Mango Mint Lassi

Is anyone else out there sick of winter foods? Are you looking for a little sunshine in your day? If you answered yes to one or both of those questions, then you must try this Mango Mint Lassi recipe. It comes from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook and tastes like spring in a cup on a cold winter day. The mango-yogurt-orange juice combination creates a light texture (not quite as thick as a smoothie) and the mint provides such a refreshing taste and scent. 

Now, I bet you are thinking what I thought the first time I saw this recipe: what the heck is a lassi? Originating from the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan, the lassi is a yogurt-based drink that can be sweet or savory. For more info, just look on Wikipedia, or you could try the recipe for yourself. 

This particular lassi is the perfect way to begin your day, or it could be used to restore your energy post-workout. Either way, I assure you that you will not be disappointed. I literally had to tell myself not to gulp too much at once. 

Poached Egg with Red Quinoa and Microgreens

I have some good news, everybody. I learned how to successfully poach an egg! Huzzah! You probably think it's ridiculous that I am so excited, but I don't care. Learning how to cook doesn't always mean following a recipe or instructions, and it certainly doesn't always mean getting it right on the first try. Learning from my mistakes has taught me many lessons in the kitchen (and outside the kitchen, I suppose).

On my first attempt, the water temperature was too hot which caused the egg to cook too quickly. The whites didn't stick together and the yolk was fully cooked by the time I pulled it out. My second try was much better. After reading some tips from Smitten Kitchen I decided to use a smaller pan (for one egg a big pot is way too much room), I also added a splash of vinegar to the water, and turned the heat down so that the water was forming bubbles on the bottom of the pan. When pouring the egg into the pan, I made sure to create a mini whirlpool so that the whites wrapped around the yolk. See on the far right how my egg looks blurry? It's spinning! Cook the egg for three and a half minutes to create a runny yolk and four minutes for a non-runny yolk.

Quinoa Collard Wraps

Hello, friends. I feel like I haven't posted in ages, though it's only been a week and a half. Maybe because the new year has come and I feel like I have a fresh start again. The new year always invigorates me and makes me feel like I can conquer the world (or at the very least, conquer some bad habits). One of my resolutions this year is an ongoing resolution I made in 2012: no more frozen/boxed dinners. I originally made this resolution to inspire myself to cook more meals and eat healthier foods. Not only are frozen meals usually loaded with sodium, but they never fill me up! I find myself gazing longingly at the refrigerator an hour after dinner, wishing that Lean Cuisines made bigger portions. Making myself cook my own food has significantly increased my creativity in the kitchen, and makes me feel great from the inside out.

After a tough morning at yoga (I knew all those holiday goodies would take their revenge), I came home and made myself a quinoa collard wrap. I found the recipe in the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook by Sara and Hugh Forte--the one I received as a Christmas gift. Nothing feels better than re-charging my body with wholesome foods and this recipe caught my eye immediately. Now, I must tell you, these wraps took some dedication. I thought I would just come home and whip some ingredients together and call it a day, but they demanded effort. First of all, there were a lot of ingredients. Second, my fingers kept getting stained red from the beets, so I was continuously stopping to wash my hands. Despite the amount of time it took to prepare the wraps, I do not regret making them. In fact, they were so tasty and healthy that I will probably make myself another one for tomorrow's lunch. 

Chai-Spiced Pear and Walnut Muffins

I came home to celebrate Christmas with two thoughts on my mind: pears and chai. I wanted to bake something that would taste sweet while still being somewhat wholesome (since I knew that I would be eating too many holiday treats this week anyway) for Christmas Eve morning. With so many tantalizing baked goods being passed around during the holiday season, I was overwhelmed by what I wanted to make: cookies? cake? bread? cupcakes? scones? Instead of carefully planning my recipe ahead of time, I just started dumping dry ingredients into one bowl and wet ingredients into another (under normal circumstances, this would turn into one big baking fiasco). By the time everything was mixed together, I realized that I had made the perfect dough for muffins...mini muffins to be exact.

Although I had made and taste-tested these little bites of goodness the night before, they were perfect on the morning of Christmas Eve. I knew I didn't want a heavy breakfast, so I had two (okay, maybe three) of these mini muffins so that I wouldn't be famished before my family's Christmas dinner that afternoon.

I started the muffin-making process by adding three peeled and diced pears to a sauce pan, adding about 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and cooking the mixture on medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. My goal was to make a pear sauce (think applesauce) to act as moisture in the muffins, while also adding that subtle pear flavor. After cooking the pears until they were very soft, I transferred them to a bowl and mashed the chunks with a fork. If the mixture appears too dry while cooking, feel free to add a half of a cup of water to the pan. The pears will become a slightly golden color, but should not brown.

Power Smoothie

With the sunshine disappearing earlier every day, I have been feeling the need for a little energy boost. No, I'm not talking caffeine...I'm talking fruit, people.

In an attempt to stave off the winter blues before they even start, I made myself a nutritious (and delicious!) power smoothie. Nothing says energy like the combination of raspberries, mango, orange, banana, and fresh ginger.

The trick to making a smoothie with the right consistency lies in the ratio of frozen fruits to regular-temperature fruits. Master that little secret and you will make tasty smoothies no matter what the ingredients.

Ingredients (makes about 2 servings):
1 banana
1 orange
juice from half a lime
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1 handful frozen raspberries
1 inch fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk)

Directions:
Plop ingredients into a blender, combine until smooth. ¡Fácil!

Grapefruit Morning

Breathe in. Breathe out. Ahhhhhhh...it's Friday morning and I have the day off of work. I slept in, practiced some yoga, and prepared broiled grapefruit for breakfast.

Did you know that the grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit? According to On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, the grapefruit "originated as a hybrid of the sweet orange and pummelo in the Caribbean in the 18th century" (McGee 376). I had no idea! Maybe it's just me, but I've always frowned upon "hybrid" fruits (like the grapple--looks like an apple, tastes like a grape) because they seem so unnatural. As it turns out, lots of fruits were once hybrids. Maybe I will have to give the grapple another try...but not today.

In college, my roommates and I used to steal grapefruits from the cafeteria. We would carefully peel the membrane from each segment and eat them as a snack just plain. Some people do not like the bitter taste of grapefruits, and I'll admit, the flavor does take some getting used to. I happen to love grapefruits, but had never broiled one before until this morning.

I am going to throw out a word of caution about grapefruits...they are packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants, but if you pile mounds of sugar on top of them, the citrus fruit ceases to be healthy. If you find the fruit too bitter for your tasting, add tiny bits of agave nectar or honey to curb the bite.

To make broiled grapefruit, set the oven to broil. Then cut a grapefruit horizontally and use a knife to slice around each segment. Slicing the fruit before cooking will make eating it all that much easier. Then sprinkle 1/4 of a teaspoon of nutmeg, and about a 1 teaspoon of minced ginger onto the grapefruit halves. Broil for 5-8 minutes and enjoy. :) Adding cinnamon, honey, agave nectar, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt would be delicious as well. 

I don't know if this citation is necessary, but the English major inside of me couldn't wait to write it:

McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Winter Sweets and a Holiday Soirée

  

When my lovely roommates and I decided to throw a little holiday soirée, I was delighted that we chose the first of December as our date. December is one of those months that flies by in a flash -- one minute I am making a list of gifts to purchase for my family, and the next I have a sparkly tiara on my head ringing in the new year. By hosting our party on the first, we now have several weeks to relax and take in all the joys this month has to offer.

With the aid of this recipe I was able to craft some gorgeous (and delicious, even if I do say so myself) speculoos button cookies. I found the metallic-colored decorative pearls and gold sugar sprinkles at a Michael's, for those of you wondering.

 

I would recommend making the dough a few days ahead of time, since it needs to be frozen anyway. These cookies were small, lightly spiced, and surprisingly chewy (not crunchy at all!). In my mind, crackers are crunchy and cookies should be soft...but that's just my personal taste.

Along with the cookies, I whipped together some vegan truffles (yay, vegan!) made of dates, crushed hazelnuts, coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a touch of espresso.

The recipe I used was based on these Choco-Almond Truffles. I substituted hazelnuts for the almonds and added espresso because...well, because I just dig espresso. After combining all the ingredients, I formed the truffles and rolled them in finely chopped hazelnuts, shaved coconut, and cocoa powder.