Recipe - Spaghetti Squash Side

OHHHHHHH Heaven's to betsy... This is another outstanding dish. Sorry to post so late when this squash is close to becoming out of season...substitute w/ zucchini or yellow squash when that's in season soon! I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com. Ok, looks like i have to figure out how to display the pic properly.. and also, pay no attention to the fish w/ the apple butter on it. That was an original idea that didn't turn out to tasty. i mean it was good, just not great. I'm not perfect and you don't have to be either. Just try somethin new and see what happens!

* 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 3 tablespoons sliced black olives (I despise olives so i substituted 1/2 can of artichokes which was the best idea EVAR!)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled. (Be careful not to over cook because it can get really mushy)
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Recipe - Coconut Curry Chicken Salad

The reason I made this is because i get chicken salad at least once per week at work. Why am i paying for it? And why am I eating those unnecessary calories in the full fat mayo? Since i love it so much, i figured to make a batch to have a few sandwhiches during the week.

ANNNND, I really have to pat myself on the back for this one...cause it's pretty much the shit! oh oh oh so tasty. I love curry. I try to curry anything up that i can. and i figure i make coconut curry sauces, why not just throw real coconut into the mix... I had all this stuff on hand in the pantry and didn't have to make a special trip. I forget why i had the coconut... was for some other recipe i bought it for a while back. anywhoo.. here goes... if i would do anything, it would be adding peppitas or onion for crunch. that's the only thing i thought it was missing.

Cubed cooked chicken breast (I usually bake a lb or so and use it in different meals throughout the week.)
1-2 tblsp curry powder
shredded coconut
golden raisins
chopped cilantro
Light Mayo - not much. just enough to bind it.

My Progress - Sorry I have been MIA

Guys, so sorry for the lack of posts. I've been so super busy with setting up my business that posting my food stuff really has fallen to wayside. I'm gonna try to really keep up with this because I do feel it's a very important aspect for you all to get to know who I am and what I do... SO i promise to at least try to update every other day! Cheers!

Recipe - Roasted Root Veggies

This was my first time cooking w/ a rutabaga and a turnip. I'm trying to cook more seasonally. This is easy and makes a lot. I actually ate this for breakfast this morning..

1 Rutabega
1 Turnip
3-4 Carrots
2 Yams
1 Whole Head Garlic separated from head but still in it's skin.
1 Sliced Onion
Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Peel and dice everything. Slice onion thinly. Sprinkle rosemary, S&P. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir. Bake at 400 for 45-1hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Breakfast Hot Pocket

This is by no means low calorie.. lol.. it's a great thing to make though, on a day where you wake up late and can afford to have something that will allow you to make it all the way through to a late dinner.. this is probably around 600 calories.

Leftover hot sausage
2 eggs
onion
spinach
whole wheat thin style pita
hot pepper jack
hot sauce and ketchup to taste.
White beans

Pan fry the veggies, add beans and sausage to warm. Add scrambled eggs. Stuff in a pocket... be and feel full for your weekend day adventures...

IIN Local Philly Pot Luck Recipes

Guys, i encourage everyone to arrange and try potlucks. They're fun and inexpensive and allow you the opportunity to try new food. We had soooooooooooo much good stuff... I brought the mexican kasha skillet. the recipe is on a previous post...here are some of the other recipes:


Curried Lentils and Cauliflower from "Feeding the Whole Family"

Ingredients
1 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 small head cauliflower, cut in small flowerettes
1/2-1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ginger
3/4-1 cup water
1/4 cup roasted cashews (optional)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)
Directions
Wash and drain lentils. Place in a pot with bay leaf and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and let simmer 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft. While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and salt, then sauté until onion is soft. Add garlic granules and curry powder, then stir. Add cauliflower, tomato sauce, ginger and water, stir well; cover and let simmer until cauliflower is tender (10-15 minutes). Stir cooked lentils into cauliflower-tomato mixture, discarding the bay leaf. Serve over whole grains and garnish as desired.

This was by far the hit of the potluck...SOOOOOOOOO flavorful...

Garbanzo Cranberry Quinoa Salad
http://keyingredient.com/recipes/90611/garbanzo-cranberry-quinoa-salad/

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups water
* 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
* ½ cup dried cranberries
* ½ cup golden raisins
* ⅓ cup sliced almonds
* ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
* ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
* ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape the quinoa into a large bowl, and refrigerate until cold.

2. Stir the garbanzo beans, cranberries, raisins, almonds, mint, coriander, cumin, and olive oil into the quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe - Mexican Buckwheat (Kasha) Skillet

Buckwheat is a whole grain that cooks quicker than a lot of other whole grains. This was my first time cooking with it and I found a recipe and tweaked it.
http://www.thebirkettmills.com/mexicanskillet_2005.htm

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1½ cups water
¾ cup uncooked kasha (whole or coarse)
1 16-oz. can tomatoes, cut up
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. molasses or sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Dash tabasco or pepper
½ tsp. chili powder (optional)


Method

In skillet, cook ground beef, onion, green pepper and celery until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Spoon off all except about 2 tablespoons excess fat. Stir in uncooked kasha until the grains are moistened by the meat mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes or until kasha is tender. Stir mixture occasionally and add extra liquid (water, wine, or tomato juice) if necessary. May be topped with grated cheese before serving.

What i did differently was use 1C of kasha that i soaked all day. You should soak grains to make them easier to digest. I increased water by 1-2C. I used 2 large jalapenos for kick. I used a can of kidney beans instead of meat. I added those near the end just because they only need warmed. I really liked this dish and it made a lot. I froze most of it into single servings.

The fish is halibut. First time i ever cooked this too and i just did the same thing as i did w/ the maui maui. Cajun seasoning, salt, pan sear. i found that i LOVE halibut. more so than maui maui.

Recipe - Pan Seared Mahi Mahi and Sauteed Cabbage & Snow Peas

SUPER EASY!

I just seasoned the fish w/ salt and cajun. Cook on med-high heat for 4-5 mins on each side. For the side, I used leftover par-boiled cabbage from the curry meal, added snow peas and onion as well as a smidge of korean bbq sauce. Korean bbq sauce has a strong taste, so just adding a bit gives a lot of flavor.

Recipe - Hot Sausage Skillet

Ingredients:
Hot Sausage
1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Kidney Beans
Spinach
Green & Red Peppers
Onion & Garlic

Slice Sausage links out of their casing. Pan fry. Drain. All the while having another skillet going where you are pan frying peppers onion and garlic. Once al dente add the tomatoes and 1/2 Can of kidney beans and spinach. Heat everything till spinach is wilted and warm. I used way too much sausage... would have been nicer with more veg and just a touch of sausage... I ate this as a meal w/o any grains, as i had enough earlier in the day... Leftovers though next day i had w/ some whole wheat pasta I cooked the same night i cooked this...

Tips & Tricks - Storing Mushrooms

Published November 1, 2001. Cook's Illustrated.

What's the best way to store mushrooms?

Given their damp, shady habitat, it is no surprise that button mushrooms have little tolerance for careless storage. When stored at home, mushrooms go quickly from proud and plucky to shriveled and dispirited or slimy and discolored. To test the best storage method, we purchased several 12-ounce packages of button mushrooms. We stored one in its original sealed container, one in a paper bag (suggested by the Mushroom Council and thought to promote air circulation), one in a perforated plastic bag (thought to promote air circulation and hold moisture simultaneously), and one in its original cardboard container with the wrap removed and mushrooms then covered with a damp paper towel. (We did not clean the mushrooms, which can cause bruising and would affect our results.)

At the end of five days, the mushrooms in the paper bag were completely dehydrated. The mushrooms in the perforated plastic bag were spongy and discolored. The mushrooms under the (ever-refreshed) damp paper towel were also discolored, but in relatively good condition. The mushrooms in their original sealed container experienced the least deterioration; they were perfectly good after four days. By the fifth day they looked slightly dry and flaky in their container. The moral of this story: Sometimes ready-made packaging has a function beyond simple convenience—sometimes it actually helps to preserve the contents. If you open a sealed package of mushrooms but don’t use all the contents, simply rewrap the package (with the remaining mushrooms still inside) with plastic.

Recipe - Roasted Brussel Sprouts

See pic Below.

SUPER EASY kids! Slice off the ends. I cut in quarters to reduce cooking time. They'll take 30-40 mins whole. 10-15 quartered. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 400 degree oven. Make sure to shake up/stir a few times while cooking so nothing gets too browned. I think i ate a whole pound of these... lol.

Recipe - Parsnip & Yam Mash

I had left over protein so i figured i had time to make 2 veggie dishes... I never cooked or even tried a parsnip before. You can eat them raw as they have more of a carrot consistency than potato. I really think it would be something fun/dif to add to a veggie tray. It's got a carrot/anise sort of taste. So anywho, i tried this recipe and i think i used too much parsnip. Or maybe it was just too parsnipy for my liking so, i did a 50/50 ratio. next time a 75/25 will work better i think...

This will serve about 4 for a side dish.
1 medium parsnip
1 large-xlarge yam
evaporated skim milk (or almond or regular..whatever u have. I'm not a regular milk drinker so i have evaporated on hand)
nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste
Sliced Scallons

Peel and diced parsnips and yams. Throw in pot and cover with cold water. bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender. Mash, add milk and spices. Serve.

Recipe - Easy Tomato Basil Salad

Super easy. I usually always try to have fresh herbs on hand. Cilantro, Basil, Mint, Parsley. Sometimes i dont have all 4. Usually 2 at a time. Basil doesn't last long so make sure you use it a few days after you buy it.

1 Plum Tomato
Fresh Sliced Basil (Take all the leaves and put on top of each other. Roll up and slice.)
Fresh Sliced Scallions
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
S&P

Recipe - Thai Curried Veggies

This turned out pretty darned good. Was testing out more veggified recipes for "Meatless Mondays" meals... I wanted a simple curry sauce so i found one and doctored it up to my liking. I wanted to use a lot of veggies cause i have a ton, but if you only keep this to 3 it'll be quicker to prep.

Veggies I used
Cabbage - which i par-boiled
Snow Peas
Carrot
Onion
Crimini Mushroom (baby portabella)
Red and Green Pepper
1-2 inch chunk of ginger root grated
2 cloves garlic

1 can light coconut milk
2 tsp thai curry paste (i used green) - this will be spicy! use less if ur scurred
1/3 c stock or broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp thai seasoning (found at reading terminal) you don't really need to use this at all if u don't have it
1/4 tsp salt
Cilantro leaves (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
2 tsp corn starch

The 2 steps below you can start at the same time and they'll finish at the same time..

Shake can of coconut milk and pour into medium saucepan, heat over moderate heat. Add the curry paste and cook stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, thai seasoning and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. I added cornstarch later cause i like a thicker sauce. Just stir in a little bowl w/ cold water or broth and gradually pour in while stirring. Add cilantro at the end.

Saute all veggies except mushrooms and par-boiled cabbage over medium high heat in peanut oil. After 2 mins, add in the ginger and garlic. Throw mushrooms in after everything's already cooked for 5 or so minutes. Throw par-boiled cabbage in at the very end just to coat it w/ garlic/ginger flavors.

Spoon on as much sauce as you want and serve over rice. If it's still too spicy for you, squeeze some lime juice over it. The acidity cuts the spice a bit.

Recipe - Vegan Curried Split Pea Soup

So i'm in the process of trying to eat less meat. reason for this is because I really don't feel like i need so much of it in my diet. so, in order to eat less meat i have to eat more of something else... gotta crowd out the meat... it took me all my might and power not to make this split pea soup a split pea and ham soup, cause well, my split pea and ham soup is amazing... i decided to look up some vegetarian options and i combined a few and came up w/ an original idea of my own. (using a yam). I thought it would be really yummy to sweeten up the recipe since using curry...I have to say that i'm pretty darn happy with how it turned out...

1 cup chopped onion
1 med-large diced yam
2 diced carrots
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water
1-2 tablespoon curry powder (depends how currified you want it)

Saute the veggies in olive oil until tender. Do not let get brown. Add split peas, water and curry. The recipe i found called for 1 tblsp but i added an entire tablespoon more and i could have prob even added more. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper. I never puree my split pea soup, as i like it chunky but i thought it would be a good idea to do so to incorporate the sweetness of the carrot and yam into every bite. Puree the soup w/ a hand or traditional blender until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Recipe - Lemon Roasted Asparagus & Red Pepper

1 Bunch of Asparagus (or 2 if u don't use red pepper)
1 Red Pepper
Juice of one Lemon
Green onion tops or chives
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Bake at 400 for 10-15 mins.

Recipe - Thai Baked Chicken Fingers

So, last week or a few weeks ago, I had a moment of being upset about something. I was home and I just was like, what do I want to eat? and... chicken fingers popped in my head... ahhh yes, chicken fingers... so i was gonna say f it and order them out. i allow myself to have whatever I want... it's been working for me in my weightloss success so what the heck.... and i just remembered to take a step back and ask myself, why am i doing this? why do i want to put my body through fried greasiness? And it hit me.. COMFORT FOOD. I wanted comfort. So I was like, i have chicken.. lemme see if i can find a quick recipe cause i'm hungry now and i dont feel like messin in the kitchin forever... welp i found one.. and they're delish. I've made them once/week now just cause i love that comfort so much... and i tweeked the recipe a bit. I like that this recipe used oil because i wanted that comfort food crunch. so it uses a bit for that...

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. (30 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup bread crumbs (i used my own from leftover bread that i let get stale and pulsated)
1 tbsp. Thai seasoning (i bought at spice market at reading terminal)
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) black pepper
Store bought Thai chili sauce for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick vegetable oil spray.
Cut each of the chicken breasts into 4 or 5 lengthwise "fingers." Place in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil and stir to coat everything evenly.
In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, Thai seasoning, salt and pepper. Transfer to a plastic bag (make sure there are no holes). Add the chicken strips and shake to coat with the crumb mixture. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn the strips over and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned and cooked through.

Recipe - Carrot Salad

This is my very own recipe...came up with this cause i wanted a salad but had no lettuce... I've had carrot salads before but they involve heavy mayo usage. Here's a better version...

Shredded Carrots
Green Onion
Cilantro
Golden Raisins
Peppitas, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.. (Pepitas are a popular ingredient in Mexican cooking and are also roasted and served as a snack)
2 TBLSP Light Mayo
1/2 C or so of Non Fat Greek Style Yogurt
Lemon Juice (i forget if i used this or not. I think i did)
Salt & Pepper

Just add all ingredients using as much as you deem fit. I made a lot and the next time i ate it i added some feta. Also you could add some curry powder for extra zing.

Institue for Integrative Nutrition - Update

Guys, if you didn't already know, i'm going back to school to becoming a holistic health counselor. I will be posting updates of my progress and here's the first one...

Got up there friday night. Stayed w/ a work friend who lives on upper west side. Went to fairway market that night to grab some food. if u never been, it's gourmet, international, home made type stuff. and then they have a big organic market... dropped like $20 bucks on 4 items. lol...

Found out that my classes which are held at the lincoln center (home of the NY Philharmonic) is only 7 blocks from where i'm staying so, that was CLUTCH... got there.. and there are prob 1500-2000 students. i didn't get an exact count but will soon! Just so crazy to be in one place w/ so many like minded individuals.

Sat and Sunday were devoted to nutritional education as well as education from a few guest speakers...

Walter Willett, MD
Chairman of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a
professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, he is the author of
several books, including Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less.

Bernie Siegel, MD
A physician who embraces a philosophy of living and dying that stands
at the forefront of medical ethics and spiritual issues, he is the author
of several best-selling books including: Love, Medicine & Miracles;
Peace, Love & Healing and How to Live Between Office Visits.

Marion Nestle, MPH, PhD
Professor of Nutrition at New York University, her research focuses on
analysis of the scientific, social, cultural, and economic factors that
influence the development and acceptance of federal dietary guidance
policies. She is the author of Food Politics, and most recently, What
to Eat.

Victoria Moran
An international speaker on wellness and personal growth, and a certified
life coach, she is the author of ten books including Fat, Broke & Lonely
No More, Fit From Within and Creating a Charmed Life.

Sunday was devoted to business practices and marketing... which was pretty cool and exciting in and of itself...


Saturday for lunch, we met with our own personal health counselors and other students who have your same councelor... we went to via Vai - 225 77th Street, cute little Mediterranean place. I got the calamari salad, which was HEAVEN. they gave you a ton of whole grilled calamari tube thingies (they weren't pre cut). i was pretty shocked at how much they gave you. very reasonable i thought for $14.

Then Saturday night i met up w/ cherpat (aka Cheryl and Chris Patrick). Went to santos party house for kerri chandler - deep house CHI head... i admit that i never heard of the guy cause i'm not a deep house head.... but he was AWESOME... LOVED every track. and really got me into deep house again... he was playing a real to real the whole time... kinda crazy watching him grab the tape on the reels to unwind a bit and throw on the real to... dude was sick.... also, the sound in that place.. MASSIVE... just MASSIVE... GIANT SPEAKERS covering the ENTIRE circumference of the club... i told myself i would leave by 2, but i left at about 2:30 or so... took almost and hour to get home though waiting for the Q.... and then the 1 came by quick after that....

Sunday.... class again... and was able to go back to my friends to make lunch which is awesome cause then i dont have to spend an arm and a leg eating out every time...... and then later that night i went to a steelers bar on upper west called blondies. Place was packed full of heads and steelers jerseys... i met a guy who was married and had a kid, but still bought me drinks and food. LOL... he was sooooo sweet. from turkey. you could tell that he really loved his wife and daughter.... and was a very happy and appreciative person for all he had in life... he was only at the bar because they don't use the TV around their daughter.... she's 18 months and studies have shown that tv MAY cause autism....

Monday was class again.... which again, was great! and i dont know if u know but art cuebik's wife is enrolled in the program as well.... and she got to go on stage and do a health history w/ the founder, joshua... so that was pretty cool!

I caught the 4:45 megabus back to philly and arrived home to my frozen car... SEE other thread for that story. LOL.. P.S.. that megabus trip cost me $4.50 roundtrip. :thumbsup:


So, yeah, if u can't already tell... I just am enamored w/ life and living right now and all is well and will always be well. :) I look forward to sharing more with you about my new career path, and all of the benefits of this work. I’ll be inviting people to health consultations in the near future, to have the opportunity to support them to create a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. If you would like to be on my future monthly newsletter which will talk about my progress and health issues, tips, and tools, please PM me your email address. I promise i will not give to others nor will i spam ya...


Love u gusy..

rach


one more cool thing that i forgot to mention... they had 2 MD graduates from 2007 speak about their experiences at IIN... and they said that through all of medical school and training... they are taught how to heal w/ a scalpel and a list of medications. they were never given the tools on how to actually care... this was just... WOW for me... and to have MDs as guest speakers who agree w/ our school's vision again, is just so amazing...