Sometimes you fall off the wagon HARD and sometimes you just tumble off lightly.
Tonight my sweet tooth was outta control and after eating probably 15 Hershey Kisses at work I was more than off my healthy eating wagon. (Sorry upcoming triahtlon, I just couldn't help myself).
It's late, I'm staying up for no particular reason watching Alfred Hitchcock movies and episodes of The Iron Chef and I'm still noshin for s'more sweet goodness. I held off the urge for a good while but I'm losing this battle.
So, I just ran into the kitchen and whipped up a little bit of spur the moment fly by the seat of yet pants goodness. Sometimes it's worth following the urges for the awesome creations that are bound to come from them!
So here it is, a McKenna original:
-Almost Apple Crisp-
Slice up 1 large Granny Smith Apple
Place in a medium frypan with 3 Tbs of butter
Add about 1 tsp fresh chopped ginger
About 4 Tbs sugar
About 1 Tbs flour
The juice of 1/4 of a lime
About 3 tsps cinnamon
About 1/4 tsp cumin
Let apples carmelize over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until the apples are softened
Spoon this over some Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt and top with Grape Nuts and a little bit of honey.
Seriously, a great combo of healthy things made into a totally unhealthy but super delish sweet dish.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
6.27.2008
6.25.2008
Grass Anyone?
LEMONGRASS YOU POTHEADS! Yeesh.
Today I explored the world of Thai food and went the distance. Not only do I now have fish sauce and chili paste in my cupboard but I also had my first experience with lemongrass.
Lemongrass is amazing. As I peeled away the first layers of tough skin I was blown away with the smell. I never understood why Lemonheads smelled the way they do, I mean I've never met a lemon that smells like a Lemonhead. Well, Lemonheads must have gotten their stink inspiration from lemongrass! It's incredible. So this stuff is super tough and you have to chop the dickens out of it before it's really edible. I really want a pestel and morter so the next time I don't have to chop it up but rather I can grind the crap out of it! Anywho, I only needed a tablespoon for my recipe so I froze the rest of my prepared grass for future food fun.
So the lemongrass was for a tangy thai marinade for salmon fillets. The marinade involved the slightly scary fish sauce along with the lemongrass, regular and dark soy sauce, honey, vinegar, chili paste and garlic. I let the salmon fillets chill in the fridge with the marinade for about 40 minutes and then I pan seared it for about 5 minutes (no joke, the stuff cooks like whoa over the burner).
I decided to make some rice pilaf to go along with the salmon and I figured I'd make use of some of the super ripe nectarines that I'd purchased at the market and throw those on top of everything along with fresh parsley.
I'm pretty happy with the results:
Today I explored the world of Thai food and went the distance. Not only do I now have fish sauce and chili paste in my cupboard but I also had my first experience with lemongrass.
Lemongrass is amazing. As I peeled away the first layers of tough skin I was blown away with the smell. I never understood why Lemonheads smelled the way they do, I mean I've never met a lemon that smells like a Lemonhead. Well, Lemonheads must have gotten their stink inspiration from lemongrass! It's incredible. So this stuff is super tough and you have to chop the dickens out of it before it's really edible. I really want a pestel and morter so the next time I don't have to chop it up but rather I can grind the crap out of it! Anywho, I only needed a tablespoon for my recipe so I froze the rest of my prepared grass for future food fun.
So the lemongrass was for a tangy thai marinade for salmon fillets. The marinade involved the slightly scary fish sauce along with the lemongrass, regular and dark soy sauce, honey, vinegar, chili paste and garlic. I let the salmon fillets chill in the fridge with the marinade for about 40 minutes and then I pan seared it for about 5 minutes (no joke, the stuff cooks like whoa over the burner).
I decided to make some rice pilaf to go along with the salmon and I figured I'd make use of some of the super ripe nectarines that I'd purchased at the market and throw those on top of everything along with fresh parsley.
I'm pretty happy with the results:
6.18.2008
A Calorie is a Calorie
So last night I totally nerded out and took along with me to work my slow cooker cookbook as well as a "Just 100 Calories" cookbook that was added to the collection care of The Bestest Best. While at work I carefully planned out about 10 meals that we could enjoy over the next week that would be good for us and of course, yummy!
After pouring over my list of things to get at the market and grocery store I finally made up the complete list for todays adventures in foodiness.
Last night I was reading the latest post from my favorite triathlon man, Joe Friel and it was about losing weight prior to race day. It was very interesting and drove home the title of this post. I highly suggest reading it, it was an eye-opener for me and is generally just an interesting story.
Anywho, it got me thinking about calorie intake and how that could effect the way I do or do not lose weight in the coming weeks (did you know that losing 1 lb. takes approximately 10 seconds off of a running time?! HOLY CRAP!).
With calories in mind I decided to try one of the amazingly tasty sounding salads that the "Just 100 Calories" book lent to my liking. It's a combo of fruit (I used cantulope, red grapes and raspberries), veggies (red onions and a spring garden greens mix) and cottage cheese (1% milkfat). The cottage cheese has fresh basil, chives and parsley chopped up and mixed in and the fruits/veggies have an awesome dressing of soy sauce, honey, fresh squeezed lime juice and chiles for a little bite. All that yum for a mere 200 calories yo!
In addition to this salad goodness I'm in the process of making my first puree soup. This is it in it's pre-puree state in my crock pot.
It's a curried broccoli cream soup. It's packed with veggie goodness including leeks, onion, carrots, potatoes and of course, broccoli. I like this curry version, I think it will make for a nice descent from the usual Campbells super creamy milky version. Wish me luck on the whole "then transfer batches of the soup into your blender and blend so that it's just a little chunky." I feel like that could get messy/interesting!
After pouring over my list of things to get at the market and grocery store I finally made up the complete list for todays adventures in foodiness.
Last night I was reading the latest post from my favorite triathlon man, Joe Friel and it was about losing weight prior to race day. It was very interesting and drove home the title of this post. I highly suggest reading it, it was an eye-opener for me and is generally just an interesting story.
Anywho, it got me thinking about calorie intake and how that could effect the way I do or do not lose weight in the coming weeks (did you know that losing 1 lb. takes approximately 10 seconds off of a running time?! HOLY CRAP!).
With calories in mind I decided to try one of the amazingly tasty sounding salads that the "Just 100 Calories" book lent to my liking. It's a combo of fruit (I used cantulope, red grapes and raspberries), veggies (red onions and a spring garden greens mix) and cottage cheese (1% milkfat). The cottage cheese has fresh basil, chives and parsley chopped up and mixed in and the fruits/veggies have an awesome dressing of soy sauce, honey, fresh squeezed lime juice and chiles for a little bite. All that yum for a mere 200 calories yo!
In addition to this salad goodness I'm in the process of making my first puree soup. This is it in it's pre-puree state in my crock pot.
It's a curried broccoli cream soup. It's packed with veggie goodness including leeks, onion, carrots, potatoes and of course, broccoli. I like this curry version, I think it will make for a nice descent from the usual Campbells super creamy milky version. Wish me luck on the whole "then transfer batches of the soup into your blender and blend so that it's just a little chunky." I feel like that could get messy/interesting!
6.06.2008
Summer Sammies
I love the way your body adjusts in the summer. Hot and heavy pastas and potato rich casseroles quickly seem too burdensome for the weather and give way to urges for chilled soups, salads and fresh sandwiches.
Today after my first brick workout my body was feeling ready for a fresh but still stick to yer bones good meal. Like I've mentioned before, I really have started to explore the world of spices and sweet/salt combinations. I had great intentions to make a hominy and zucchini chili (I'm apparently on a zucc roll right now) today but after a) waking up much later than ever expected and b) heading to the gym without my wallet I decided the chili could hold off until Sunday or Monday. So I got home and scoured my fridge (I'm keeping up with my weekly/bi-weekly trips to the Italian Market) for something to eat. I settled on something I stumbled upon a few weeks ago, a toasted turkey, ham and raspberry jam sandwich. So the jam isn't exactly the healthiest but hey, it's not the worst thing I could put into my body either. Today I made it on hoagie bread thanks to the $1, I repeat $1 bag of day old hoagie bread (about 2 lbs I'm guessing) that I got at the market this week. I got it to make homemade croutons for that zucchini soup and also to share with my new housemate the Bestest Best! Anywho, I wanted some fresh veggies as well and since I still had corn from that corn risotto I decided I'd steam some corn. Steaming the corn quickly sounded like to hot of a choice on an 80 degree day and so I decided to cut it off the cob and eat it raw.
Eating corn raw is something a lot of people don't think to do. I never had until I worked on a farm and had co-workers who would grab ears off the stalk and open 'em up only to eat them right there in the field. Sweet corn is especially delicious chilly and raw! So I cut it off the cob and went to my spice cabinet and let my instincts guide me. A dash of cumin, sprinkle of cinnamon, drizzle of honey, splash of vinegar and drop of olive oil later and I found one of my new favorite veggie side dishes. I'm not sure what to call it but for now I'll just stick with DELICIOUS!
5.30.2008
Leftover Smeftover
One of my favorite challenges after making something with a lot of new ingredients is to use whatever leftover ingredients I have and incorporate them into food stuffs I normally have in my kitchen. Today I decided after a jaunt to the gym and a nice stretch and nap in the park that I needed something fresh but with substance to build me up after my workout.
Since I've been frequenting the Italian Market as well as the realms of my crock pot I have built up my spice rack and filled the produce drawers in my fridge. Speaking of fridges, I saw a fridge door on the side of the road last night on my walk home after work and I desperately wanted it but sadly knew I couldn't carry it alone for the 5 blocks ahead. Dang, what a rad "shelf". Anywho---so today's adventure led to a twist on my usual tunafish sandwich.
I used leftover shallots and grape tomotoes from my last crock pot adventure as well as some dill from a previous soup creation. I mixed these along with some Albacore canned tuna, about 4 tablespoons of mustard, 2 teaspoons of Miracle Whip and some Adobo (the catchall spice when in doubt). I put this over toasted cracked wheat bread and Romaine lettuce.
Let me tell you, I really won on this one! I also cut up some Granny Smith Apple wedges to top off my salt/sweet balance and Tah-Dah!
This is just one more reminder of how awesome it is to start exploring new ingredients while not forgetting about our favorite mainstays (like canned tuna for instance!). I would also like to add that my adjustment to eating more balanced has been a source of inspiration in the kitchen. I no longer eat because I know I should. I eat because I want to and because flavor exploration is becoming a really exciting endeavor. Spice up your life kids. It's totally worth it. (I have a ton of leftover fresh basil...the ideas are already "cooking" in my head!)
5.28.2008
The Life and Times of a Crock Pot Junkie
So the story starts about a year ago in West Philly when my best friend received a crock pot for Christmas that she then brought with her when she moved to our W. Philly apartment. Together we experimented with it and made delicious spaghetti sauce (my mother's famous recipe), incredible Indian delights and various things in between. The love of the crock lasted for about two months and then as we tend to do, we lost interest in spending money on good food and spent too many nights after work bellied up to our favorite bar, The Good Dog.
Fast forward to a year later when the best buddy and I are no longer living together but are still the bestest of best. It's January 10th and I'm turning the big two four and she keeps talking about how she has the best gift ever for me but that I'm going to crack up when I open it. I open it hesitantly and then proceed to, just as she said I would, crack up. It's a crock pot cook book for cooking in a small crock. "The crock pot is at my house" she says, "cuz I didn't want to drag it to Tattooed Mom's for you to open." She got me this amazing cook book:
..as well as a lovely 1.5 qt.crock:
Now that I live in South Philly and the Italian Market is mere blocks away I've started to really explore my crock. In the last few months I've made everything from hot dips to soups and marinated meats. A couple of stand outs were a zucchini soup (a recipe allegedly from a 1950's magazine that was cited as being Katherine Hepburn's favorite---lady's got good taste!) made with curry and cayenne pepper (I added corn to make it a little more robust, it was a good choice!) and a Moroccan spiced chicken over whole wheat couscous. I recently made the latter for my co-workers and anyone who works at the Walnut Street Theatre knows my boss is a picky eater who isn't much for exploring new foods. She loved it so much she was trying to steal bits off of my apprentices' plates!
Today I'm moving onto a bit of a summer plate. I'm making fresh corn risotto in the crock and to go along with it I'm making some "fly by the seat of my pants" citrus chili chicken. I only have one crock so I'm going to marinade and simmer the chicken over a slow flame in a pan but if I had two crocks I can guarantee you that the chicken would be marinading crock-style as well!
Today's ingredients:
Fresh basil, lemons, limes and corn from the market as well as some plum tomatoes. The colors are enough to put a smile on my face!
Check out the marinading chicken too:
and in the pan:
This one I made up as I went: Mild cayenne pepper from the Spice Shop in the market, Adobo, a clove of fresh garlic, one lemon peeled and squeezed, one lime sliced, one lime juiced, 1/3 can of Goya Passion Fruit cocktail and pepper. We'll see how it goes!
Here's the finished products:
The chicken has some good bite and turned out quite tender. This semi-Caribbean style chicken goes awesome with the Italian corn risotto dish thanks to the lightness of the corn in the risotto meshing well with the lime and lemon in the chicken. I'm not sure what sparked my idea to make a lime flavored chicken with a corn risotto but I give it a thumbs up---of course, I'm the chef here so my opinion may be biased. I did, however, make up a plate for the bestest best as she is moving into my place tonight. With that in mind, watch out Philadelphia the Michigan gals are back together and about to cause some serious trouble!
Fast forward to a year later when the best buddy and I are no longer living together but are still the bestest of best. It's January 10th and I'm turning the big two four and she keeps talking about how she has the best gift ever for me but that I'm going to crack up when I open it. I open it hesitantly and then proceed to, just as she said I would, crack up. It's a crock pot cook book for cooking in a small crock. "The crock pot is at my house" she says, "cuz I didn't want to drag it to Tattooed Mom's for you to open." She got me this amazing cook book:
..as well as a lovely 1.5 qt.crock:
Now that I live in South Philly and the Italian Market is mere blocks away I've started to really explore my crock. In the last few months I've made everything from hot dips to soups and marinated meats. A couple of stand outs were a zucchini soup (a recipe allegedly from a 1950's magazine that was cited as being Katherine Hepburn's favorite---lady's got good taste!) made with curry and cayenne pepper (I added corn to make it a little more robust, it was a good choice!) and a Moroccan spiced chicken over whole wheat couscous. I recently made the latter for my co-workers and anyone who works at the Walnut Street Theatre knows my boss is a picky eater who isn't much for exploring new foods. She loved it so much she was trying to steal bits off of my apprentices' plates!
Today I'm moving onto a bit of a summer plate. I'm making fresh corn risotto in the crock and to go along with it I'm making some "fly by the seat of my pants" citrus chili chicken. I only have one crock so I'm going to marinade and simmer the chicken over a slow flame in a pan but if I had two crocks I can guarantee you that the chicken would be marinading crock-style as well!
Today's ingredients:
Fresh basil, lemons, limes and corn from the market as well as some plum tomatoes. The colors are enough to put a smile on my face!
Check out the marinading chicken too:
and in the pan:
This one I made up as I went: Mild cayenne pepper from the Spice Shop in the market, Adobo, a clove of fresh garlic, one lemon peeled and squeezed, one lime sliced, one lime juiced, 1/3 can of Goya Passion Fruit cocktail and pepper. We'll see how it goes!
Here's the finished products:
The chicken has some good bite and turned out quite tender. This semi-Caribbean style chicken goes awesome with the Italian corn risotto dish thanks to the lightness of the corn in the risotto meshing well with the lime and lemon in the chicken. I'm not sure what sparked my idea to make a lime flavored chicken with a corn risotto but I give it a thumbs up---of course, I'm the chef here so my opinion may be biased. I did, however, make up a plate for the bestest best as she is moving into my place tonight. With that in mind, watch out Philadelphia the Michigan gals are back together and about to cause some serious trouble!
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