Re-stocking your pantry....

If I were to open your cupboards....what would I find?????  Some would say nothing but chips, cookies, and maybe an occasional can of nuts.  Other would say....it's empty.  Many would say all of the right things that would help us make it through this holiday season.  No matter where you are in your eating habits, this article is food for thought.

According to Caloriecount.com, our pantries may be going against the lifestyle/eating changes that many of us are trying to make during this holiday.  If we can eat right when we are not at the holiday parties, then maybe we can treat ourselves when we are!  The article recommends storing a host of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits around for eating in between meals, but keep the serving size in mind. Just a third of a cup of raisins is 143 calories and almost 38 grams of carbs. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds are also high in calories and fat if overdone, so use small storage bags to divide them into single serve packets.  Also, keep canned tomato products including whole, crushed, diced, or pureed tomatoes in your cupboards. Make your own salsa, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce instead of buying them prepackaged.

Another item to add to your pantry is low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock for homemade soup. By making your own soups and sauces, you’ll forgo the added salt and preservatives, and gain a cleaner, fresher taste in exchange.

Something easy to keep in your pantry, BEANS!  Keep beans of different varieties including black, red kidney, and black eyed peas.  MayoClinic.com notes that legumes are high in iron, potassium and magnesium.  Whether you buy them canned or purchase them in bulk, they store easily and have a long shelf life.  If you go canned, be sure to get those with no salt added. You might also add lentils and lima beans into your legume experience.  According to Livestrong.com, some legumes benefit from soaking before cooking (this step is not necessary for lentils and dried peas). In a pinch, canned chickpeas or other canned legumes can be used in recipes or to provide a shot of protein to salads.  Add these to rice cooked in vegetable stock with a variety of vegetables for a hearty lunch. For a great source of protein, keep salmon and tuna pouches handy as well.

Whole Foods has an easy, flavorful soup to create with a ingredients that can be stocked in your kitchen at all times.  This hearty soup (cooked in 20 mins!) can be made either for friends coming over or stored in the refrigerator/freezer for the week to take to work.

Mexican Taco Stew (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1/2 pound 85% lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (gluten-free)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
1 large zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans*
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes*
1 cup frozen corn kernels*
1 cup medium salsa*

Method

Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to pot and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Know what's in your cupboards to know what goes in your belly.  Bon Apetit!

 

  ~Knife Out 

Comfort Food: East side treat....

I find myself so often eating on the west side of the island that most of the east side does get neglected (except for The Neely's BBQ Parlor on 62nd and 1st Ave, just sayin').  Everything for me is on the west side...work....church....friends.  It becomes work to travel "so far" to the east when you don't have a real reason to go over there (minus my friends Steve and Maria who are new to the UES area!)  Well, I have a reason for you....The Melt Shop. 

This lovely little eatery on 53rd and Lexington (make sure you head down the stairs toward the 6 train, it's next to the Dunkin Donuts) has made one of my top 10 favorite comfort food places in NYC.  With it's simple menu, Melt Shop, which specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches, does the wonderful job of including a wonderful array of snack treats, sweet treats, and just plain cheesy treats.  I had the opportunity to try their aged cheddar with maple bacon on sourdough, as well as their fontina and goat cheese with roasted wild mushrooms and parsley pesto on whole wheat. 

On perfectly toasted bread, both sandwiches are served warm and ready to eat.  They are not too greasy and not too cheesy that you burn the roof of your mouth that most grilled cheese sandwiches tend to have the habit of doing.  Add a side of shop tots (to share of course!) and these tasty bites are a bit of crunchy perfection that is accompanied by a special melt shop sauce that is sweet and tangy.  My favorite was the aged cheddar.  There is only one slice of bacon but it's matched ever so delicately with the aged cheddar for a flavor packed punch that hits you after the first bite.  There will be an "OMGoodness" moment after the first bite.  It's the adult version of a childhood favorite.  Visit the Melt Shop website for more yummy menu items.  All in all...I promise, it's worth the trek. 

~ Knife Out

It came and went....

Thanksgiving is done.  I feel a holiday void (only for the moment of course!).  I trust that everyone had a wonderful holiday.  I know I did.  My roommates and I enjoyed a two day feast and were completely content/excited to spend the holiday/time with each other. 

We decided to stay away from a few traditional food items this year - not only to save our waist lines for Christmas but to save space in our refrigerator too!  This year we twisted a few items and it worked brilliantly!  Instead of a turkey, we had the pleasure of preparing a salmon steak that was delightful.  I marinated the salmon (for an hour) in a cap full of hickory liquid smoke, which you can find at your local grocery store, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  That's it!  Covered in foil, I then placed it in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  The size of the salmon will determine how long it will stay in the oven.  It was tender, juicy and had lots of flavor!

Here are a few of the other items that were prepared: Mashed Cauliflower, Red Pepper salsa, and Brussel sprouts with pancetta.  Lots of flavor with not a lot of fat.  Take a look at the recipes below on how you can duplicate these easy, nutritious recipes. 

Cauliflower Mash - Steamed cauliflower, whipped with Omega 3 butter, splash of milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Red pepper salsa - 1 Red pepper, 2 Med tomatoes, cilantro, mint, garlic, pinch of salt.  Served with flax seed multi-grain chips.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and onions - Sauteed onions and garlic until tender, add pancetta and cook for 2 mins.  Add brussels and pinch of pepper until brussels become tender.  Serve warm.

I hope you enjoy these new recipes as much as I did!  By the way, I  have a new kitchen toy - more great recipes to come!!!!!!

~ Knife Out

A twist on an oldie-but-goodie....

It's finally here.....THANKSGIVING!!! I know that I am not the only one excited about Thursday's food smash!  I am more excited this year because I get to spend it with my lovely roommates. Yes, we have chosen to stay in our pajamas and keep things simple. Thursday is going to be a blast.

I'm more excited to try some new recipes that are a twist of some of our favorite traditions this holiday season.  One of my favorites: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffle recipe from Whole Foods! This will substitute a pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake recipe that you always wanted to make but never had the time to.  The prep time is 20 mins with an additional 2-3 hour set time. So, plan accordingly and you could be the talk of the dessert table this year!!!!!

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Truffles

Ingredients

2½ cups white chocolate chunks
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine salt
2 ounces cream cheese, softened

Directions

Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat or in the microwave for about 1 minute. Stir often to keep the chocolate from burning. Transfer to a large bowl. Add gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt and cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl, cover and chill until just solid enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours.

Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Melt remaining 2 cups chocolate and transfer to a small, deep bowl. Roll 1 heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture into a ball in your hands, then drop into the chocolate. Working quickly, gently spoon chocolate over to coat. Using a small spoon or fork, lift the truffle out of the chocolate, shake off excess and transfer to prepared sheet tray. Dollop a bit of extra chocolate on any parts that remain exposed, then sprinkle a few gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs over the top, if you like. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture and chocolate, then chill truffles until chocolate is completely set, about 1 hour.

These truffles pair pumpkin with gingersnap and graham cracker crumbs brilliantly.  For the best results, chill truffles until you're ready to serve them.

Enjoy the day and remember Thanksgiving doesn't end on Thursday.  You can be thankful every day for something in your life.  Time to look on the brighter side of things!

~ Knife Out

Are you traveling this holiday season....

Thanks to Alana Sugar who wrote a wonderful article on the Whole Foods blog site, the idea of carrying snacks during this holiday season re-energized me!  Think about it, we spend so much time out in the streets (during or after work) to shop for holiday presents for loved ones, meeting up with friends, or just running our regular errands, that we tend to get hungry while "out on the road."  I don't know about you but shopping makes me hungry!!!  I am the first to stop by Auntie Anne's for a pretzel or Duane Reade for a bag of chips or sour candy.

This year, let's do something different!!!!!!!  Try these wonderful, quick and easy snack recipes that you can create at home to pack in your bag for those long nights out and about and will at least hold you until dinner time!!

1. Pumpkin seeds are my new found friend for snacking.  According to Livestrong.com and WHF, Pumpkin seeds are loaded with essential minerals. Just 1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds offers 1.04 mg of manganese. This is over 50 per cent of the RDA (recommended daily allowance.) Manganese is needed to keep bones strong, normalize blood sugar and regulate cholesterol. Other necessary elements in pumpkin seeds are magnesium, phosphorous, tryptophan, iron, copper, protein, zinc and vitamin K.  

Five-Spice Pumpkin Seeds: Toss salted pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) with sesame oil and Chinese five-spice powder, then bake at 350° until crisp.  

If you can't five the five-spice powder in your local grocery store, here is the recipe compliments of Linda Larsen at about.com: 

Five-spice powder

• 1 tsp. ground Szechwan pepper
• 1 tsp. ground star anise
• 1-1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

2. Edamame is another one of my favorite snacks to keep on hand.   It's easy to make, easy to eat, and can fit in a ziploc bag to fit in your purse when you are on the move.  This little soybean contains a lot of nutrition and many health benefits and has really become a popular choice of snack food in my household.  For more information, you can look up the nutritional facts and health benefits here.

Edamame (found in your grocery frozen vegetable section):  Toss these frozen soy beans into a pot of boiling water for 4-6 mins.  Drain and season to taste.  I like using lemon pepper for flavor. 

3. Do you have 20 minutes to spare????  Try this great Basic Healthy Granola recipe from Wholeliving.com:

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats
• 1/8 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 cup apple juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional when adding dried fruit
• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped dried papaya

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet with canola oil (you may also use cooking-oil spray or line baking sheet with nonstick foil). In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flax meal, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl combine the apple juice, maple syrup, honey, and optional brown sugar. Mix well.
   
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until the mixture is fully combined and moist. Spread the mixture on the greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
   
3. Remove from the oven and stir, breaking the large chunks into smaller pieces. Add the dried pineapple and dried papaya and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While still warm, stir to break up any remaining chunks. When completely cool, store the granola in an airtight container.
   
   

We are going to be giving ziploc bags quite a bit of business over the next few weeks.  Here's to healthy snacks in your pocket book this holiday season.  There's more to come....


~ Knife Out

Tis the season for pumpkin....

It's fall, which means it is time for all things PUMPKIN!!!!!  I have been bitten by the pumpkin bug!!!  I have been looking up so many recipes that have pumpkin as the main ingredient.  I promise to only post festive pumpkin recipes that will appease the appetite, as well as your waist line!  This recipe is for all of my lactose intolerant friends  ; )  It yields risotto like results w/o the lactose results in your tummy!

First up  ~  Creamy Pumpkin Brown Rice.  I made this yesterday and it was oh so good! 

Creamy Pumpkin Brown Rice  

(Serves 8 to 10 or 1 hungry girl for a few days, reheated of course!)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked brown basmati rice
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 bay leaves (or if you are like me and don't use a lot of bay, 3 tbsp. of basil will do)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Toast rice, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes more. Meanwhile, whisk together pumpkin purée and broth in a large bowl.

Stir broth mixture and bay leaves into pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through and creamy, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

*This is a great warm, healthy, and budget friendly meal to make on a Sunday (or any day that you are free) and will last you a few days.  According to Livestrong.com, basmati has the highest content of all rice for amino acids and essential nutrients.  Basmati is a good source of complex carbohydrates, providing energy for the brain and central nervous system.  For more nutritional information on brown basmati rice, I encourage you to visit the link above. 

Enjoy pumpkin season! 

~ Knife Out