Tag Archives: recipes

Adventures In The Kitchen

Posted on by
4

Happy Halloween everyone! What’s everyone dressing up as this year? Unfortunately, I’m working late tonight so will not be dressing up or handing out candies to the kiddos. Ah, well. I guess that’s less candy for me to eat! Also, I just want to thank everyone for the well wishes during the storm a couple of days ago! Thankfully, Boston didn’t get hit nearly as badly as they were predicting, so the worst we got here was no power for several hours. My thoughts go out to those who got it much worse than us though; New Jersey and New York both had a very rough Monday, and I hope everyone’s on a path to recovery after Sandy!

Anyhoo.. On to today’s post, which has nothing to do with Halloween. Or storms.

I’m not much of a cook.

I can bake one hell of a pie, and endless batches of cookies and brownies that always leave people asking for more.

But put me in the kitchen and ask me to make dinner? Not so much.

Every once in a while though, I create something that comes together wonderfully (although it’s usually by accident). It just so happens that this happened twice a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I must share!

The first was an accidental dinner that really only came about because I came home from work late, with few groceries to choose from and little patience for cooking anything fancy. I was tired and starving, and I wanted food, fast.  This is what lead to the preliminary portion of the accidental dinner: seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potato pieces, and roasted broccoli. The first night, I threw these three components in a bowl together, and it was a surprisingly good flavor combination.

The next night, however, is when it got even better. Again, I got home tired, lazy, and starving, but wanted to do something a little bit different instead of eating exactly the same thing again. So I took out my beef/sweet potato/broccoli combo leftover from the previous night,  threw it between two small whole wheat tortillas, sprinkled some asiago/romano cheese in the mix, and baked it into an absolutely delicious (yet kind of strange) quesadilla.

Mexican food it was not, but the flavor was excellent! If you ever have these three main ingredients on hand, I highly recommend whipping this up. Especially when topped with a dollop of plain greek yogurt, the “quesadilla” was a delicious and filling dinner, that took me about 10 minutes to make! (about 40 minutes, if you count the initial veggie roasting, beef browning time).

My next accidental kitchen adventure came from wanting to use up some cashew butter that I had bought at the Boston Local Food Festival. I loved the cashew butter, but realized that I didn’t really enjoy it as a spread, so I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to eat it.  This is how Cashew Coconut Date bars were born.

Ingredients:

3/4 C Cashew Butter

1/2 C Chopped Dates

2 Tbs shredded unsweetened coconut (+ 1 Tbs reserved)

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Few drops of water

Pinch of salt (1/8-1/4 tsp, to taste)

2 Tbs Raw Almond Slivers

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients except 1 Tbs of coconut and almond slivers in medium sized bowl. Mix well, including a few drops of water to aid in mixing. You  might need to mix by hand in order to make sure that all ingredients are incorporated evenly; I didn’t use a food processor because I wanted to keep the consistency of the chopped dates. Form into a square, about 1/2 in thick; sprinkle remaining coconut and almond slivers on top. Refrigerate to set, and cut into 4-5 “Lara Bar” sized bars.

I’m telling you, these are so good. They tasted suspiciously like Butternut Donuts from Dunkin Donuts, although not as sweet. I’m not sure how that’s possible from something with a cashew-butter base, but hey, I’m not complaining!

Do you ever make things accidentally in the kitchen? Are you more of a cook or a baker (or both)? What’s the best thing you’ve ever made my accident?

Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies

Posted on by
3

I have to apologize, because I know that around this time of year, it’s like Jack the Pumpkin King threw up all over blog land.

If a vegetable could give you nightmares…it would be this guy. 

There are pumpkin smoothies (YUM!), pumpkin cakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake… pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin!!!

But you know me, I just had to get in on the action. I have been using pumpkin a lot lately, mostly in yogurt bowls, oatmeal, and in smoothies, but I’ve also been working on a little somethin’ somethin’ for ya!

I first made this recipe last week, and while it wasn’t an epic fail, they were just blah.

So I put my thinking cap on, made a few additions, one subtraction, and voila!

Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies 

I began with 1 C of oat flour, but wanted them slightly more dense, so I upped it to 1.5 C. This is a personal preference! 

I have to add a little disclaimer here: I call them breakfast cookies because they are not too sweet and are excellent for a breakfast on the go. However, they are not just for breakfast! I’ve been eating them mostly as an afternoon snack; they’re nutritious, tasty, and with fiber and protein from the oats and pumpkin, they’ll get you through that afternoon snack food crave-fest.

This last time I made them, I couldn’t decide exactly how I wanted them, so I ended up splitting up the batter into thirds. One third were kept with just raisins, one third with chocolate chips and raisins, and the rest were made with raisins and chopped pecans.

My favorite? The ones with chocolate chips of course!

I must admit, they are also ridiculously good with a dollop of almond butter on top (or sandwiched in between, as I’ve been doing). What? A little almond-butter-pumpkin-cookie sandwich is a totally normal idea.

I keep mine refrigerated, although they don’t last very long in my house so I’m not sure how long they’ll keep for; 3-4 days I would imagine. Just pop one in the microwave for about 10 seconds to warm it up, but I think they’re great cold too!

I also have to add one thing: Whether you make these cookies or not, one thing I recommend buying is the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you (you poor, poor soul), I’m sure you can find  pumpkin butter elsewhere but I can’t vouch for how good it will be! It is pretty darn sweet so you never need very much, but about 3/4 Tbs mixed in to my breakfast yogurt bowls has made for breakfast-heaven lately.

And last but certainly not least, if you don’t have the pumpkin butter, you can still make the cookies. I would just add in another banana or a small amount of brown sugar to sweeten them just a touch.

Happy Weekend everyone! I’ll be spending my weekend eating pumpkin things, doing some writing, and studying for my upcoming CSCS exam.  I’m not gonna lie, I’ll probably also consume some pumpkin beers somewhere in there. Fun stuff, huh?

Do any of you have any big plans this weekend? Do you tend to fall onto the pumpkin-craze bandwagon each fall? What’s your favorite recipe to add pumpkin to? Do you use Trader Joes pumpkin butter?

Stadium Workout and a Smoothie

Posted on by
3

I’ll get to the workout and recipe in a second, but I just want to start off with a little update on my angry muscles:

After being off for 5 days straight, I woke up Tuesday morning feeling pretty good and thought I would stay out of the weight room but do some lighter work at the stadium.  When I got there though, my legs felt like they were stuck in cement and I had zero energy.

Long story short: I still felt like poo. I was clearly not as rested as I thought, and it definitely was not a great way to start out my day.

Tuesday, however, was a different story. I decided to still stay away from my legs besides biking to/from work, and just did a quick (20 min) upper body day including:

Neutral Grip Pullups

Cross-Body Corner Barbell Press

Single Arm Corner Barbell Press

Bent Over DB Rows

Standing Barbell Overhead Press

And you know what? I felt GREAT! I think it was smart of me to stick with a shorter, lower volume upper body day, but at least it got me back in the weight room and finally feeling good again. I still haven’t done a heavy leg day yet this week, and it’s not looking like today will be the day. I think giving my legs a little bit more rest is exactly what I need, and I’m already looking forward to some killer squat sets next week.

Yay for happy muscles!

But just because I haven’t been going hard this week doesn’t mean you cant! Since I haven’t posted a workout in a while, here’s a stadium/stair workout that will work your entire body in a relatively short time. I have designed this for stadium reps, but you can also find a long set of stairs or even a steep hill to sprint up instead.

For the side steps, alternate your lead foot for each column. For the sprints, go all out! Rest for 1 minute in between sets. Repeat 2x if you complete this on a hill or on a smaller set of stairs. 

Now lets get on to my favorite part of this post: a new smoothie recipe!

If you ask my coworkers, I’ve been playing around with smoothie recipes for the past couple of weeks. This particular one started as an epic fail on Tuesday, but a little tweaking here and there has turned it into a new favorite!

Mint Chocolate is one of my absolute favorite flavor combinations, and is almost always my go-to when it comes to ice cream. So I figured, why not try it as a smoothie? As it turns out, it’s pretty darn good.

Give it a try and tell me what you think!

I know whole milk makes a lot of people shy away, but I think in this case it adds a great creaminess to offset the strong flavor from the cocoa powder.  Also, if you don’t want a strong chocolate flavor, stick with 1 Tbs of cocoa powder. The extra 1/2 Tbs really kicks it up a notch. And on that note,  I might just have to make another one right now…

Happy Friday everyone!

Do you like mint-chocolate as a flavor combination? What’s your favorite smoothie flavor? Do you enjoy doing hill/stair/stadium workouts? Anyone have any awesome plans for the weekend? 

Fun Foods Friday – Party Edition

Posted on by
5

I know I’m a couple weeks late on the 4th of July, but it is mid-summer which means that most of us are going to BBQs, pool parties, picnics, etc. more often than not. So I thought today I’d bring you one (or two actually) of my favorite recipes to make when I’m invited to a cookout/party.

They’re both easy, tasty, and asked for repeatedly every time I make them.

Homemade Pita Chips and White Bean Dip! Say it with me: Yummmmm.

The pita chips are my own recipe, and the White Bean Dip is actually from Giada DeLaurentiis. Enjoy!


Garlic Parmesan Pita Chips

Ingredients:

2 Bags 8″ Pitas – (4 Pitas each) I usually buy 1 bag of regular and 1 whole wheat, but it’s up to you!

1/3 C Olive Oil – You’re going to want to use a high quality EVOO, it will make a difference.

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

Salt/Pepper – To Taste

2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut each pita in half horizontally (split it into its 2 separate pieces) and then into 1/8ths. My pieces rarely end up perfect triangles though, you can really cut them as big or small as you want, or in whatever funky shapes you want. Mix olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parmesan (and whatever spices you decide to throw in) in a medium sized bowl. I like to let the mixture sit for at least a half hour before dressing the chips, to let the garlic really infuse the EVOO a little bit. In a large bowl, place about  1/4 of the pita pieces. Drizzle a portion of the olive oil mixture over top, (you won’t need a ton), and then hand toss until all chips are lightly coated. Spread pita pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I like to put them “rough” side up), and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and/or a little bit more parmesan if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool, and repeat the process with the rest of the chips/oil until all are complete! 

They are really very easy, and cool fast. My only tip is to make sure that you cook them enough — if they are undercooked they tend to get chewy and taste stale. It may take you a couple of batches to figure out the exact right time for your oven and the right color to take them out at!

Of course, you can try so many different flavor combinations. I didn’t add the parmesan until the last time I made them, but I loved it so much I’m going to keep doing it. Herbs such as rosemary or oregano would also be a delicious addition! I personally prefer these to the store bought ones because they taste “real”. Besides, making up your own flavor combinations is way more fun, and they really aren’t that much work.

And to pair with the pita chips, a perfect  summer dip is White Bean Dip. If you’ve never tried it, you may be skeptical like I was. But it’s a very light dip with citrus and garlic flavors, perfect for a casual summer cookout!

I followed this recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis, from her book Everyday Italian. The recipe is also very easy, and pairs perfectly with the pita chips. She says that this is the italian version of hummus, so I’ll take her word for it. Either way, it’s a great little way to mix it up instead of the usual guac or hummus (although I do love both like crazy), and it also seems like it’d be a great sandwich spread if you have leftovers!  She also has her own recipe for pita chips on here, and although I haven’t tried her version, I’m sure they’re delicious as well.

Assemble the ingredients (click the link above for the recipe page from The Food Network), throw in a food processor (I used a magic bullet and it worked perfectly), and you’re good to go!

Now dig in!

Enjoy your weekend everyone! Do you make homemade pita chips? What’s your favorite chip dip?

 

Guest Post: A Day In The Life of a Paleo-er

Posted on by
5

Hello everyone and Happy Friday! I’m enjoying the 107 degree St. Louis heat and learning a ton here at the NATA conference. I’m also having a great time catching up with old friends and colleagues some of whom I only get to see every year at this conference! So while I’m away filling my brain with knowledge bombs I have another guest post lined up for today! 

I’m very excited to introduce Christina, a very good friend of mine who is a fellow athletic trainer and nutrition junkie. Christina and I actually went to undergrad together and then we completed the exact same grad program, so we basically share a brain at this point! There is one big difference though, and one major reason why I’m so excited to have her post on my blog: Christina follows a paleo lifestyle. Since I don’t, and I have my own reservations about it, I can’t really give you a good paleo post, can I? So who better to write one than someone who lives it herself.  Christina also just started her own blog, (which she describes as a work in progress), over at Wicked Paleo. I encourage you to check it out  because this girl has some great ideas and I know her blog is going to grow into something amazing. 

Cooking for paleo can be so easy.  (So easy a caveman could do it? – ugh bad joke but I know you were all thinking the same thing.) No six small “meals” a day.  Just three squares and you’re set. Hell, some people even manage two.  For those of you that question the ability in you to at least TRY a paleo diet, I ask you to consider these meals.  Ask yourself if you’ve ever had one or more of these at all in your lifetime and if, perhaps, you could string them together into one day, and another, and another, until voila! You are eating a paleo diet.

Breakfast:  2 or 3 eggs scrambled with ham or bacon, and some chopped bell peppers, broccoli and onion.  Coffee or tea.  A piece of fruit.

Lunch: Salad. Greens with any type of vegetable you have in your fridge.  Throw on some grilled chicken, tuna fish, or steak to add some fill factor.  Toss in a homemade vinaigrette or some olive oil and lemon juice.

Dinner: Marinated pork tenderloin (this is my favorite).  Roasted sweet potato fries, asparagus.  Glass of wine.

If you must snack prep some cut up veggies like carrot sticks at some point during the week.  Grab a handful of nuts or fruit. Make some Lara bars.  Here is a good recipe. They taste just like PB&J (PB is NOT paleo btw).

Ingredients:

½ C Walnuts

1/2 C Cashews

1C Mariani’s Berries N’ Cherries

About 7-10 pitted dates

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, blend the nuts so they are fine, but still a little chunky.  Put these in a bowl.  Then blend the fruit and dates until they form paste.  They will actually eventually form a ball of dried fruit.  Place the giant ball into the bowl with the nuts.  Using your hands or a rubber spoon fold the nuts and berries in together.  If you use your hand wet them with water or a little oil to keep the bars from sticking to you.

Once combined to your satisfaction you have a couple options.  A. Form them into golf ball sized balls.  B.  Form them into bars.  Or C.  Roll them out on a cookie sheet and cut into squares.  If you do this final option, grease the cookie sheet and cover the berries with parchment paper prior to rolling.  Roll to desired thickness.

Note from Steph: Christina sent me this link as the recipe she usually follows for her “Lara” bars, but she also adds that she usually just throws in whatever she has in her pantry.  Now that’s my kind of cooking! 

There are so many reasons to try a grain-, dairy-, and legume-free diet.  If you don’t understand this diet, a simple google search will get you started in the right direction.  Additionally, some good names to look up include Mark Sisson and Robb Wolf.  This diet is gaining in popularity not merely because it helps people lose weight and feel great.  It helps everyone who tries it achieve a level of health they didn’t think was possible.  If you are struggling with anything right now (and I mean ANYTHING – from arthritis to depression to weight issues, etc) do yourself a favor and give this stuff a shot!  I did and I don’t think I’ll ever look back.

I don’t know about you all, but I’m definitely going to try out these homemade Lara bars! Don’t forget to check out Christina’s blog over at Wicked Paleo, and leave some comments here for her!  Do any of you follow the paleo diet? What do you think the hardest part would be about switching to paleo? (For me it would be the PB. Obvs.)