Celebrating Julia Child

I'm in a bit of running slump right now. I"m in the third week of my 10k training plan, and I'm just struggling. Just having runs where I feel worn, tired, lunky, and just plain bleeeh. Running is never easy, but right now it feels so hard.

I'm trying to tell myself it could be the heat or just normal running slump. But it's frustrating. Hopefully i can ride it out and it'll improve. Just frustrating!

So, onto food which is more fun. The other night I did my favorite soba dish. This was one of my favorite adaptation because:

1. I roasted A LOT of eggplant to put into it.
2. The raw green beans and crunchy yellow zucchini hit the spot.

Yesterday for lunch, I had one my favorite things....Summer Salad! I'm going to miss having such wonderful ingredients for salads when summer is over. It is so easy to make such a fresh, beautiful, delicious salad in summer. I threw a big glob of hummus on this and ate with some pita. Totally hit the spot. Seriously, you just can't find a tomato that color in the winter.

Included was....
Red leaf lettuce
Green beans
Heirloom Tomato
Yellow Zucchini
Green Pepper


Yesterday would have been Julia Child's 100th bday. I adore her. And it made me so happy to see this as the google homepage photo yesterday. I watched a bunch of videos on the pbs website of her show The French Chef to celebrate. She is one fabulous lady!

Weekend Musings

Saturday was hot and heavy.

Hot because it was very humid and I spent the first 6 hours of my day outside.

Heavy because there was a lot of lifting of corn bags and crates of vegetables to be done.

That all means I was working at the Farmer's market on Saturday. Hot and heavy, but lovely despite it. For these reasons:

1. I was outside (and under a tent, so not too bad)
2. I got to play with veggies all day.
3. I came home with a giant bag of veggies for the week!
4. Got in my workout for the day, while getting paid :)

My favorites are the cherry tomatoes. We have about 7 or so varieties we sell. So sweet and beautiful to look at. The strangest thing is that winter squashes and apples are appearing at the market. I love fall, but it just feels to early!

As much as I love fall, the end of summer means that the school year is gearing up. My students are great, but it means longer, more intense days. Gotta get myself mentally prepared. But for now I"ll enjoy the last few weeks of summer...and the deliciousness that comes with it.

I came home with a bag full of:

• Lettuce
• Kale
• Beets
• Sun gold cherry tomatoes(the best)
• Eggplant(Japanese and Calliope)
• Cukes
• Plums and Peaches
• Garlic

Cooking plans for the week include:

1. Big salads of all those glorious items
2. Soba Noodles with veggies
3. Ratatouille(depending on how hot it is this week)
4. Dill potato salad

And....to end the weekend I got to eat some delicious pasta at my parent's house. Full of chicken sausage, artichokes, olives, capers, and tomatoes! Yum! And play with my favorite cat friend. She is also very distraught that the Olympics are over :(

Soba it up!

Last week and part of this week was filled with eating out. We had family in town so that included some delicious meals out, and a yummy bbq at my parent's house. What is better than hotdogs, homemade potato salad and coleslaw, and blueberry cake!

My mother is the best cook around! But I miss being in the kitchen and cooking it up. So today I went to the farmer's market downtown. I grabbed all the good stuff I could get my hands on. It was late, because I went after work, so they were low on some things. But I got...

• Japanese Eggplant
• Pattypan squash
• Yellow Peaches
• Cucumbers
• Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes
• Field Tomatoes
• Basil 

I could eat sun gold tomatoes all day, every day.

 I used most of the items for salads and munchies for hummus dipping. I threw together another batch of pesto(previous post for recipe) to freeze.

** If you get basil and don't plan to use it right away, a great way to extend its life is to put it in a glass of water(like flowers) and leave it in the fridge.

One of my newest(last few months) dish to make for dinner is soba noodles. I used to eat them when I was young and then rediscovered them. They are so versatile AND great chilled in the summer. Robert and I have been eating this dish at least once a week for the past few months. The great thing is that you can throw anything in. I stick to the same marinade/sauce, but just put in whatever veggies I have around.

Sadly I completely forgot to photograph this dish last night. I stuffed it in my mouth too fast and then realized I hadn't grabbed a shot. Next time, I promise!

Soba with tofu and veggies:
Dressing: For the dish AND as a marinade(for tofu and roasted veggies):
**This is enough for a serving that uses a little of half a pack of soba (about 3-4 servings)

• 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 1/2 fresh clove minced)
• 3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon
• Added salt and pepper to taste

Veggies in the mix this time(can be changed based on what is available):
 Raw

• Kale- julienned in slivers
• pattypan squash
• green beans
• scallions
• edamame beans

Cooked ( I just lightly cook these in the oven at 350 F until done; the eggplant takes longer than the mushrooms so I pull them out first)

• Mushrooms- crimini
• Eggplant

Other Suggestions(raw or cooked): Zucchini, roasted garlic, tomatoes, bok choy, cabbage.

Tofu:

•  Press tofu under weights(between paper towel) for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Slice tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices
• Dip each slice in marinade (or marinate tofu in sauce overnight for better results)and place on baking sheet
• Bake tofu at 350 F for about 40 minutes (or until lightly browned) flipping after 20 minutes.
• Let tofu cool and then cut into cubes.

Put it all together:

• Combine noodles, veggies, and tofu.
• Dress noodles with about 3/4 of the dressing.
• Place in fridge to chill.
• When chilled, add the rest of the dressing to the noodles and combine(often when the noodles chill they clump together, so the extra dressing loosens things up)

Enjoy!!

Beans that are mean...in a good way.

It's hot here. The Northeast is humid and feels like a sweat lodge right now. Despite this, I was determined to make a batch of pickled spicy green beans...a.k.a. mean beans. I have accumulated a bunch of beans and need to pickle them up!

I don't can the pickles, because I find that doing the traditional water bath canning method affects the texture of the pickled items (either cukes or beans). Also, we eat these fast! Instead you can make "refrigerator" pickles After you jar them, you let them sit in the fridge for 3-4 days, and then crack them open. They stay good in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. And we eat them in about a week, so there is no need to worry. I"m sure you'll eat them just as quickly.

I got a mix of green beans and yellow wax beans. You can really use anything.

Wash and dry the beans. Then cut off the ends.  For jars, the store I went to only had 1/2 pint mason jars, so I used them. Because they are small I had to cut most beans in half. You can use any size jar for these.

I wash and dry the jars first. I don't know if this is necessary but I like to do it.

Then I make the "pickling liquid":

• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar (with 5% acidity)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup salt

*Mix in a pot and bring to a boil.

While that is boiling I put in my flavorings. I call these means beans because they are spicy. But you can do whatever flavor combos you want. I'm not a huge spicy fan, but these have a nice heat. If you like a bit of heat, but not burning, this amount should work for you.

In each jar I put...

• 1/4- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp dried dill or 1 sprig fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic

Then, I pack in the beans. You need to leave about 1/2 inch of headspace in the jar. The liquid should cover the beans and still leave that 1/2 inch of space in the jar. When liquid starts boiling, ladle it into jars. The liquid should cover the beans.

Then wipe the jars and edges, put on the lid, and screw on the jar band. Let them sit on your counter until they are at room temp, and then place them in the fridge.  After 3-4 days, crack them open!

AND when you are done with the beans, keep that brine. It is SO good for Bloody Mary's, dressings, and lots more!

We went through the last batch in 1 week, so I'm counting the hours until these will be good and ready to crunch into. Maybe some snazzy Bloody Mary's with the last batch's brine will be used this weekend.....

Trying to embrace the summer heat

Despite the humidity I am enjoying summer this year more than I usually do. I haven't been to the beach much, which is the one thing I'd like to improve over the next month.

Part of my summer enjoyment might be that after an exhausting year with middle school students, the summer feels like a much needed relief. I also can't get enough of the summer foods. I just want to walk around farmer's markets all day and make food with/eat everything I see.

That being said, fall is still my favorite season. Crisp autumn days cannot be beat by this gross humidity.

Tuesday I stumbled upon a Farmers Market downtown. Well, not really "stumbled". More like I knew it was happening, and took a longer route home to go to it. Totally worth it. It was glorious. One of the vendors has the most beautiful displays of their beautiful vegetables. They are the farm that is partners with one of my favorite restaurants, and uses the vegetables in their amazing middle eastern dishes.

The veggies are always great from there. But I think I'd buy them anyways just based on the displays. They have quite the veggie artist/sales team at that vendor.

I had to remind myself that my fridge is still full, so I just got some blueberries and basil. I kept the buying under control. That basil is going into a nice batch o' pesto. Yum!  I'm not a fan of super oily pesto, so I've adapted my method to get it tasty and fairly smooth, but without lots of oil.

This makes enough to coat pasta to serve 4, or 2 batches to serve 2. I always add some arugula for some bite, and sometimes kale.

4 cups basil leaves
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (sometimes a little more based on taste)
1/4 cup nuts (walnuts are my favorite but any work)
3 Tbsp EVOO (more if you like it creamier)
1 Tbsp water
pepper and salt to taste

Blend in food processor until at desired consistency.
** I like to add the oil through the top spout on the food processor as I pulse it. Slowly add as you blend.

I apologize for the low low quality photo. The camera phone doesn't quite capture the pesto pasta goodness. Doesn't look too great, but tastes oh so good.

Robert's brother is in town so there may not be too much cooking this coming week. We'll see what happens. I'll find some ways to make the boys some veggie dishes.

Off to finish this grant so I can do some gym time. Got in "Week 1, Day 2" run for the 10k training plan yesterday, so I'm gonna do some cross training and circuits today. Goal: Do lunges without tripping/falling over in gym like the other day.

Food thoughts for thought

I'm not one for food fads. Ok, I sort of am. Most of the time, my eating philosophy is "eat food". This is the mantra of Michael Pollan (Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food books). I'm obsessed with him and these books changed my life.

So, that is how I eat most times. I believe that eating real whole foods is best way for me to eat. That is my definition of a healthy diet. I do enjoy reading magazines and articles about the newest "super food" and sometimes I get on the trend boat. But I try to always take it with a grain of salt. To me, the best way to be healthy is eat real food. Unprocessed and whole foods. And if it is somewhat processed...I try for the fewest amount of ingredients.

That being said, I enjoy a bag of potato chips and gummy candies of all kinds. I don't eat perfectly all the time and enjoy some crap items. I mostly cook in a "healthy" way, and try to make food that provides all the things that fuel and sustain our bodies. I want to treat my body well. When I go out though, I like to indulge. I love the art of cooking and eating the rich foods that great chefs can make. Since a young age I've been fascinated by food: growing it, cooking, eating it (the main fascination). My favorite thing to read growing up was menus we had in our kitchen drawer from restaurants and/or cookbooks. I didn't develop a love of cooking until a few years ago, but I loved watching people cook and reading about people cooking and eating. I'm forever fascinated by gifted chefs. They are truly artists to me.

When I go out to eat, I'm all about eating rich food. I my opinion rich food,which is made with good ingredients, is still healthy for me. Just in a different way. I don't eat like that everyday, but enjoy it when I go out or make a special meal.

This ramble above all comes from a bit of guilt/apprehensions I have about buying some chia seeds and PB2 today. It is ridiculous. I totally went for these food trends. I mean chia seeds are the "super food" of today. But hey, I kinda like being on the trendy health food train. Also, PB2 is one of those things that I thought couldn't hurt to try. Sometimes I just like to do what the people are talking about.

I love Peanut Butter and Almond Butter. Although I"m not a calorie counter, I know that it is not very good for you to eat a jar of peanut butter in less than a week. And that is what happens when I buy nut butters. Moderation is key, but I have trouble with that.

PB2 makes me eat some peanut butter tastiness and pre-workout protein power, without all that added fat. And truly it tastes like peanut butter..i Swear! I've tried some healthy foods in my day that I just can't convince myself taste good. Tofu noodles are one of them. Just couldn't get over the texture. Real pasta for this lady. But, PB2 is truly like peanut butter when you add liquid. Try it!

It also was great for making late night snack. I get the nighttime munchies. So instead of grazing on things all night that don't hit my spot, these cookies do it. They are pretty simple and not the worst choice for a late night sweet spot. Only 3 ingredients and light...but hits the sweet spot.

Got on the PB2 website..... www.bellplantation.com

• 1/4 cup PB2(add 2 TBSP water and mix)
• 1/2 bar of dark chocolate (about 43 g.) melted
•  3/4 cup Rolled Oats
• 2 Tbsp Flax Meals
• Mix, roll into little patties, and put in freezer for 1/2 hour.

Enough rambles, so....
Dinner was salad of farmer's market goodness...and some avocado of course. It went fast(the picture is Robert's with Gorgonzola. I'm lactose intolerant)....

On the side was some tuna salad and my version of a "french" potato salad. Boiled some new potatoes from the market, added scallions and capers. Then threw together this dressing..
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp of EVOO
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard.

 Whisked this up and then put some on the potatoes. There was definitely extra, so dress as much as you like. I like a lighter dressing on this.

YUM...that's it for now...aside from the beautiful ruby red blender that arrived today! Can't wait for smoothie in that tomorrow.

So glossy. I heart Mr.Blender.

Weekending

After a early wake up on Saturday, it was nice to sleep in yesterday. I'm currently training for a 10k this fall. As a new runner, this will be my longest race so far to date. I just started running in Spring 2011 with the Couch to 5K, so this will be my next endeavor. Not far for most runners, but this will be tough for me. Running is hard for me. I love it and it's a good challenge, but it ain't easy.  I grunt and groan a lot on runs. But learning more about minimalist and "natural" running forms and shoes has been helping so much lately. Much less pain and more enjoyment. I'll discuss this more later.

Now...on to food! The main event.

I woke up and had a version of my morning shake. I've always been someone that can't eat right when i get up. This meant that I'd often get to work and feel tired, but my stomach was not ready for whole foods.....then I found shakes! The perfect way to get fuel, hydrated, and my stomach can handle it early in the morning.

My go-to green smoothie is...

-1/2 cup Trader Joe's Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 5-6 frozen strawberries(or fresh if I have them)
-1/2 frozen banana
-1/2 tsp. honey
- 3-4 large leaves of kale

Currently I use my immersion hand blender for this, but it is kind of a pain. SO I ordered a blender that should arrive in the mail this week. YAY!


For dinner, I did one of my new favorites...fish tacos! I improvise a lot on this, but my favorite is an avocado sauce that I make for the top. I adapted it from a bunch of different recipes I saw.

So the taco bar includes....

- Chopped up spicy green beans (my mean bean recipe to come)
-Sliced Sun Gold cherry tomatoes
-Black Beans
-Chopped Cilantro

For the Fish I used Halibut, but any light white fish works. My method was simple...

1. Drizzle fish with olive oil and lemon juice
2. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake in 400 degrees F for 12-15 mins.
4. Break up into pieces for taco.

I also make a quick slaw that I love for good crunch in this taco. It is improvised so you can add these ingredients to taste for the sauce. As for the slaw items, I just use whatever I have that is crunchy in my fridge. Today that meant red cabbage, diced raw zucchini, diced raw broccoli stems, diced cucumbers, and onions.

Then I drizzle it with about

• 1/2 tsp EVOO
•  1 tsp Rice Vinegar
•  Juice of half a lemon
• Cumin
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 I don't like things overdressed so I taste and add things as I go.

Great crunch factor!


AND THEN THE AVOCADO MAYO SAUCY THING! So GOOD! This is a bit improvised as well. I'm planning to get better at measuring and making set recipes in the future.

In a food processor....(This makes enough for about 10 taco toppings)

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 small or 1/2 large avocado
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Mayonnaise (I used Reduced Fat)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Sprinkle of Cayenne
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend in food processor and serve(It is the green mess in that yellow bowl. Doesn't look pretty but delish!)

What I love about tacos is that you can just put whatever you want on them and use up things in the fridge. Also, fish tacos are nice and light, so they are a great summer dinner.

Have a good Monday!