These past three months have been really stressful while I waited to see what next year would bring. But now that I have my plans locked in for next year, I am definitely going to be posting more! With little time to cook or go to the grocery store, I was living off of cereal, fruit and yogurt. It's no wonder that I was craving some vegetables today!

Chick Peas and Spinach

Background: At work, I will sometimes grab Asmar's chickpeas or hummus before I start my shift. The chick peas are prepared with lots of olive oil and lemon, a little bit of spinach and a mixture of spices. Today, I tried to make a similar meal.

Ingredients: 1 can of chick peas, washed and drained, 1/2 bag of spinach, washed, olive oil, 1/2 fresh lemon, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper

Procedure: Saute garlic and spinach in a little bit of olive oil. Once the spinach is cooked down, add in the chick peas, and spices, to taste. Use lemon juice sparingly, as the spinach soaks it up like a sponge. It's delicious hot or cold!

What's nutritionally awesome about this meal? Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, folate and iron, with little fat and no saturated fat. Spinach is a great source of Vitamin A,C, and K and is packed full of antioxidants. Olive oil will give you a dose of healthy fats, including omega-3's. 

 

The Tofu Experiment

I finally got up the courage to try making tofu the other day. I used what they call the dry method. You chop the tofu into small cubes, pat them down with a paper towel and fry them in a non-stick skillet with no oil until the sides are golden.While they are browning, press them down with a spatula to steam out the water. Then marinate for 30 minutes or more. 

We used a Balducci's Thai Marinade. I am going to have to experiment with marinades because the one I used was a little salty. 

After marinating, we stir-fried the tofu with olive oil and mushrooms. I cooked the scallions, carrots, snow peas and bell peppers separately and added them in later.

Deliciousness complete! I'm going to test out different marinades this week and see which ones are best :)

Sometimes food scarcity has to occur before you are willing to try new things. Looking at my empty refrigerator today, I realized I would have to look in the pantry for my lunch. I found lots of rice, pasta, beans and lentils. The colorful red lentils and split peas caught my eye, but the red lentils seemed more exotic and appetizing. I wasn't disappointed. The cumin, garlic, ginger and black pepper provided a ton of flavor and I still have to wait for my rice to finish cooking, so I can try them together!

Goya's Red Lentils and Rice

1 lb Goya dry Red Lentils
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups water
1 Chicken/Vegetable Bouillion Cube
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantri
Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Sort and wash lentils; set aside
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender.
3. Stir in ginger, and cumin. Cook and stir 1 minute.
4. Add remaining ingrendients and lentils. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add more hot water if necessary.
6. Serve over cooked white rice.

As always, I find it impossible to strictly follow a recipe. I had no white rice, so I made brown basmati rice. The chicken bouillion cube did not dissolve in the water, so in the future I would use 2 cups broth and 2 cups water instead. Otherwise, I am definitely going to try this one again as it requires very few fresh ingredients and takes almost no time.

Cinco De Mayo: Fiesta de Tacos

Counterclockwise: Flour Tortillas, Goya Black Beans and Rice Mix, Taco Filling (LightLife Smart Ground Mexican, Onions, Orange Bell Peppers, Canned Corn) Center: Sliced Grape Tomatoes and Avocado

Cinco de Mayo Taco Dinners are yet another reason I need more party platters - they make food look so wonderful! This one happens to be my roommate's, but I have plans to acquire one of my own in the near future. How else are four people going to make their own tacos in a way that does not involve cramming them into a tiny college apartment kitchen?

Easy, Healthy, Quick Meals - Part I

Before I came to college, I had already tried many different kinds of "veggie burgers". My family ate Boca Burger's, Gardenburgers and Dr.Praeger's California Burgers. My Dad even puts them in his grilled chicken sandwiches to get extra veggies in his diet. Consequently, I feel somewhat qualified to say that these are real tasty, especially when cooked in a George Foreman Grill, covered in melted provolone cheese and served in/on your favorite form of bread (today, I used Naan). 

After talking a lot about people in college who "don't cook", I hope I can give people some ideas or inspiration to take simple steps towards eating healthy. These are really great because they can be frozen for later...I am going to find out how long they stay good in the refrigerator.