Okay, so I know this smoothie is green, but before you run from the room screaming, just check out all the goodness I’ve put in here for you.
We’ve got bananas, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, orange…and maybe just a bit of broccoli and kale.
Broccoli for fiber (it’s important), and kale because I love you.
Happy 2015!
I’m sure you guys are bombarded with New Year’s resolutions and what not. It’s almost impossible not to feel the pressure from our social media newsfeed. Meanwhile, I’ve been indulging in Netflix marathons. I’m only human.
To lessen my guilt of binge watching everything, I have made this dish to guide me onto the path of fitness inspiration. This quinoa recipe is made with roasted mushrooms, sautéed leeks with garlic, and toasted almonds – all wonderful ingredients to nourish a new you. The mushrooms taste similar to crispy pork skins after roasting them – a trick I learned from a chef. The garlicky leeks are amazing and I could eat these all day.
This dish also helps me miss summer less – these are ingredients I’d buy weekly at the farmers’ market. Since the days are slowly getting longer again, consider this post my countdown to springtime.
This is a delicious way to start the New Year with no compromise on taste. (more…)
I’m a sucker for Christmas music. From Nat King Cole to Mariah Carey, Christmas music gives me the warm and fuzzies. It throws me back to blurry childhood memories of coming in from the cold after a vicious snowball fight and eagerly tumbling over my siblings to get to the first cup of hot cocoa. It reminds me of that fresh pine smell and the way beautifully thick snow crunches underfoot. This time of year is filled with nostalgia, and I’m a fan.
So I don’t waste any time when it comes to getting pumped for the holidays. Although I usually wait for the Thanksgiving dishes to be cleared, this year I couldn’t resist from listening to some Christmas songs in early November. This was not too appreciated by the people on the bus listening to me hum a little too loudly, nor by my boyfriend, who is the Grinch reincarnate. But I don’t care. The past few days have had me in a cookie baking frenzy as I try to wrap up all my holiday gifts, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of Bing Crosby’s familiar soothing voice reminding me that I’ll be home for Christmas.
So after my favorite holiday comes my favorite leftovers. For Thanksgiving I make extras of everything just so I can have a ton of food to ‘snack’ on later. I am shameless about this and this is why I stay in a food coma for about a week after Turkey Day has passed.
However, I do occasionally grow tired of eating the exact same plate of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This dish is a lighter take on brunch while utilizing what you may already have in the fridge from the big feast. I suppose this is a way to ease myself out of guilt when I go back to injecting stuffing and mashed potatoes into my veins.
Don’t feel limited to only using the ingredients I have listed below. Go scavenge for whatever is left in the refrigerator and then throw it altogether like a wiz. This is merely a suggestion.
Go wild.
– W. (more…)
Allow me to ask you guys a serious question: What are the holidays without a big bowl of mashed potatoes? Well, just a regular Thursday dinner.
I’m only teasing. Mashed potatoes always remind me of family; they are the starchy nostalgic equivalent of chicken noodle soup. Of all the dishes you could make for the holidays, I think this has to be the simplest. This side dish requires very few ingredients but packs a lot of buttery richness. Concerning the butter usage, I have to say the butter carries as much weight as the potatoes here. You don’t have to use the full amount of dairy products I have posted here, but you really, really should. Your family and your taste buds will crown you as regional manager of mashed potatoes.
This dish requires no garnishment, unless you want to throw some chives in.
Tip: Since one of the main ingredients is butter, I highly recommend using the nice European kind.
– W. (more…)
Sometimes, I just need to shove some chocolate into my face.
It feels like more than just a craving. It’s a necessity. Without it I go through withdrawals, getting easily disoriented and inexplicably anxious. It’s gotten so bad that after tearing apart my kitchen without finding so much as a single chocolate chip, I’ve sprinted out into the rain at one in the morning to the 24-hour store just to pick up a couple chocolate bars. (My roommate at the time hesitantly joined me, more out of fear of my chocolate mania than out of solidarity.)
Chocolate isn’t just delicious, people. It runs through my veins.
So if you’re like me, then you know most brownies just don’t make the cut. They’re more sweet than chocolatey; or more cake than brownie. And I’m officially done with those. Because when you can have these rich, chewy, decadently dark chocolate brownies, there’s no point wasting your taste buds on anything less.
Did I mention these are flourless? There’s no flour in this recipe – of any kind. So they’re gluten-free, but without any weird gums or sneaky vegetables keeping things together (here’s looking at you, black bean brownies). To make these, I just created a hybrid recipe of my two favorites and replaced the flour with cocoa powder. The result is a super-rich and extra chocolatey brownie that isn’t the least bit cakey. Yet it isn’t overly sweet like fudge, either. It’s just right.
Fall is here! The crunchy leaves and crisp air have taken up their proper residency in New England. Currently, I’ve traded in my beach towels for wooly scarves and hot chocolate is effective immediately.
While we are preparing for our migration to the great indoors, I suggest this dish to give you a wisp of summer. This is a very simple corn recipe that calls for very few ingredients. The real stars here are the corn and the smoked salt. The salt takes away the hassle of the grill but will still give you the delectable, smoky flavor.
Try this at home – feel free to add some other vegetables for fun and color.
– W.
It’s been almost two months since my last run. At first I had some good excuses, but now I’ve finally come to accept that I’ve just been lazy (partly in thanks to Wei’s guilt trips – she’s got a knack for them). I could blame it on how busy I am, on how tired I’ve been lately, or on the changing weather. But let’s be real. I know I just need to get out the door before it’s too late and the snow starts piling up. Here in New England, that could be in less than a month…gah!
So I’m not here to talk to you about apple pie cupcakes or pumpkin bread. I’m not about to tell you how great my homemade caramel sauce is, or how much Fall inspires me to bake up some giant warm cinnamon rolls. Yes, I love the crunch of auburn leaves under my boots, but I won’t bore you with all that today. Y’all are just going to have to wait, because I’m not letting Fall onto my mental doorstep just yet. (more…)
The air is definitely chillier and I have finally accepted that fall is here and winter is coming. With that, we head into a different food harvest. Today, we are going to shine the spotlight on Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts are an excellent fall and winter vegetable. I didn’t grow up eating them because no one in my family ever liked them. My first experience with them was in college a few years back. One of my roommates made them for dinner and I reluctantly tried the crispy brown-green vegetable. Now, I roast them all the time for their delicious flavor and texture.
There is nothing that says ‘I love you’ more than making someone breakfast. This isn’t just for your significant other, but this will work wonders for friends or your mother if you need a big favor. You will be the greatest person alive.
This omelet recipe is simple and fuss-free. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious and the best part is that you can change the ingredients around to your liking. Try this recipe first and taste for yourself.
