Summertime Dinners

Ever since Debbie made a delicious black bean quinoa salad for my parent’s 40th, I have been checking out some recipes online. For some reason, I alwaysalwaysalways go to Eating Well’s site for new recipes. I found a recipe for quinoa, black bean and mango salad and gave it a whirl last night;)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 small mango, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (dope, forgot to buy these puppies)

Directions

Toast quinoa over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it pops and crackles—about five minutes.

Remove from heat, rinse quinoa in a sieve and add 1 cup of water. I don’t have a sieve, so I just cooled it for a second and added water. Simmer, cover and heat on low for about 15 or 20 minutes, until the quinoa absorbs the water. Check in often to prevent it from burning:)

In a bowl, combine:

 

+Black beans (and scallions if you remember to buy them)

It was tasty, but next time I will use only 2 tbsp of OJ and definitely remember to get scallions. It was tasty, but a bit tarter than I like.

Zingerman’s Dinner

This evening, Raj called me while out and the conversation follows as:

R: So, I’ll stop on my way home to keep up our tradition.

J: OK, I am on the other line, so I’ll see you soon.

Phone: click

My thoughts: What the heck is our tradition?!?

A couple of weeks ago, after returning from out trip, Raj stopped by Zingerman’s and picked up a variety of salads and sides and we had an impromptu buffet for two. We talked about making it a weekly tradition, but clearly one the two of us has short term memory issues.

I am not sure of all the names, Zingerman’s uses fresh ingredients, often from the local Artisan’s market, so their sides and salads are always changing and their site does not necessarily reflect what is available.

Sesame chicken salad & some kind of sesame/broccoli/hazelnut side (Raj just told me it is called Sumi salad)

Panzanella salad

Spinach hummus, Swiss potato salad (Redskin potatoes, Nueske's bacon, Oakvale King gouda, sea salt, Tellicherry black pepper, scallions, mayo and dijon mustard) TO DIE FOR & garlic potato salad (Redskin potatoes, mayo, parsley, garlic, Tellicherry pepper, sherry vinegar and sea salt) Can you tell which ones I found posted on their site?

After dinner, we walked downtown and got frozen yogurt. I said to Raj:

I am surprised more cars don’t stop at crosswalks and let us cross the street. We are in the Midwest now.

Raj answered:

They would probably stop if we cross the street halfway.

Yikes! I sure hope so;)

Spicing it up

When I make chole masala, also known as chana masala, I use a Hooked on Heat recipe that bursts with citrus. Raj’s take on it is as equally delicious, but fulfills more roles: pleasing the taste buds, while clearing up the sinuses. Topped with cilantro (we were out) and served on whole wheat pita, it is a perfect meal.

Don’t be intimidated by all the different powders, they are all available at Indian stores, clearly labeled and really cheap. Hopefully I get his ingredients right!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tsp amchur powder (mango)
• 2 tsp dhana jeera powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ginger powder
• 4 vine tomatoes
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 cans chick peas, drained

Raj is not home, so I am going to have to update instructions later. I realize, I have no idea what he does! Lol, I could make an educated guess, but why bother? Will post later.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in cast iron or pan. Add onions, turmeric, sugar and stir fry until onions are translucent.
2. Add tomatoes and everything else and stir.
3. Lower the heat to medium heat, cover and let it cook. Stir every few minutes, letting the tomatoes melt.
4. Once tomatoes are completely melted, add chickpeas, add little water, stir and cover for 10 minutes.

You can top with cilantro, chili peppers or a chutney if you want:) 

Lunch was followed by sweet goodness:

Dinner & A Breakfast

Last night’s dinner hit the spot, was easy to make and reminded me of summer meals when I was growing up. For some reason, mixing baked beans and cole slaw also tastes great to me. Thanks to Eating Well for the recipe for Tofu BBQ Sandwiches. I made a couple of minor changes and think this recipe has a lot of wiggle room to tailor it to your tastes;)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of tofu
• slices of red onion
• whole wheat buns
• 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce
• 1.5 cups of coleslaw mix
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp low fat mayo
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

1. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices (the long way), wrap in paper towels and place heavy items on top of it. LOL, I used a fruit bowl and a cutting board. Press for about 30 minutes or longer
2. Heat oil in pan, medium heat, and cook tofu slices in it, rotating about every four minutes. Cook until browned on both sides—this took me about 25 minutes, mostly because the tofu was not fully drained.
3. Reduce heat to low, add BBQ sauce to pan and coat tofu with sauce. Heat for three minutes, then turn off stovetop.
4. Combine coleslaw mix, salt, mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, mayo and pepper.
5. Turn on broiler to high and heat buns for 1 minute (more or less, dependent upon your oven).
6. Top buns with tofu, slaw, red onions and any remaining BBQ sauce. Tasted great with a side of baked beans.

 

The slaw is supposed to serve four, but that would be kind of skimpy! The tofu was enough for three sandwiches:)

I have been reading a lot of different food blogs that recommend making “kale chips,” so I gave it a whirl last night. I used curly kale, which is apparently a little bitter. People swear that they taste like chips—I think they crunch like chips, but I am not sold on them yet. Granted, I was lazy with the toppings and didn’t seek out dinosaur kale (sweeter), so maybe it is too early to throw in the towel. I am going to experiment some more with them this week! Here is what I did:

1. Preheat oven to 400 (will actually do 350 next time)
2. Wash and cut kale leaves and then spread them on a cooking pan.
3. Brush with olive oil (minimal amounts to avoid making them soggy) and sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Cook for 12 minutes, flipping them every three minutes

Before, with olive oil, salt and pepper:

 

After:

SO…..10 hours later, I woke up at 7:30 (go me, trust me, that is early!) and made Raj and myself some pre-gym shakes:

(For 1):

• 1 cup vanilla soymilk
• couple strawberries
• handful blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 scoop whole foods vanilla protein powder
• swirl of honey

Nut the the right lunch.

I was excited to make a quinoa recipe I found on Eating Well and happily pulled out some of the ingredients before realizing I drank the (much) needed OJ required for the recipe. Boo. So, I made do with:

Peanuts

 

Quorn patty, whole wheat bun, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, pickles, ketchup and mustard

 

After lunch I drank Bru, an Indian instant coffee drink that is 1/2 coffee, 1/2 chicory and that I . It is available in Indian stores and is very tasty. Here is how I like to prepare it:

1. Pour 1 cup of soymilk (or regular milk) into a pot. Regular milk tastes better, but gives me the ebbey jeebies. Bring to a boil at a low/medium heat.
2. While milk is heating, add 2 tsp bru, bit of sugar, about a spoonful of water to a coffee mug. Whip together for a few moments.
3. Pour milk into cup, stir and enjoy! When I pour the milk, I use a spoon to block any of the milk that congeals on the top of it while it heating. That also gives me the ebbey jeebies.

Productivity Contest

Who do you think starts her day with a sense of accomplishment?

Me:

The daddy long legs who infiltrated my bag during the night and created a home for herself:

Vote for the wrong team and I will send a certain little gal and her many legs your way.

Breakfast was delicious: fresh watermelon, strawberries & a whole wheat bun topped with avocado and salt.

I have been feeling really lazy about preparing food since we returned from Louisville and think I might have to force myself into the kitchen to get some good veggies and fruit into my day. After just a few days of eating some greasy and tasty food, I feel like I am ready to give up healthy eating. LOL, OK, not that dramatic, but it does seem easy to forget just how much I really do like fruits and veggies.

Green day.

For some reason, I have been craving some form of pea soup. For lunch, I made Eating Well’s Spring Pea and Scallion Soup with a couple of tweaks.

The soup if very thin and may benefit from a couple of extra ingredients tossed in: lemon, asparagus, corn and garlic are going to make appearances next time. Definitely garlic.

Definitely not a main course, but a good way to get in some fiber and veggies on the side;) And surprisingly good for how little effort and minimal amounts of ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen peas
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups of water, 2 cubes of “Not-Chick’n” broth
• ground pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt (I used more, tasted as I went)
• bit of thyme sprinkled in at the end

Heat oil in cast iron or large pot.

Stir fry scallions for two minutes.

Add water, bring to boil and add bouillons and peas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and transfer to blender. Eating Well recommends a food processor, but mine is TINY and would take forever.

Return processed soup to pot and reheat for a few minutes. The site’s instructions recommend pressing the soup through a sieve before placing it back in the pot: I don’t have one and don’t mind somewhat chunky soup, so I just threw it back in the pot, as is.

My soup joined forces with an avocado sandwich inspired by Harriet the Spy. Used to love those books and always wanted a tomato, lettuce & mayo sandwich after reading them (she ate them every day).  Although, I used safflower mayo, which is quite tasty and threw on a little banana peppers, salt and pepper.

Toast, Indiana & a Tornado.

This is going to be a LONG post. Bear with me.

I hate anything touching my neck. Hate it. Hands, necklaces, sweaters—I don’t discriminate. Just get them off of me. Last night, I woke up in bed and shrieked, “you are strangling me!”

Sure enough, Raj had flung his arm across the bed and his hands found a happy home on my neck. I woke up in a state of terror, darted out of bed and ran into the main area of the suite we were staying in. I think I scored a few “nutso points” with him last night.

This morning, we woke up bright and early (after falling back asleep after my, um, incident and made our way to Toast on Market, located in East Louisville.

The decor was great & the food was delicious.

 

My breakfast, above: Dijon vinaigrette, gorgonzola, crispy applewood bacon and eggs, served with hashbrown casserole. The sandwich was great, not too impressed with the casserole.

We hopped in the car and drove to Purdue University. There was a small food “cafe” set up in the engineering building Raj went to for his meeting. We ate a quick lunch and I ordered the California rolls.

The lady asked me, “spicy or the variety?”

“Variety, please.”

And folks, I don’t know how people roll in Indiana, but cheddar cheese in a California roll??? I thought variety meant cucumbers, avocadoes, etc. I couldn’t bring myself to even try it.

Food place is to the right of the column! I popped into Jimmy Johns and ate an unsatisfying, but predictable, veggie sandwich (after removing two of the four slices of cheese!).

Purdue is a very pretty campus and is surrounded by a lot of greenery:)

     

After getting back to Ann Arbor and making a pit stop at Kroger's, super loud sirens went off throughout the city, signaling a tornado warning. Now, I have always wanted to see a tornado, but have never really been near one. Yeah, not so much, when there is actually the possibility of one. I am happy never seeing one. Well, we are a’OK and besides a major thunderstorm and sitting in a hallway closet with Raj for about an hour, the storm left us untouched (a tornado did touch ground about 15 miles away!)

And for the record: opening a bag of Cape Cod chips while sitting in a closet (that has no light) and waiting for a storm is not a smart move.

del.icio.us Tags: toast on market,purdue,ann arbor,tornado,jimmy johns,indiana

La Bodega

This evening, Raj and I ate at La Bodega, a tapas restaurant on Bardstown Road in Louisville. I was surprised by the decor—kind of mismatched and looked a bit thrown together, but throw the music and the lighting into the mix and they pulled it off. 

While I just gave my spiel about how my body feels better when I don’t eat a lot of meat, I didn’t let up on any tonight and enjoyed Sangria with our meal:) The winners of the night follow as:

• avocado and fried green pepper on a baguette
• chicken croquetas
• grilled lamb with Madeira

The lamb was, hands down, the best—I loved the Madeira sauce. It was fun to see Louisville outsides of the business district. The area reminded us of Jamaica Plain (Boston). Funky, lots of cute stores and independent grocers and restaurants.

So, this pic got me thinking it is time to do something new with my hair. Cut it to my chin? Thoughts suggestions?

Tomorrow morning, before we head to Indiana, we are going to Toast on Market, and if the place is as cute as their website, I will be breaking out my camera!

On the way back to the hotel, we drove through Cherokee Park, a gorgeous wooded area studded with baller houses. Seriously. I expected to see horses and pearls while we drove through.

And my tummy says thanks.

This afternoon, I snacked on Einstein Bros Bagels. “Veg Out” : half of a honey whole wheat bagel, topped with red onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and avocado –yummy!
Followed it up with a mixture of fruits from Einstein Bros. bagels. **Sigh** It feel so good to get some healthy foods in my body;)

While walking back from lunch, I saw a guy staggering across an intersection. He was walking strangely, mostly because he was reading while walking. Which, unfortunately, I am guilty of doing on many occasions.

As I got closer, I noted that he was reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest and I couldn’t help but smile. The series is so great and definitely ranks as some of those books I am sad after I finish reading them. And feel jealous when I see others enjoying their first (presumably) experience with a book that I love.

I would happily walk crooked, backwards and hop on one foot while reading Stieg Larsson if it meant that I could read just one more sentence.

Possibility City

Our trip to Louisville is winding down – tomorrow we head to Purdue University (Raj has a talk/meeting) and then back to Ann Arbor.

We ate lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express and I ate the Mu Shu pocket sandwich…It was..OK…came with parmesan chips, which were tasty and mixed greens. No matter how OK it tasted, it sure did a number on my tummy:( Enough so that I have no desire to go back there!

Today has definitely been a coffee day (x2!)

Got back to the hotel and am going to write for a bit/watch Law and Order reruns. It has been fun to see some of the South—minus a short trip to New Orleans, I  have not really spent any time in the south (can’t justify counting Orlando and Miami as the south).

Since I have been trying to eat more “whole” foods and get away from processed foods, I definitely noticed a different in the way my body feels after eating some of the foods that I have been during this trip (nachos, Philly cheese steak, French fries). Don’t get me wrong-they taste great, but my tummy has gotten upset twice and I just don’t feel as energetic when I have meat and/or dairy in my system.

Got back to the hotel and loved the cute way the cleaning woman “tucked in” the toothbrush.

Louisville & Chop Shop Salads

I spent the morning at Borders, writing a few articles and people watching. For lunch, I ventured to Chop Shop Salads and tried their Veggie Delight Salad: romaine lettuce, grilled asparagus, chickpeas, hearts of palm, cucumbers, carrots, white mushrooms and beets. I topped it off with their Thai ginger dressing and edamame.
Here are my thoughts on my salad (sure you are dying to know, haha):

• Came with two slices of pita that I threw out. To avoid sounding vulgar, it tasted how a back alley might smell. And I am not picky.
• The dressing was great.
• There were only about 10 chickpeas scattered throughout the salad, so I was really glad I added edamame.

 
Pita chips and hummus sealed the deal—otherwise, lunch would have been a little bit sad.
I saw some really cute flowers (how come I don’t know the names of anything that grows out of the ground?) and really cool street lamps.
 
I was very impressed by the cute “star” ring my Pepsi bottle left on the table. Takes a lot to impress me, eh?