Alex's Chili

It would have been nice if my school had cancelled classes before I woke up for lab, but oh well. At least now I can get some backlogged work done and maybe take a nap later. This week has been a little too busy, and I used up all my cooking-as-procrastination points yesterday, so I have no excuse not to cross a few things off the to-do list. Oh well, at least I have some kick-ass chili and cornbread to look forward to.

After receiving an email from my friend Alex about this amazing-sounding chili the other night, I just had to try making some myself. It sounded much livelier than the sweet potato and black bean chili I'd been planning on making. Unfortunately, my beloved sketchy markets were out of a lot of things, so I had to make a few adjustments.

Alex’s recipe:

First I braised a lb of chicken and set that aside and put in 2 3/4 cups of onions with chili powder, garlic and then added a red and yellow pepper, a full jalapeno, and then tomatoes, blackstrap molasses, tyme, basil, cumin, chicken stock, masa harina, and then garbanzo, adzuki, black and kidney beans… it was good with or without the chicken. Very satisfying. I placed it over brown rice and a small amount of jalapeno cheese.

My make-do interpretation:

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

2 jalepeno peppers

1 red pepper and 1 orange pepper

1 can each black beans, kidney beans, pink beans (low sodium)

1 32-oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

¾ boullion cube dissolved in ¾ cup boiling water

1 cup leftover tomato sauce

a few sprigs of thyme

cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop the onion, garlic and peppers (including jalepeno) either by hand or in a food processor. Sautee for a few minutes.

Add the beans, tomatoes, boullion, crushed tomato, tomato sauce, molasses, and spices. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and cover.

Simmer for an hour or so.

Chris got in on the act and whipped up some cornbread, which we threw in the bowl and poured the chili over. There was also some cheddar cheese involved. It was the perfect thing on a miserable day...

New Obsession

Sweet potatoes with goat cheese—who knew? I was starving the other night after yoga, so in addition to my veggie burger with avocado and tomato and leftover brussel sprouts, I microwaved a sweet potato and tucked a generous amount of goat cheese in. It was absolutely delicious—makes me wonder why people bother with sour cream and butter and all that other usual stuff.

Garlic Soup

Cooking has become my favorite procrastination tool. Instead of working on an article I need to turn in tomorrow, I decided to make garlic soup. Garlic is great this time of year when we need a little immune boost. And I don't know about you, but I can always use help keeping the vampires away!

This particular recipe is also a great source of protein and fiber.

Ingredients:

* 1- 2 tbsp of olive oil
* 2 heads garlic
* 1 small shallot
* 1 small sweet onion
* 1 can white cannelinni beans
* 1 potato
* salt and white pepper to taste
* fresh thyme
* 2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

* Peel the garlic and place the cloves in a roasting pan or dish. Coat with a tsp or so of olive oil and cover. Roast for about 40 minutes at 350.
* Peel and cube the potatoes.
* Add remaining olive oil to soup pan and heat. the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion and shallot. Cook for about a minute.
* Add the potatoes and then the beans.
* Add the vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft—about 20 minutes.
* When the garlic cloves are done, add them to the soup. Stir.
* Blend thoroughly with a hand mixer or blender. I used an immersion blender.
* Return to stove. Season with salt if desired, and pepper. Throw in some fresh thyme.
* Cover and cook over low for another 20 minutes or so.

Serves 2-3

Enjoy. I'm serving this with sauteed zucchini, roasted asparagus, and either whole wheat fusilli with spinach, broccoli and parmesan or whole wheat pita and red-pepper hummus. It's probably great with salad too!

Lucky Foods for New Years

Hope you've got some great New Years plans lined up. Since I live way too close to Times Square, I am chilling in for the evening and instead going out tomorrow night. Chris and I are cooking up a nice dinner using recipes from the cookbooks we got for Christmas alongside some old favorites.

On the menu:

*Mixed greens with roasted beets, sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and maybe blue cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette
*Roasted garlic, served with roasted peppers, hummus, and whole wheat flatbread
*Vegetable antipasto—lots of roasted and grilled vegetables, served with olives and feta
*Sesame soy slaw, made with brussel sprouts, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and red onion
*Lentil-stuffed peppers

Jury's still out on dessert. We have a lot of sweets we were given over the holiday, so we'll probably use those in some capacity. I also have diet gingerale and Prosecco on hand.

Did you know that in some cultures, certain foods are considered lucky to eat on New Years Eve? For example, greens are supposedly an auspicious thing to chew on since they look like money and are said to attract the green stuff in the coming year. Legumes like beans, peas and lentils are also said to symbolize money. I guess it's good that our New Years meal involves a lot of both.

Some other lucky eats? Pork and fish—but not lobster. According to this article, lobster is considered a decidedly unlucky thing to eat since lobsters move backwards and could lead to setbacks. Good to know.

Happy New Year!

And please, please, please—whatever resolutions you choose to make, remember to be kind to yourself!

Whole Foods to Return to its Health-Food Roots

Whole Foods is putting shoppers on a diet: Says CEO John Mackey, "There have been these two dominant values driving our products over the years. One is food as health and the other one is food as indulgence. Those have battled, you might say, for the soul of Whole Foods."

Mackey recently spoke about his intentions to focus less on the indulgent aspect of food and more on healthy foods. This is, in part, because indulgence has fallen out of fashion in this economy, and there seem to be a lot more people interested in healthy eating. He expressed that a push to promote healthy foods may be in step with the broader arc.

The products won't change overnight but will gradually evolve.

You can read more here.

Christmas Cookbooks

I am totally that person who never knows what they want for Christmas. Now that my relatives know I like to cook, however, it means that I get fewer gross-smelling candles and more things like kitchenware and cookbooks.

This year, my mom made my sister and I cookbooks with the recipes for all her "basics." I think that might have been my favorite gift. She also got me Alice Water's book, The Art of Simple Food. Nice!

Chris got Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian from his sister and Tassajara Dinners & Desserts by Dale and Melissa Kent from my parents, which looks great too.

Chris' mom also got me a cute little cutting board and basting brush that's shaped like a...small blue person. It even has a belly-button. She also gave us some olives and olive-wood utensils with which to spear said olives. She also got Chris this weird apron. I can't remember what the translation is, but with the "no" sign over the crotch, it seems to be saying, "Not now, honey, I'm cooking!"

Or something. I could get creative and let my mind wander, but I don't think this is the place for blue-streak kind of blogging.

How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar

A lot of baking recipes call for both white sugar and brown sugar. What I didn't know until I took my first food lab was that you don't actually have to buy brown sugar—you can just make your own using granulated sugar and molasses!

For "dark brown" sugar, use 2 tablespoons molasses per 1 cup sugar, and for "light brown sugar," use 1 tablespoon of molasses per cup of sugar. Voila!

Cookie Diet? Seriously?

I'm sorry, I can't believe that there's anybody out there even prescribing a "cookie diet," yet it turns out there are quite a few: Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet, Smart For Life, and the Hollywood Cookie Diet are a few of the most popular programs.

You heard me right: eat pre-packaged cookies (engineered with substances such as glycerine and protein powder) and then have a token "sensible dinner" of lean protein and veggies—all for 800-1,200 calories a day.

Duh, if you take in fewer calories than you burn, you're going to lose weight, but intakes that low can send your body into starvation mode and throw off your metabolism. I am not a fan of single-ingredient diets or diets that require you to purchase special products.

I wish there was a way to convince people that the best way to lose weight ("and keep it off!") or improve their health is by learning how to make small effective changes that can lead to the results they want. You can't get that from a flippin' cookie.

This Wall Street Journal article takes a look at this weird eating plan.

That said, a well-balanced "cookie" makes a much better snack or quick breakfast than a candy bar or pastry. Check out this recipe for a no-bake breakfast cookie you can make ahead and grab on your way out the door. Homemade almost always beats pre-packaged.

Eating Like the Obamas

Okay, the two Obama posts in a row is a sort-of coincidence. I just wanted to share this recipe that someone had re-posted from People magazine, of all places. I haven't read People in years (though I did have to skim through it when I was working in PR to look for clips), and I guess it occasionally runs articles that apply to nutrition.

I tried this out last night on Chris, and he actually liked it! I served it as a side dish to homemade soup, but it might be really great with pork chops or even something like grilled salmon. I'm looking forward to having the leftovers with lunch. I might try it over quinoa and add some tofu or some of the pink beans leftover from yesterday's lunch. We'll see. Cleaning the fridge sometimes helps you flex your creativity muscles.


Obama-Style Sauteed Greens and Sweet Potatoes
Recipe adapted from Chef Sam Kass

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2 bunches of greens (chard, kale or collards) (I used one bunch of collards)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 ground cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (for sauteing the sweet potatoes—I didn't need quite this much)

Preparation:

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into bite size pieces.

2. Heat half the oil in pan over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just brown on all sides and soft (about 12-15 minutes, depending on size). When they are ready, add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the greens (do not dry), remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces. Heat remaining oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding greens. Stir often and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine potatoes, honey and lemon juice with the greens, stir and serve.

Recipe Modification

As you can probably guess by reading this blog, I love to cook. I also happen to have quite a few people in my life with various food allergies and sensitivities and preferences, so I often find myself modifying recipes so that everyone can eat what I make. I am also fascinated by the science of it—using the properties of the ingredients to predict how they will react with each other under various cooking techniques is so much more fun to me than the stuff in my chemistry textbook! I'd rather talk about food than methane.

For a school project, I recently had to adapt a recipe to make it appropriate for someone following the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Change) diet to lower the risk of chronic heart conditions. I chose pumpkin pie, as it's one of my seasonal favorites. But who am I kidding? I would eat pumpkin pie in July.

I found the easiest way to lower the saturated fat and cholesterol in the pie was to make it vegan, and then I remembered that my friend Leah, who is vegan and sensitive to gluten, was having a birthday celebration today and that I had offered to cook some vegan, gluten-free goods.

Hence, a gluten-free, vegan pumpkin pie! Chris suggested the pecans on top—beautiful!

Lentils & Sweet Potatoes: Who Knew?

In the summer, I tend to eat a lot of salads for lunch, but once the weather cools down, I branch out a lot more and try different things. Today, I found a new favorite: lentils with sweet potatoes and spinach.

I actually got the idea from a blog called Runner's Kitchen, which a former co-worker turned me on to. Though I am by no stretch a runner, I do love exercise, and it's nice to see another young woman out there who sees food as fuel for her busy life and not as an enemy that must be conquered.

The dish was really easy to make—the only hard part was waiting for the lentils and onions to finish cooking. I also added a couple teaspoons of curry paste, mostly to see what would happen. It was a nice addition, but you could also go without it.

Here's my attempt at a single-serving recipe:

Ingredients

1/4 c lentils

1/2-1 c water (start with a 1/2 c and add more if the lentils get too dry)

chopped onions

2 tsp olive oil

1 c spinach leaves

1 small sweet potato

2 tsp curry paste (optional)

Directions

Sautee the onions in oil until translucent.

Add lentils and stir until coated lightly.

Add 1/2 c water and stir in. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat.

While the lentils are cooking, you can cook the potato in the microwave for 4 or 5 minutes.

When it looks like the lentils are almost done, stir in the spinach until it wilts in.

Stir curry paste into lentils and spinach.

Peel and cube potato. Stir into lentils.

Pour into a bowl and enjoy.

Another Day, Another Beef Recall

While reading the paper this morning, I came across an article about another beef recall being put into action after two people died and more than a dozen people fell ill, possibly due to the same source of contamination: ground beef from a company called Fairbank Farms.

The voluntary recall, issued on Saturday by the company, includes 545,699 pounds of ground beef sold to retailers in 8 states: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Some of the stores at which these products were sold include Price Chopper, Giant, Trader Joe's Wild Harvest, and Shaws.

While I know that cooking can kill a lot of the bacteria, I still get really nervous when I read stuff like this. It seems to be happening way too often. There is a lot that the consumer can do to lower their chances of falling ill, but if you're starting out with a contaminated product, there's not a whole lot you can do.

Since one of the few foods I don't like is ground beef, it's not a huge deal to me, but I know that my dad, for example, practically lives off of the stuff. I feel like when I read about these things, it's easy to feel like "oh, that's just something that happens to other people," but I'm sure that those people who get sick felt the same way.

While I'm not going to try to advocate a restrictive diet in which potentially dangerous foods are cut out (the list is way too long), I will say that events such as huge meat recalls should make people more concerned with knowing where their food comes from.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes?

Last night, I set out to make sweet potato pie. As I was gathering ingredients, I realized I was short on a few things, so I ended up adapting the recipe to make a vegan version. It came out tasty, but the texture is fluffy—like vaguely sweet whipped sweet potato something-or-other. It's totally its own thing.

I used up most of the flour we had left while making the crust, and am thinking that maybe next time, I'll just buy whole wheat flour, since I'm usually cooking for myself and Chris and he doesn't mind whole wheat products. Of course, we'll make our Christmas cookies family-friendly (read: traditional) with regular flour, but for everyday stuff, it's, like, why not get the extra nutrients in whole grain products?

While procrastinating on a piece I'm writing for work, I came across this recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes. I'm not really into pancakes because they make me sleepy, but these sound really good. Plus, the combo of protein and complex carbs is a great way to ward off the yawns...

Ingredients

• 1 pound low-fat cottage cheese
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 6 egg whites
• 
  
• (brush nonstick pan lightly with vegetable oil)

• 
  

Preparation

Mix cottage cheese, flour, oatmeal, egg yolks, honey, milk, vanilla and cardamom in large bowl. Beat whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into cottage cheese mixture in 2 additions.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush with oil. Spoon batter onto skillet by 1/3 cupfuls, forming 4-inch-diameter pancakes. Cook pancakes until bottoms are brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Turn; cook until bottoms are brown and pancakes are cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Transfer to plate and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Paula Deen on the View

Oh. My.God. This segment is hilarious. It's from a recent episode of The View, on which author Paula Deen was promoting her new children's cookbook, which isn't exactly full of healthy recipes.

I think the best part is how uncomfortable Barbara Walters is! At one point early on, she asks, "Obesity is the number one problem for kids today. Everything you have here is enormously fattening. You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast... Doesn't it bother you that you're adding to it?"

Deen plays the "teach moderation" card and of course. "You don't eat like this every day," she says. True, but it still kind of sounds like a cop-out to me. I feel like a lot of people use the phrase "in moderation" when they can't think of anything else to say.

Then again, it's Paula Deen we're talking with here, not Gwyneth Paltrow. You want a healthy kids' cookbook, she's probably the person to write it.

Here's the segment.

Soufflé for One

When Chris is out and I'm on my own for dinner, I often take the opportunity to cook something he'd never eat. Tonight was just such a night—I made a soufflé. It sounds really fancy, but it's actually quite simple.

I adapted a recipe for making 1 serving. That way, I don't have to do math every time I want to make this dish. Here is my recipe below:

Soufflé for One

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 teaspoons butter or margarine
• 2-1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese (I actually used parmesan tonight)
• 1 egg, separated
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, mustard and cayenne until smooth; gradually add the milk. bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Pour into four greased 10-oz. souffle dishes or custard cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Nutritious Cooking Tips

Ever wonder whether it's better to broil or microwave that broccoli?

Turns out, microwaving is the better option if your concern is retaining the nutrients in the vegetable.

Read here for more nutritious cooking tips, as featured in the New York Times Well blog today.

Fun stuff. I wish I had the energy to roast garlic and bake potatoes and stuff today, but I am damn tired from running around trying to get all my paperwork in order for a last-minute chemistry course I got into.

Vegan Goodness

Last night, I went to a dinner party where the hostess and several of her friends were vegan.

The initial plan had been a "takeout & tea" theme, and then I was told it was "flowers & cupcakes," so I made a white bean salad to bring just in case she was serious. As I was heading out the door, I also grabbed a bottle of pinot noir a friend's dad gave us as a housewarming gift. Perhaps the best red wine I've tasted.

I was happily surprised when I got there—the plan had morphed yet again into a mutli-colored tomato-and-pepper sauce/tofu/polenta spread. There were also a dozen or so of the hugest, most beautiful portobello caps I have ever seen. Another girl brought the makings for toasted bread with brie and raspberries (not vegan, but some things, as I learned, are worth making allowances for). The flowers were edible, and someone else had brought vegan cake. And champagne.

So I put on a frilly lace apron (the Women's Studies Minor side of my brain was amused, if a bit terrified) and helped man the kitchen. It ended up being a great night, and a lovely meal. Proof that you can make a feast in a studio kitchen, albeit which much choreography. I definitely need to try making polenta at home soon.

Granola Fest

Today was a pretty mellow day. We did a lot of cooking: roasted orange peppers, pesto, coconut-almond granola, and peanut butter energy bars.

Chris is a big granola fan, and since we already had a bunch of rolled oats lying around, homemade energy bars seemed like a logical next step.

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and also a good way to make a little space in the cabinets...

I tried to take some pictures during the process, but only a few came out all right. At least I've graduated from my iPhone camera to a real one!

The Right Stuff

My mom just gave me a set of ramekins. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how excited I am to use them. Before I was a waitress at a fancy country club a few years ago, I didn't even know what a ramekin was, but now I'm looking forward to using them to make stuff like souffles, custards, and individual little desserts and egg things. They'd also be great to just use for ice cream.

So we'll see. Something to experiment with. Having the right gear makes a big difference when it comes to cooking. No wonder all I kept in the fridge during most of college was vodka, strawberries, and diet coke—I had one sharp knife, a couple pots, and some cups, basically. Not to mention, studio kitchens are tiny. I never used the oven once for anything besides storage.

The Perks of Eating at Home

Learning how to cook has totally changed my life. Seriously! Being able to make something healthy that also tastes good can be very rewarding. And it's nice not to have to spend a lot of money at restaurants and convenience stores. Why hand over a wad of cash for something you could make very easily yourself?

I just made this lovely little souffle for lunch, and I have to say, it was pretty awesome. Plus, it was really cheap to make—only a couple dollars if you break it down. Sure beats cold cuts.