Shake It

If you remember not too long ago the folks at Vega sent me some of their newly launched Vega Smoothies to try. I loved the individual packets and their convenience, so when they asked if I’d be interested in trying their new Vega One French Vanilla flavor, I couldn’t resist.

It’s true that nowadays I’m a bit of a nutrient powder fiend. Since getting a bunch to try from GNC (final thoughts coming soon!), I’ve been having some type of protein powder in one form or another almost every day. This isn’t to say I am getting most of my nutrients from powders (that would be weird, and I probably wouldn’t be very healthy), but I like the ability to add to my daily intake when necessary – especially during marathon training. Since all of the powders I have are protein based, I was excited to try something that was a little more well-rounded, even if the protein count is on the lower side. These powders have 50% of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of Omega-3, and a bunch of antioxidants, probiotics, and greens.

When it comes to shake and powder flavors, chocolate and vanilla are usually the most popular (and most people I know gravitate towards chocolate). I remember when I was younger stopping at a Friendly’s with my mom and getting milkshakes; she ordered chocolate and I ordered vanilla. I’m never going to forget her commenting about how boring it was that I ordered vanilla, and if I was going to have a shake I should have gotten chocolate (since it’s apparently much less of a boring flavor). While I love chocolate, I still to this day find myself gravitating towards vanilla flavored drinks, and so I was pumped to try Vega’s French Vanilla.

I know a lot of people try different kinds of vanilla powders and say things like “Wow! That tasted like cake batter!,” well I’m here to tell you that if you’re looking for a cake batter or super sweet flavor, this powder isn’t for you. It’s plant based and is derived from ingredients like pea protein, so it tastes much more earthy than your average instant smoothie. This isn’t to say it’s bad – I just think it is much more of an acquired taste than most would be prepared for. I’ve found that mixing it with some type of milk (regular milk, or almond/coconut/soy/hemp) is much better than just using water – the powder mixes much better with a thicker milk consistency, and the flavors meld together in a way that isn’t possible with water. Also be aware – since it’s derived from plants, when mixed it does have a greenish hue. For me, I’m not looking for a dessert flavored healthy shake – if I wanted a milkshake tasting drink, well, I’d have myself a milkshake!

That being said, I like how convenient it is; mixing some into some milk gives me way more nutrients than I would get from your average smoothie, and its filling! I prefer to have it in the early afternoon just when I’m about to hit the slump, or in the morning as a part of my breakfast.

It turns out they’re having a sale and offering 15% off until 9/30/12! So if you’re interested in giving it a try, head over to Vega.com and order yourself some!

Do you use any powders to enhance your daily nutrients?

Disclaimer: Vega sent me these protein powders to try at no cost to me, and all opinions are my own.

Eat Your Vegetables

You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted a recipe including meat in quite some time. I did have some peach salsa about a month ago that I had with some salmon (which was delicious, by the way!), but other than that, I haven’t really been posting any meat recipes. Well, there’s a reason for that.

If you remember back in January I tried to go vegetarian for an entire month, and failed miserably. I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet as it is (lacto-ovo since I still eat eggs, milk, and cheese), but there was still the occasional piece of fish, a hamburger, or piece of chicken (you get the drift) – so meat was still clearly a part of my diet. As time progressed, I began realizing that I preferred a vegetarian diet, and in most cases when I wasn’t eating vegetarian, it was out of convenience. A poor excuse, maybe, but the reality nonetheless.

Not too long after I came up with that salsa recipe and paired it with salmon (about a month now), I decided that I really wanted to try being vegetarian. Everyone has their own definition of what a “vegetarian” is, and for me that means no animal flesh – whether you find it on land or in the sea. Growing up I was never a big fish fan, and never liked pork or lamb, leaving me just with chicken, turkey, and ground beef (I never really liked steak, either). So I guess you could say it hasn’t been too hard for me to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle.

I am still in the transition phase, meaning I’m not scouring every label – I had a phenomenal Chèvre cheese last week, but was sad when I read the label and saw it was made with rennet. This also brings to light the issue of gelatin which is found in marshmallows, and a lot of other products as well. Since it’s an on-going process, I’m starting with the big things (meat) and working my way to the smaller things and label reading more carefully (animal by-products).

By this point, you’re probably wondering “why?” I get that response from most people I tell, and my answer is simple: I love animals. I realize that most people do, and they chose to eat meat, which is absolutely fine – it’s a personal choice. But for me, I’ve come to a point in my life where I would just prefer not to eat meat. I’m more than okay with people eating meat – heck, I’ll even prepare it for you – I just don’t want to eat it myself. And don’t be confused – I still think meat is delicious. I just can’t bring myself to eat it anymore.

There are so many delicious meatless options out there, that I haven’t missed meat – yet. I’m looking forward to discovering more vegetarian foods, and embracing the lifestyle change.

Do you have any vegetarian resources to share?
If you’re a vegetarian, what prompted you to go meat-free?

Transition Chili

I always find myself with mixed emotions when summer comes to a close. It’s no secret that summer is my favorite season (it’s always been), but I don’t mind fall. In fact, there are a lot of things I do enjoy about fall, like cooler running temperatures, being able to wear boots and scarves, not working up a sweat while cooking, and Halloween!

I’m looking forward to this fall because it means I get to relax – at least a little. This summer has been packed with marathon training (even if it’s been half-hearted, it still takes up a lot of time!), and a LOT of weddings. Basically, I’m looking forward to not having to wake up at the crack of dawn to run because it’s too hot and I have a million things planned for the afternoon. Yes, I can’t wait to be lazy.

Aside from cooler temperatures and new fashion, there are foods that evoke the feelings of different seasons, too. One food that makes me think of cooler weather is chili (and soups in general). Even though it’s still technically summer (I can’t handle people saying things like, “it’s officially fall!” because it in fact, is not until tomorrow), I decided to deviate a bit from my “hang on to summer for as long as possible” mantra and made a pot of chili. For me, this wasn’t just any old batch of chili, though, rather it was more of a transition from summer to fall because of the ingredients – they’re light and colorful, but still provide that quintessential big bowl of chili feeling.

Veggie Grain Chili
– serves 4-6 –

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp Adobo
1 tsp oregano
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 15 0z. cans of beans – I used black and pinto, but any combo will work!
4 oz. soy chorizo (or regular chorizo)
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced (smaller pieces help it cook faster)
1 ear of corn (kernels removed)
18 oz. vegetable broth (about 1.5 cans)
1 cup dry cous cous or quinoa

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and poblano pepper for for 5-10 minutes, until they’re translucent.
2. Add in the spices (chili powder, cumin, Adobo, oregano), and tomato paste. Stir constantly, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in beans, soy chorizo, sweet potato, corn, and vegetable broth. Turn heat down to medium, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add in the grain, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
5. Serve with avocado, cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream!

Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie

When my husband saw that I had “Shepherd’s Pie” on our dinner calendar for the week, he asked me what it was. After I gave him a general description, he immediately replied with, “and WHY haven’t you made this before?!” Of course, I didn’t have a good response, but promised that the dinner would be good… with my fingers crossed behind my back.

Yes, you read that correctly – I have a “dinner calendar.” I use Google Calendars; I have a bunch of my own personal calendars, as well as a few that are shared. Included in the list of shared is a dinner calendar, which allows me to plan out what we’re going to eat for the week based on our schedules, prepare a grocery list, and have a reference so I know what’s coming during the week. In our old apartment, we had a cute little whiteboard that I used to write it down on like a menu, but when we moved two years ago, I never hung it back up – so I switched over to Google instead. It may seem a little over the top, but it works for me. I’m a huge planner and I enjoy seeing everything scheduled and written out, even if I shuffle things around all the time.

While a typical Shepherd’s pie is made with meat, I left it out in my version (though I’m sure some ground beef, chicken, or turkey would go well here). I also decided to put a Southwestern twist on it since I’m obsessed with the flavors. The reason why I even thought of making this was due to the string beans we got in our CSA box. At first I figured I could just serve them as a side, but I wanted to do more with them. After trying to think of dishes they were included in and trying really hard not to just make a giant batch of green bean casserole for dinner, I settled on the Shepherd’s pie. So yes, this “Southwestern” version has green beans in it. I wasn’t sure if it would work for or against me with everything else (corn, black beans, salsa, etc.), but I’m happy to report everything played nice in the casserole dish.

The beauty of a Shepherd’s pie is that you can really throw in it whatever you have on hand, top it with mashed potatoes, and call it a day. Since I used instant mashed potatoes, everything came together in a matter of about 20-30 minutes. This was definitely a winner in my book, and I hope you think so too!

Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, diced
2 jalapeños, diced (more or less depending on your heat preference)
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 2 ears)
1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, diced
1-2 cups green beans/string beans (I used 2, and it was A LOT, so feel free to use less)
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Adobo
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 package of instant masshed potatoes (or about 2 cups)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add diced onion and jalapeño, and sauté for about 5-10 minutes, until onions begin to become translucent. Add the spices and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Once everything is well combined, add the corn, black beans, tomatoes, green beans, and salsa. Lower your heat to medium, and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often.
4. Meanwhile, prepare your instant mashed potatoes per the package directions (i.e. add 2 cups of water to the flakes, microwave for 2-3 minutes). Once the potatoes are done, add 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Set aside.
5. Add the mixture to a greased 8×8 baking dish. Top with the other 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of that.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until mashed potatoes are set.

Lunch Toppers

When it comes to cooking, it’s easy to fall into a pattern. For me, I like to try and make something new almost every night for dinner. But when it comes to lunch, I tend to stick to what I know and repeat a lot. What I have for lunch seems to go through a cycle, depending on what I’m feeling. One week it may be frozen meals, another week it may be sandwiches, and sometimes its specific snacks or ingredients.

I’ve been adding cucumbers and tomatoes to my lunches almost everyday the past two weeks thanks to my CSA box, putting them in sandwiches, wraps, and salads. My favorite, though, has to be in sandwich form with some hummus and alfalfa sprouts. It’s simple, easy, and really delicious. The cucumbers add a nice crunch, while the tomatoes add some sweetness.

I think it’s important to eat what you enjoy at lunch – it’s a break in the workday, and who wants to eat something they’re less than enthusiastic about? There are plenty of afternoons I head to the kitchen ready for lunch, and am less than excited about what awaits in the fridge. My personal favorites are a well dressed sandwich or salad, or leftovers. Since I save most of my eating out for dinner on the weekends, I only have myself to blame when I’m less than excited about what I have each day. I can’t wait to see what my next lunch obsession is… I’m seeing veggie burgers in my future.

Do you have any lunch time staples?
Any suggestions of things I should definitely try?

Weeds for Dinner

“Dandelions are weeds.” I’m sure that’s something everyone has heard – I remember being told that dandelions were not the cute little flowers I thought they were, but rather are pesky weeds that needed to be removed. I still continued to pick the dandelions whenever I saw them, pretending they were in fact flowers (like the everyman’s flower) even though I couldn’t shake the thought that they were just a simple garden weed. Since weeds grow rapidly and usually in places you don’t want them to (like my entire front patio), they have a bad reputation. Little did I know, though, some weeds are not only delicious, but also super charged with nutrients!

I’m not saying you should go into your backyard, pick out all your weeds, and then sauté them for dinner. I am, however, saying that dandelion greens are more than just the weeds attached to that pesky little flower – they’re a delicious herb that can be used in a ton of recipes.

This weeks’ CSA box came with a bunch of dandelion greens, and while I was intimidated, I knew right away what I’d do with them. After sampling a leaf to see how it tasted raw, it was clear sautéing was the obvious way to go. They taste like bitter spinach, but if you sauté it enough and add in some garlic and other spices, you’re golden. I mixed it with chickpeas and threw it over pasta, giving me a quick and easy meal! Since I’m still trying to be mostly gluten-free (the complete elimination did nothing, so I’m just trying to limit typical trigger foods – gluten and dairy), I used corn pasta with this recipe. Of course, you can use regular pasta (any shape will do), or another grain like quinoa.

Dandelion and Chickpea Sauté
– Serves 2 –

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of dandelion greens, stems removed and roughly chopped (you’ll get about 4 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (you can use more or less depending on your heat preference)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Parmesan or Nutritional Yeast for a little cheesy taste, if you’d like

Directions:
1. In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the dandelion greens and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the chickpeas, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano; lower the heat and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Serve over pasta or your favorite grain – and feel free to add some shredded or grated cheese, or nutritional yeast!

Egg Love

Getting a CSA box each week has been such a treat – we pick up on Fridays, so I always look forward to the Thursday “newsletter” with a list of the week’s fruits and vegetables, as well as recipe ideas and tips for storing everything. Once I get that e-mail, it’s all about planning the week’s meals around the fruits and veggies. Most of the time I don’t have trouble coming up with uses for everything, but once in a while I’m stumped. Included in this week’s box (among other things) were some leeks and arugula that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.

I’ve only cooked with leeks once before (though I absolutely love them), and have only had arugula in salads, on sandwiches, and in a few pasta dishes. Originally my thoughts were to keep the two vegetables separate – I didn’t want to blow through my CSA box before we were halfway through the workweek. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized the two would pair well together alongside eggs.

Truthfully, I’m not usually a big egg fan. Blasphemy, perhaps, but I never really enjoyed them the way that so many people do (I’m talking in the “OMG I eat eggs every single day!” kind of way). Growing up I would have hard boiled eggs, but that was typically as far as my eggventures went (see what I did there?). Omelets were manageable for me too, as long as they were stuffed with veggies and had an equal ratio of cheese to egg. Eventually in college I realized eggs and omelets were my best option for breakfast, and I learned to love them with ketchup (again, a lot of people think it’s totally gross, and I did as well way before I would willingly eat eggs). Until recently, I would typically chose something without eggs over something with eggs, but they’re growing on me. Maybe it’s because I finally know how to cook them and use them with other flavors I enjoy, or my taste buds are changing, but I’ll take it either way.

Since I’m currently on the egg train, I’m going to ride it for as long as I can. Enter the leek and arugula frittata! The frittata is one of the easiest dishes out there, and it’s so incredibly versatile I don’t know why I only recently started making them (oh, right, because I’m not a big egg fan…). You really can throw almost anything into a cast iron skillet, saute it, top it with eggs, cook it a bit, and call it a day. Seriously – I basically just wrote out the recipe. Obviously for this frittata I used leeks and arugula, but a few weeks ago I made an equally awesome Swiss chard version. And the very first frittata I made had soy chorizo and kale in it (and it was called a strata, but whatever), and I dream about it, it was that good. Basically what I’m saying is get creative with your frittata – or give mine a try!

Leek and Arugula Frittata
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
8 eggs
2 leeks, diced (white parts only)
1 cup arugula, stems removed and diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, a mix – whatever your heart desires)
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I used garlic and herb, but plain works too)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl and dd in the cheese. Set aside.
3. Add in the arugula and tomato, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes until the arugula is wilted.
4. Meanwhile, preheat broiler on high.
5. Pour in the egg and cheese mixture and stir to make sure everything is combined. Using a spatula, lift the eggs on the edge of the skillet, tilting the pan to allow the egg mixture to drip to the edges. Continue doing this as it cooks for 10 minutes.
6. Take the skillet and place it in the oven with the broiler on high, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Delicious Sticks

It’s no secret that I really like Pinterest. Anyone that follows me knows that there are only a few things I’m ever really interested in: food, clothes, and workouts. I suppose you could say my boards are a pretty good reflection of my personal interests. Hmm, I see some type of interesting psychological study here… But I’ll leave that to the professionals.

There are always recipes for ‘healthified’ versions of things that most of us love, but refuse to indulge in. I kept seeing recipes for baked avocado fries, baked eggplant fries, and baked zucchini fries, and eventually decided to try some myself. Last Friday’s fresh box came with two very large zucchinis, so I decided to try them first in my quest for baked-not-fried-sticks-of-deliciousness.

Plain and simple, I don’t know why I waited so long to try this. It wasn’t because there is required effort (because there really isn’t), or because I was afraid I wouldn’t like it (I knew I would), I really have no explanation as to why I neglected said sticks of deliciousness for so long. But, now that I’ve gotten my feet wet with the zucchini, you better believe I’m making the eggplant and avocado versions in the very near future.

So don’t wait as long as I did, and go make these – I promise you won’t regret it.

Spicy Baked Zucchini Sticks
– serves 2 for an appetizer –

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes (these are SPICY, so adjust accordingly!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the zucchini in half, and then slice it into about 1-2 inch thick strips. Be sure to leave the skin on for a little crunch.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk the egg, set aside.
4. In a second shallow bowl combine the panko and spices.
5. Dip the zucchini first in the egg, followed by the panko mixture, and lay it on a greased baking sheet. Repeat for all of the zucchini sticks.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce (or eat them as is!)

Peachy Keen

There’s no other way to say it: I made peach salsa on Sunday and it was awesome. Using ingredients from my fresh box, I threw together a flavorful peach salsa that took a total of 10 minutes to prepare. The great thing about salsas like this, is that the longer they sit around, the better they taste.

While this is the case for salsa, the same principle cannot be said for my running. On Sunday I had 12 miles scheduled. The temperature was deceptively cool; I figured it would be easy to get through and I’d be ready to really up my mileage this week. I’ve been struggling trying to slow myself down on my long runs, so my goal was to stay within the 9 minute mile pace – I didn’t care if it was 9:01 or 9:59, I just wanted to be slower than 8, but faster than 10. Because it rained so much the day before, the tow path alongside the Raritan River was super muggy which made the run much harder than it seemed at the time. By the time I finished 7 miles and was back in the park, I was dripping with sweat and had to stop at a water fountain (I mean soaked to the point where the brim of my hat was dripping!). The next three miles were not so fun.

I got through another 3.5 miles, but called it quits at 10.5. I knew I needed to get my 12 for the day, so 5 hours later after preparing the oh-so-delicious salsa, I set back out for another light jog. It was misting and looked like it could downpour at any moment, but I managed to get through 2.5 miles with an 8:05 average to round myself out to 13 miles for the day. It’s nice to know that only a few hours after a run I struggled through, I was able to not only run again, but do it in a somewhat fast manner. And, I saw two rainbows on the run!

But back to the salsa. I decided to use the salsa as a topping for some simple grilled salmon. I didn’t season the salmon at all – I threw it on the grill for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat (about 5 minutes on each side) and the salsa provided the rest of the flavor. Paired with some grilled corn on the cob and mashed potatoes, this meal was a serious winner.

The recipe is really easy and straight forward, and it’ll last you a few days. As long as it’s stored in an air-tight container, you can keep it refrigerated for about a week… if it lasts you that long!

Spicy Peach Salsa
– Makes about 3-4 cups –

Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes
2 large peaches
1 jalapeño (deseed it if you don’t want it spicy)
1/2 medium white onion
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice from one lemon

Directions:
1. Dice tomatoes, peaches, jalapeño, onion, and cilantro and combine in a medium sized bowl.
2. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes – but the longer, the better!

This Week in Yum

Seriously, how is July almost over already? I guess being away for two weeks at the beginning of the month helped make it fly by. I was finally able to get back into the swing of things this week, and despite a medical emergency close call, I made some delicious stuff in the kitchen!

First up was a vegetarian loaf – full of beans and flavor. I wasn’t sure if it would hold together enough to resemble meatloaf, but it did. I don’t even remember how I found this recipe, but I’m so glad I did. It made enough for both dinner and lunch the next day, and I had most of the ingredients already on hand. I definitely want to make this again, and I think it could be just as delicious if I play around with the spices.

On Tuesday I decided to make brussels sprouts, because they’re one of my favorite vegetables. Someone doesn’t like them, so I actually have never made them myself; I’ve only ever had them at my parent’s house. So after checking with my mom to see how she usually makes them, I got to work in the kitchen. It was so easy – I threw about 3 Tbsp of olive oil into a pan, chopped up three cloves of garlic, and tossed the brussels (I cut them in half) into the pan with some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I sautéed them over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, and I had myself a delicious side dish. Since I wound up eating the entire carton myself, they actually wound up being my main dish! So easy. So delicious. I just don’t understand why people don’t like brussels sprouts!

Wednesday was quick & easy pizza after the Downtown Westfield 5k that I didn’t get to run (see above with the “medical close call”), but the hubs did. So even though I didn’t run, I got to enjoy the pizza!

Thursday’s dinner came from a recipe I found on Pinterest (of course) for Linguine with Smoky Avocado Sauce. I had grilled avocado for the first time a few months ago and loved it, and I’ve used avocado as a “cream sauce” before and loved it, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. The recipe itself doesn’t say how much pasta to use, so I wound up using enough for three servings, by just grabbing some handfuls of spaghetti. I really need to get myself one of those pasta measuring contraptions, because I never know how much I’m using when it comes to spaghetti.

In addition to dinner, there’s been no lack of dessert. Most nights of the week end with a little ice cream. Somehow, our cats know exactly when it’s ice cream time – no matter where they are in the house, they come bounding into the kitchen, and subsequently perch themselves on either arm of our couch, stalking our every bite. It may seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but I captured the below picture one night while we were trying to enjoy our dessert. It happens every single time. They’re lucky they are so darn cute.

I have next week’s meals all planned out already, but I’m thinking they may change. I’m picking up our very first CSA box today (and I’m so excited!!), so I’ll need to be sure to incorporate the goodies into our meals for the week. I can’t wait to see what we get!

Did you have anything noteworthy this week?
Do you have pets that stalk your every move when you eat?