Weeknight dinner.
A major part of my quest to get back into the weight loss game requires getting back in the kitchen. Having moved a few months back I spent weeks ordering in, eating out and living off leftovers. However, a recently discovered the equivalent of the sprawling suburban supermarket just a few blocks away so I’m slowly working my way back into preparing meals. Despite all the delicious recipes I post, most nights dinner isn’t that glamorous since I’m cooking for one. This week’s dinner consisted of sauteed broccoli rabe mixed with TVP and some spices (pictured).
In my family, we grew up broccoli rabe cooked with anchovies so here is my recipe (adapted):
Ingredients:
- bunch of broccoli rabe, stems trimmed
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 4-6 anchovy filets, chopped
- salt to taste
- grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Steps:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add broccoli rabe. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the broccoli rabe is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain thoroughly.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies and broccoli rabe.
- Stir frequently and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes or until the garlic and broccoli rabe begin to brown. Salt to taste.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving if desired.
Makes 4-6 servings depending on the size of the bunch. I divided mine up into three health servings to eat over the course of three nights with a cup or two of TVP (textured vegetable protein) and some liquid aminos. An excellent post-workout dinner.
On weight (and weight loss).
One of the most frustrating things about being female is preoccupation with body image. While I could go on a feminist rant about what it means to be female, fat, thin and everywhere in between, I’d rather focus on the issue of weight and health. In light of last week’s Paula Deen debacle, I figured I’d share a little bit of my story and the struggle to stay fit.
Weight has never been easy for me. Since childhood I have fluctuated between extremes from super chubby to teeny tiny. Right now I am somewhere in between. Last year I dedicated my life to taking off about 30-35 pounds that had crept up on me after college. I packed this weight on for a number of reasons: sedentary lifestyle, general unhappiness in my life and relationships, and a lack of portion control. There is no quick fix for weight loss and my struggle to stay on the smaller side of sizing will be a lifelong battle.
As I type this I am roughly 15-20 pounds away from my goal weight. The numbers on the scale are what motivate me to run races, try new exercise classes and think long and hard before I order out. I fully intend to take the last few pounds off this year, knowing that this will be the most arduous part of my journey. So this year, I’m taking a note from my fellow bloggers (read the stories of Rachel Wilkerson, Pound Per Pound and Selective Potential) committing myself to talking about the process, the recipes I choose to make, workouts and goals.
April 20, 2010
May 9, 2011
Admittedly, I’ve gained about 5 or 6 pounds (ok, ok, I haven’t been on the scale yet this week) back since that May 2011 picture which is why it’s time to get my butt back into gear. This year I’m taking on another 5k, and challenging myself to a 5 miler and a 10k. Ready, set, go!
(Vegetarian) chicken tortilla soup.
A little slow with the posts this year but that’s only because it’s been an interesting start to the new year. I finally dug into my first recipe of the year this week taking on chicken tortilla soup for the vegetarian crowd. I trolled a few different recipes for inspiration and ultimately decided that what I like about chicken tortilla soup is the number of toppings you get to add on top. Tortilla strips, cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado, whatever you want. Toppings, much like condiments, hold a special place in my oh so refined palate. I’m big on dips, too (in fact, I think this inspired me to host a dip party).
Ingredients:
- 2-15 ounce cans of black beans, drained
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes and chiles
- 1 can diced chiles
- 1 bag of Morningstar Farms Meal Starters chicken strips, cooked and shredded
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, cubed
- tortilla strips
- salsa (optional)
- sour cream (optional)
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding in the peppers, onion and garlic. Stir the mixture together and let it cook for 5-10 minutes or until the veggies start to cook down (lower the heat if need be).
- Add in vegetable broth, tomato paste, tomatoes, chiles and black beans. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower to a simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add in the shredded “chicken” strips and let it cook again for about 15 minutes.
- Serve hot with avocado chunks, cheese, tortilla strips, salsa and sour cream as toppings.
Makes 6-8 serves. Will keep in fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Roundup #11.
Been a busy few weeks. Work is crazy, the gym is packed and I’ve been subsisting off either soup and dumplings or soup and grilled cheese. However, in the midst of this I’ve been accumulating a zillion links of things I like, things to buy, things to do, things to make and places to go. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Super into Swissted which fuses punk flyers and Swiss modernism into one beautiful, simple spectacle.
Contemplating the purchase of Shelby Lee Adams’ new photography book Salt & Truth.
This awe-inspiring video gives me motivation to sweat for just a few extra minutes a day, everyday.
So many delicious things I want to make. Like this and this.
And a giant OMG to this hilarious looking show. This is pretty cool, too.
An ode to 2011 – part #2.
And I’m back with part 2 of 2011. Lots of changes in the second half of last year, from residency to career to personal problems to relationships. It was quite the ride. I learned, oh so much in a very short period of time.
Like mainly bloggers, a yearly recap sort of puts into perspective how far you’ve come and what’s next on your agenda. Right now my plans for 2012 including taking off the last few pounds I want to lose, growing my hair back out a bit, volunteering more, taking some cooking classes, shopping less and figuring out where I want my life to go next. Living in New York makes me super psyched on life but pretty much anyone who knows me knows I’m terrified of growing roots so I’m going to work on that. Maybe buy an apartment. Can’t be a wild child forever.
JULY
By far the toughest month of the year. Aside from the personal stuff, I flew out to see friends in Portland for the Fourth of July, got decked out in yellow as I worked on my Pilates certification, and ate a lot of eggs apparently.
AUGUST
August turned into one long, hot summer vacation. In between workouts, beach trips, parties and laughter, I made Tofu Lettuce Wraps (I know what I’m making for dinner this week!), cookies, bread, pie, and finally finished The Sun Also Rises in between earthquakes and hurricanes.
SEPTEMBER
Early on in September I had the honor of participating in my best friend from high school’s wedding to her high school sweetheart. It was month full of love, memories and Salted Fudge Brownies. Yum.
OCTOBER
I moved the beginning of October so that month was a bit light on content. However, I was super into eating beets and snapping pictures of outfits in the bathroom at work while the OWS movement took over the city and subsequently, the country.
NOVEMBER
A month for moving and shaking. From Storm King to Montauk, with some Spicy Tofu Minestrone and Apple Crisp in between. Put a lot of miles on my car and spent time growing some new friendships. Woke up happy basically every day.
DECEMBER
I adore the holidays so this year I set out to make loads of Christmas cookies. And I did. Four times – #1, #2, #3, and #4. Wrote up my reading list recap for the year, which has inspired me to try to read a book a week in 2012 (starting my second book today). And being the lucky girl that I am, I received pretty much everything on my wishlist this year (except the puppy).
An ode to 2011 – part #1.
Ah, 2011.
Most people in my life would probably think I’m nuts for remembering 2011 fondly. Maybe I am. Frankly, when you look at it on a surface level it was not a great year. I turned down a killer job to pursue my PhD only to have that plan completely fall apart before it even started. My significant other of 5 years and a good friend decided to enjoy one another’s company behind my back leaving me to unravel the mystery on my own. I essentially lost it for a good month faced with an existential crisis, not knowing which direction to go in. Friends turned their backs, I turned my back on a few. Weight was lost and gained, hair went long to short, dark to light and back again. But as the cliche goes, I’m still standing.
I picked up the pieces, decided to change a few things around and landed a killer new job, apartment, roommate, group of friends and life. In all honesty, I finished 2011 waking up happy almost every day. Looking back, I can’t remember the last time that happened but I’d venture a guess to say I was probably still in college (6 years later).
Here’s a look back at the year that almost destroyed me, but most certainly made me a far healthier and happier person:
JANUARY
So much snow, so much Pilates and running, sun and surf in Miami, exploring and laughter in Paris. A genuinely wonderful start to the new year (including an unexpectedly awesome NYE).
FEBRUARY
A look back at mini me, recreating Parisian cuisine at home, a very 1980′s Valentine’s Day, a very 1880′s President’s Day, and my first steps into Clean Eating.
MARCH
I shopped for new glasses, splurged on Marble Cheesecake bites (must whip up a batch), devoured Spanakopita casserole, and drove from NJ to Key Biscayne and back again all by my lonesome.
APRIL
Baking seemed to be the theme for April. I experimented with Xylitol in some classic Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins, ate Boston Cream Pie cupcakes, made hardtack and had a piece get published in the International Girl Gang Underground.
MAY
Probably one of the best months of the year. I dipped my toe into fashion blogging (something I’d like to do more of), baked my favorite cookies, sat just a few feet away from Barack & Michelle Obama, and wrote about Fellini’s eyebrows.
JUNE
Another glorious month. Warm weather lead to showing off my secret behavior, participating in Everybody, Everywear, seeing two of my oldest and dearest friends get married, and cutting off the majority of my hair.
Wondering what happened the rest of the year? Well, it gets a lot uglier for a bit but stay tuned anyway!
Christmas cookies – part #4.
The final installment. Sure, it’s after Christmas but this is another of my Grandmother’s recipes that I just couldn’t resist posting. A bit perplexing, this one appears to be our family’s take on rugelach. If I had to guess, I’d assume that the recipe dates back to my great-grandfather Vito Vaccarelli, a pastry chef.
Grandma Ann’s Ragalachs
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon, salt
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 cups sifted flour
- powdered sugar
Steps:
- Mix butter, cream cheese and salt until creamy. Slowly add in flour until a soft dough forms.
- Separate into 14 individual balls and refrigerate overnight.
- Roll each ball into 6″ circles and cut each into quarters.
- In a bowl, mix together the nuts, sugar and cinnamon.
- Drop a rounded teaspoon onto each quarter of dough and pinch together into triangles.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Dust with powdered sugar. My Grandmother used to put the finished product into shirt boxes lined with parchment paper and hide them under the sofa. Of course, we always knew exactly where they were and would sneak over to snatch a cookie or two whenever her back was turned. Happy New Year!
I’ll be back next year with my favorite posts of 2011 and a few resolutions for 2012.
Christmas cookies – part #3.
This recipe is near and dear to my heart – one of the many kinds of Christmas cookies my beloved Grandma Ann would bake year after year. Luckily, I was smart enough to jot down the recipe before she passed away about 5 years ago. Walnut date cookies are meant to be a little bit dry and a tad crunchy, the perfect complement to coffee or tea (or milk if you’re dishing them out for Santa Claus).
Walnut Date Cookies
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment or tin foil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, egg, milk, vanilla and sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients until a sticky down starts to form.
- Fold in the coconut, walnuts and dates until distributed evenly.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets and pop up in the oven for 10-15 minutes (I find 13-14 works best).
Remove cookies once lightly browned and allow them to cool completely (trust me, way better once cooled). Enjoy. Makes roughly 3 dozen.
Wood rat.
Another year older. It’s true. As I slink out of my mid-20′s, I’ve started to feel particularly zen. Lots of sage, incense, crystals, and introspection. Perhaps I’m getting wiser, though I highly doubt it.
Regardless, I decided to dig a little more into my birthday via the zodiac, my birth chart and more. Here is a little taste of what I found.
I’m a wood rat. Yep. I knew the rat part thanks to those nifty place mats at Chinese restaurants. The wood part I was unfamiliar with though after reading a few different interpretations seems fairly on point. All this talk of rats makes me miss my old pet, Lou.
Anyway, in addition to my wood rat/Sagittarius status, I ran my birth chart for my exact date/time/place of birth and received some equally on par results.
I feel pretty good about growing another year older. Despite having some major ups and downs this year, I am happier than ever, surrounded by positive people and a whole lot of love.
Christmas cookies – part #2.
Lots of baking lately. Shortly after I finished baking part #1, I decided to keep going. So I whipped up a batch of Smitten Kitchen’s Nutmeg Maple Butter Cookies. Well, sort of.
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup of sucanat (makes them more molasses-y)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie trays.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in yolk and maple syrup.
- Add in flour, nutmeg and salt and combine until a loose dough forms. (I skipped the dough chilling part.)
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8th of an inch thickness and cut into whatever shapes you like.
- Place cut cookie dough onto trays and bake for 8 to 11 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown.
Makes a few dozen. Chewy, slightly sweet, slightly salty cookies that keep for up to a week in airtight containers.
