Thursday, February 28, 2013

 
This may possibly be one of my all time favorites. It is nothing too crazy just some vegetables and tofu, and sour cream of course!
When Moes closed down near my house last year, I was heartbroken. Not only was it conveniently located five minutes from where I lived, it was a great go-to. Not too expensive, and it comes with homemade chips.
It has taken me awhile to perfect my Moes burrito. I don't add rice or beans, just simply sauteed mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Along with cheese, sour cream and shredded lettuce not to forget about the tofu. Chicken is too dry for my liking.
When I realized that Moes was in Penn Station, I couldn't contain my excitement. For $6.00, I get to have my burrito, chips and a drink. I don't usually get the beverage since all I stick to is water and decaffeinated tea. But hey, you don't hear me complaining!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

 
This is perfection right here. Sweet potato rolls and a side of spicy mayo. Not only are sweet potatoes one of the most nutritious vegetables in the produce department, they make a great healthy alternative to fish! The spicy mayo adds a creamy kick that every sushi needs. Fresh from the Japanese restaurant, I couldn't be more excited about this lunch.

Monday, February 25, 2013


I was so excited when I walked into the office at work today and found these. One of the girls went away to Tokyo for a week (How cool is that!?) and brought back some goodies. She described the one on top as a twinkie fill with banana cream (yum!) The bottom one is a green tea Kit Kat. I was super excited to try the bottom one since green tea is one of my favorite drinks. The Kit Kat reminded me of white chocolate, but it was delicious. I haven't tried the top yet and I can't wait to see what's in store!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

 
Throughout all my years in cooking, I have never owned a spatula. Crazy I know! When I read about the GIR spatula, I knew that I had to jump on board.
One thing I love about kitchen gadgets is that they are available in a multitude of colors. I like vibrant, colorful items to make the cooking experience that much more enjoyable.
I love the GIR spatula not just because the many different colors that are offered, but because it is great to cook with, heat resistant, and eco-friendly!

Product of Get it Right did not sponsor this review nor are they affiliated with this post in any way. All opinions belong to the author.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

 
Literally all I drink nowadays is tea. No more coffee, juice, or milk (not that I drink much of that anyway), even though I do miss the jolt of energy I get from coffee. And not just any tea, but herbal (for the most part). I love the taste of all the different flavors and how it soothes my throat.

 My tea of choice has been Celestial tea. They are 100% natural and come in a variety of flavors. My favorite is the tangerine orange, but they are all vibrant in flavor. The tea I drink is always decaf. Something that I have learned recently is that herbal tea is fully decaffeinated while other decaf teas leave traces of caffeine. What is different about Celestial tea is that they have no string and no tags.
 
Although this may seem strange, Celestial tea is doing their part in helping the environment. This saves over 3 1/2 million pounds of waste from filling landfills each year! Just be careful of burning your fingers!

Celestial teas did not sponsor this review nor are they affiliated with this post in any way. All opinions belong to the author.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Winter storm Nemo tea: When I was trapped inside my house during the infamous blizzard of 2013, I decided to  brew up some tea. Here are all the ingredients I used: clementine, orange, lemon, honey, and a strainer.. and water of course!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A Jewish dream: Matzoh ball soup and pastrami on rye.

 
Although this doesn't scream food porn, this was our dinner last night.
Drumsticks cooked with lemon, garlic and a shot of white wine...

Drumsticks
Two tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
grill seasoning
black pepper
three cloves of garlic, sliced
half a lemon
white wine

Place the drumsticks in a pan with the butter and olive oil.
Sprinkle on grill seasoning and black pepper.
Cook the drumsticks in a pan for three minutes on each side.
Once they brown, put a lid on top and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken.
Drain the excess fat, and throw in the garlic.
Saute for five-seven minutes, and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.
After one minute, deglaze the pan with a shot of white wine.
Put the chicken back in and cook for another five minutes.

Monday, February 18, 2013

I found this really awesome site today that discusses different hollistic methods of healing, eating-check it out!

http://www.rawforbeauty.com/blog.html

Sunday, February 17, 2013

My ultimate hotdog:

1 chicken hotdog (or whichever hotdog you prefer)
1 onion
ketchup
pickle chips-chopped
bacon

I made this a couple of months ago and it seemed to be a hit.
Cook up your hotdog however you like.
Slice up onion, and put in a pan on medium heat with olive oil. Wait until the onions are tender, around 20 minutes. Once they are cooked, squeeze in enough ketchup to coat the onions.
Mix them around and cook for an additional seven minutes.
Set oven to 375. Place bacon on a baking sheet that is lined with a cooling rack. After you put the bacon in the oven, leave it there for around 25 minutes, or desired crispness. When that is finished, chop it up.
After everything is cooked, place on a hotdog bun. Hotdog, onions, pickle, and bacon. Your ultimate hotdog is ready to be eaten.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Here is a picture of the pasta I made last week-Teriyaki noodles with broccoli, zucchini and edamame

And here is the picture of the paella-rice, chicken sausage, chicken, peas and onions

Friday, February 15, 2013

Here is something I wrote for Yom Kippur back last year.

Bagels, cream cheese, lox, tuna fish, egg salad, whitefish salad, latkes, amongst other foods filled the table last night as we prepared to feast in.

It seems that every other week I am celebrating some sort of holiday. Last week Rosh Hashanah and this week Yom Kippur. Last week we threw away our sins and this week we fasted and compensated our sins. Not that I don’t mind observing the holidays, but a girl needs to eat.

Normally, bagels are a Jewish persons dream, not so much for me. I prefer a sandwich. Throw some salami on a roll and I am good to go.

For those who don‘t know, Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. Basically, you set 25 hours aside to think about your sins from the past year.

Did I mention Jews love food? Because we do, we thrive on eating. And on holidays such as Yom Kippur, it shows. Although I feel I gained five pounds, I wouldn’t want to reflect on my sins any other way.
The other day I went over to the dark side... Well the dark side of healthy eating that is. My dad mentioned to me has been craving Hamburger Helper. Although I haven't eaten that since my college days I decided to grant his wish. I picked up a box (99 cents), a package of ground turkey (to my fathers dismay) hey there has to be some health factor in there and I was on my way.

The dish was a cinch to make. I browned the turkey, removed the fat, added the liquids, packets, and pasta and in ten minutes I was sitting down to a fancy home cooked meal.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Since vegan food has been on my mind lately, I decided to look up some restaurants which looked inviting, as well as delicious. Here is one that I found located in New York City.

http://caravanofdreams.net/#/Menu

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Last night I had an urge to be creative. While stopping over at Fairway, I grabbed the neccessary ingredients to do just that.
I purchased ground turkey, chicken sausage, one green pepper, an onion, and two types of mushrooms... to make a pizza casserole of course!
First I started by browning the ground turkey in the pan. I added garlic powder, oregano, and a little red pepper flake. All the ingredients that we use to top our pizza.
I removed the ground turkey and added the sausage to crisp up a bit. When that finished, I threw in the sliced green pepper and the onion. When they were finished cooking, I added the mushrooms in for five minutes. I returned the meats to the pan and stirred them all together. I incorporated turkey pepperoni (a staple in the Ross household) and let it sit for a couple minutes. I proceeded to stir in the pizza sauce (recipe follows). I chopped up some black olives and my meal was finished.
Although my mom wasn't a big fan, I thought the concept was great and the flavors came together well. I will definitely add some extra seasoning next time, for some extra zip. I must say, I am very proud of my creation!

This is the first recipe I am putting on my blog--I hope you enjoy it!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 package of ground turkey
garlic powder
oregano
red pepper flakes
2 italian chicken sausages-cut into bite sized pieces.
1 green pepper-sliced
1 onion-diced
a handful of white mushrooms-sliced
a handful of cremini mushrooms-sliced
10 good quality black olives-chopped
15 slices of turkey pepperoni
2 cans of no salt added tomato sauce
2 teaspoons of minced garlic (from the spice isle), you may want to add less if you don't like too strong of garlic flavor. Depends on your liking, you may even want to add more!
2 teaspoons of italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of minced onion (from the spice isle)

Here is the problem with me sharing my recipes. I tend not to measure, but just sprinkle, toss in. So when explaining how to cook the ground turkey, it may be a little fuzzy.


For the pizza sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. (tomato sauce, minced garlic, minced onion, italian seasoning, and pepper.) I cannot take FULL responsibility for this recipe. In high school I learned how to make it through my food an nutrition class. I did however add the minced onion to give my own spin.

Heat some Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pan.

Put in the ground turkey. Add some garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then grate in one quarter of a yellow onion for some moisture.
When the turkey is finished cooking up, remove and add in the sausage. Cook until crisp and then remove.
Add in the peppers and onions, and saute for ten-15 minutes. Combine in the mushrooms and cook up for another five. The turkey pepperoni is stirred in last and mix everything together.
Apply the pizza sauce and the olives.  Your dish is ready to be served.
You can sprinkle in some parmesan cheese, or put the casserole in a pan and add mozzarella to the top. Throw it in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

I mentioned the other day how I ate vegan food at school. Well chef Rosana Rios is the main reason why. Here is a profile piece I wrote on her for class:


Thirteen trays of samosas were stacked towards the back of the Zorn Dining Commons. The puff pastries were cooked to perfection, along with the coconut sauce that was made to be poured on top.

For a side dish, cooked butternut squash with raisins rested in a pan. As the Indian food was ready to be served, Vegan chef Rosana Rios stood there donning her white chef’s coat and black hat.

“This caught my attention,” Senior Liselle Milazzo said, motioning to the samosas. “It was so fantastic.” Milazzo said after returning for seconds.

Students lined up to await the cuisine of the night that Rios prepared.

All 156 samosas were gone before the night was finished.

Rosana Rios has been the chef at the Vegan station for two years, and her food is well known.

Another vegan chef at the DC, Kristin Putnam says that double the amount of students eat the food Rios prepares, than when Putnam is working.

Rios has lived in America for 11 years.

She was born and raised in Columbia, where she was one of nine children.

Her mom was a single mother, and with the help of her children, she owned a restaurant. Rios and her siblings would wake up every morning at 5 to start prepping for the day.

“We all took turns helping out, we all rotated with the different jobs,” Rios said.

That is when Rios knew that she wanted to have a career in cooking.

“I learned how to cook from her,” Rios said.

She had met her first husband in Aruba. When they got married, she moved up to Massachusetts where he lived.

Now Rios resides in Peterborough with her second husband. The two of them have met while Rios worked at her previous job.

She was a chef at a hospital where the patients were brain damaged. Even if they weren’t able to communicate with her, the patients always enjoyed her food.

“It makes me feel good when people like my cooking,” Rios said.

She and her husband enjoy spending their free time cooking.

“My husband likes to cook,” Rios said. “He makes taquitos.”

When Christmas time rolls around, Rios wishes she could be back home with her family.

“We all go into one house, and we play merengue music and eat pork,” Rios said. “I miss days with my family.”

Fortunately for Rios, having Skype makes it easy to communicate with them.

Rios explains that in order to move back home to Columbia, she hopes to make enough money here so she could open her own restaurant.

“I want to open my own business,” Rios said. “Like a Texas Road House,”

Rios envisions serving American food at the restaurants while the waitresses dress as cowgirls with the boots and hat.

“There would be hamburgers, steaks, and ribs,” Rios said.

Since they do not have many American restaurants back in Columbia, she is confident that her business will be successful.

“If we do that, we will make a lot of money."

For now, Rios is going to stay here at Keene State, where she will continue serving vegan food to college students.

When Rios first started here, she had never cooked vegan before. Her boss Richard Ducharme, explained which spices go with what cuisines, and she quickly understood the jist of the meals she will be preparing.

“The new flavor profiles that she has learned have just been added to an already broad base of culinary abilities,” Ducharme said.

Co-worker Kristin Putnam enjoys the food that Rios makes.

“She has a really good knowledge for putting flavors together,” Putnam said.

Putnam says that she overheard an employer saying that Rios was the best chef in the Dining Commons. Putnam agrees with that statement and says that she emulates her cooking style.

“She’s super talented,” Putnam says. “I look at her cooking and think "Why can’t I do this?"

Her coworkers notice how passionate about her job she is through all her hard work.

“She is the happiest, most productive person on staff,” said Ducharme “She brings that same cheerful disposition to both co-workers and guests.”

“She is always so happy,” Putnam said.

Some of the foods that Rios prepares for the students are macaroni and cheese, coconut curry rice noodles, and tempeh stir fry.

“Her food is the closest thing to homemade that you will have,” senior Kara Massimo said.

Not only does she hope students enjoy her food, but she wants the students to eat a well-balanced meal.

“You need to eat good,” Rios said. “I want to make sure they are eating their starch, proteins, and veggies.”

Ducharme, along with the rest of the staff is grateful for everything Rios has done, and he couldn’t ask for a better employee.

“I am pleased she is as well received as she is and truly enjoys her work on a daily basis,” Ducharme said. “She is a true advocate for the students that visit and enjoy her creations as well as a shining example of the benefits that conversation between her and her guests can reap.”
How interesting! #lovemesomehoney
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1fiBfF/:mZVp@:p9jE@YYC/www.quantumbalancing.com/news/honey_cinnamon.htm/

Monday, February 11, 2013

I'll admit it, I'm a snacker. It could be the most random time of day and you can find me inhaling some sort of food. It doesn't have to be snack food either. Yesterday, I ended up snacking on dolmas.

If you think you don't like dolmas, you're wrong. They are unbelievably good. The rice is so tender and succulent, mixed with the dill, mint and other spices I can eat ten in one sitting.

After coming home from Trader Joes yesterday, I opened up a pack and heated them all up. There are around eight of them in there. The grape leaves are great to wrap them in since they are super nutritious and you don't need the extra guilt.. especially after finishing a whole carton.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

No matter how many trips to the grocery store I take, I can never seem to find something to eat for dinner. It never fails. My parents emptied out the refrigerator yesterday and it seemed there wasn’t too much left.

Since my dad made eggplant parm last night, and that is one of the few vegetables I don’t eat, I decided to whip something up.

The day before I noticed a bottle of teriyaki sauce in the pantry. That gave me the idea to cook up some vegetables and noodles, and add some sauce towards the end.
Last night, I boiled a head of broccoli (cut up of course), sautéed up some zucchini, mixed together the vegetables and grated in some garlic.

When the noodles finished cooking, I put everything together in a pot and added some shelled edamame. A few shakes of the bottle of teriyaki and my meal was ready to be eaten.

All in all I thought this was a good meal. It wasn’t too heavy, it was flavorful, and with the mounds of vegetables, it was nutritious as well!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

I am not a vegan nor do I plan on being one. With that being said, when I was in school I would eat vegan meals from time to time, which were delicious. I found this on the internet and I wish I lived closer so I could try it! #wishIwasinCali
http://www.lavegancrepe.com/

Friday, February 8, 2013

Blizzard warnings, mounds of snow, hoping the power stays in tact, nothing like a winter storm day.

Instead of building snowmen and making snow angels, I sat inside my house all day like a bum. I got to watch some TV, eat some food, did I mention watch TV? I did however make it to the kitchen a couple of times to cook. However, it was a failed attempt as I tried to make pasta in garlic and oil.

The garlic ended up burning, which makes it bitter. When I went to sauté up some more garlic, the pan smelled like soap which made the garlic taste well.. soapy.

So all in all it was a failed meal. I did end up eating the asparagus that I cooked up to go into the pasta. It ended up tender, with a nice crunch, but still somewhat soft.

Later that day, I attempted to make some homemade tea. That came out better than I planned. I heated up some water, squeezed lemon, orange, and Clementine juice into the pot and then I strained it so the pulp wouldn’t end up in the tea. I added some honey at the end.

I must say, the tea had a nice citrus action going on, and the sweetness from the honey brought all the flavors together. I was pleased with this, a rarity, I know!

As I am browsing through Pinterest, I notice a few recipes that look delicious and good for you. These are definitely one of them! Quinoa pizza bites!!
http://pinterest.com/pin/79024168433699308/

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

As a cook, I am my toughest critic. Around eight out of 10 times I don’t like what I make. But when somebody else doesn’t like what I whip up that night, thats's another story.

The other night I was watching Rachael Ray and she made a Linguini in red clam sauce. I am always looking for a good tomato sauce recipe. She used cherry tomatoes, and since we had grape tomatoes in the fridge, dinner was in the works.

I chopped up a lot of garlic and after the anchovy paste melted away in the oil (don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like fish just a natural salt), I threw in the garlic and sautéed it up for a couple minutes. After I threw in a shallot and sautéed them up. I added oregano and basil and after about 5 minutes, I threw in a shot of white wine.

When it reduced, I dumped in the pint of grape tomatoes. Here’s the thing.. I waited for a long time for the suckers to burst, and they barely did. After the meal was finished, I saw in my cookbook you have to throw a lid of to move the cooking process along...whoops

Anyway, I went to taste it after it had finished, and I wasn’t impressed. I thought it was alright, just bland. I added some parmesan cheese, the fresh kind from Fairway. Add that cheese onto anything and the dish greatly increases.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite dish, my mom really enjoyed it, saying it had a kick. I call this a success.
The "fried" pickles are the ones I am referring to.. everything else looks delicious as well!
I came across these yesterday and they look SOOO GOOOD. I felt I needed to share

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5gHMat/:18rxuRWWq:TcZ5ZVc4/www.skinnytaste.com/2012/12/top-25-skinny-recipes-2012.html/