Day Four and Day Five

Got a little behind on posting because I was sick. Boo. But now I'm back, and I bring wonderful recipes of deliciousness with me!

Day Three

I don't remember what else I ate on day three, but for dinner, we had nachos. Nachos is, I feel, one of those weird, paradoxical foods that is seen as really bad for you but actually isn't, but even though it isn't most people make it really bad for you anyway. It's like a catch-22.

Regardless, my family has managed to make healthy nachos for years, which is probably why I threw a conniption fit last time I saw an article on Shine Yahoo! about how replacing potato wedges with tortilla chips when making nachos would make them more healthy (which is a big, fat lie, by the way, and don't you even think about believing it). And when I read the comments, everyone seemed so thrilled to find a "better" alternative to tortilla chips. I almost cried, because the reality is, tortilla chips are perfectly healthy for you and I really don't know where they got such a bad rep from, except for perhaps the fact that they're fried. But that it a minor detail. So, for your benefit, here is a small breakdown of tortilla chips.

What it really amounts to is finding the right kind of tortilla chips. Look for ones made without white corn, and there should be 2 grams of fiber to about 18-20 grams of carbs. The only ingredients should be corn, water, some kind of oil (usually corn), trace of lime and salt. Mexican brands like El Milagro or Xochitl (pronouned so-cheel) tend to be better than American brands (like Tostitos), but they don't have to be. The kind that I'm currently addicted to is called Donkey, and you can get them at Whole Foods. And yes, they are fried, and yes, they do have fat, but eat them in moderation and with a nice healthy side of salsa or guacamole, or in something like nachos, and they're fine.

Also, while I'm on the subject of what makes nachos healthy, don't use sour cream. Use Greek style yogurt. It's so much better for you and you can barely taste the difference, if at all.

Okay, so. Nachos. What I really like about nachos is that you can make them omnivorous, vegetarian or vegan and they taste good all three ways. The recipe below is omnivorous, but can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by the omission of the meat and dairy products.

Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips (should be thick and able to hold up to a lot of toppings)

1/2 lb - 1 lb ground beef (adjustable for personal taste)

~ seasoned with nacho seasoning from a packet OR

~ use 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. ground coriander seed, 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano (not Turkish, it will taste weird and gross, I know from experience), salt and pepper

1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 - 2 c. shredded cheddar, colby jack or Mexican blend cheese (adjustable for personal taste)

2 c. shredded romaine lettuce

1 - 1 1/2 c. salsa

1/4 - 1/2 c. Greek style yogurt (optional)

1/2 c. guacamole (optional)

Add a little bit of oil to a skillet and cook the ground beef, following instructions on seasoning packet or cooking for 2 minutes, adding above seasonings and continue cooking until brown.

Preheat the oven to broil.

Spread the tortilla chips over a large baking sheet (you may not need the whole bag, depending). Pour the black beans over evenly, and then the beef, and then the cheese. Place under broiler until starting to brown and bubbly (times will really depend on what kind of broiler you have, so I'm not even going to try and guesstimate). Remove from the oven and let cool for a minutes before adding lettuce, salsa, yogurt and guacamole in that order.

Serve hot.

Day Four

One word: chili.

Chili is, I think probably one of my favorite foods ever, because it is so versatile and can be prepared in so many ways and is almost always delicious. It can be extremely healthy if you want it to be (like our recipe), or not, but it is always comfort food, and I don't think I've ever met a person who didn't like it. I mean, it's chili. Everybody loves chili.

The recipe below has meat in it, but can easily be made vegan by taking out the meat and adding an extra can of beans.

Chili

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 14 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 c. finely chopped white onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1/4 tsp. cloves

cayenne pepper to suit desired spicyness (1/4 tsp. for not at all up to 1 tbsp. for very)

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

1/2 c. tequila

1/4 . tomato paste

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot and add beef. Cook, stirring frequently, until beef is no longer red, about 6 minutes. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add cayenne, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander and cloves to pan and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds.

(For vegan: Saute onion in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add spices and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds.)

Add tomatoes, orange juice, tequila, tomato paste and beans to pan and mix well. Heat over high heat until boiling and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes for meat, 15 for vegan.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, Greek style yogurt, chopped cilantro and tortilla chips or cornbread.

Until next time, my duckies!

Vegan Month: Day Two

So, today was pretty standard. Same breakfast as I had yesterday and a nice lunch with an apple, some snapea crisps (which are very addicting and you should never buy them because you'll end up eating a whole bag all by yourself, which is made only slightly better by the fact that they are quite healthy) and a wonderful soup that is simply delicious and super easy to make.

I was going to put it in a bowl and take pictures and make it look nice and pretty, but then I got sick, probably with the flu, so you'll just have to make it yourselves if you want to see it.

--

Italian Pea and Basil Soup

5 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 carrot stick, chopped

14 oz frozen baby peas

3 3/4 c. vegetable stock

1 c. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

grated parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)

Heat oil in a large pan and add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook the vegetable over a low heat for 20-25 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking.

Add the peas and stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the basil, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Blend soup in a food processor or blender (will probably have to do in batches).

Reheat the soup gently before serving.

--

Dinner was more soup and dry toast. Not bad, all things considered.

Vegan Month: Day One

So, day one went pretty well. Breakfast for me this month is going to be a bit of a challenge because normally I have eggs and toast, and if I don't have that I have cereal with yogurt and fruit and if I don't have that, I have cereal with milk and fruit. I can now only have one of those things and I can't use real milk. I hate soy milk, so when I was ate Whole Foods yesterday, I picked up some almond milk and some coconut milk (the drinkable kind, not the stuff in the can) in case I didn't like one.

So this morning, it was Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Shredded Wheat with almond milk and a banana. The shredded wheat wasn't bad; I thought it could use a little more cinnamon, but I like my spices on the heavy side so that might just be me. And the almond milk was actually quite tasty; just a little different than regular milk, with less fat, less sugar, and a gram of fiber, which is very cool. :D Unfortunately it also costs four dollars for a half-gallon, which is not cool. D:

I also came to the realization today that I don't eat bananas because I like them, I eat them because they're there, and in the morning, they're the most convenient fruit to eat because they require no prep (unlike strawberries) and it's easy to eat them fast (unlike apples). Now, that isn't to say that there aren't really good bananas out there, and sometimes, when you get a banana at just the perfect ripeness it tastes amazing, but otherwise... I could live without them.

Then I had work at two, so I had lunch and dinner together, which was an apple, some grapes and Celery Root, Apple and Walnut salad from the Whole Foods deli. It wasn't bad; the salad is made up of the three aforementioned ingredients, wheat berries, quinoa, green onion, and raisins with a dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar dressing. It was a little dry, so I had to add some olive oil, and there wasn't much flavor to it besides the sweetness of the apple and the raisins, but the crunch of the walnuts was nice, and it made for a passable meal if you didn't have time to make one yourself. I wouldn't actively seek it out again, though.

On a side note, I love wheat berries. Why don't I have them more often?

That's all for now. Until next time, my duckies!

Vegan Month: Go!

Alright guys, so here's what's up; I have a new food challenge. Starting tomorrow, October 17th, 2010, I will be going vegan for a month.

Now, what could have prompted me to make such a dramatic change in my eating habits, especially seeing as I am addicted to cheese? I'm not going to lie; it mostly has to do with weight loss. That was one of the main goals of my first challenge back in May, but it didn't happen, and I figured out that the reason was probably because when I don't eat meat, I tend to make up for the loss with cheese. The obvious solution? Get rid of the cheese.

The second reason, which is also very big, is that by being vegan for a month, I'll be reducing my carbon footprint, and I like to be as environmentally friendly as I can.

The third reason; I just like the thought of the challenge. I want to see if I can do it. And what's more, I'm not doing it alone. The lovely Miss Holly Lehr will be joining me.

So stay tuned for updates, recipes, and probably rants about how much I miss cheese.

DAY SIXTEEN

Can I just say, it's really hard to eat vegetarian and not get repetitive when your family won't eat mushrooms and you won't eat potatoes? I'd say I'm being difficult, except potatoes are EVIL EVIL STARCHY EVIL and mushrooms are healthy and, contrary to what my mother has led my sister believe, actually quite tasty when prepared right. Maybe I should just make a mushroom dish anyway and force them to eat it.

Anyway, despite my handicaps, I managed to plan meals for all the night I'll be home this week, starting with last night, which was Greek hand pies. These were delicious fried half moon pies filled with a spinach, scallion and feta filling, and all of my family enjoyed them, except my poor mother, who couldn't eat them because she's on a no-dairy diet for right now. The conversation in which she revealed this to me went something like this:

Mom: What are you making for dinner?

Me: Greek hand pies.

Mom: Sounds good. What's in them?

Me: Spinach, scallion, egg, fe

ta, parmesan.

Mom: Oh. I won't be able to eat them, then.

Me: *confused* What? Why?

Mom: I'm starting my no dairy diet this week.

Me: WHAT. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER. AM I GOING TO HAVE TO CUT DAIRY OUT OF ALL MY MEALS TO BECAUSE IF THAT HAPPENS THEN I MIGHT AS WELL BE VEGAN AND I'M PRETTY SURE I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH DEDICATION.

Mom: No, no, it just means I won't be eating the meals that have dairy in them with you guys.

Me: OH THANK GOD. I THINK I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK.

Yeah. Vegetarianism isn't all that hard, but there's no way I could do vegan for more than a few days. I love cheese and yogurt too much.

Anyway, she probably woul

d have enjoyed them if she'd been able to eat them, and she did say they smelled really good.

Now, in terms of healthiness, this dish looks like it's a caloric nightmare, but that is, in fact, not true. It is heavier on the fat than some other dishes, but most of those fats are healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, especially if you fry the pies in canola oil like I did. Also, though I didn't try this, given the nature of the pies, they could probably very easily be baked. Add that with the fact that they're chock full of nutritious spinach, scallions and egg, as well as naturally low-fat feta and parmesan cheese, they're really not that bad at all. Make the crust with half whole wheat flour like I did, and add a side salad, and you've got quite a nicely balanced meal.

Greek Hand Pies (Pictured Right)

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour (

for a healthier dough, use half whole wheat pastry flour)

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. water

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. red win vinegar

6 medium scallions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

16 oz. whole leaf spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. dill, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. mint, coarsely chopped

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

1 large egg

Canola oil, for frying

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, 1/4 c. of olive oil and red wine

vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together; it should be slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer tacky, about a minute or so. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the scallions and cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until

wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the mint, dill and oregano and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a colander and let cool. Once cool, squeeze out any excess liquid. This can be done with paper towels or a clean rag.

In a large bowl, combine the greens with the feta, parmesan and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the dough into sections for between 4-10 pies, depending on how many you need. Roll the sections into balls, then roll out into circles using a rolling pin. Do this by rolling one way for a few strokes, then making a quarter turn and doing it again until you come full circle. Mound the appropriate amount of filling on the lower half of the circle; this will change depending on how many pies you are making. Fold the other half of the dough over and press the edges tightly together for a good seal, making sure to press out any excess air from the filling pocket before fully closing it. Using a fork, crimp the edges.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of the canola oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 pies at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown. The cooking time will vary depending on how big your pies are; smaller pies should take a minute or two for each side, larger pies two or three. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

DAYS THIRTEEN AND FIFTEEN

So, let's say that, hypothetically, you and your mother are going to be in Egypt this summer. And let's say that because of this, you need to go to the Egyptian Consulate in Chicago to get your visas. And so you get up at five in the morning and drive three hours all the way to O'Hare Airport and then take the CTA into the city, only to discover that that you left your passports at home and cannot get your visas. Your day is now completely ruined and you now have no choice but to drive the miserable three hours back to Madison and curse yourself for forgetting those damn passports.

Or you could, you know, shrug your shoulders, say "C'est la vie", and then spend the day frolicking around Chicago, rediscovering an awesome grocery store, visiting the Art Institute for the first time and eating kickass Indian food for dinner.

That's what happened on Thursday to my mother and I, and as it turned out, even if we did have our passports we wouldn't have been able to get the visas back the same day, which means that they would have had to mail them back to us, and putting your passport in the mail just isn't a good idea. So we'll just have to go back sometime before we leave.

Other than that, it was a great day, except for the part where the weather forecast was a DIRTY DIRTY LIAR and told us it was going to rain all day when in fact it was 75 degrees and sunny, but thankfully I dressed in layers so it wasn't too bad. Although I must say that carrying around my umbrella all day only to leave it at a CTA station on our way back to O'Hare was pretty annoying.

So first we went to this jewelry store that was going out of business and got some very cheap stuff; I got four stainless steel rings colored silver, black and gold for ten bucks. Then we were going to go see the Stained Glass Museum but on the way to Navy Pier ran across the grocery store Fox and Obel, which is kind of like a cross between Sentry Metcalfe's and Whole Foods but fancier, and we remembered it from previous trips so we stopped inside and ended up buying some very delicious multigrain demi baguette and eating it with our packed lunch of guacamole, cheese, and clementines. I was very sad to have to leave, because if I had access to that demi baguette here in Madison, I would eat it every day of my life.

Then we decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago, which was closer than the other Museum and I'd never been and neither had my mother; plus we saw a sign that said there was a special Matisse exhibit going on and neither of us wanted to miss it. It was pretty cool, although I must say for someone who definitely had drawing skills, Matisse was never much for the technical aspects of art. Next time I turn in something that looks like a child could have done it except for the very obviously thought out color combos and composition, I'm going to say, "If this has Matisse's name on it, you'd be worshipping the ground it walked on." Because really, I'm pretty

sure even I could do some of the things I saw there, and I still suck at art in relation to what I want to be doing.

Then it was time for lots and lots of Impressionism, which of course is my all time favorite art period, next to Surrealism. I was really surprised at the collection that the Art Institute has, which is quite extensive. I'd say it's at least on par with the National Gallery of Art in DC.

After that it was dinner at a lovely Indian Restaurant called the Chicago Curry House, with wonderful mango lassi and creamy vegetable kofta, and of course my mother ordered a bunch of meat dishes in her combo that didn't come with sauce so I couldn't mooch off her, though she did get a vice vegetable curry. Also, naan. Delicious, delicious naan. Well, pharata. Whatever, they're both amazing.

By the end of the day we'd walked about five miles, which was pretty damn good, I thought. Except that apparently if you eat Indian food all that walking means jackshit, because when I stepped on the scale on Friday, I hadn't lost a single pound. I was kind of pissed, but then I remembered that Indian food is delicious and suddenly I didn't care anymore.

--

Today wasn't very productive in terms of food; I had to work the closing shift. I did, however, go to Whole Foods in the morning and picked up this delicious thing they call Greek Wheat Berry Salad (pictured right).

Basically all it is is wheat berries, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, pine nuts, feta cheese and dressing, but somehow it is incredibly delicious and I wish I could eat it all the time. I keep forgetting to look at the little card that tells you what the ingredients are though and until I find out what goes into the dressing, I can't make it properly myself. Boo.

Anyway, it's kind of become a semi-staple in my diet; whenever I go to Whole Foods and I know I'll need something for lunch/dinner the same/next day because I'll either be at work or school, I'll pick it up because it travels easily and is a well-balanced meal if you add some fruit (I wouldn't do this if I could eat the tomatoes, but for some reason, I hate cherry tomatoes. I really don't know why). If you're ever there, pick some up. Or keep watching here for the recipe to make it yourself because I will remember to look at the card someday.

So that was dinner. Lunch was a grilled caprese sandwich. Caprese is an Italian recipe that is basically slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar, seasoned with salt and pepper. It also makes a great cold or hot sandwich. Normally I eat the sandwich cold, but I'd been to the site Panini Happy earlier and decided I wanted a hot sandwich today. (Also, I really want a panini press. Or a panini pan. Badly.)

Hot Caprese Sandwich

1 ball fresh mozzarella

1 ripe tomato (You can test a tomato's ripeness by smelling the part where it was attached to the stem; if you can smell it, it's good. Out of season, a roma tomato is going to be your best bet.)

1/2 c. slivered fresh basil

4-6 slices crusty bread (I used a country loaf; a sourdough would also work well.)

olive oil for brushing

salt and pepper

Brush one side of each slice of bread liberally with olive oil. On non-oiled side, add one layer of mozzarella and tomato, then season lightly with salt and pepper and add basil. You should be able to make 2-3 sandwiches depending on how much mozzarella and tomato you have.

Put a skillet pan on the stove and add the sandwiches right away, covering the pan; this will give the cheese extra time to get warm and melty. Wait about 4-5 minutes, then remove the cover and check to see if the first side of the bread is golden brown. If it is, flip the sandwiches and recover the pan. Wait 2-3 minutes, then remove the sandwiches; serve warm.

Don't get discouraged if you burn the bread a little by misjudging times; I still do that.

For a cold sandwich: Mix 3 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar together. Brush onto one side of each slice of bread. Layer mozzarella, tomato, and basil on the side with the dressing, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve.

Until next time, my duckies!

DAY ELEVEN

I was going to do a rant on how calorie counting is a completely idiotic school of thought and how just because something has a lot of calories doesn't mean it's bad for you, but it's a long, thoughtful piece and I need time to figure out what I'm going to say. Also, research. So look forward to that in the future. In the meantime, remember: if calorie counting was the only thing that mattered, we could eat nothing but junk food and as long as we didn't go over our daily limit, we'd be healthy. But everyone knows that wouldn't work. It's what kinds of calories you consume that matter the most; mainly, nutritious ones.

--

So, early dinner today as I had to be at Micah and Jodi's house to see how their daughter, Ella, gets put to bed because I'll be babysitting her next week. By the way, Ella? CUTEST. BABY. EVER. GOD I HOPE I HAVE KIDS THAT LOOK THAT GOOD SOMEDAY.

Anyway, tonight's meal was very simple, even though it sounds complicated: pasta all'arrabbiata. I've seen several recipes for this meal but very few of them are the same, so I decided to do a little research to see what it really is.

Wikipedia defines it as "a Roman sauce of garlic, tomatoes and red chili cooked in olive oil. This dish is usually served with with pasta and chopped parsley sprinkled on top." All'Arrabbiata mean "angry sauce", so named for the heat caused by the chili. So apparently mine wasn't really pasta all'arrabbiata because the recipe I used just used regular marinara sauce with cayenne added to it. Or maybe it's just one of those dishes that can have a ton of different variations and still be called the same thing. Who's to say?

Either way, it was delicious.

I will say this, however. The recipe I used had fennel in it. Now, fennel is very much an acquired taste, because it taste like anise, i.e. licorice (not the Twizzlers kind, either; real licorice). Some people like this, some people don't. Now, this recipe is nice in that you cook the fennel for a long enough time that its flavor subdues quite nicely, but you will still have that underlying anise taste. If you don't like that, I would stay clear of this dish.

Pasta All'Arrabbiata

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and cut into 1/4 inch wide julienne strips (Here's a handy little how-to on that.)

3 tbsp, olive oil

2-3 c. marinara sauce (It will depend on how much extra sauce you want. A canned marinara sauce would work fine for this, but I'll add in the recipe I use below, if anyone wants to have a look.)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 lb dried penne pasta (What? Pasta? Evil carb-filled pasta? Yes. Just use whole wheat, Barilla Plus, or Ronzoni Smart Taste; they all have ample amounts of fiber to combat the carbs.)

15 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half (Actually, any kind of black olive can be used here, I just like kalamatas the best. You might want to rise them beforehand though, to get rid of some of the salt.)

1 c. fresh basil leaves, slivered

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook the pasta. Directions should be on the back of the package. Once done, toss with some olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Fennel should be soft and tender. Add marinara sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to mix. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Add pasta, olives and basil and stir to incorporate everything. Serve immediately with Parmesan.

Marinara sauce

1/4 c. olive oil

2 small onions, chopped (I know there's a normal measurement for that, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it is right now. I'm going to guess a cup and a half, but I really don't know.)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2, 32 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

1 c. strong red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot recommended. A Shiraz also works pretty well, surprisingly.)

salt and pepper to taste

thyme, oregano and basil, to taste (I like to use fresh herbs, but dried will work fine as well. Usually you'll want more basil than thyme or oregano, both of whom works wonders even in small amounts.)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

In a large pot, heat oil. Add onions and garlic; saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add celery and carrots and salt and pepper. Saute until vegetable are soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato, wine, bay leaf and herbs; stir to mix. Simmer covered over low heat until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes to an hour (Really. This time changes drastically ever time I make this sauce, so that's about the best window I can give you). Let cool for about ten minutes, then remove and discard bay leaf. In a blender, and in batches, blend to the desired consistency. Season with more salt and pepper is desired and add cayenne.

This recipe makes a lot and freezes well.

Until next time, my duckies!