Earlier today I enjoyed a Grapefruit, Raspberry, Lime juice to give myself some mega vitamin C and something delicious to enjoy.
This evening I decided to whip up something with vegetables. I came up with this concoction that is full of Vitamin A from the kale, Vitamin C from the lemon, and Zinc from the cucumbers. I also read the radishes are good for sinus support and opening up mucous membranes so I threw a few of those in as well. Really, I just had to make due with what was in my fridge. I also tossed in a teaspoon of some powdered Vitamin C that I had and 1-2 teaspoons of Vitamineral Green.
KALE, CELERY, CUCUMBER, RADISH, LEMON JUICE FOR A COLD
1/2 bunch kale
2 celery stalks
1/2 lemon
1/2 large cucmber
5 large radishes
Juice and enjoy!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bubble Calendar
I came across this today. A bubble calendar.
People either love popping the bubbles used for wrapping, or, like my husband, hate it.
There is no way I would be able to resist popping the whole year in one day, leaving me with an oversized, droopy calendar I can't even write on.
If you possess any self control though (and probably no kids) this is awesome.
People either love popping the bubbles used for wrapping, or, like my husband, hate it.
There is no way I would be able to resist popping the whole year in one day, leaving me with an oversized, droopy calendar I can't even write on.
If you possess any self control though (and probably no kids) this is awesome.
Grapefruit, Raspberry, Lime Juice
I've been coming down with a cold and knew I needed a fruit boost. I prepared all the fruit the night before so it would be ready to go in the morning before work. In the end, I was feeling pretty badly the next morning and with a blizzard outside and 2 hour travel times I ended up staying home but still enjoyed this drink for breakfast!
1 grapefruit
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 lime
The night before I cut the rind off of the grapefruit and half of a lime and stored in tupperware.
Being the middle of winter I didn't have fresh raspberries but instead used frozen. I poured about a half cup into a tupperware container the night before as well and stored in the fridge.
Take all ingredients and juice!
The color was just beautiful and I loved the juice. It was nice and sweet with a healthy dose of tart, just how I like it!
Brown Rice and Steamed Veggies with Asian Dressing
Labels:
dressing,
Main Courses,
rice,
vegetables
In an attempt to kick of 2010 right and get the weight loss plan underway I'm working hard to monitor my eating.
I decided that a good lunch for the week would be brown rice with steamed veggies. I was going to use quinoa but didn't have any at home. I used up some bell peppers I had that needed to be used and most of a head of bok choy which I love and which gives it a little asian flair. It's nice and clean food, simple as can be.
BROWN RICE AND STEAMED VEGGIES WITH ASIAN DRESSING
1 cup brown rice
3 small yellow bell peppers chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
2 green onions sliced
1 head bok choy chopped, stems and leaves
**Note: use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand! Snap peas, broccoli, spinach all would be great additions as well
Cook the brown rice according to the package. I get the best results when I put 1 cup of rice in just over 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook about 35 - 40 minutes. No peeking!
Chop up all the veggies and prepare a steamer (the Dream Steamer is one of my favorite items off of my registry).
Add the vegetables to the steamer in order of how long they will take to cook. There are no hard fast rules, just use common sense. Leaves take no time at all, the harder and crunchier the vegetable, the longer the cooking time. I added the bell peppers first, then the bok choy stems, then the green onions and lastly the bok choy leaves.
I packed up a few tupperwares with rice and a healthy topping of veggies to bring to work for lunch.
FOR THE DRESSING
1 Tbsp miso
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Freshly grated ginger to taste (about a 1in. piece)
red chili paste (to taste)
dash of fresh squeezed lemon - about 1-2 tsp
dash of fish sauce (optional)
Put all the ingredients (except the fish sauce) in a bowl and whisk to combine. Keep tasting and add bits of this or that until you get the right flavor. At the very end I added a tiny dash of fish sauce, just to give it a little kick.
I stored the dressing in a separate little jar and used on top of my rice and veggies.
The dressing was particularly delicious. I was the envy of everyone in my office with the fabulous smells coming from my lunch.
I decided that a good lunch for the week would be brown rice with steamed veggies. I was going to use quinoa but didn't have any at home. I used up some bell peppers I had that needed to be used and most of a head of bok choy which I love and which gives it a little asian flair. It's nice and clean food, simple as can be.
BROWN RICE AND STEAMED VEGGIES WITH ASIAN DRESSING
1 cup brown rice
3 small yellow bell peppers chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
2 green onions sliced
1 head bok choy chopped, stems and leaves
**Note: use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand! Snap peas, broccoli, spinach all would be great additions as well
Cook the brown rice according to the package. I get the best results when I put 1 cup of rice in just over 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook about 35 - 40 minutes. No peeking!
Chop up all the veggies and prepare a steamer (the Dream Steamer is one of my favorite items off of my registry).
Add the vegetables to the steamer in order of how long they will take to cook. There are no hard fast rules, just use common sense. Leaves take no time at all, the harder and crunchier the vegetable, the longer the cooking time. I added the bell peppers first, then the bok choy stems, then the green onions and lastly the bok choy leaves.
I packed up a few tupperwares with rice and a healthy topping of veggies to bring to work for lunch.
FOR THE DRESSING
1 Tbsp miso
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Freshly grated ginger to taste (about a 1in. piece)
red chili paste (to taste)
dash of fresh squeezed lemon - about 1-2 tsp
dash of fish sauce (optional)
Put all the ingredients (except the fish sauce) in a bowl and whisk to combine. Keep tasting and add bits of this or that until you get the right flavor. At the very end I added a tiny dash of fish sauce, just to give it a little kick.
I stored the dressing in a separate little jar and used on top of my rice and veggies.
The dressing was particularly delicious. I was the envy of everyone in my office with the fabulous smells coming from my lunch.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
You Know You're in Love...
Labels:
Living
I came across this quote today:
"you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams"
dr. seuss
Have you been there? That feeling that you might never need to sleep again? That you can just live off of love?
When Jason and I first started dating I had months of sleepless nights. And not the anxiety sleeplessness, the "what did I forget to do today" the "when is that paper/project/application due?" the "what have I done with my life?" kind of sleeplessness.
But being too happy to sleep, to excited about your life and too cozy to care. I've never seen it put so eloquently.
I hope you all get to lose sleep to love!
"you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams"
dr. seuss
Have you been there? That feeling that you might never need to sleep again? That you can just live off of love?
When Jason and I first started dating I had months of sleepless nights. And not the anxiety sleeplessness, the "what did I forget to do today" the "when is that paper/project/application due?" the "what have I done with my life?" kind of sleeplessness.
But being too happy to sleep, to excited about your life and too cozy to care. I've never seen it put so eloquently.
I hope you all get to lose sleep to love!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cannellini Bean Puree with Barley
This is the second puree soup recipce, or Vellutata, I have taken from my new La Cucina Italiana subscription.
The beauty of the cauliflower puree from last week and this Cannellini Bean Puree is the simplicity and velvety texture of the soup, combined with an additional textured food spooned on top to serve. In this case, the silky smooth cannellini puree is topped with herbed barley.
The soup is delicious, hearty, comforting and healthy. It was also my first time using dried beans instead of canned (can you believe I have never used dried beans before?). The difference was measurable and even my husband, who has pooh-poohed the idea of using dried beans in the past, is a convert.
I made it last night and reheated some tonight after a big glass of fresh vegetable juice as part of my revamped eating plan to kick of 2010! Cannellini are very high in folate and iron and a good source of non-meat protein.
CANNELLINI BEAN PUREE WITH BARLEY
2 cups dried cannellini
1 slice of onion
1/4 cup pearled barley
2 Tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, gently smashed and peeled
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mixed herbs, I used parsley, basil and oregano
sea salt
white pepper
black pepper to taste
Place the beans in a pot. Cover with cold water by 3 inches and let sit overnight.
Drain beans. Add 5 cups of cold filtered water and the onion. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until beans are very tender, adding water if needed to keep the beans covered. I ended up cooking mine about 1 hour 15 minutes and adding another 2 cups of water overall.
Meanwhile, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add barley, reduce heat to med-low and simmer until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Drain.
When the beans are tender, transfer in batches to a blender and carefully puree until smooth.**(see note).
Pour the pureed beans through a fine mesh sieve and with a rubber spatula, push the puree through the sieve, leaving behind the bean skins which can be discarded. While this is labor intensive the result is a perfectly silky smooth puree.
Return the beans to the pot, whisk in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and heat gently. Season generously with salt and white pepper. I used white pepper to keep the pristine white color. At this point you may need to add more water to thin soup. My soup was very thick and definitely needed water. When eating leftovers I added additional water prior to reheating.
In a large skillet heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil over med-high heat. Add the barley and garlic clove and cook while stirring about 2 minutes. Add the herbs and cooking another minute or so. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic clove and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and spoon barley on top. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper.
**I've learned my lesson pureeing hot liquids. First of all, start small! The first time I ever tried to puree a soup in my blender I filled the blender to the top and almost got sprayed the second I turned it on. Pureeing in several small batches, while a hassle, is much easier than cleaning puree off your kitchen walls. Secondly, remove the plastic cap from the lid and instead, hold a dish towel over the hole. The hot air can blow the plastic cap right off if you're not careful.
I know I waxed pontific about the virtues of the immersion blender for the cauliflower puree. In this instance, since we want to separate the bean skins from the puree, using the blender was the best idea.
The beauty of the cauliflower puree from last week and this Cannellini Bean Puree is the simplicity and velvety texture of the soup, combined with an additional textured food spooned on top to serve. In this case, the silky smooth cannellini puree is topped with herbed barley.
The soup is delicious, hearty, comforting and healthy. It was also my first time using dried beans instead of canned (can you believe I have never used dried beans before?). The difference was measurable and even my husband, who has pooh-poohed the idea of using dried beans in the past, is a convert.
I made it last night and reheated some tonight after a big glass of fresh vegetable juice as part of my revamped eating plan to kick of 2010! Cannellini are very high in folate and iron and a good source of non-meat protein.
CANNELLINI BEAN PUREE WITH BARLEY
2 cups dried cannellini
1 slice of onion
1/4 cup pearled barley
2 Tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, gently smashed and peeled
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mixed herbs, I used parsley, basil and oregano
sea salt
white pepper
black pepper to taste
Place the beans in a pot. Cover with cold water by 3 inches and let sit overnight.
Drain beans. Add 5 cups of cold filtered water and the onion. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until beans are very tender, adding water if needed to keep the beans covered. I ended up cooking mine about 1 hour 15 minutes and adding another 2 cups of water overall.
Meanwhile, bring about 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add barley, reduce heat to med-low and simmer until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Drain.
When the beans are tender, transfer in batches to a blender and carefully puree until smooth.**(see note).
Pour the pureed beans through a fine mesh sieve and with a rubber spatula, push the puree through the sieve, leaving behind the bean skins which can be discarded. While this is labor intensive the result is a perfectly silky smooth puree.
Return the beans to the pot, whisk in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and heat gently. Season generously with salt and white pepper. I used white pepper to keep the pristine white color. At this point you may need to add more water to thin soup. My soup was very thick and definitely needed water. When eating leftovers I added additional water prior to reheating.
In a large skillet heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil over med-high heat. Add the barley and garlic clove and cook while stirring about 2 minutes. Add the herbs and cooking another minute or so. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic clove and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and spoon barley on top. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper.
**I've learned my lesson pureeing hot liquids. First of all, start small! The first time I ever tried to puree a soup in my blender I filled the blender to the top and almost got sprayed the second I turned it on. Pureeing in several small batches, while a hassle, is much easier than cleaning puree off your kitchen walls. Secondly, remove the plastic cap from the lid and instead, hold a dish towel over the hole. The hot air can blow the plastic cap right off if you're not careful.
I know I waxed pontific about the virtues of the immersion blender for the cauliflower puree. In this instance, since we want to separate the bean skins from the puree, using the blender was the best idea.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Bobby Flay's Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Bean Dip
This is a recipe I started making a couple of years ago during football season. It was a huge hit and has become one of my go-to party dips.
When serving, I do feel compelled to warn people about the spiciness. Friends will just assume it is hummus and give it to their kids.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CHIPOTLE BEAN DIP
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp chipotle puree **see note
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Honey to taste (about 1 Tbsp)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Put the roasted red peppers, red wine vinegar and chipotle puree in a food processor and blend
Add the white beans and garlic and continue to process until smooth.
Add honey, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with tortilla chips or chopped vegetables such as red, yellow and orange bell peppers
**CHIPOTLE PUREE to make the puree, take canned chipotle pepper and some of the adobo sauce and process in a mini food processor. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few weeks
When serving, I do feel compelled to warn people about the spiciness. Friends will just assume it is hummus and give it to their kids.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CHIPOTLE BEAN DIP
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp chipotle puree **see note
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Honey to taste (about 1 Tbsp)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Put the roasted red peppers, red wine vinegar and chipotle puree in a food processor and blend
Add the white beans and garlic and continue to process until smooth.
Add honey, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with tortilla chips or chopped vegetables such as red, yellow and orange bell peppers
**CHIPOTLE PUREE to make the puree, take canned chipotle pepper and some of the adobo sauce and process in a mini food processor. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few weeks
Friday, January 1, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
On the first day of 2010 I just want to wish everyone a year full of happiness, family, good friends, good food and many blessings!
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