Super Easy Granola Recipe

Super Easy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
4 c oats (do not use instant)
1/2 c olive oil (I would not use a extra virgin olive oil, use something lighter)
2/3 c honey (depending on how sweet you like it and what kind of honey you're using)
1/4 c flaxseeds
1/2 c total of mix-ins (whatever you like, nuts, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate, etc)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well coated. Line the bottom of a 9x13-in glass pan with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Add mixture and firmly press into pan. (a little oil rubbed on your hands or some plastic gloves will help with the pressing into the pan.) Bake for25-30 minutes, until the top just become golden brown. Remove and press the top with a spatula to compress the bars even more. Let cool thoroughly before cutting into bars. To remove from pan pull foil up and peel away from the bars. Yields: 24-32 bars

For granola, Spread mixture on to a greased sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes stirring 1/2 way through. Let cool and crumble to desired consistency.

Greek Yogurt with Fresh Berries, Mint, Honey and Granola
17.6 oz container of )% Fage Greek Yogurt
 8 strawberries, stems removed/quartered
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp granola
2 tbsp mint

Divide yogurt between four 8-10 oz ramekins. Add two quartered strawberries to each dish. Drizzle each with 1 tbsp of honey. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp of mint and top with 1 tbsp of granola and serve immediately. Yields : 4 servings

I make up a few of these minus the granola and save in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or snack at work I have great Pampered Chef prep bowls with snug lids or I use my Fit & Fresh 1/2 cup containers. Add granola when you're ready to eat.

If you have a lot of people you can serve family style, doubling or tripling the recipe, pie plate or other large shallow dish. I have great shallow sided, flat bottom pasta bowl that work really well. It's a great quick, cheap surprise for a work pot luck or a party. Simple, health, inexpensive and packed full of flavor.
ENJOY!

The Write Bite - Spring Harvest Cooking Class

It was a culinary cornucopia. I learn and tasted so many new thing this weekend. I occasionally take recreational classes at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. On Thursday; evening I took a Spring Harvest class. It was focused on local seasonal resources forming a fresh, healthful meal. I love the idea eating seasonally and supporting the local farmers.
I do find it a little challenged monetarily sometimes the small local growers are not the cheapest, but I'm working on sacrificing quantity for quality. Also getting to know the growers or being you're own grower helps. Or if you are not a green thumb having friends that are helps!
Back to class, this was perhaps my favorite class thus far. Not only did I get to experience some great new foods but Chef Sasso was amazing. His unbridled enthusiasm and passion for food was prevalent from the first words that came out if his mouth. (He wasn't bad on the eyes either.) I have taken several other classes before and none of the Chefs had shown such passion about food. I loved that he challenged us to sample the lardo on a piece of bread. Then, got the idea of adding some arugula, chili flakes and a touch of lemon. Lardo is basically cured pig fat that has been sliced thin. It is considered a salume and can be eat as such or added to a dish. We used it to top our asparagus salad with warm poached eggs. It really just melts in your mouth. I brought some home to serve as an app for my brothers birthday dinner later in the month. After all, he did get my the ICE gift certificates for Christmas. Love is giving the gift of cured pork fat!
Unfortunately, we didn't get to have the shad roe. I was most looking forward to trying that, but there were so many other wonderfully unique creations. I think the other classes I had taken were more traditional in the sense that they were teaching cultures and techniques where Spring Harvest was my favorite because opened my eyes up to completely new flavors and while honestly teaching me new techniques. It was a great combination of exciting new foods and life long techniques. Ok, my farmers market fillets fish to order, I'm lucky, but I learned how to fillet a fluke. I would love to go fishing and show off my new skills right on the boat. Wouldn't that be hot to see me filleting fresh fish on the open sea! haha. The best part about filleting the fluke was eating it as we were doing it. Sasso encouraged us to taste the fish sashimi style, none of the condiments needed. The fish was super fresh and delicious, such good energy in the room, so exciting.
Silly, but one of my arch enemies... the poached egg! I love them and order them out all the time but the daunting task of making them at home has always baffled and challenged my culinary skills. It is an egg braised in water till the whites are set and the yoke is runny. So simplistic, elegant and delicious yet challengingly impossible. Well, not any more. Who's coming over for poached eggs?! I love it. I made them this morning. Two for me and one for Frankie, yes my dog is spoiled. All you have to do is place some plastic wrap over a small prep bowl, spray with cooking spray, the pampered chef Kitchen Spritzer is perfect for this, crack the egg into the bowl, salt, another spritz of oil and gather all the sides and tie the top in a knot. Once you have all your egg bundles ready. Start a pot of water and grab a bowl to make an ice bath. Boil your egg bundles for about 5-6 min depending on how you like your eggs done. I'm a 5 minute girl. Immediately remove them from the boiling water and put into the ice bath or serve. They will last in the fridge for about a week so make extra for a quick special mid week breakfast treat. How easy and foolproof is that, brilliant!

Out of all the yummy food we ate like dandelion, fresh ricotta and pork belly with honey and citrus segments and monkfish medallions with creamed spinach and morels my favorite dish of the evening was curried beets and carrots with a lime coriander yogurt. It was a beautifully unique, fresh and inspiring dish. I really woke up and surprised my palette with  the contrasting sweet, sour and savory flavors. The sweet beets and carrots were delicately perfumed with the curry while the sour lime infused yogurt cut the sweetness balancing out the dish to perfection. I was put off by the whole coriander seeds at first. They are rather hard and crunchy but in true foodie form they grew on me. I have over come the texture to realized the immense burst of flavor they provided when you crunch into them.
Growing up with funky pickled beet and not knowing any better I am a recent convert to the beet craze. If you like Indian food this is definitely a great mild intro to the flavors of beets. I'm sure this is illegal but I am going to share the recipe courtesy of the Institute of Culinary Education and chef Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono.
I am planning a trip to Casa Mono on Saturday May 22nd if anyone wants to come along. Maybe chef Sasso will whip us up something special.


What is your favorite spring time dish?

___________

This salad would make a great side to chicken, steak or even fish. It would also be great served as a small plate or as a light lunch served on top of a bed of spicy arugula.

Curried Beets and Carrots with Lime Coriander Yogurt
serves 4
2-3 carrots, peeled
3 med/large beets (red, pink, yellow)
2 small shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 sprigs of thyme
1 TBSP of curry powder
2 limes
12 oz strained greek yogurt
1/2 TBSP of whole corianders seeds
1/2 bunch of mint
1/2 bunch of cilantro, picked

Bring a large pot of water, big enough to submerge the beets in, to a boil with a few handfuls of salt and the tyme. Add the beet and cook until tender or when you stick a paring knife in it barely starts to slide off the knife. Similar to a potato. Remove from liquid, peel and set aside. If the beets are perfectly cooked you can take an old, it will stain, cotton side towel (or i used paper towels) and rub the warm beets the skin should peel right off.
In the same water  blanch the carrots for 4-5 min or just until tender. do not over cook.
Add the zest and juice of  the limes, chopped mint, coriander seeds and salt/pepper to taste to the yogurt.
Dice the cooled beets and carrots uniformly. I like them just bite size maybe about a 1-2-in dice. Toss with the curry powder and salt/pepper to taste.
To serve, spread the yogurt onto to bottom of a serving plate. Mound the beet and carrot mixture in the center and sprinkle the cilantro on top.
ENJOY!

Summer Project

The date is set... MAY 31! Memorial day weekend marks the beginning of summer for most. For me it will mark the beginning of my summer project. I'm pulling the plug. Turning off the TV. Disconnecting the cable.
I love me some good trashy tv, the faker the better for me... gossip girl, melrose place (round one and the new rendition,) grey's, desperate housewives, anything food network or HGTV.... the list goes on and on. My DVR box is ready to bust.
There are so many things I want to do. I have a list of projects, sites to see, new foods to try and I'm going to learn how to read again. Similar to church I some how got it set into my head that reading was a chore and who likes doing chores. Maybe I will try church  again... who knows!  haha... It is going to be a fun filled summer full of adventures and definitely some good reading. I have a book list and movies and so much to do.

Stay tuned! (hehe)


What is one thing that you don't think you could ever give up?

The Write Bite - Tofu

This is by no means a foreign food to me but I decided to give tofu a little credit. Tofu is versatile, budget friendly and a super good protein source. Firm tofu (3.5 oz) has about 8.1 g of protein/4.8 g of fat and is only 94 calories. Oh and did I mention tofu is cholesterol-free.

I get my firm tofu at the farmers market the refrigerated section for $1.29/package or two bricks. When mixed with veggies, noodles or rice one package make two servings or sometimes I just marinated, saute and gobble up the whole thing. That's about 65 cents per serving of clean, unadulterated vegetable protein.

There are three main types of tofu –
Silken/soft, is great for making dips or adding to smoothies for that protein boost. It is also great for lightening some heavier things like mayonnaise and soft cheeses.
firm, is kind of the "general, all purpose" tofu. It is great for sauteing and stir frying. It will get a nice crust on the outside while maintaining a cream texture on the inside.
extra firm, is great for crumbling and really has a meaty texture.

The firmer the tofu the more concentrated the protein.

I love to cook it simply in a stir fry, chop it up with a little cumin and chili powered and serve in a tortilla, breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert tofu can do it all.

What is your favorite tofu dish?

_________________

Tofu Parmesan
Serves 2
1 package of firm tofu
1 jar of your favorite sauce or about 2-3 cups depending on how saucy you like things.
1/2 cup skim mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan
5-6 leaves of basil
1/3 lb whole wheat pasta
1 clove of garlic
salt/pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Remove the tofu from the package slice into 1/4-1/2-in slices. Lay on a paper towel to drain. While the tofu is draining smash the garlic and add it to a medium/large non-stick skillet with 2 TBSP of olive oil and let warm on medium. Salt and pepper the tofu. Once the oil is warm, remove the garlic and add the tofu to pan in a single layer, seasoned sided down. (Be careful ,if you haven't gotten enough water off it might spit.) Season other side. Let cook on each sided about 5 min or until golden brown on each side. While the tofu is cooking preheat the oven to 375 degrees and start your pasta water. In a 9x9-in pan add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Once the tofu is done browning add it in a single layer to the pan. Top with the parmesan cheese and then with another cup of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake in the oven for 10-20 min or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Finish with the chopped basil. Serve over the whole wheat pasta and remaining sauce. ENJOY!


*Tofu Facts

The Perfect Sunday Afternoon

The Tourne/Cafe Metro, Denville, NJ

 

The views were nice and apparently I like to climb things. Poor Frankie had to climb things too. Well, kind of. Well, not really he was just placed there.

 

 

 

 

Cafe Metro was a fun time. The food was great and Frankie was even allowed to join us. I love the warm weather it make owning a dog much more fun. He loves people and watching but we are working on the barking. I have to imagine that it is frustrating for him. He barks at people as if he is talking to them. I'm sure he has lots to say. He's a smart dog.

(Fresh calamari lightly sauteed with extra virgin olive oil, roasted and hot peppers, kalamata olives, garlic, lemon, fresh herbs, and balsamic vinegar)

We started with the Summer Wind Calamari. It was very spicy but we were very hungry and ate it all. The calamari was perfectly cooked. Maybe slightly over seasoned but the heat kind of numbed that out.

I ordered the Marinated Grilled Tofu and Jessica had the Grilled Chicken and Eggplant we decided to share.  

(Marinated Grilled Tofu topped with grilled zucchini, sundried tomatoes, marinara, and regular or soy mozzarella cheese, served with a side of pasta)

(Grilled chicken breast topped with grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, marinara, and mozzarella cheese, served with a side of pasta)

 

We finished with a piece of vegan chocolate raspberry cake. It was surprisingly dense, chocolaty goodness.  Over all another really nice weekend with good food, trails and friends. 

The Write Bite

The Write Bite is dedicated to my on going quest to find and write about the my journey through the culinary world. I fearlessly challenge myself to have a new culinary experience and write about. This will be an interesting little experiment. Recently, I have been experimenting with new fruits and veggies. Here are a few of my recent stories.

I have thus far tried cardoons. It ended up being a 3 week long love affair. I broke it off due to wanted to try new veggies. Cardoons will always hold a spot in my heart for their yucky celery but taste like a glorious artichoke but easier to eat and slightly easier to prepare. With some research they seem to be high in potassium and calcium and low in calories. I have them roasted with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, I tried them parmesan style with sauce and cheese. After, that I had one more experiment. I did the traditional au gratin with whole wheat bread crumbs and asiago cheese. That was by far the stinkiest. I'm pretty sure my curtains still smell like asiago. My favorite was the parmesan.

Last week was mustard greens. Well, they were very sandy and I was very sleepy while cooking them which resulted in very gritty chickpeas. I decided on a balsamic glazed-chickpeas and-mustard greens recipe from fatfreevegan.com. It was definitely delicious, minus the sand, but I'm not sure mustard greens agree with me. The were a bit spicy, well just like the actual yellow stuff but could have possibly had adverse affect. I have decided I will try them again because they are jam packed with all sorts of vitamin and super good for you. I think I might add them to a lasagna or something like that where I would use spinach but something that would balance the sharpness of them. Any suggestions?
This week is kohlrabi AND dandelion greens.... the looked lovely at the farmers market. I have no clue what to do with them. I tasted the dandelion greens when I got home they are very mild with a little bit of a bitter after taste. Salad lightly dressed with some lemon and olive oil might do them justice. As for the kohlrobi.... you will have to wait and see!

What are your favorite fruits and veggies?.. What should I try next?
Stay tuned, I'm also working on a low fat chocolate Almond cheesecake recipe.

Lesson of the Day

I've realized this, well a while ago, that cheating on my diet really isn't cheating anyone or on anything. There really is no point. Cheating is supposed to be bad and fun. Eating twice as much as I should is neither bad nor fun. Well, maybe a little fun but it really depends on the binge. Cato Corner Farm cheese... definitely worth the binge. Pasta and cake, not so much.

I wanted two whole wheat banana flax seed muffins this morning. (Mind you they denser than a hockey puck, have too much stevia in them and are just in general not a culinary masterpiece.) I put one back. I just didn't need two. I have pinpointed my issues being portion control and eating too fast. You can never have too much of a good thing, right? Well, it's generally not going anywhere and if it does you can always get more.

Frankie and I binged on whole grain saltines and smart balance the other night. Who does that, and why do I have to drag an innocent dog into my masochistic binging? Am I a terrible person? Ok, I don't really think I'm a terrible person, I'm just being a little dramatic.

Lesson of the day – Cheating on your diet is generally a stupid waste of time.

Beef Tenderloin

Yes, it is giant picture of raw meat! I'm proud of my giant piece of meat. hehe I bought it the other day and thought gee I hope it's going to be enough... well I pulled it out of its packaging today and realized that well, It was huge! I stared at my beautiful eight pound hunk of meat for a good 10 minutes thinking, ok, the silver skin needs to come off, but how and why is it in between two of the muscles. Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into. At least it was on sale for $6/pound. If I screw it up It will only be 40 dollar unlike the retail price of probably $15-20/pound... right?! The dog got wind of the beefy flavor and was going crazy so I decided I better get started before he gnaws my leg off. I am no butcher but I worked at it carefully trying not to tear too much of the tender meat... 20 min later... voila! Not bad for the 1st attempt. Four fillets, a few scraps for the ravenous pup and a beautiful roast for dinner tonight. One battle has been won. Now, I just have to cook it correctly!

Sunday Breakfast

I admit, I used frozen kale but never-the-less it was still a tasty, quick, nutrition packed breakfast. I started out with a slice of whole grain fiber toast, then I sauteed some kale with garlic salt and pepper, I think almost any green would work here like spinach, mustard or beet greens. Then I mixed the sauteed greens with some skim ricotta that I had left over from making ravioli yesterday. In the same pan I sauteed the greens in I added about a teaspoon of olive oil and dropped an egg in. I cooked the egg over easy so that the yoke was nice and runny. A poached egg would also be perfect on this lovely dish but I'm too scared to make them.

Day 30

Today is day 30. Yesterday was weigh in day. I'm down a total of 19 pounds!!! I have been busy and not writing. I will work on balancing life better, but I feel great. I'm hoping for another 19 pounds in the next 30 days. I'm going to look like a whole new person.

I have recipes and photos from last weekend that I'm dying to get up but I have been mentally checking out after work. Fortunately my desk jockey, mentally stressful like does not prohibit me from mindlessly ellipting away at all hours. A little OCD yes but in a good way. I am entering the busy season at work. I'm trying very hard to keep up with this social networking, work and the diet.

Check out some fun links while I'm working on recipes and yummy pictures.

V-day Love
 How to buy and store bulk foods
I'm intruged by theInfluenza Sorbet
bathroom to brighten up your day
BLOATED?
Photoshop shortcuts
What I want for my birthday party!
NEAT RUG
I just ordered... great coffee table reading.
to make your mouth water...

Game Day Food!

I could not wait to share my lovely whole wheat pitas. They were super easy to make and how much fun to bake. They kind of look like that silver hot air balloon thing. HAHA I used a recipe that I found on Epicurious.com. I used all whole wheat instead of using the high gluten flour. I think they had enough gluten in them, what do you think?! (Please excuse the dirty oven.)
The recipe said it would puff up a little but to my surprise they look like little tasty balloons. I accidentally popped a few and they deflated... boo. If you let them cool with out letting the steam out they stay puffy. I will be serving them with an epic batch of roasted garlic hummus so I let the steam out of mine. So cute, so yummy.

I love making hummus. It's super easy, healthy and tasty. My basic hummus recipe.
1 can of chickpeas (or about 2 cups) drained and rinsed, reserve some of the liquid from the can to thin out the hummus to the right consistency.)
the juice of one lemon
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp Tahini (don't be scared of the tahini. It can be found in most grocery stores next to the peanut butter and will come in a can or a glass jar. It is a little pricey but will last in the fridge for quite a while, similar to peanut butter.)

It's a dump and blend recipe. How simple is that. Place all ingredients in they food processor and blend until smooth. I like to grate my garlic to make sure that there are not any large chunks floating around. Add salt to taste. The consistence should be that of thick sour cream or to your liking.

Last but not least I made baked falafel "pancakes" topped with fat-free tzatziki and Mediterranean salsa. Yumm... don't they look good? There's nothing better then a hot falafel sandwich but these come pretty close. A small bite packed with big flavors.

Lunch Time

 

Yes, I'm still obsessing over roasted veggies. This time I put some white beans in an open foil pouch with some olive oil, salt/pepper and rosemary. I roasted them right along with the veggies. YUMMY! Roasted veggies are my new favorite cold weather food.

Turkey Hill Frozen Yogurt

 

 For all you dieter and health conscious people. I just had Turkey Hill Fat-Free Frozen Yogurt for breakfast. I was definitely a little hesitant buying fat-free frozen yogurt to replace a rich creamy ice cream. Well, I was pleasantly surprised! No, I do not usually eat ice cream for breakfast but I CAN eat frozen yogurt especially when it has all of the great properties of non-frozen yogurt. The Turkey Hill Fat-Free Frozen Yogurt has only 90 calories per half cup serving, active yogurt cultures and is gluten-free. Oh did I mention it was fat-free too... haha ok, I think you get it. 

I went for the classic neopolitan to get a well rounded first experience, but they have about ten different fat-free varieties, ranging from 90-160 calories/serving, including limited additions. To help with portion control  have been eating out of my small prep bowls and Fit and fresh plastic-ware instead of my everyday Corelle dishes. I think that it's more of a optical illusion of having a full bowl and feeling satisfied when I'm done, but it's reeking havoc in my dishwasher. There are random little lids and bowls flying everywhere when I turn it on.

I can't wait to try some other flavors like Peanut Butter Pie or the Limited Edition -PomBlueberry Chocolate Truffle. YUM! Check all of them out at Turkey Hill Dairy. What is your favorite low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt? 

Day 18

I'm still doing the 4 day diet but have just been super busy, tired and a little unmotivated to exercise. Maybe it's the weather or the idea that the ground hog decided there will be six more weeks of winter or maybe I just need to get out of the house, besides work, and socialize.
Last time I went out I was doing so good and then someone decided to fry french fries and then onion rings somewhere at the bar. It smelled so good... so I left. That sounds stupid right?! But it was seriously making me hungry. I couldn't handle it.

I made kale chips the other night. They were deliciously addicting and super easy. Just salt pepper, olive oil, baking sheet and oven! I have been using my Pampered Chef Kitchen Spritzer to control my oil intake. It is so easy to start dumping way too much oil in a pan or on veggies that just soak it up. The spritzer is refillable, non-aerosol and economical, but it is kind of a pain in the ass because you have to keep pumping it up every few seconds. I have to admit I do love the smooth spray of a aerosol can whether it be hair spray to cooking oil.

I made whole wheat pancakes the other night to heat up and eat in the morning, as per my diet schedule. While I was making them I ate one! I was not hungry and I knew it was bad. I live alone, no one would know. I'm pretty sure the dog would not tell on me. I thought about spitting it out and realized it was too far gone and that it would be borderline some form of anorexic disease if I did that. I chewed, swallowed and spent an extra hour on the elliptical machine. Stupid pancake!
It's six in the morning. I'm up and ready to work out. I let the dog out, turned on my DVRed shows from the night before and hopped onto the elliptical machine. About fifteen minutes in the door flies open with a loud boom, I scream at the top of my lungs (almost falling off of the elliptical machine), Frankie barks manically and we both kind of duck as if some deranged serial killer just kicked down the door and is standing out on my 3rd floor balcony ready to kill us. Apparently in my hast I did not close the door all the way and the gale force winds blew it open. I watch too much TV!
My new years resolution was to get to work on time. It was getting bad by the end of the year and I felt like I was taking advantage of the relaxed environment i appreciate working in. Living less than five minutes from work is really a disadvantage to getting there on time. I have no set time I need to leave. I leave when I'm supposed to be there because I'm literally "almost" there, no big deal. I digress, the real point of this gibberish is that I because of the full fledged diet/third life crisis initiative I have been getting up, not early, but on time, working out and getting to work early! WHOA... yup, I feel much better about myself and life, much more organized, self-controlled and therefore calmer. Despite the pancake and windy door incident.
Two more things, I can't wait for the snow and I'm going to work on taking more pictures for your viewing pleasure. YAY, it's Friday!

I LOVE the Farmers Market

Look at the yummy treat I bought at the farmers market. I was drawn to it by its deep molasses color and so glad I bought it. After photographing it, sorry for the poor quality, and of course I had to taste it. Jackpot! It was so delicious I dipped in for another lick, and  an extra 30 minutes on the elliptical machine! The honey is full bodied with sweet, malty, molasses undertones. I'm so excited, will be fantastic for making my whole wheat pancakes!

As I sat down to write I decided to find out some more information on my little treat. Well, I'm glad to announce that my palate is refined enough to pick up the lovely undertones. I also discovered that generally the darker the honey the more anti-oxidants. Double Score
As part of my diet I'm also trying to use more natural sweeteners and less refined sugar in my cooking and baking. I can't wait to try the buckwheat honey in my pancake batter. Has anyone tried Stevia? What is your favorite natural sweetener?

Localharvest.org

ebeehoney.com

Mint-Grapefruit Granita

What a great, easy recipe from the January/February issue of Every Day Food by Martha Stewart. This can be served as a refreshing light dessert or a palate cleanser between dishes. It's only 150 calories per serving and will leave people going... "so wait... how did you make this again?" They will never believe that it is so easy. Make this recipe for your next dinner party. Happy cooking!

My Day in the Kitchen

I had a lovely Sunday spent in the kitchen for some much needed therapy. I use cooking and baking to relax and unwind. I love that by combining a few raw ingredients you end up with something completely new. Flour, water, yeast and olive oil make a lovely tender and crispy pizza dough.

I started out my morning by making some whole wheat pizza dough. So simple, takes only a few minutes to mix up and completely satisfying. My recipe made four individual size pizza. I ate one and froze the others so I could enjoy homemade dough any night of the week. I also discovered that  is my Pampered Chef Mini-Baker is the perfect size individual pizza baker too. I wish that I had some fresh mozzarella and basil but I made due with some part skim mozzarella. The mini-baker is made of the same stoneware that the pizza stones are made of so it left a delicious crispy bottom in only about 15 minutes. I bet they could be pre-made, baked off, cooled and frozen for a quick work lunch or for an after school snack. Yummm... add some sauteed peppers, onions and sausage. It is just as quick, tastier and much healthier for you than the store bought frozen pizzas.

As per my previous post about roasted veggies. I am still obsessing over them. I had some left over broccoli from a few days ago. Past its prime for eating raw but deliciously suited for roasting. The broccoli gets this nutty, intense flavor that can not be achieve any other way. I love adding whole cloves of garlic, olive oil and some salt/pepper. Along with my pizza it made a delicious lunch and was well within my diet guidelines.

The tofu chili did not photograph well. I will have a recipe to follow with much better pictures. I added some lentils instead of bean because I had some left over. The soy bean is amazing. It is used in everything from 

powering cars to making rich creamy smoothies and everything in between.

Next on the menu was baked turkey meatballs. I was worried about them being dry between the baking and the 99% fat free turkey I used. To prevent this I use a slice of my Arnold Flax Seed & Fiber bread (I actually used the "useless" end.) I soaked it in water and squeezed it dry and added it to the ground turkey. Out of 3/4 lb I made nine plus a little taster one to make sure the seasoning was correct. I let them cool on the baking sheet and popped them into the oven to eat with my homemade whole wheat pasta.

How exciting! I got a Pasta Roller Set for my KitchenAid Mixer for Christmas. I have never made pasta before. I was very excited in the idea of experimenting with different flavors, shapes and testing old recipes with fresh pasta. Nothing is better than fresh pasta. You just can not get that al dente taste with store bought dried pasta. It is amazing how expensive the fresh store bought pasta is when it is so easy to make. Water, flour and eggs, soo simple. Even more simple than the pizza dough.

The pasta roller set came with four different pasta recipes; egg, semolina, light whole wheat, whole wheat and spinach. I decided to try the light whole wheat pasta recipe. Now, I know some do not believe in making pasta dough with anything but a counter top and a set of hands, but I'm busy! I simply dumped all of the ingredients into the stand mixer using the kneading hook I let it run for two minutes. It did seem a little dry so I added another tablespoon of water and let it go for another minute. Perfect! I dumped it onto my cutting board kneaded it to a loaf and let it rest for a few minutes. After resting I sliced into eight pieces as per instructed by recipe. Well, here goes nothing. I wish I could have taken pictures as I was rolling out the dough but I have yet to grow a third hand. I'm sure I will find a future volunteer to photograph for food. I decided on a fettuccine width and using a clean kitchen towel I was off! Look at my beautiful whole wheat fettuccine nests. I recipe made ten servings with a few pieces boiled up for an immediate irresistible taste test.

Honestly, If you make the dough ahead and refrigerating it you could get fresh pasta on the table in the same amount of time it would take you to boil up dried pasta! Unlike store bought whole wheat pasta my pasta did not have that toothy gritty dry texture. It had the familiar chewy al dente texture familiar to only the best Italian restaurants. What a lovely day. I can't wait to eat and serve all of my delicious food. Happy cooking!

Spicy Mexican Black Bean Burger

Whether it's beef, chicken or veggie I love the versatility and practicality of a good burger. I love that burgers can be transformed into something entirely new with a pinch of this and a slice of that. They are quick, easy and can be made out of almost anything.

I have been enjoying my diet, no that's not a typo, by creating and revamping a variety of recipes to suit my dietary needs. This Black Bean Burger has been created to satisfy the protein module of the 4 Day Diet and a complete pantry meal. The highlights of this burger included the super crunch crust and moist dense interior.  I will be writing this recipe as a Mexican style burger but anything goes. Be creative, try different legumes, add some cheese, change the seasonings and throw it on a whole wheat bun for a quick on the go meal.


Spicy Mexican Black Bean Burger
Serves 2-4, This recipe will make two large or four medium burgers.


one 15 oz can (or about 1 3/4c cooked beans) of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of cooked and cooled brown rice (perfect for leftovers)
1 egg
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 medium sweet onion, medium dice
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup of salsa
1 small avocado
2-4 whole wheat hamburger buns
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a small pan add a teaspoon of olive oil, onions and saute on med heat till translucent. Set aside to cool. Add beans to a bowl and smash with a fork to desired consistency. I prefer my beans roughly chopped so that there are still some whole bean in the final burger. Add cooled onions, brown rice, egg, garlic, cilantro, worcestershire sauce, whole wheat flour, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt and pepper to taste to the beans and mix until well combine. The mixture will be very soft. Heat a large pan with olive oil to barely coat the bottom. Scoop two large or 4 medium burgers into the pan. Cook on each side for 3-5 min until a deep golden brown. The longer the better for a nice crispy crust. Serve on a soft bun with salsa and sliced avocado.
I enjoyed mine sans bun with hot salsa, sliced avocado and a green salad with fat free ranch dressing. Feel free to melt some cheese on top, pepper jack or cheddar would be great, or serve with cool, cream chipotle aioli. They are also firm enough to cook up bite size topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese and a pickled jalapeno for an appetizer. Happy cooking!

Roasting Vegetables

Roasting vegetables can't be any easier. It is super delicious way to enhance almost any vegetables natural flavors while requiring very little prep and other ingredients. I start out with a preheated 425 degree oven. It takes about 14 min for my oven to preheat. In that time I am able to prep my veggies.

To prep the veggies I simply wash and trim all of the like veggies to a similar size so that they will all be done at the same time. For example, if I was roasting cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and parsnips. I would trim the cauliflower and broccoli to the same size. Then, I would trim the carrots and parsnips to the same size. I would cut the carrots and parsnips a little smaller than the cauliflower and broccoli because I want them to all be cooked at the same time. After cutting arrange on a baking sheet, two if needed, drizzle with olive oil, salt/pepper and put in the oven.

Roasting vegetable can be 15 min (for asparagas) to almost 2 hours (for a whole large beet.) Depending on how large or small you cut your veggies I would start checking them after 15-30 minutes. Similar to testing a boiled potato, you want to be able to insert a knife and have the veggie fall off. Do one stir and leave them to get nice and golden brown. If you are in a rush, last minute dinner guest, cut the veggies proportionally smaller, following the rule above, and they will cook faster. If you are not in a rush and are looking for a rustic, heartier feel or maybe just to fill out a plate leave them in larger pieces or whole.

Now that you have the basic recipe experiment with different veggies, seasonings and even fruit. Try throwing in some whole garlic cloves, skins on or off, in with broccoli, a little lemon zest on beets or a the classic rosemary on potatoes. If you own a mandoline try making root vegetable chips. They will be completely more satisfying than the store bought ones... Promise! HAPPY ROASTING!

What are your favorite vegetables to roast?

Hamster Wheel

Mini Home Exercise Cycle
I know you're probably laughing right now but I'm thinking it might be a good idea (note: do not combine with the balanceball chair that I'm also eying up.) Could I put it under my desk and just peddle away while I work? I could transform my "fish bowl" into a hamster cage OR is it just silly/borderline lazy. I'm not thinking it would replace any other form of exercise just getting a little extra for my under used desk jockey legs. Any thoughts, opinions, giggles?... There are several different versions ranging from $25-$100. check them out