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Culinary Pursuits: Tomato Coconut Curry Sauce with Roasted Spaghetti Squash

March 24, 2014

I’m bringing you a quick and easy, low-calorie, delicious, and vegetarian friendly dish that I made. If it sounds to good to be true just wait.

For the sauce you’ll need:

1/2, large white onion
1 Tri-color bell pepper mix (pre-diced from Publix)
29 oz can of Hunt’s tomato sauce
15 oz can of reduced sodium chickpeas
12 oz can of Rotel Seasoned diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut milk
One tablespoon of olive oil (to sautee the onions and bell peppers)
Seasonings (the only seasoning I measured was the curry; everything else was to taste):
1 tablespoon of curry
Sea Salt
~1/2-1 teaspoon of Olive Garden’s Garlic & herb seasoning
~1/2-1 teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning
~1 teaspoon of cilantro leaves

  1. At a medium to high heat cook the onions in one tablespoon of olive oil and sea salt until translucent.
  2. Once translucent, add the bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes, spraying some olive oil cooking spray.
  3. Add the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, followed by the can of Hunt’s tomato sauce.
  4. Let that come to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  5. Once that comes to a boil add the chickpeas and let cook for 5 more minutes.
  6. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of coconut milk, followed by the different seasonings.
  7. Turn off the stove, the sauce is done.

For the spaghetti squash:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and while the oven is preheating heat the spaghetti squash (whole) for 3 minutes.
  2. Once the spaghetti squash is done in the microwave, slice off the ends and cut in half.
  3. Spray a pan with cooking spray and place the two halves (face down) in the pan and let cook in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. This depends on the size of the squash you have. For larger squash cook closer to an hour, or if you like your spaghetti squash mushier, cook closer to an hour
  4. After an hour has passed fork out your spaghetti squash.

I sprinkled black pepper on top of mine before adding the sauce since I know spaghetti squash can be a bit bland.
I suggest sprinkling on a little sea salt as well. Add the sauce on top. Enjoy!


I highly recommend trying this one and be sure to let me know what you think if you do! I’d love to hear from you!

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Food

Culinary Pursuits: Coconut Quinoa Bake

March 11, 2014

As promised, I’m bringing you guys this coconut quinoa bake recipe. Shamefully, I bought this bag of quinoa from Trader Joe’s months ago and it has just been sitting in the pantry, staring at me every time I plan my meals for the week. Well this week I was determined to use it and I did! I also had to incorporate some of my fave healthy staples into the dish including oven roasted sweet potatoes, pecan smoked, apple and gouda smoked chicken sausage, and spinach. Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
Holmes Smokehouse 5 pecan smoked apple and gouda smoked chicken sausage (Publix)
2 bags of 12 oz spinach
3 tablespoons of coconut milk
1 large squash
2 cups of tricolor quinoa
Ground cinnamon
Sea salt
Goat cheese (optional)


Directions:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. While the oven is preheating slice your sweet potatoes. You can slice them in cubes or medallions, whichever way you prefer. See the picture for how I sliced mine.
  3. Once diced coat two pans with cooking spray, and then spread the sweet potatoes evenly amongst the two.
  4. Once sweet potatoes are sliced spray them with cooking spray and drizzle one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on each pan, sprinkle with cinnamon, and then place them in the oven for 30 minutes.
  5. Slice the chicken sausage and set aside. After the sweet potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the sausage on top of the sweet potatoes and cook for 15-20 more minutes.
  6. Cook the spinach in two tablespoons of olive oil using sea salt and the Olive Garden Garlic and Herb seasoning and set aside.
  7. Rinse the 2 cups of quinoa in cold water and drain fully before cooking. Bring to a boil with 4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, and a pinch of sea salt. Once the quinoa has been brought to a boil, lower it to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is gone. (Follow the instructions on the package if they differ).
  8. While the quinoa is boiling chop the squash, spray it with cooking spray and season it with Olive Garden’s Garlic and Herb Seasoning.
  9. Coat a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
  10. Once the quinoa is done cooking take it out and spread 4 cups of it evenly across the pre-coated pan.
  11. Take 1 tablespoon of coconut milk and spread it over the first layer of quinoa. Evenly spread all of your spinach, and 1 pan of roasted sweet potatoes and sausage over that first layer.
  12. Take 3 cups of cooked quinoa and spread it over the sweet potatoes, sausage. Finally add your squash on top and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
  13. Take out of the oven and keep covered with aluminum foil.
  14. Serve with a tablespoon of goat cheese sprinkled on top if you like.

This makes a lot so you’ll have food to last you for a while. Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments!
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Food

Culinary Pursuits: Seafood Quesadillas

February 22, 2014

Oh my goodness guys, have I got a treat for you. So a couple of weeks ago after my first day at work, my sister and I went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I ordered this unbelievable seafood quesadilla with tilapia and shrimp and it has been on my mind since. While delicious, I know that it probably wasn’t the healthiest so I set out to make a much healthier but equally yummy version. I’m pretty sure I succeeded. Without further ado I present to you my seafood quesadilla made with jerk tilapia and jerk shrimp, goat cheese, diced red onions, low-fat part skim mozzarella, fresh mangos, and a tiny bit of fresh marinated mozzarella. As usual this dish was pretty quick to make, but oh so incredibly good. It’s my favorite concoction thus far. It’s perfect for my spicy food lovers, my vegetarian friends, and meat-eaters too. Pretty much everyone!

Ingredients:
Medium-sized shrimp
2lb bag of individually wrapped tilapia fillets (I only made 5; the bag has about 10 or so)
1 container pre-diced red onions
Olive Oil
Grace Jerk seasoning, spicy (from Walmart)
Goat Cheese
Low-fat Part skim mozzarella
La Tortilla High Fiber Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas (from Publix)
Fresh marinated mozzarella (from Trader Joe’s)
1 mango
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray pan with non-stick canola oil
  3. While the oven is preheating take 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning and evenly apply to each tilapia fillet (I cooked 5 at once, but feel free to cook as many as you like and adjust cook times accordingly).
  4. After all of the fillets are covered sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of diced red onions in the center of each fillet.
  5. Drizzle on olive oil over each fillet (about 1 teaspoon).
  6. Place fillets in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
  7. While the tilapia is baking, remove the tails from shrimp.
  8. Pour the shrimp into a bowl along with three hearty teaspoons of jerk seasoning and mix together (I used my hands).
  9. Cook shrimp stovetop for 7-10 minutes at medium-high heat.
  10. While your shrimp is cooking slice and dice your mango into small cubes and set aside in a bowl.
  11. Once the tilapia and shrimp are done cooking, begin assembling your quesadilla.
  12. Cut up one tilapia fillet and take several pieces of shrimp and add them on your tortilla wrap.
  13. Then add two teaspoons of diced onions, two tablespoons of goat cheese, 1/4 cup of low-fat part skim mozzarella, two tablespoons of diced mangos, and a small chunk of fresh marinated mozzarella (I didn’t measure this but it was probably no more than a tablespoon’s worth).
  14. Place your open faced tortilla in the oven for 3-5 minutes (or until cheese begins to melt)
  15. Take out, fold over and slice in half.
  16. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!
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Food Style

New Place, New Space!

February 14, 2014

It’s been almost two weeks since I moved into my new place and it has been a whirlwind. I must have offended Mother Nature somehow because she was not trying to work with me. I was supposed to move into my apartment on Wednesday, the 29th, but because of snow I had to push that back to Friday, and then because of indirect effects of the snow I wasn’t able to move in until Saturday. Everything worked out in the end though so I’m very grateful. I started my new position on the 3rd and so far it’s been great. The people I work with are really nice and that’s helped make my transition much easier.  Funny thing is we just dealt with another bout of snow, so my office was closed for a couple of days. I think Atlanta officials wanted to be extra cautious this time after how disastrous things were a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, I’ve had my fill of snow. It was fun for a little while but now I’m ready for warm weather. Fortunately the forecast for next week looks very promising, sunny and in the sixties, so I’m all smiles. Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks:

Moving day attire! Who says you can’t be cute and comfortable?!
The Sunday after I moved in my sister and I hit up this brunch spot and I ordered this insanely delicious Cajun Shrimp and andouille sausage hash and she had the equally delicious apple pie stuffed french toast.

After my first day of work we went to a Mexican restaurant and for dessert I had to order churros with ice cream! I’m always down for some churros.
Getting ready to go out and buy yet more stuff for my apartment.
The first thing I made in my new kitchen was baked chicken and squash.
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Food

Healthy Food Must Haves

January 21, 2014

I love trying new healthy foods but there are certain items that pretty much stay on my grocery list. One because I love them, and two because they’re so versatile. Check out my healthy food must haves below:

A few of my must haves

  1. Sweet potatoes – The possibilities are endless for a sweet potato. You can stuff it with lean meats or vegetables, make home made fries with it or hummus, or have it as a side with some seafood and a salad. Get crazy!

  2. Goat cheese – I love goat cheese. If it’s savory, chances are I’m putting goat cheese on it. I use this for egg white omelets, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, pasta dishes, salads, and roasted vegetables.

  3. Kashi Cereal – I have the same thing for breakfast every morning. A bowl of Kashi cereal. The kind I eat has 10 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, and only 160 calories in one serving (1 cup, dry). You just can’t beat that!

  4. Vanilla Almond Milk – I use this for my cereal every morning. It would also be great for smoothies and as an alternative to dairy milk in muffin recipes.

  5. Trader Joes Rolled Oats & Chocolate Chips Fiberful Granola Bars – I LOVE THESE BARS! I have one each morning with my bowl of cereal. It has 9 grams of fiber and 120 calories per bar. Add that to the fiber count from my cereal and I’ve already had 19 grams of fiber before 9:30. Most people don’t get that much fiber in an entire day! Did I mention these taste so good?!

  6. Chicken Sausage – Most of the items on this list I’ve been eating for a while but this is a more recent discovery, and I can’t imagine going without it. You can use it to make a loaded sweet potato, eat it with spaghetti squash, or make a chicken sausage dog.

  7. Chobani greek yogurt – The people at Chobani know what they’re doing. Their greek yogurts are so decadent and they truly taste like dessert. One serving usually has at least 10 grams of protein. My favorite is pineapple, but I also love apple cinnamon, mango, and their key lime flip.

  8. Bananas – I love my fruits – pineapple, pomegranate, and peach (pretty much any fruit that starts with a “p” and is a little tart), but bananas are my staple. They’re so simple, and you can eat them in a bazillion different ways. On their own, in smoothies, dipped in dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth, or make some whole grain whole wheat banana bread when they get extra ripe.

  9. Spinach – You can use spinach as the base of a salmon and goat cheese salad, in a grilled chicken sandwich, a vegetarian lasagna dish, or in a banana pineapple smoothie.

What are your healthy must haves? Tell me below in the comments!
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Food

Culinary Pursuits: Holiday Leftover Club

January 6, 2014

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2014 has been treating you well. Now that the holidays are over *tear*, I wanted to bring you a recipe to get your year off to a healthy start and hopefully get rid of any leftovers you may have. My sister came up with this and it tasted great. I asked her what she dubbed her creation and she decided to call it the Holiday Leftover Club. The name says it all. If you’re struggling with what to do with your holiday leftovers (and mailing it to me is out of the question), then you should definitely make this. It’s so simple.

Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium sized sweet potato, mashed
2 cups of spinach
~1 handful of turkey
2 slices of 100% whole wheat whole grain bread
Directions:
1. Completely skin the sweet potato.
2. Once skinned, slightly dampen it. I wet my hands and then pat it on the sweet potato.
3. Wrap the sweet potato up tightly in saran wrap and heat it up for 6-7 minutes (or until soft and
mushy).
4. Cook two cups of spinach with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. You can add salt and pepper or whatever
seasonings you prefer.
5. Toast two slices of bread on the stove at medium high heat until browned. You can toast it with a
little garlic butter or use the spray form of extra virgin olive oil which has 0 calories.
6. Heat up your turkey for about 30 seconds. Make sure not to heat it up for too long or it will
become tough and jerky-like.
7. Take your sweet potato and mash it with a fork. Spread it across one slice of toast.
8. Add your spinach and turkey.
9. Enjoy!
You can thank my sister later. For now, enjoy your sandwich!
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Food

An Extra $1.50 a Day

December 7, 2013

According to a recently published review, that is the difference in cost between the healthiest and unhealthiest diets. That translates to about $550 per year. For lower income families this can present a real challenge to choosing healthier food items, but for others, not as much. When you consider the health implications of an unhealthy diet, like diabetes and heart disease, that amount pales in comparison.Now, I do not presume to know people’s financial situations, and I’ll be the first to acknowledge that choosing a healthier diet can often mean parting with more money, but there are ways to offset these costs. Here are a few things to look into:

How often do you eat out? I’m not just talking about going to sit down restaurants. I’m also talking about going to fast food restaurants or picking up something from the deli section at your grocery store. Often times you’re paying $10, $20, or more for one meal, when that amount of money could have gone towards groceries that would have produced multiple meals.

Plan ahead. This goes hand in hand with eating out. When you don’t plan ahead you find yourself picking up meals at the last minute. If you decide what you’re making for the week, buy the necessary groceries, and make those meals, then there will be no last minute Mickey D’s drive bys.

Are there any farmer’s markets nearby? Farmer’s markets are great for a number of reasons. One, the produce is local, fresh, and often cheap. Two, there is usually a much better selection than what you’d find at a grocery store.

Buy in bulk and freeze. Pretty self-explanatory. If you see a good deal on bell peppers (and there’s no limit per customer), buy as many as you want and freeze the ones you’re won’t immediately use.

These are just a few of the suggestions I could think of to help make a healthier diet more accessible. Do you all have any more ideas on how to offset the costs of healthy eating? Share them in the comments!

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