Monday, November 30, 2009

Raw Food Diet Day #1

Ok...sooo here is what I had to eat today. Not exactly ALL raw food...but pretty close!

Skipped Breakfast...didn't have anything raw to eat, so I just skipped it!

Lunch: D-Hall. I had a salad with lettuce, spinach, onions, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, olives, peas, kidney beans, hummus, salt, pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Snack: Granola bar and black coffee.

Dinner: Green bell pepper stuffed with 40 spice hummus/radish/mushroom mixture.


So...I feel full? I'm feeling healthy and energetic. I don't feel like I'm going to die or pass out or anything...hopefully I can keep this up all week!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Raw Food Diet

I decided to try a raw food diet for a week...and I'm making it official by putting it on my blog so that the 10 people who read it will hold me accountable! Obviously, I could never do a full on raw food diet for the rest of my life...mainly because I love to cook too much for that...but I thought I would try to starting on MONDAY as sort of a post-thanksgiving detox (sidenote: I had 5 thanksgivings this year...not ok!)

ALSO it's kind of a fun cooking experiment, right? I mean...it'll be less "cooking" and more "assembling"...but still...

That is all! Thanksgiving was delicious. Tomorrow is the Lebanese Thanksgiving, which will also be delicious. Then Sunday and THEN raw food heaven!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made this for the annual theatre dept. thanksgiving (and actually,this was the first time I had actually gone...just in time, right?). Anyways, I forgot to take a picture...but everyone ate it and loved it, so just trust that it looked awesome.

2 cans cooked yams
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. melted butter (unsalted, PLEASE!)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. cloves
3 c. mini marshmallows
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 F

Mash the yams until the consistency of smashed potatoes (or go ahead and whip them!). Mix in the cream, butter (cooled, so you don't scramble the eggs), beaten eggs, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Spoon into a baking pan and cover with marshmallows. Cook on the bottom rack for 30 minutes, then move to the top rack (to toast the marshmallows).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Tortilla Chips Update!

So...in one of my old posts, I wrote about how to make some yummy, homemade tortilla chips. Well, I made some again tonight, and instead of using the technique I used last time, I combined about 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp. cumin, and just brushed it onto the chips before I baked them. SOOO great!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Macaroni and Cheese

I had dinner tonight with my lovely friend Renee from high school, and decided to bring some mac and cheese over (she made an AMAZING bbq chicken!). I had never made mac and cheese by myself (only with my mom...who literally makes the best homemade mac and cheese, ever!). I knew to make the beschamel, and then add the cheese, and add it to the noodles...but I was really sure of the details....so I just winged it! It was so wonderful! I would use different noodles next time (better macaroni or egg noddles). I'm looking forward to adding different cheese (mac and cheese with triple cream brie? or gruyere? I think so!) So...here it goes!




















Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. heated skim milk
1 tsp. + 1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. + 1/4 c. sharp cheddar, shredded
2 boxes of mac and cheese, discard packet, and cook noodles to al dente
1 egg
1/4 c. Parmesean
Spray butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in a sauce pan, adding olive oil when melter. Whisk in flour, and then whisk in heated skim milk. Stir in paprika, mustard, and salt. Remove from heat. Add both cheddar and Parmesean. Set aside.

Place al dente noodles in a square baking dish. Make sure that they have come to room temperature. Whisk and egg and combine into noodles. Pour cheese sauce into dish, and combine. Spray top of dish with butter, and cover with paprika. Bake for 15 minutes, then cover with shredded cheese. And then please enjoy!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Mocha Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones

This recipe is based off of this one, with a few differences! I softened the butter, added dark, semi sweet, and unsweetened chocolate chips (no white), and I added a tsp. of cinnamon into the dry ingredients. Hope you enjoy!




Imitation Moo Shu Chicken

Any authentically Chinese person would probably get really mad at me for calling this moo shu chicken (first of all, because I don't think that moo shu chicken is a real thing)...but I don't care...it was what I wanted to eat and so I made it!



















Ingredients:

1 tbsp.vegetable oil
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tortillas, steamed (set over a bowl of water, microwave for 1 minute)
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce (i used the rest of my sweet and spicy sauce, which actually tastes exactly like hosin)
1 tsp. key lime juice
1 tsp. red chili flakes

Heat oil and vinegar over medium high heat. Brown chicken, and then add the vegetables, reserving the scallions. Add the hoison sauce, reduce heat to medium low, and cover for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally). Remove lid, add scallions, key lime juice, and red chili flakes.
Recover for 5 minutes. Spoon moo shu chicken into steamed into tortillas, and enjoy!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Guiness Sundae!

A) This is not my recipe! It's from Food Network.
B) This was not my idea...it was Katie's!
C) This was delicious. Make it.

Bring one 15-ounce can Guinness or other stout beer and 1/2 cup sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat and cook until syrupy, about 40 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons diced cold butter. Drizzle the Guinness caramel over vanilla or butter pecan ice cream and serve with shortbread cookies.


Friday, November 6, 2009

Spicy Breakfast Eggs

Good morning! I made these eggs just now for brunch. It's just a tortilla, an egg omelet (not folded), black beans, cheese, salsa, hot sauce, and parsley (had to add something green). SO easy, and so delicious!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes



HI! My beautiful, wonderful friend Lizzie gave me her AC adapter (mine decided to off itself). SO NICE OF HER! So, I decided to make her some cupcakes...and it was the perfect opportunity to try something new! What's better than boston cream pie? Well...cupcakes are. But NOTHING is better than boston cream pie cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tub fudge frosting


Prepare yellow cake mix according to package (for cupcakes). Let cool. Prepare vanilla pudding mix, adding in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Fill pasty bag with pudding, and fill cooled cupcake with about 1 tbsp. pudding. Fill pastry bag with frosting and frost! Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Rice w/ "Asian" Salad

So, my mom gave me these fun asian sauce packs in a care package the other week (thanks mom!), and I decided to use the "Sweet and Spicy" one on Saturday. Technically it was for ribs...but I don't eat that much red meat (and I had chicken), so I made chicken instead! WAY good/better than I expected!

This is the sauce I used:
Ingredients:

Lettuce
Carrots
Green Onion
"Sweet and Spicy Sauce" (or whatever you can find)
3 chicken tenders (raw), cubed
Basmati Rice
Water
Rice Vinegar
Canola Oil


Directions:

Chop lettuce, carrots, and onion into a salad bowl set aside for later. Brown chicken in a pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp. sauce, 1 tbsp water, and cover over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, covered, until cooked in center. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup rice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and the simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until cooked throughout. Place rice on plate and top with chicken. Combine 1 tbsp. sauce, 1 tsp. oil, and 1 tsp. rice vinegar to make a dressing for the salad. Enjoy!