Better than chicken noodle soup

Linds,

I have found my new favorite 30 minute meal. It should not surprise you that this meal has beans. What might surprise you is that it contains something fried. Are you ready for this?

My new favorite meal is...a Honduran platter!

Alright, so I don't know if it's technically Honduran, but based on my experience at a Latin-style foods restaurant and some preliminary Internet research before naming this meal, it is Honduran.

The best part about this meal is I almost ALWAYS have all of the ingredients: black beans, brown rice, canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, avocado, whole wheat tortillas, and plantains. The plantains are the thing I don't always have (in case you hadn't figured that out).

What amazes me about this dinner the most is that I didn't use any special techniques or use any recipes. It was all just instinct. It felt good not to have to constantly consult the computer screen.

I used a ripe plantain so I only had to fry the pieces once. I also fried in butter. Ack!!! However, since this picture, I have come across some coconut oil. I have a feeling plantains fried in that will be too awesome for words.

The picture below is from the first time I made my Honduran platter. I now have a few variations of it. My first time I mixed the black beans, brown rice, and canned tomatoes together with some cumin and garlic. The last two times I made this meal, I did the black beans alone with some sauteed onions and cumin and a healthy dose of lime juice. I then cooked the rice with the canned tomatoes on the side of that too; it had more of a Spanish rice feel that way.

Now I know you are all about the protein; so, this is what you're gonna do when you INEVITABLY make this meal: fry an egg.

Perfection.

I made this picture extra big so you can see all of the wonderful components. 

Nutritionally this recipe has a few downfalls. It is not low calories. That picture shows about 780 calories. It also lower in protein with only 16 grams. BUT the good news: it has 1/3 of your daily potassium needs, 17 grams of fiber (proceed with caution), 40% vitamin C, almost 50% of thiamine and niacin, and finally 661 micrograms of copper (73% in case you were wondering).

I mention copper because you mentioned being sick AGAIN and all the time this winter. Low copper intake for a prolonged period of time might manifest as a reduced immune response. Copper deficiency can also appear as anemia which can cause fatigue. Besides the incredible copper content of this recipe, you've also got the vitamin C and fiber for your immune system and the thiamine and niacin for energy.

See? It is the perfect meal.

I don't really feel like this meal needs any recipes. Just follow your heart. And your nose. And use butter.

--Kit

Puffed Amaranth Balls

Linds,

So I made these at a rather inopportune time. For the month of March, Paul and I decided to go low sugar as part of an effort to be more aware of what we are eating. Sugar is hard to cut down on! I cheated once with a latte, and he cheated with 2 jelly beans. Ha. He sent me a message immediately after he ate them to confess. The most eye-opening part of this fast has been how easy it is for me to forget that I am trying to do this. I drank that latte and it wasn't until Paul confessed his jelly beans that I even remembered we had made this commitment. Oops.

Anyway, he has been working the late shift all this week, and I get SO bored when he isn't here. My boredom drives me to the Internet where I scroll past hundreds of foodie pictures. I happened upon a recipe for energy balls (which are REALLY trendy right now. People like to eat spherical foods. Make a note of that.) That recipe looked like a bust to me (nothing but smashed up seeds and dried fruit), but it reminded me of some quinoa balls I had seen before.

Yes, I have quinoa in my pantry, but I bought amaranth back in August and still hadn't used it because most of the recipes I see for it online are really awful looking. 

So one YouTube video later and a quick Google search later, this is what I came up with.

Vegan puffed amaranth protein ENERGY power balls!
--I used all the catch phrases I could think of in this one title.--

Yields 12 balls

• 1 cup puffed/popped amaranth
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 heaping tablespoon ground flax seeds

Step 1. Pop the amaranth. I did this 1/8 cup at a time until I got 1 cup. It was the most fun I have had cooking in a long time. Why did no one tell me how much fun popping grains is? Why have I never made Jiffy Pop before?

Step 2. Mix together the peanut butter (or almond butter in your case), molasses, and vanilla. You could also use honey or maple syrup, but I wanted these to be vegan and my syrup is artificial.

Step 3. Mix in the ground flax seeds and puffed amaranth. It will stick together pretty quickly.

Step 4. Using a tablespoon, scoop up the filling and roll into balls. I had to wash my hands a few times during the process to remove some of the extra goo. Clean hands made rolling much easier.

Step 5. Decorate if you want to. I rolled half in powdered sugar. I thought about rolling some in cocoa powder, but I am almost out of it.

Step 6. Enjoy your delicious protein-packed snack!

Nutrition information per ball: 88 calories, 11 grams carbohydrates, 2.5 grams protein, 5% DV iron, 12% magnesium, and 21% manganese

Pretty much these are full of most of the essential minerals. The only significant vitamins of note are niacin and B6.


So here are my notes on this one. The molasses is good but it does give a little bit of a scorched taste (especially since I might have over cooked my amaranth). I think honey would work well, but the sweetness would be overwhelming. In the future I think I am going to do about 2 T honey and 1-2 T applesauce. I might also get away with less molasses or honey by warming my peanut butter up first so it is liquidy.

--Kit

Barista I am not (or is it now?)

Linds,

I have been on a latte kick. I just figured out that it is possible for me to make them. So far I have used skim milk, soy milk, and almond milk. My favorite is still skim milk but soy isn't far behind. The skim milk makes such a nice foam that I can make

MILE HIGH LATTES!

Skim milk

So this post is going to be a bit of a picture show for you, but I am pretty sure you will like it. You'll laugh. You'll smile. You'll nod your head. That's probably about it. 

So Mile High latte was my first EVER attempt at making my very own specialty coffee beverages. I over did it on the foam (obviously) and might have dumped the cinnamon.

Almond milk

This is my second latte ever, the almond milk one. You can see that the foam is kind of pitiful in comparison, but is actually more realistic, huh? I didn't even spill the cinnamon this time. It tasted ok, but the almond milk didn't really make me feel indulgent. I didn't get the creaminess and the nuttiness was a little off-putting.

Alright, you are now to the good stuff. Third latte attempt with soy milk.

Many lessons learned here.

Most important one, use a deep bowl when creating foam.

Second lesson, moisture control workout shirts are excellent for all your latte mistake needs. That milk wiped right off.


The soy milk was pretty good. Paul Dear even drank one of these. That's why the fluid level is so low in the cup. I kind of made an empty offer, and he called me out on it. Also, I spilled the cinnamon again.

HOWEVER, I have started thinking outside the box. This time I thought, I bet Linds has fresh nutmeg that she would grate on top of her latte. Was I right?

Soy milk

Finally I have come to my post title--cashew milk latte. I went to the dreaded store (Wally-World) today and found some fun stuff. The grocery store in town has not started carrying the cashew milk yet and I have been wanting to try it so badly. The almond man on tv speaks to me and controls what I buy. (You would totally get that if you watched tv). Anyway, when I saw it in the dairy case, I HAD to buy it. 

I used this latte as my post workout snack. Not that I workout hard enough to warrant a snack. Tonight was arm night. I'm trying hard to take it a little easier on my hips and knees, so I am adding in strength training days. Again though, I didn't workout hard enough to need a refueling snack. Mostly I needed something to keep me out of the pantry and cashew milk is a good option for that. One cup has 60 calories, less than 1 gram protein (sorry), and about 2 teaspoons of sugar. 

Here it is. Wah wah wah waaaaaah!

Cashew milk

Not even a tiny bit of foam produced. I did choose to take this chance to show off my AMAZING flea market find cup. This Ralph Lauren cup was only a quarter! I found it online for $15!!!

The cashew milk is good in the coffee though. I find it an acceptable coffee creamer replacement. It has much more body than almond milk has and lacks the wateriness that skim milk has in coffee. So this latte experience wasn't a total bust.

This is how I have been making my beverages. Tell me if I could be doing something better.

1. First I brew strong coffee (like 4 cups water to 1/8 cup coffee). Right now we have Cafe Du Monde which is a French influenced coffee with chicory.

2. Then I heat my milk to steaming in the microwave. I use 1/4 cup milk for each drink.

3. Next I use my electric hand mixer to create the foam.

4. By now my coffee has finished brewing and I pour my cup about half full. I pour the milk and foam on top of that and always, always dust with cinnamon. 

5. Clean up all the milk splatters before Paul Dear sees them and bans me from making lattes. 

6. Enjoy my caffeinated beverage. 

Alright, now you can tell me how I shamed myself.

Extreme hunger means it's quinoa time!

Dear Sis,

Today, I worked a brunch. This means I ate “breakfast” at 10:30, which in turn means I suddenly realized I was starving at 4. What’s a girl to do who does not believe in keeping heat-and-eat foods?

For me, quinoa and eggs are almost always the answer. They both cook very quickly, and I feel like I am doing my body a favor eating them. They also have the benefit of always being in my pantry. As you know, I love high protein foods, so this seems a perfect combination to me.

As with most of my recipes, I don’t actually ever measure. So be warned that the amounts given are to my taste buds and not yours. Adjust for yourself!

(Eaten with some Pomegranate Oolong tea, lightly sweetened with clover honey)

Quinoa and Brussel Sprout Salad

¼ c quinoa (whatever color suits your fancy)

6 T water

1 c shredded brussel sprouts

3 oz cooked garbanzo beans

2 green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 t olive oil

2 T craisins

1 T sunflower seeds

2 pepperoncini, minced

1-2 T violet balsamic

1 t EV olive oil

Bring water to boil. Add quinoa. Simmer until water is absorbed. Remove to whatever bowl out of which you are planning to eat.

Heat oil in the same pot in which you cooked the quinoa. Add sprouts, green onions, and beans; then season with some Maldon salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sauté until the sprouts start to brown a bit. Add the garlic and cook 1 min.

Add everything to the pot and stir to combine. Pour back into your eating bowl and top with some goat cheese. A poached runny egg is lovely on top.

Notes

*This dish combines several flavors and textures. This makes each bite interesting and a journey. One forkful you get the sourness of the cheese plus the sweetness of a craisin plus the texture of the quinoa. The next bite consists of salty sunflower seeds and some chewy spout. Then there’s a pop of heat from the pepperoncini. Food should never be boring.

*I used an incredible violet balsamic vinegar that is so scrumptious it’s drinkable. Any time you are not cooking the vinegar, you need to pull out the best balsamic you can afford. A plain, high quality balsamic would be delightful, but you may need to sweeten it with some honey or agave. I would recommend any fruit flavored balsamic as being a good foil for this dish.

*To save some money, I buy a lower quality extra virgin olive oil with which to cook and then a top shelf extra virgin olive oil for non-heat applications.

*You can eat this cold, hot, or lukewarm. I am usually eating it lukewarm, since I don’t have the organization to make this before work, and I’m too impatient once I get off work to wait for supper.

I know you make variations of quinoa salad all the time, but this is one that surpassed my usual salad. Delish!

Vegetarian baked egg rolls

Food photographer I am not, but this is the final product!

I cannot think of a better way to introduce you to my cooking style than this meal. I am all things vegetable all the time. My husband and I are not vegetarians, but we often eat vegetarian and vegan meals because I cannot seem to get enough of all the wonderful vegetables out there!

Last night, I made baked egg rolls with steamed sugar snaps peas. I went for convenience and bought pre-shredded vegetables. The end result was fantastic!

You'll need:
6 egg roll wrappers
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
cayenne pepper flakes
Half of a 12 ounce package of shredded broccoli, red cabbage, and carrots
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup kale, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
water (for fingers)

How I did it:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

In a nonstick skillet on low, medium heat, warm 1/2 tablespoon olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add your garlic and cayenne pepper, and stir until it becomes fragrant. Dump in the shredded vegetables and green onions. When these vegetables start to become soft after about 5-7 minutes, add the kale and soy sauce and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let the vegetable mixture cool for about 5 minutes.

Get out a nonstick baking pan like a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Make sure your countertop is clean because this is where you do the rolling. Pour some water in a small cup and place it at your work station. Get out a spoon or if you want to be very precise a 1/4 cup measure. Now you are ready to begin.

Assembly line fashion is the easiest way to do this. Lay out the 6 egg roll wrappers individually so they make diamonds with the points toward yourself. Begin placing about 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture in the center of each one. You might have to adjust this amount depending on how far you cooked your vegetables down.

Wet a couple of fingers and moisten the top 2 edges of the diamond. Take the bottom point and bring it up over the vegetables. Gently tuck it under them and roll up (away from yourself) about halfway up the wrapper. It should now look kind of like a triangle with a vegetable packet at the base of your triangle. Fold the two side points up on top of the vegetable packet. It the points don't want to stay there, moisten them with a little more water. Continue rolling the vegetable packet up to the top point and you did it! Place your egg roll on the nonstick baking pan, seam side down.

When all of your egg rolls are wrapped and on the tray. Brush a small amount of olive oil over each one. I was able to use 1 tablespoon of olive oil for all six. Place the pan in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for another 6-8 minutes until they are golden brown.

Nutritional benefits: Each egg roll has about 106 calories and 3 grams protein. The egg roll wrapper provides B vitamins and the vegetable mixture inside provides vitamins A, C, and K. Olive oil also provides you with some vitamin E. Of course your nutritional breakdown will depend on what brand of wrappers and soy sauce you buy. I used regular soy sauce and wrappers that were 57 calories a piece.

Nutritional pitfalls: Each egg roll has 14% daily value sodium and 22 grams carbohydrates (so if you are carbohydrate counting these will add up quickly).

My favorite part about this meal was how easy it was to prepare because of the pre-shredded vegetables. I also like that I was able to get in 14 grams of protein (with the snap peas) and 8 grams of fiber at this meal. My whole meal was less than 400 calories. In the future, I will certainly try to find some ways to lower the overall sodium content (especially since I dipped my egg rolls in additional soy sauce). Things you could try would be using a low sodium soy sauce, extra cayenne pepper, fresh ginger, and a little lime juice.

I hope you enjoy!
--Kit