain out the nut pulp.) but first I have to think of another name to call such a thing. Pulp strainer, milk filter…I don’t know but nut milk bag just sounds wrong.

I saved the leftover pulp and added it to some zucchini bread I made. I couldn’t even taste it in the bread. I bet it would work in pancakes, muffins, or any other baked good. You can also dehydrate the pulp and use it like almond meal. To dehydrate cook in a low oven (probably about 200 degrees) for an hour or so.

5. Enjoy!

This is about 2 cups of almonds.

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The water looks gross because I added cinnamon.

3 Ingredient Watermelon Smoothie

September 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I love smoothies. They are pretty much a daily thing around this house. While I think smoothies are an excellent way to cram a whole lot of fruit and veggies into one meal sometimes I crave a simple smoothie. Enter this 3 ingredient smoothie. The players are just one small beet, 3-4 cups of watermelon, and a small handful of mint. The result is a neon pink smoothie that is refreshing and satisfying. Somehow the watermelon really mellows out that typical earthy beet taste that I used to despise. Now I like it. Did you know our taste buds do change with time? I’m still waiting for mine change enough so I like olives but it hasn’t happened yet.

Ingredients:

1 small beet, raw*

1 small handful of fresh mint

3-4 cups of fresh watermelon

Blend together and enjoy!

*I used a Vitamix blender which can handle raw beets. If your blender isn’t up to the challenge you could just poke the beet with a fork and pop in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften it up a bit.

Just look at that color! It was a great way to add a little brightness to this cloudy day.

Summer Wheat Berry Salad

August 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

This salad will get you right back on track after a weekend of indulgences. It is light but satisfying, tasty but healthy, easy but complex – you get the picture.

I love a good chopped salad with a smattering of some sort of grain. We had cooked a batch of wheat berries this weekend so they were the lucky ones for this salad.

Wheat berries are a great grain for a salad because they are hearty and not prone to mushiness. Also, they get better with age and really soak up the flavors of whatever dressing is used.

Any variety of vegetables would work for this salad. I chose cucumbers, carrots, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and orange bell peppper because that is what I had on hand. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette.

Summer Wheat Berry Salad

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup of shredded red cabbage

1 cup cherry tomatoes, chooped

1 cup orange bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of cooked wheat berries*

1 small handful of parsley, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 lemon, fresh squeezed

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey

Generous pinch of salt

Mix vegetables and cooked wheat berries thoroughly. I had made the wheat berries previously but you could make the salad while the berries are still warm. Pour dressing over mixture and mix well. Enjoy!

*To cook wheat berries: Rinse under cool water. Place in a saucepan and cover with liquid (you can use water or any type of broth.) A ratio of 3:1 water to berries is a good rule of thumb. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Start checking for doneness around 30 min. I like the berries with a bit of bite and chewiness. Depending on how long the berries are it can take up an hour. Strain off any remaining liquid.

Other additions that would be good for this salad: avocado, toasted walnuts, feta or goat cheese.

What I Ate Wednesday

August 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

8:00 AM Super sized smoothie.

12:00 PM Chicken soup with goat cheese, pesto, and tomato on toast with a side of German Shepherd.

3:00-4:00 pm Trail mix

In the mix: almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, walnuts, and raisins.

5:00 Hummus with cucumber – Homemade Microwave Hummus recipe from the Minimalist Baker.

7:30pm Grilled salmon, cous cous grain mixture, and a caprese salad

Today was a little low in veggies but everyday can’t be perfect…

Eat the Rainbow

August 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

They say we eat with our eyes. I’m not exactly sure who ‘they’ is but I think they are right. A plate full of colorful beautiful food is much more appetizing than food that looks blah and boring. Besides being pleasing to the eye, natural occurring colors are usually a sign of a nutrition powerhouse. We’re talking about phytonutrients, antioxidants, and carotenes or in other words cancer-fighting chemicals, immune boosters, and vitamins. Bring on the colors!

Note that I said ‘naturally occurring.’ Food scientists are very talented at making food brightly colored – I’m thinking of you Rainbow Skittles and Cheetos.

If every meal was perfect it would contain fruits or veggies from each color group. However, I know that is much easier said than done. If possible, try to get at least two colors on your plate. For example if you are having a bowl of pasta with red sauce try to add some green by throwing some spinach in with the pasta. (I’m always adding spinach to random meals to get some green on my plate.)

*Side note: That baby bok choy is such a scene stealer! Who knew greens could be so photogenic?

An easy way to get a lot of different colors is a salad. Well, of course I’m a dietitian so I always tell people to eat salads. However, salads are not the bad guys. I think they got a bad rap back in the day when people would go on diets and force themselves to eat horrible looking things like wilted iceberg lettuce and anemic tomatoes. That does sound disgusting. Good news! We now are in 2014, salads can be a beautiful thing. Also, they are one of the best ways to get tons of colors on your plate. I’m talking about crunchy romaine, sweet tomatoes, refreshing cucumbers, brightly colored bell peppers, and the list could go on. Sounds good, right?

At your next meal, challenge yourself to include as many colors as you can. Your body and your tastebuds will thank you!

Easy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

August 14, 2014 by argetman Leave a Comment

The cherry tomatoes have arrived! I wanted to use a bunch before they went bad and thought how delicious they would be roasted. Roasting vegetables is one my go to methods when I don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

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To roast the tomatoes I spread them on a cooking sheet and drizzled with olive oil and salt. No cutting or prepping needed. I set the oven a little low at 325 degrees so they would cook slowly. I let them roast for about 50 minutes and I shook the pan one time at about the 20 minute mark.

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Roasting the tomatoes intensifies their sweetness and the skins become a little carmelized (yum!). The shriveled look is a good thing! That means they are done.

I think we could have eaten these by themselves and been happy but I added them to a linguine pasta and mixed in a couple of spoonfuls of homemade pesto. Such an easy and simple dinner!!

Happy Healthy RD

Living a happy healthy life