Quest for Delicious

Quinoa cakes/burgers

2012-01-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

Quinoa.

Keen-wah.

Do you know about quinoa? It's a legit source of complete protein, meaning it has all 9 of the essential amino acids. Oftentimes, vegetarian protein lacks some essential amino acids and thus has to be combined with other foods in order to get a complete source of protein. Not quinoa though. Quinoa's got you covered.

Coincidentally, the slightly crunchy, slightly nutty grain also makes great "burgers."

I used this recipe with a few changes, taking some inspiration from here. Specifically, I used parsley in place of chives, a quarter of a medium yellow onion in place of shallots, and passed on the poached eggs. I also added some cracked black pepper.

I never claimed to be a food photographer, guys.

Don't let the looks of this little cake fool you! It tastes amazing. The nutty flavor and crunchy texture of the quinoa gets taken to the next level by being cooked up in a little bit of olive oil. Serve one or two of these over some mixed greens and you've got yourself an amazingly light yet satisfying meal.

If my lowly picture isn't whetting your appetite, check out these websites and maybe you'll be more enticed.

Have a happy day!

Korean food & 2 tips for better eating habits

2012-01-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

The topic of the day is Korean food.

What do you think of when you think of Korean food? Probably kimchi.

What you might not know is that there is a wide array of delicious Korean food that you may not have tried due to the fact that you think everything Korean = kimchi. It's just not true.

One of my favorite restaurants is this little hole-in-the-wall Korean place called Well Being in the Box. They have a huge selection of items including different sushi rolls, combination bento boxes, salads, and desserts.

Every time I go here, I absolutely must order the seaweed salad. Don't let this freak you out. Out of all the things I've eaten in my life, seaweed salad is one of the most delicious. I leave the making of this up to the professionals, but I think I can guess it includes classic Korean flavors like rice vinegar and sesame oil. It's tangy but also has a slight sweetness.

Did you know seaweed is also a nutrient powerhouse?

This time around (in addition to my seaweed salad), I got the combination plate lunch special, which included Korean marinated short ribs and chicken, salad, macaroni salad, pickled cucumbers, California rolls, and of course, rice. That's a mouthful in more ways than one.

If you haven't tried Korean food, I'd definitely encourage it. Korean food has some of the boldest and deepest flavors of many cuisines, and you're almost certain to find something that appeals to you. Depending on what you get, it can be extraordinarily healthy as well.

Two tips for better eating habits

1. If you struggle with portion control, take a pointer from Well Being in the Box and serve your food in bento boxes! It's a super easy way to portion out your food appropriately. Never mind the fact that some of them are cute as can be.

2. If you struggle with eating too much too quickly, try using chopsticks instead of your regular fork and spoon. All I know is that when I can only pick up 2 leaves of lettuce and 5 grains of rice at a time, I'm going to eat slower. If you're already a pro at the use of chopsticks, try to use them with your off hand instead. Eating slower means giving your body adequate time to tell you when you're satisfied, which means you have a less chance of overeating.

Have you tried Korean food? If not, will you?

Have a fantastic day!

Rosati's pizza

2012-01-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

I love pizza. I really do.

To get specific, I love thin crust Chicago pizza. I should note that I am neither from Chicago nor have I been to Chicago. What I know of Chicago pizza is what I've learned from Chicago-style pizzerias here in Las Vegas.

My favorite windy city pizza place that I have tried is Aurelio's. I am beyond thankful this restaurant exists in Las Vegas.

I am less thankful when I go there on a Friday night only to find that it's closed for remodeling.

I am a little more thankful when it forces me to end up at Rosati's.

This was the first time I had been here, and, after anticipating Aurelio's all day, I was afraid Rosati's would fall short.

It didn't.

What I love about thin crust pizza is that it really showcases the sauce and toppings. You're not spending all this time munching on a chewy crust, so you can actually savor the other ingredients.

Silly me was so starving that I forgot to take pictures of the pizza. We had a spinach, mushroom, and tomato pizza as well as a white pizza. I can ensure you that both were amazing.

This was also amazing:

Zeppoli. Basically, fried dough covered in powdered sugar. With raspberry sauce.

With a description like that, it's hard for something not to be good.

Until I can actually go to Chicago, Aurelio's and Rosati's will have to fill the space in my heart for thin crust Chicago pizza. I can only imagine how great it is from the actual source.

I will go there someday. Mark my words.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Happy christmas

2011-12-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

All I know is that when your day starts with pumpkin waffles, it's sure to be a good day.

I hope your Christmas was overflowing with all things wonderful and absolutely no Christmas grinches. Unless they're of the cartoon variety. Then that's okay.

Merry merry Christmas!

Christmas cheer

2011-12-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Since my last post, I successfully got sick during the worst possible time (finals week). This was my life for about a week.

Finals week was the busiest, craziest one of my undergraduate career. After a week of anticipation, grades were finally posted and I could breathe a giant sigh of relief.

Now, Christmas cheer abounds. Not just Christmas cheer, but Christmas desserts. Desserts = cheer, though, right?

Jenna's peppermint mocha cookies.

Dessert tasting at my work holiday party. Towards the middle bottom of that picture is a little piece of real New York cheesecake made by my real New York coworker. Real New York heaven.

Secret santa party with my friends! We made chocolate-covered oreos, spritz cookies (my favorite Christmas cookie of all time), chocolate pretzel trees, and we even got crafty with little stockings.

Close-up of the swirly twirly oreos.

It's been a fantastic winter break so far. The rest will be filled with more fun and friends and baking and all things great. Plus working on internship applications. Eek.

I may or may not have done any Christmas shopping whatsoever and I may or may not be starting that today.

Love to you! Have a wonderful day!

Winding down

2011-12-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

Two more weeks left of school. I'm spending my time reading a book about bananas, writing a paper on l-carnitine supplementation, and researching the origin of the sweet potato. Actually starting to study for finals comes soon.

Here are my best tips for pulling through the last couple weeks (at least semi-) gracefully:

Make a list. Write out all the tasks you need to complete, organized by their deadlines or priorities. Stick to that list and try to get things done in order. Another way to go about it is to get things that take the longest done first, leaving the quick and easy stuff for last.

Checking things off a list is awesome. Instant gratification. Maybe I'm just a super simple lady, but it's little things like these that get me pumped.

Fuel your brain. I don't know how many friends I've had tell me they were so busy, they forgot to eat. This really makes no sense to me. It's something I'll probably never be able to comprehend. It doesn't matter how busy I get, how long my task list is, when I'm hungry, there's no forgetting about it.

When you're studying hard all night, burning that midnight oil, your brain is begging for some fuel. Give it some fuel. It can be as plain as a bowl of cereal or air-popped popcorn to as fancy as roasted salmon with sweet potatoes and asparagus (my favorite).

Make time for fun. When I'm busy doing homework, reading, or studying all day long, I get worn out quick. Real quick. I find that giving myself a little time to do something other than school-related work refreshes my mind and gives me more energy to complete my tasks later on.

Maybe for you that means watching an episode or two of Saved by the Bell. Maybe it means going out for frozen yogurt with your best friend. Maybe it means taking a walk in the park. Whatever makes you feel good, do that.

Relax. Remember that it's all going to be okay. (It will!) Soon, this will be over and you'll be able to get in the kitchen and bake Christmas cookies or get in your bed and hibernate like a polar bear. Both of these things I desperately want to do. Find your focus and stay with it! You rule.

Love and happy Sunday to you.

Roast

2011-12-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here's my opinion on brussels sprouts.

If you're going to like them in some way, you're going to like them roasted. If you don't like them roasted, you probably won't like them in any way.

I'm weird and I even like them straight up steamed with nothing on them, but seriously... roasting is the way to go.

Trim, drizzle with olive olive, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, roast at 450 for about 20 minutes, flip once midway through, and BOOM. You have roasted brussels sprouts.

These things are so simple, but so good. Brussels sprout haters, give them a shot!

On a side note, happy December! I guess Vegas decided now would be a good time to bring on wintery weather, so it got rather chilly today. And windy. Which spells disaster for my hair, but that's what bun hairstyles and headbands were made for. It's true.

Do you have a favorite way to cook vegetables?
I'm fairly certain roasting would make most anything taste awesome.

Babycakes cafe

2011-11-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's not often when I find a cute, homey type of restaurant here in Las Vegas.

However, yesterday I happened to visit a little place called Babycakes Cafe (soon switching to Babystacks Cafe). You know a place is going to be good when it's tiny and people are willing to wait upwards of an hour to get a table.

As you might assume from the name, their specialty is pancakes. They have everything from carrot cake pancakes to s'mores pancakes, with red velvet pancakes being their most popular.

Sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. Dusted with cocoa powder.

Everything sounded crazy amazing, but I had to go with the red velvet pancakes after all the good things I had heard about them.

They ruled. Though you might expect them to be, they weren't too sweet or over the top. They came with a side of cream cheese syrup, but whether you used it or not, they tasted great all the same.

My friend and her boyfriend had the corned beef hash and they were super satisfied with it as well.

Total breakfast success! I'm excited to go back and taste other things on the menu.

In other news, I've got many a can of pumpkin and many a pumpkin recipe I've been itching to make. Stay tuned.

Have a beautiful day.

Happy thanksgiving

2011-11-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's been a while.

Everything is just plain nuts right now. In a great way, though.

I'm thankful for mothers who can make the best fluffy dinner rolls on the planet. I'm thankful for registering for my very last semester of undergraduate classes. I'm thankful for laughter and inside jokes. I'm thankful for 70-degree weather in November (what!?).

Most of all I'm thankful for Jesus and the joy He continues to give to me. Whether that be through family, friends, or just another breath, it's all fantastic. My heart is constantly full.

Big love to you on this holiday.

Apple crostata, courtesy of me, courtesy of Ina Garten. Bless that lady.

Tofu rice bowls

2011-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Salad bar at Whole Foods.

You guys have been there, yes?

Amongst their wide array of vegetables, fruits, grain and pasta salads, they have this baked tofu that I have a mild obsession with. I always get a couple cubes of it no matter what it is I'm getting at the salad bar.

This tofu has no evidence of ever being spongy or mushy. It's thick and chewy with a mild enough flavor to go with pretty much anything.

One day, I glanced at the ingredients and all it is is tofu and tamari. Say what? "I can totally make that," I thought.

And last night was my first attempt.

The results? Not bad (definitely better than tofu I've made in the past), but still not as good as WF.

All I did was cut up a block of firm tofu (you can do whatever shape your heart desires), brush it with soy sauce, and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, flipping every ten minutes. It shrinks big time so beware.

It all came together well with brown rice, shredded raw carrots, edamame, and peanut sauce.

Inspired by this dish.

I love the addition of shredded carrots. You get to keep all the nutrients that might be lost with cooking as well as a nice natural sweetness. Shredding makes it super easy to eat, too!

As far as the peanut sauce goes, I'm fairly certain I can pour that stuff on just about anything and it'd make it good.

This is one of those basic dishes that you can easily customize. Liking the idea of broccoli that day? Throw it in! Hate edamame? Leave it out! Totally up to you.

Enjoy!

Seattle adventures

2011-08-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

From July 26-August 1, I had the great privilege of being in Seattle with a couple of the best friends in the world. The experience was incredible, as was the food.

Piroshky Bakery

Do you know what a piroshky is? I totally didn't, but after walking by this bakery twice while meandering through Pike Place Market and catching a whiff of the incredible smells coming from it, my friend and I gave it a try. It's basically baked, stuffed puff pastry. This one had a chicken, mushroom, and rice mixture and was pretty killer. They had so many other combinations as well as sweet pastries that looked mouth-watering.

Paseo

This sandwich. This is a sandwich I will crave for the rest of my life. The flavors were so complementary and deep, unlike anything I've ever tasted. This was the Classic Cuban Roast and it ruled, but I also had a bite of the Midnight Cuban Press which was delicious as well. My friend told me that they get certain amounts of baguettes and meat delivered daily and once they sell out, they're done. She happens to live so close to Paseo that you can smell the food cooking just by opening a window. If I were her, I'd be there every day. Good thing I'm not her.

Portage Bay Cafe

Local, organic, and sustainable cafe open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. This place was awesome. My favorite part was that any meal that came with pancakes, waffles, or french toast, there was a little bar of fresh fruit, nuts, and other toppings that you could go and serve yourself however you wanted. I topped my french toast with fresh berries and peaches and I loved it. Portage Bay was a really cool place and everyone had a smile on their face which is always a plus.

Easy Street Cafe

Easily one of the coolest places we went to. This little diner was attached to a record store and was so hip inside. The food was cheap and really good and the staff was so upbeat and friendly. Their menu included items like the "Johnny Cash Special," "Bennie and the Jets," and the "Hall and Oates." So cute!

Beth's Cafe

Of course we had to go here. Home of the 12-egg omelet (Man v. Food, anyone?) and all-you-can-eat hash browns. We came here late - almost midnight - and the place was packed. The food was all you would expect from a little diner. I dug the atmosphere most out of everything. It was really relaxed and had drawings from customers posted all over the walls.

Araya's

Vegan Thai food! My friends and I got the lunch buffet, which included a wide assortment of delicious food. Pad thai, curry, fried rice, salads, soups, egg rolls, fresh fruit, the list goes on. It was all really good! I'm sure any meat lover would like this place.

The Hi-Life

First time ever trying migas! I died. It was so good. I have no idea what "Diablo dusted" meant, but whatever it was made those potatoes awesome. The salsa and avocado were so fresh and everything was so flavorful. I was debating getting this or a chicken sandwich and I'm so glad I settled on the migas. It may or may not have been because Jenna had mentioned it before. :)

Fainting Goat Gelato

Do I even have to say anything about this? Just look at those flavors! I got hazelnut and salted caramel, and also got to try nutella (WHOA. So good.), white chocolate coconut, and toasted almond. All really fantastic. Anytime you can smell freshly made waffle cones from a block away, you know its going to be good. And this place was better than good.

So there's the highlights! Bummed I didn't get seafood, but that'll just give me an excuse to make another trip back. ;)

Two days after I got back from Seattle, I roadtripped to St. George, Utah to see Grease and The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn. If you're anywhere near this area, I highly recommend checking it out. It's beautiful there and so much fun.

I know my posts are awfully sporadic, but I haven't given up blogging. I'll be back whenever I find the time and hope to make more regular posts, but for now, this will be how it is.

Be blessed!

Recently

2011-07-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

As of about a week and a half, I'm 21. I had one extraordinarily delicious mixed berry mojito on my birthday but if you want me to be real, I'd take a cupcake over booze any day of the week.

As far as turning 21 goes, Joy the Baker knows what's up. I like her.

In other news, I'm alive after Organic Chemistry and I didn't lose my hair to stress! Quite a feat.

I recently got back from a nice vacation with my family to California. Pictures? I got some.

I swooned over this fairytale house.

I'm a little obsessed with Instagram.

I've been spending my newfound free time with my nose in books (that I actually want to read!):

And watching junky tv like Pretty Little Liars and Teen Mom.

Reading good books, watching lame tv. It balances out.

Cooking is always good too. I got a cutesy apron for my birthday and decided to put it to use by making Chicken Tikka Masala.

Yeah, that totally happened. I based it super suuuper loosely off of this recipe. By loosely I mean, I cut the recipe in half, omitted the cream and butter, subbed in a touch of 0% Fage, and grilled my chicken instead of broiling it. You might think all those changes would make for a lame dish, but it was seriously so good. It was obviously much less creamy than the original recipe would have it be, but still satisfying. I'll try to write down exactly what I did and share it with you guys later!

What have you been up to lately?

Ethiopian food

2011-07-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

I had some today. My friend and I ventured out to a restaurant called Blue Nile. This was a very hole-in-the-wall type of place. I don't know why, but some of the shadiest places can churn out the best food hah.

I know. So unappealing looking, but it's totally worth a shot! We got a vegetarian assortment and a meat assortment and pretty much everything was good. Super unique.

You eat with your hands using this spongy, flat, sour bread called injera. That bread was probably one of the weirdest things I've ever eaten in my life.

Anyways, it works with the other food. The vegetarian options included lentils, chickpeas, spinach, cabbage, green beans, and another unidentified mixture. The meat stuff was pretty much all beef.

Overall, I thought it was good! I think it's so fun to sort of immerse yourself in another culture through food. This was an awesome experience!

Hop aboard the "vegetrain!"

Have you tried Ethiopian food before? Any other cuisine from an unfamiliar culture?

Wishing you a great 4th of July! I'll be studying away for my organic chemistry final that I have on Friday, which also just so happens to be my birthday. So convenient...

Say a prayer for me.

Hi

2011-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Over two months since I last blogged. Does that mean I'm not a real blogger?

For the past couple months, my focus has been placed on school, family, friends, and a bit more school. Happy to say I passed my crazy classes with flying colors.

Now I've got this to look forward to. Or to not look forward to.

Wah. A semester's worth of Organic Chemistry packed into 6 precious weeks of my summer. Jealous? I wouldn't be either.

I've been on summer break for a couple weeks now and have been enjoying the down time before my class starts (next Wednesday!). Here are some of the awesome things I've been into.

In case you didn't know it already, boba is awesome. Please. If you ever get it, get taro (that's the pretty purple one!) Love.

Something else that's pretty bomb? Jenna's lemon brown sugar chicken. So tangy and sweet! It's super easy too. I had mine with toasted Israeli cous cous and steamed brussels sprouts. I went back for seconds.

Cake pops. I like them. I think I like them even more because they're cute and pretty pink. This one was the first and so far, only one I've ever had and it's the birthday cake flavor.

I might be partial to pink because I really dig pink lady apples. Crunchy, sweet, with a touch of tartness as well. Have I ever mentioned it's one of my goals in life to try every variety of apple? I dream big.

Yes. I went. I loved it. I want to marry Harry Shum Jr.

Breakfast obsession

2011-03-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Morning sunshines!

Let it be known: I am in a breakfast rut and I do not want out of it.

You're probably thinking, "What the heck is it that?"

Well, let me tell you. It's one of my favorite things right now and it's an extremely simple and wonderful breakfast.

That right there would be an two egg whites with cheddar cheese sandwiched between two toasty slices of this:

Wanna know something interesting? I've always hated raisins, but I've always loved cinnamon raisin bread. Not sure how that works out.

This was the first loaf of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread I've ever bought! It's awesome. It's a huge reason why I've been eating one of these sandwiches every morning for the past 4 days as well as random slices of toast throughout the day. I may have an addiction. I'm okay with it.

But can I just tell you why I like this sandwich so darn much? It's because of the savory/sweet combination. I can't get enough of savory/sweet things.

I also love it because it's a great combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates - which are all components of a balanced breakfast that keeps you full and satisfied.

Gooey, melty cheese never hurt anything either, right?

Right.

Do you have a favorite savory/sweet food?
I also dig salted caramel and kettle corn.

Ps - Check out Miss Allie's post for an Adora disk giveaway!

Calling my name

2011-03-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I'm on spring break.

It's been gorgeous outside (75 and sunny with a few clouds? I'll take it, thank you!).

I've been doing my best to soak it all in while it lasts. In just a couple short months, it will be blistering hot and I will be melting.

Let's not talk about it.

Let's talk about this instead. Here are some fantastic recipes I've been eyeing lately that are just begging me to make them:
Joy the Baker's cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread. Too much. It's just too much. But I want it for my own.
Eat Live Run's vegetarian chili. Throw goat cheese on anything and I'm sold. Looks amazing.
Une-Deux Senses's cookies and cream kiss cookies and her black bean tacos. First, let me just say her site is dreamy. I adore it. Second, cookies and tacos? Yes and yes.
Ezra Pound Cake's sicilian chickpeas. I dig her meatless Mondays. I also dig the looks of this dish.
Cookin' Canuck's whole wheat waffles. Perfect weekend breakfast. Perfect anytime breakfast if you're on spring break. ;)
A Cozy Kitchen's peanut butter oatmeal cookies. For the love of honey roasted peanuts. Two summers ago, my friend introduced me to the pleasure that is Whole Foods' fresh grind honey roasted peanut butter and I've been obsessed ever since. These cookies are right up my alley.

honey roasted pb in all its glory

Trust me on this one.

The most proper way to enjoy it: with a spoon.

I'll be back later with one of my favorite things!

Any recipes calling your name lately?

Daunting week

2011-03-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged. Where is all my time going? It's zooming by. I've been busy beyond belief and have spent one too many nights eating a dinner composed of cereal.

Cheerios.

The plain kind.

Such a sad, sad life I lead. ;)

This semester is getting the best of me. This week is about to be intense (tests on top of tests on top of quizzes on top of projects) but I'm doing my best to go at it full force.

Anyone heard the phrase, "You gotta keep on keepin' on"? :) I learned it in the second grade. It's cheesy, but it fits. I get so weighed down at times not just by school, not just by work, but by everything. Life.

It's such a comfort knowing that I've got a God who's bigger than any problem I face and strong enough to get me through when I think I'm down and out. He's my solace. He never lets me down.

Anxiety levels are going to be peaking for me this week, but my much needed spring break is right around the corner. :)

Anyone else been having stress lately?

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Matthew 6:34 - the message

Be blessed. I'll be back soon.

Also, anyone have ideas for quick meals I can make when I'm super busy?

My go-to always tends to be grilled chicken and steamed veggies, but sometimes a girl needs some variety in her life! Can anyone help me out?

Vegetable fried rice

2011-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

What do you do with leftover rice?

I make fried rice.

Easiest thing ever.

The best thing you can do is make the bulk of it veggies and have rice be the side note, instead of the other way around. Then be super clever and call it rice fried vegetables. :)

Although I did not follow the recipe I just linked, mine still tasted great and was based on the same idea.

Here are my favorite things to put in fried rice:

Sesame oil. I'm pretty much obsessed with the stuff. Even the smallest amount lends a depth of flavor to an otherwise fairly boring dish.

Fresh garlic. Do I need to say anything? Garlic rules.

A myriad of veggies! This time, asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, corn, carrots, green beans, bean sprouts, and onions all got some action in this fried rice. The asparagus was fresh and all the rest were from frozen mixes!

And here's a secret: I nix soy sauce and use teriyaki sauce instead. This kind to be exact. I like it because, as opposed to just plain soy sauce, you're not hit with that overpowering salty flavor. Teriyaki adds a nice mix of both soy and sweet.

If you ever find yourself looking for ways to use up leftover rice, go this route. Easy, quick, and flavorful.

And now, sadly, homework is calling my name. At least I got some good fuel to get me through.

Happy Friday! Have a beautiful day.

Szechwan Tofu

2011-02-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

Do any of you have cookbooks that look like this?

A little too loved?

Complete with soy sauce stains, water damage, and torn edges?

...Just me? Okay.

For as long as I can remember, my parents would regularly make two dishes out of this cookbook: Szechwan Chicken and Mongolian Beef. They've always been two of my favorite meals.

Today, I decided to give the chicken recipe a different twist by using tofu instead of the poultry. What up vegetarian meal! :)

Served with fluffy rice and steamed (but still bright green and crisp, please!) broccoli, you've got a yummy meal.

My favorite thing about it has always been the addition of peanuts. Love that crunch.

I definitely recommend swapping tofu or tempeh for meat in your favorite dishes from time to time. It's cool to switch things up and be a temporary vegetarian. ;)

Do any of you guys have tips for pressing tofu?

I feel like no matter what I do, it still retains a lot of moisture.

Have a great night!

Valentine's day

2011-02-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Happy valentine's day!

My life is so full of love.

I'm blessed with fantastic family and friends, and I've got a God who loves me to no end.

A girl can't really ask for much more.

Except maybe chocolate. ;)

Hope everyone's day was lovely and full of great things!

Alive

2011-02-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I just wanted to do a real quick post to let you all know that I'm still alive. :)

I've been drowning in schoolwork and exams this past week, but come tomorrow at 3:45, it will be over. For the time being.

I'll be back soon with some legit posts. I miss my little blog!

Until then...do you guys like Glee?

I do. And Destiny's Child makes it even better.

I hope everyone's been having a fantastic week!

Long day

2011-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Hello hello!

Does anybody else find it crazy that it's already February!? Yikes.

I've had such a day. It started out extraordinarily windy and cold and ended the same way. Wind + my crazy curly hair = not a pretty sight.

Tuesdays are so long for me. I get to school around 9am and don't leave until 9pm. Needless to say, every Tuesday, I make sure to arm myself with a lunchbox full of food lest I end up spending an arm and a leg for food on campus. Or starve. Either one is a terrible option.

Fruit, vegetables, string cheese, pb sandwiches, and larabars all make regular appearances in my packed lunches/dinners, but today I had something a little different.

Yay for trader joes salads!

To be perfectly honest, this salad was kind of weird to me. I didn't eat the cranberries or use the dressing because they were way too sweet.

What I was left with was brussels sprouts, a few hazelnuts, a few shreds of cheese, and about 3 bacon crumbles. Sounds kind of pathetic, but it was good! I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes brussels sprouts. :)

That's all I got for now. I'm totally worn out, so it's definitely my bed time. Have a lovely night guys!

Do you guys have any go-to foods for when you're on the run or not at home all day?

Tandoori turkey burgers

2011-01-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

This isn't your ordinary burger.

You'll find no beef. No cheese. No ketchup and mustard. No grease running down your hands.

I realize that I probably just listed the top things the average person loves about burgers. Stay with me guys!

Here's what you will find: super bold seasonings, lovely cool/warm contrast, and tangy freshness. Basically, a burger that's totally drool-worthy.

Tandoori Turkey Burgers
courtesy of Baked Bree

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (turkey) breast
4 green onions
3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Naan bread
cucumber
cilantro
red onion sliced thinly

Yogurt Sauce
1 small container fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon fresh mint chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Put the chicken (turkey) and all of the spices in a bowl and mix well. Form into 4 patties.
Mix the yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
Slice some cucumbers, red onions, and cilantro.
Cook the burgers on a preheated grill over medium-medium high grill. About 3 minutes per side. (I used my George Foreman! Took ~5-6 minutes total.) Throw the Naan bread on the grill during the last few minutes.
Top the burgers with a few sliced cucumbers, red onion, a generous handful of cilantro, and the yogurt sauce.

Chomp

I'm in love with the cool crunch of the cucumber and the super fresh taste the yogurt sauce adds. After I mixed the sauce, I gave it a taste and thought, "Whoa. This might be too tangy." But the flavor of the burger itself stood up really nicely to the sauce. Fresh lemon, ginger, and mint lend a fantastic brightness to the burger, while paprika, cumin, and cayenne add the spice. It's harmony, I tell you.

As you can see, I used a sandwich thin instead of naan and left off the cilantro and red onion. I'm positive they all would've been great, though! Just look at Bree's photo. Couldn't be any dreamier.

This was my first time making a burger...let alone a turkey burger. I'm totally pleased with the results.

Have a lovely evening!

Peanut sesame noodles with vegetables and chicken

2011-01-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

Uhhh... Yum.

Any recipe that goes from ingredients to in my mouth in a short amount of time is a good one in my book. Boiling the pasta is probably the most "time-consuming" part of this dish.

Had I known that it was national peanut butter day on the 24th, I totally would have made this then.

But no matter; these noodles are good all day, any day.

Peanut Sesame Noodles
from Smitten Kitchen

For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a splash of the hot sauce or chili paste of your choice

After this point, Miss Smitten Kitchen gets fancier than me.

For noodles
3/4 lb dried soba noodles (dried linguine fini or spaghetti will work in a pinch)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
Half a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

I'm all for ease so all I did was cook some whole wheat spaghetti noodles, steam some frozen vegetables, grill some chicken, and call it a day. I think people are much more likely to have spaghetti hanging around as opposed to soba noodles, and steaming frozen vegetables...well, there's pretty much no work involved there.

I used this frozen vegetable mix as well as some frozen sugar snap peas. For the chicken, I rubbed it with a little olive oil, threw on my favorite seasoning blend, and grilled it on the George Foreman. Super simple and perfect. The original recipe has tofu instead of chicken, which is awesome if you want a completely vegetarian meal.

Think peanut butter with noodles sounds weird?

So did I the first time I heard of it. But then I took a taste and never looked back. For some reason, it just works. I don't question the phenomenon.

Try it, you'll like it! :)

What's your favorite thing to pair with peanut butter?

Hummus pasta!

2011-01-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

Kind of.

This pasta has all the ingredients of an average hummus. Minus the tahini. Maybe I should call it hummus-ish pasta. :)

Chickpeas, garlic, broth, and seasonings blend up into a surprisingly creamy sauce. Finished with a touch of lemon, fresh tomatoes, and parmesan cheese, this dish is a winner.

Pasta with chickpeas and garlic sauce
courtesy of Cooking Light
2 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken (I used vegetable) broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium pasta (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

While garlic mixture simmers, cook pasta in boiling water 9 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Place chickpea mixture in a food processor, and process until smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, minced garlic, fresh parsley, and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

A few things to note:

1. I halved the recipe and used approximately 3/4 cup of broth. If you use the amount called for, the sauce will be more on the liquidy side (still good!). Mine was more the consistency of baby food. Tailor it to your preference! :)

2. I added a pinch of this:

My favorite hummus recipe has a bit of cumin in it, and adding it to this sauce turned out to be a good idea.

3. Several reviews mentioned that the sauce was a bit mealy. In my opinion, mealiness is characteristic of chickpeas, but to cut down on it, you can peel the chickpeas before using them.

Chickpea skins. Looks like something an insect would shed.

But just fyi...this is a fairly time-intensive process. I know no other way to peel chickpeas than to do it by hand, one. by. one. (If anyone knows a quicker way to do this, holler at your girl.)

4. I left out the minced garlic at the end. There was already enough garlicky goodness! :)

Overall I thought this dish was good. It's definitely a healthier way to get your fix for a creamy pasta dish. Another plus: it's vegetarian!

Unless you decide to do what I did and add some grilled chicken. Whatever suits your fancy. :)

Have a lovely night!

Impulse purchases

2011-01-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hi! How are you guys? I just started another semester of school yesterday, so I've been busy trying to get back into the swing of things.

Two things I love about going back to school:

-Seeing the new freshmen clinging to their campus maps scurrying around to find their classes and being happy that I'm past that phase. ;)

-Seeing familiar faces I didn't get to see over break.

And then of course, there's the learning! I'm really stoked about my classes and all that I'm bound to learn this semester.

Something else that's great...it's been in the high 60's/low 70's for the past couple days. Blue skies, sunshiney, and perfect. I couldn't be happier with the weather.

...Although it kind of scares me that the weather is this beautiful (not to mention warm) in the middle of January. I do not want to know what the middle of July will look like (shudder). Despite being born and raised here, no amount of time can get me used to the heat of Las Vegas summers.

I'm getting a little flushed just thinking about it.

In other news, today I randomly bought something I've never bought before: ground turkey.

I have no idea what I'm going to make with it. Meatballs, chili, burgers, ragu...I've been overwhelmed by the amount of recipes I've found so far. Do you guys have any ideas or recipes?

I'm thinking meatballs would go well with this:

Organic spinach pasta. Impulse buy #2.

What can I say? Sometimes, when I'm at the grocery store, products just call out my name and beg me to make something fabulous out of them. Who am I to turn them down? ;)

Another item I bought today on a whim: a frozen burrito. We'll see how successful that purchase was.

Do you buy food on impulse or do you like to have a plan for what you're going to make/eat?

Usually I like to plan, but there's something fun about just grabbing things that look good and experimenting! :)

Interesting indian food

2011-01-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

Indian food has always been intriguing to me. The aromatic spices, rich flavors, and vibrant colors are all super appealing to me.

I once made Jenna's chana masala (which was awesome), but I still longed to try the plethora of other foods Indian fare has to offer.

Enter Mint Indian Bistro and a visiting friend. We went to lunch at this small and quaint bistro and decided to go with their lunch buffet. They had a spread of about 15-20 different items including soups and desserts. They also had plenty of fresh fruit, sauces, and chutneys. The menu included not just Indian dishes, but Nepalese, Tibetan, and Himalayan as well.

I really should've taken notes on what they had, but in the company of a good friend, one must have priorities. ;) As far as I remember, on this plate, there was regular basmati rice, seasoned basmati rice, saag (spinach), chicken tikki masala, tandoori chicken, a mushroom and tofu dish, a potato and pea dish, vegan chau chau (noodles), and goat (I've never had it before and had to try it!). I had a small second plate that had chili chicken, and chicken and cauliflower pakoda (kind of like an Indian tempura). In addition to the entrees, we also got plain and roasted garlic naan.

I love naan. I think it's safe to say I love any type of bread. :)

This being my first experience with Indian food not made by me or out of a package, I can say it was mostly pretty good. Anything I didn't like was not because I felt it was made poorly, but rather, a mere personal taste.

With that, let me just say...dessert was not my favorite.

Super attractive photo, I know.

Vermicelli noodles in a warm and creamy broth along with "Lal Mohan," which the online menu describes as

"Fluffy milk-based pastries, brown on the outside, and awesome on the inside, just like the Himalayan folk."

:) So cheesy, right? That little brown ball was basically a donut hole soaked (and I mean soaked to the core) in sugary syrup. Both of these dessert items were way too sweet for me. That says a lot coming from a girl who loves all things sweet. When you bit the donut, syrup came gushing out into your mouth. Totally not appealing.

On a better note, I purchased a Groupon for food at India Palace, which has the stamp of approval from my friend who was actually born and raised in the heart of India. I'm excited to try it!

Have you eaten Indian food before? What's your favorite dish?

Have a lovely day you guys!

The pioneer woman's chicken tortilla soup

2011-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned before, this soup is outstanding. The pioneer woman herself described it as "completely divine" and I could not agree more.

I had a Whole Foods hot bar date with my friend a few days ago and got their version of tortilla soup:

It was good, but just look at it. Not a single recognizable chunk of food to be found. PW's soup blows this one out of the water.

(On a side note - that three bean edamame salad also pictured was killer.)

Anyways, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by making the pioneer woman's tortilla soup as soon as possible. No lie.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my day! Hope you all are enjoying yours as well.

ps - wanna learn a bit more about me? Check out my previous post!

Some updates and fun facts

2011-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

1. It's been unusually cold here and I've been drinking smoothies for the past few days. It makes perfect sense.

2. On Monday night, I wanted cookies. So cookies I made. With these chocolate chips. I don't regret the decision.

3. Yesterday morning, I did a workout courtesy of NikeWomen Training Club. When this app was brought to my attention by Kat, I was super intrigued. The fact that the app is free drew me in all the more. After completing 10 minutes of sprint intervals on the treadmill, I went on to do the Beginner Sweat + Shape workout.

Uhh yeah. I sweated.

It reminded me of the type of exercises I would do for volleyball conditioning in high school. Lots of lunges and squats, jump training, and core work. Even though my inner thighs are screaming at me this morning, I really like the app and will absolutely stick with it. Thanks Kat! :)

4. Last night, I made this and it was to. die. for. The pioneer woman knows what she's doing. I'll be back later with pictures and more swooning.

5. Miss Allison nominated me for this! (Thanks girl!)

I'm excited. So now I get to write 7 facts about myself. And you get to read them! Lucky you. ;)

1. I'd choose vanilla over chocolate any day.

2. I went to the same school from kindergarten to 12th grade and graduated with a class of 22.

3. Pretty much all the clothes I wear come from Urban Outfitters and nothing I buy costs more than $10. I <3 the sale section. When I see a pair of jeans in my size marked down to $5 from $90, my heart jumps.

4. I love mornings! I would so much rather wake up extra early than stay up extra late.

5. My hands are constantly cold. Good for handling pastry dough! ;)

6. Secretly I wish I could trade places with Adam Richman and host man v food for a day. Or maybe forever.

7. I love God with my whole heart.

Have an awesome day!

Breakfast

2011-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Also known as: ~~the most important~~ my favorite meal of the day.

I think the reason why I like breakfast so much is because it's the meal that can be most like dessert without actually being dessert. :) I have a serious sweet tooth. Things like pancakes, french toast, and muffins all tickle my fancy.

However, it is extremely rare that I eat those things. Some of my most typical breakfasts include: cereal and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, fat free plain greek yogurt with berries/granola, whipped banana oatmeal with flax and cinnamon, and peanut/almond butter toast with a piece of fruit. Cereal is probably the number one breakfast that I eat because 1) it's easy and 2) it's awesome.

I love cereal so much, but somedays, a girl just needs a little more. A little more protein, substance, and savoriness. Enter egg scrambles.

Let me just tell you something about eggs.

I don't like them.

I remember when I was a kid, the only way I would eat eggs was if they were scrambled really well and doused in ketchup (I'm serious). Forget hard-boiled or deviled. I wouldn't even give those a chance. And for the record, I still won't. ;)

It wasn't until I got older that I realized cheese on eggs is a good thing. However, for me, no amount of cheese is quite enough to mask the gross egg flavor.

Through silly teenage "diets" and attempts to get healthier, I ended up trying egg whites by themselves (why I gave eggs so many chances I have no idea). I had an epiphany. Egg whites don't taste much like anything at all and are therefore tolerable.

That's where I'm at now. The scramble pictured above is made of 3 egg whites, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. I also used sea salt, black pepper, and this amazing item:

21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's. I put this on everything and it makes everything taste better. It's salt free and makes me sneeze if I breathe it in on accident. Be wary of breathing it in.

Use it on your eggs. Use it on your vegetables. Use it on your pancakes.

Okay, maybe not the last one but you catch my drift.

Have a wonderful day!

The return of the green smoothie

2011-01-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

I remember when I first started reading health and fitness blogs long ago, "green monsters" were extremely popular. The first one I ever made for myself contained banana, spinach, and almond milk. Pretty simple but surprisingly tasty. I recently made myself a green smoothie for the first time in a long time and it was amazing. My mix contained:

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

~1/3 cup each of frozen mango and frozen strawberries

~1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (love)

~1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

So dreamy. Next time I will definitely throw in some frozen banana and frozen blueberries. The protein in the yogurt gives the smoothie a lot of staying power and for even more, you could add a spoonful (~1 tablespoon is awesome) of your favorite nut butter or a scoop of protein powder.

I love the fact that you can blend up your veggies and drink them in a wonderful smoothie without tasting them! Do you think any other vegetables besides leafy greens would blend up nicely into a smoothie? For some reason, I think cooked carrots would work out. They're already nice and sweet and as long as they're soft, I think they'd be great in a smoothie!

I've got my eye on this green smoothie from Joy the Baker. I would never think to add pear into a smoothie so this is intriguing to me. I love that intense green color!

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients?

Only mom can

2011-01-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

On the menu tonight - mom's Spanish rice with chicken and peas.

I wish I could give you a recipe for this, but it's one of those things that has no recipe. No measurements. Just practice and know-how. It involves lightly toasting rice, caramelizing onions, and shredding chicken. The rest is just in the hands of my mom. If she had one signature dish, it would be chicken enchiladas accompanied with this. I have a feeling it's not as hard to make as I think it is, but there's something about having your mom make it for you. :) Perhaps the next time she makes it I'll sit and observe, taking notes to use as a guideline when (if) I attempt to make it on my own. If that point in time ever comes, I'll let you know.

Do your parents have a specific dish that you feel only THEY can make?

My best friend's dad makes chili that is beyond wonderful and he just throws stuff in without using a recipe. Someone else attempting to recreate it would only be an insult to his brilliancy.

One of my many aspirations is to be one of those kinds of cooks. To be able to throw things in a pot with no guidelines besides my own brain and have the results be fabulous...that's a true cook to me.

Snow in vegas

2011-01-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

Give the desert snow and its inhabitants go crazy.

Taking copious amount of pictures. ;)

I woke up to a light snowfall outside my window. In a matter of minutes, it went from this:

to this:

I love.

Flash action so you can see the big snowflakes!

Toms probably aren't the best shoe choice for snow trekking :)

Everyone have a lovely day!

Trail mix for dinner

2011-01-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hello hello!

So, one thing that you should know about me is that I love salmon. Usually you don't associate something rich and buttery with the word "healthful," but salmon is in a league of its own. Seriously. Butter of the sea plus good health. I can't ask for much more.

I had it for dinner tonight.

Seasoned. Roasted. Perfect. Not the most attractive picture but trust me, it was good!

On the side I had something I've never tried before - kamut. Kamut is a type of grain that I want to liken to brown rice. It's nutty and toothsome. The blend I had came from Whole Foods and contained butternut squash, brown rice and wild rice, almonds, sunflower seeds, edamame, raisins, and of course, the kamut. With all those nuts and raisins, it totally seemed like I was having trail mix as a side dish. ;)

Have you tried something new or out of the ordinary lately?

Happy new year!

2011-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

How was everyone's new years eve/day? For me, 2011 started out very right - with pizza and a sweat session at the gym.

I went to the Cheesecake Factory with my madre and got their lunch-sized roasted vegetable and goat cheese pizza with a side salad. It was extremely delicious and quite large for being a lunch portion.

Side note - I'm not entirely certain I've had goat cheese before this day, but I am completely certain that I am now in love with it. Polly knows what's up. :)

I just got back from the gym, ate some leftover pizza (does anyone else love cold pizza as much as I do?), and am now watching the Twilight Zone marathon like I always do on new years.

Good day.

How's your 2011 so far? Has anyone started on any resolutions/goals?

Pasta Puttanesca

2010-12-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

There's lots of debate about the origin of this particular sauce/dish. One theory is that the dish was created by prostitutes as an attempt to attract customers by its enticing aroma. Other sources say that the ladies, busy with other things, did not want to cook too much and thus turned to this easy yet tasty dish.

To be honest, I don't care about who came up with it or why. What I care about is the fact that this dish is easy, aromatic, and flavorful. As far as I'm concerned, those three adjectives have the ability to potentially lure anyone.

Pasta Puttanesca
Recipe from Ellie Krieger

8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added"
3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.

3. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.

Now, I used spaghetti squash in place of pasta. I can honestly say I love it this way (but I dig it either way, for that matter). It's a really easy swap and in my opinion, just as satisfying. I'm not an advocator of the low-carbohydrate diet, but if you're looking to cut some calories, boost your vegetable intake, or you just don't want pasta, give this a try! For a great how-to for cooking spaghetti squash, visit Kath's site.

Bring/salty olives and capers, fresh parsley, and slightly spicy red pepper make this dish a winner. To whoever came up with it, prostitute or not, thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

White chili

2010-12-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

White chili is what's up. Seriously. So good.

I had a whole bunch of leftover Christmas turkey still waiting to be eaten and decided to use it in my favorite white chili recipe. It was a good call.

White Chicken (Turkey) Chili

Original recipe via Serious Eats found here

1 teaspoon olive oil
2/3 medium onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 seeded jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chilies
2/3 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 can large white beans, undrained
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until tender, 4 to 7 minutes. Mix in the garlic, jalapeño, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano, cloves, and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't worry if it's a little soupy.

2. At the end of 20 minutes, mash chili lightly using a potato masher, until about half of the beans are broken up. This will give the chili a thicker consistency that will be thickened even more by the cheese. Speaking of...

3. Serve topped with grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole if you like, or have fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips on the side.

A couple changes I make/thoughts I have:

1. I leave out the cloves. I do this for no reason other than I don't have cloves and the chili still tastes awesome regardless.
2. I use about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, always with the fear of going overboard on the spicy ship, but in the few times I've made it, it never comes out spicy. If you like a kick, I'd either up the amount of cayenne or leave the seeds in the jalapeño.
3. I think the addition of zucchini or wilted spinach would be nice. More flavor and substance plus extra nutrients? Ain't nothin' wrong with that.
4. One time I made this only to come to the realization that I did not have any white beans. I substituted red kidney beans and it still tasted great. It ended up looking Christmasy. (:

This recipe is super simple and a definite go-to for something easy, warm, and hearty.

ps - I'm really thinking Joy the Baker's jalapeno pepper jack scones would go great with this. Definitely keeping that in mind for next time.

Salad?

2010-12-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

I recently posted some of my favorite food memories from the past year, but I realized I forgot one!

Grass in my pre-packaged salad. For a quick meal before I had to leave for work one day, I got a salad from Fresh&Easy, a local grocery store. I was munching away when I discovered an awfully long and skinny piece of "lettuce" on my fork. Upon closer inspection, I confirmed that it was a piece of grass. I was shocked, but for some odd reason, I had a feeling this was more common than I thought. After laughing in disbelief, I ate the rest of my salad, cautious to avoid any more blades of grass. Some of you might scrunch your faces in disgust that I continued eating, but hey...there was no dirt or dandelions. That's where I would have drawn the line.

Anyways, I haven't gotten a salad from there since. Sorry Fresh&Easy, but I'm more of a spinach salad type of girl. Save the grass for the farm animals.

Mouth-watering

2010-12-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is the very first image that appears when you search the word "food" on Google images. Definitely not making me drool.

I hate hotdogs.

I got nothing against a good french fry every now and then, but when I think about food, I'm thinking about the good stuff. The stuff that makes you sit in silence, close your eyes, and smile when you eat it. Roasted salmon, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted anything. Sushi, shish kabobs, pad thai. Fresh baked bread, vanilla cupcakes with real vanilla buttercream, cheesecake. Crunchy sweet apples, fresh vegetables, juicy berries. These are just a few of the things that make my heart sing and the list is ever-growing.

What foods make YOUR mouth water?
...please don't say hotdogs.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:52:00.000-08:00

Sweet success.

I am so blessed, it's overwhelming. Not just because I have cinnamon rolls in my belly, and not just because of my stellar friends and family and countless other blessings, but mostly because I have a Jesus who loves me unconditionally and sacrificed His life so I could have mine. He truly is the real reason for the season!

She will give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus,

because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

Wishing you a super lovely Christmas!

Food memories

2010-12-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve! I'm one of those people who really digs Christmastime. I like the music, the cheesy decorations, and the cookies. Actually, I love the cookies.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be making cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. I'm pretty stoked. I've never made cinnamon rolls before so this will be an adventure. I'll definitely update about how it all went.

What are your favorite food memories from this past year?

Let me share with you some of mine.

Pesto from a farmers market in San Diego. I tasted the one in the middle and it was heaven. So simple but so delicious. It wasn't blended to a pulp...in fact, it was pretty much deconstructed pesto. There were lots of roughly chopped pieces of fresh basil, whole pine nuts, and plenty of good olive oil. I may or may not dream about it from time to time.

Red walnuts from the same farmers market. I'd never heard of red walnuts before this day. They were addicting. Best walnuts I've ever had.

Clam chowder from the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, California. I've visited this place so many times growing up and every time I go, getting clam chowder is a must. There are numerous restaurants and vendors that offer samples. I don't have a specific one that I'd recommend, but just know that I have never been disappointed by any sample I've tried or bowl I've bought. If you ever decide to go and get some, please do yourself a favor and get it in a sourdough bread bowl. Swoon.

Vanilla cupcakes with verrry vanilla buttercream and oreo sunflowers. A couple of my darling friends surprised me with these for my birthday. My friend said he accidentally spilled too much vanilla extract into the frosting, making it super vanilla-y. It's a good thing I love vanilla. My favorite flower and perfect cupcakes? I couldn't ask for more. (Please note the cute M&M ladybugs.)

Red and green enchiladas. My friends are too good to me. I was totally content with my cupcakes, but they threw me a party too. We made these yummy enchiladas and had a blast.

Ice cream from Maggie Moo's in St. George, Utah. My mom and I took a quick trip to the Utah Shakespearean Festival and made a very good decision in stopping by Maggie Moo's between plays. I got classic vanilla and dark chocolate. So. Good.

Mini berry tart from Whole Foods Market. WF is pretty much my dream grocery store. I rarely shop there but when I do, I make sure to hunt down every single free sample they're offering. Especially the cheese. Please tell me I'm not alone in this. Although this was a free sample, I would have gladly paid money for it. I could have eaten this tart in one bite but it was so good, I made it last for two. Craziness, I know. Those two bites were perfect.

Side note - please pardon my super dirty fingernails.

Fancy pants tea. One of my lovely friends gave me this. It was from the Venetian or some other fancy place on the strip. I can't remember exactly what it was called, but I do remember it was a black tea with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. And it came in a cool pyramid shaped bag.

Brownies. These might look good, but they weren't my favorite. The reason they're on here is because this was the first thing I made for my silly little "Operation Food Blog" photo album on Facebook. With the help of my best friend, we photographed every step of the brownie making process. The results were pretty, but the taste was just way too dark, fudgey, and rich for me.

.....Did I really just say that?

Ina Garten's apple crostata. Buttery, almost shortbread-like crust, tart apples, and a sweet crumb topping. This has to be one of my favorite things that I've ever made. I made it as a Thanksgiving dessert and it was devoured. My mom loved it so much she asked me to make another one the day after. I honestly don't think I'll ever make an apple pie again because this apple dessert is so much better and so much easier. Go make this recipe now!

Korean glass noodles with bulgogi marinated chicken. Cooking this dish was one of the best decisions I've ever made. This is the kind of food that's so good, even when you're full to maximum capacity, you'll risk a severe stomach ache and take another bite simply because you love it so much. If you're wondering, I used these recipes.

Goodness gracious. Just looking at these pictures makes my mouth water. As this year ends and a new one begins, I'm expecting more fantastic memories and I couldn't be more excited.

Soft pretzel redo

2010-12-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

Are there any Zoom lovers out there? You know, the PBS show with the energetic kids in matching shirts and sneakers? I have to tell you, I adored that show when I was younger. I'm fairly certain it doesn't run anymore (sad face) but if it did, I'm sure I'd still love it just as much as ever. One of my favorite segments was the CafeZoom.

When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I saw an episode where they made soft pretzels. I got stoked. By the next day, I was in the kitchen on my way to making some for myself. I followed the directions carefully, put them in the oven, and hoped for the best. When I took them out, I must have deflated like a popped balloon because they. looked. awful. So dry and pale in color. Hoping the flavor might make up for the looks, I took a bite.
I frowned.
They were disgusting.
The family agreed.
I tried passing them off as a dog biscuit and tossed a couple to my dogs, but even they knew better.
In the back of my mind, I knew CafeZoom would not lead me to culinary excellence, but it was definitely fun to try. I may have been spurred on because of my love for soft pretzels, but in all honestly, it was probably because of the guy who was making them on the show.

I have no shame in saying that I thought he was a cutie. Bowl cut and all. Just look how he pours that salt and scoops that flour. Melts my heart.

Today, I'm going to make homemade soft pretzels that will hopefully be more edible than my last attempt. Won't you join me?

After reading the loads of positive reviews, I decided to use this recipe. Per suggestions of a few commenters, I only used about 4 cups of flour and that worked out just fine for me. Aside from that, I did everything else as written! I sprinkled most of the pretzels with plain sea salt and a couple with a little bit of cinnamon sugar. These weren't just edible, they were delectable. Let me take you through the process!

Activate the yeast with sugar and warm water. About ten minutes later, it will look like this:

Off to a good start.

Add yeast mixture and oil to the dry ingredients and knead to form a smooth ball of dough. Initially, I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook attachment, and when it came together, I kneaded for a couple minutes by hand. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place. I put my oven on the "warm" setting and left the bowl on top of the stove.

It'll end up doubling in size after about an hour.

Cut the dough into about 12 equal sections. It does not have to be perfect. With a pizza cutter, I cut my dough ball into quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds. Then we roll! I rolled the pieces of dough to about an arm's length. I'm sure you could do plain sticks or make tiny pretzel bites as well.

I said before that I didn't make any other changes to the recipe, but I realize now that that's totally false. I set my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 450, per comment suggestions. Dip the pretzels into the baking soda water and place on a greased baking sheet. Throw them in the oven and 8 minutes later, you'll have pretzels!

Chewy, soft, golden brown pretzels. The dough was ever so slightly sweet and I loved it. I put the tiniest bit of butter on them right when they came out of the oven, which I think was the perfect finishing touch.

Needless to say, they were much better than my first attempt at soft pretzels.

Have you ever had a baking/cooking mishap when you were younger that you still remember? I encourage you to right your wrongs and redo it! Or just make this recipe. Win-win situation.