Archive for October, 2010

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October 28, 2010

Black Bean and Corn Salad

I’ve been wanting to make homemade salsa for a while now, but was honestly intimidated by a lot of the authentic Mexican recipes. I came across Rachael Ray’s Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe with intentions of topping a turkey burger yet it ended up being so good on its own, Allie and I ended up eating it for lunch as is! This is a great appetizer, especially if you’re hosting a get together with friends…easy to throw together and tasty, especially if you serve with tortilla chips.

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
Salt and pepper
I also added half of a tomato, chopped and an avocado to make it more like salsa

Chop the veggies!

Drain the black beans and combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the cumin and hot sauce! Season with salt and pepper.

Toss. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving to allow the frozen corn to defrost and flavors set. Easy, quick, tasty and healthy! Enjoy!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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October 27, 2010

Boo!

To prepare for our Trick-or-Treaters this weekend, Taylor and I decided to carve some pumpkins for our front stoop. I’ll let you guess who created which one. (Hint: Taylor is in the art school, a Communication Design major to be exact…I wish I was as talented.) She also blogged about our festivities. Check it out: A Cup of T! Anyway, it was a bit weird not to be carving pumpkins with my family this year, so to keep with my dad’s Halloween tradition, I decided to make pumpkin seeds! Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, zinc and fiber so be sure to eat them while you have the opportunity this fall! Interested in more nutritional facts? Here’s a great article I found. Instead of wasting all the messy pumpkin pulp, I wanted to experiment with pumpkin butter, and did so in a healthy manner successfully!

After separating the seeds from the slimy pumpkin mush, spread them across a baking sheet and season with your favorite spices! My mom is from Baltimore, so my family always sprinkles Old Bay on them. I didn’t have any, so just lightly dusted the seeds with kosher salt.

After popping them in the oven at 300°F (bake for 45 minutes,) I got to work on my pumpkin butter, using a SkinnyTaste.com recipe!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Start by pureeing 3 1/2 cups pumpkin.

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.

Stir mixture well and bring to a broil.

Thicken by lowering heat and simmering for 35 minutes.

Spread on toast, stir into yogurt or top your pancakes! You can also use pumpkin butter in bread or smoothie recipes. It is a healthy alternative to curve your pumpkin pie craving!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Food for Thought, Snack | 3 Comments »

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October 23, 2010

Chilly Weather Calls for Turkey Chili

It was Lindsay’s 20th Birthday (one of my DZ little sisters) so we celebrated the other night with a festive fall harvest themed dinner party. What was on the menu? Turkey Chili and Autumn Sangria! It was the perfect way to warm up at the end of a stressful week. (Midterms, bleh!) I’ll let the recipes speak for themselves.


Ingredients for my modified recipe:
(I combined Martha Stewart’s Vegetarian Black-Bean Chili and AllRecipe.com’s Simple Turkey Chili)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey (we used 3 lbs because I had quite a few of hungry bellies to feed)
2 onion, chopped
4 cups water
2 (28 ounce) cans canned crushed tomatoes
2 (16 ounce) cans canned kidney beans – drained, rinsed, and mashed
2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 carrots, thinly sliced
Bag of frozen corn, thawed (I forgot to add these, woops! Next time…)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot and cook until evenly brown.

In the meantime, cut up zucchini, carrots and onion.

Once the turkey is cooked, add in onions and cook until tender.

Pour the water in the pot.

Strain kidney beans.

Strain black beans.

Mix in tomatoes, beans and garlic.

Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Add in the rest of the vegetables. (I forgot the frozen corn, yet I don’t think it would have fit in our biggest pot anyway!)


Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taylor was on stirring duty! We need to invest in a larger pot for next time…as you can see, it was full to the brim!

Serve with bread and slices of avocado. Yum! There is literally nothing better than a cup of chili on a chilly day. The birthday girl loved it, as did the rest of my DZ family (plus Taylor)! Many, including myself, went up for seconds!

Successful fall harvesting! Taylor got in the spirit with her festive outfit. The Autumn Sangria was also a fantastic touch (which, thanks to Google, I found on InnTheKitchen.com).

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren

Posted in Dinner | 5 Comments »

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October 20, 2010

Omelet Overhaul

I’ve recently become obsessed with SkinnyTaste.com. Every recipe is so innovative and healthy! (See my Spaghetti Squash Post, which also was inspired by this website.) I’ve shared the link with a few friends of mine and have gotten them hooked, as well. (Mia and I have been blowing up each others Facebook walls discussing what we want to make for our dinner date next week.) This morning I woke up early before my News-writing II class and decided to create a spin-off of Gina’s Western Omelet Potato Skins to start my Wednesday off on the right foot!

Here’s what you’ll need for my rendition of this potato skin omelet:
1 medium russet potato
olive oil spray
2 large eggs
3 egg whites
2 tbsp Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup spinach, chopped
salt and fresh pepper
Optional: 4 tbsp reduced fat cheddar cheese, bacon, etc.

To start, poke holes in the potato with a fork to vent steam and place in the microwave for roughly 5 minutes. Chop up the veggies of your choice in the meantime.

After allowing the potato to cool for a few minutes, cut it in half horizontally. Scoop out the center of the potato, leaving about 1/4 inch thick wall that will be sturdy enough to hold the contents of your vegetable egg scramble.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

Add in the vegetables. The red bell pepper, broccoli and spinach combo was divine. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with olive oil spray.

Cook the eggs/vegetables.

Lightly spray the potato skins on both sides and place on a baking sheet. Fill them with the skillet’s ingredients and top with cheese if you would like!

Heat oven to 450°F and bake 5-10 minutes.

The perfect breakfast to alleviate the unpleasantries of wretched Wednesday mornings! Season with salt and pepper…I, of course, substituted both with some garlic sea salt. Thanks for the inspiration, SkinnyTaste.com!

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren

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October 20, 2010

Who Is Granny Smith?

Delta Zeta took over the Horse Listeners Orchard in Ashford this past weekend for a Sister’s Activity and I consequently have had lots of Granny Smith apples lying around. Although I was tempted to make an apple crisp, I took a healthier route: a delightful Turkey, Brie and Apple Sandwich and homemade applesauce.

Turkey, Brie and Apple Sandwich
Ingredients
2 tbsp Dijon mustard (I used yellow, not a Dijon fan…)
1 tbsp honey
Bread of your choice (I used Arnold’s 100-cal Sandwich Thins)
4 oz. Brie, sliced
8 oz. thinly sliced turkey
1/2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
Spinach (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and honey. Spread it on the slices of bread. (HouseandHome.com recommended raisin-walnut bread, which sounds so delicious yet Big Y didn’t have anything of the sort, fail, so I resorted to the whole wheat sandwich thins I already had in the cupboard. Probably a healthier choice anyway.)

Thinly slice the apple and brie.

Layer the ingredients to your liking.

In order to melt the cheese and toast the bread, I put the sandwich in my George Foreman Grill. This appliance was the best Christmas present EVER. I use it for everything. A panini press would work, too!

Taylor, mouth still full with her first bite, mumbled, “This is the best f***ing thing I’ve ever had.” Success. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Homemade Apple Sauce
 Ingredients
 4 apples
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Honey (instead of sugar)
Splash of apple cider or apple juice (optional)

Peel the apples.

Chop!

In a medium saucepan, combine water, apple cider/juice, apples and cinnamon.

Most recipes call for sugar, but I tried drizzling a little bit of honey instead. I’ll let you in on another little secret of mine, I sprinkled Pumpkin Pie Spice in there to enhance the overall seasonal flair.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool, then mash with a potato masher.

Serve hot or cold!

Apple picking season ends fairly soon, if not already, so get out there and pick your own while you still can. It’s festive! My sisters and I had a fabulous time enjoying each others company, the beautiful scenery and eating our way through the orchard. I’m partial to the Granny Smiths, yet you can of course use other apples for the recipes I tried out. Looking for another way to incorporate your “apple a day?” Slice apples and top your salad! Or try this fitsugar.com recipe. Anyway, I had a blast creating these apple dishes (and eating them…) while listening to Pandora’s Classic Broadway Showtunes Station. Oops, did I just admit to that? Bon appetit!

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren


Posted in Lunch, Snack | 4 Comments »

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October 17, 2010

Summer Recipe Takes a Fall Twist

I have been itching to create a seasonal dish ever since the leaves started changing color. While searching for the perfect autumn dinner, I discovered a common theme among a lot of recipes: spaghetti squash. An appetizing SkinnyTaste. com recipe, Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Tomatoes, caught my eye as not only delightful and healthy, but simple! I figured it would be the perfect meal to make for my sister, her friend, Steph, and Amy, who all came to visit me this weekend so gave it go.

Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash
15 large basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and fresh pepper
1 tomato, diced

To start, cut the squash in half lengthwise…I had trouble with this so Kru had to come and take over.

As you would with a pumpkin, scoop out seeds and fibers.

Place the halves in a shallow baking pan with 1/4 inch of water. This huge spaghetti squash didn’t quite fit but it worked in the end! Place in the oven for an hour at 350° F.

While the squash is baking, start working on the pesto! It’s so easy.

In a small blender combine basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Purée until smooth.

Garlicky goodness!

When the spaghetti squash is done, let cool for a minute or two. Gently scrape your fork’s prongs to shred the pulp into spaghetti-like strands.

Drizzle pesto over two cups spaghetti squash (I doubled the recipe to accommodate my guests.)

Add tomatoes and season with additional salt and pepper.

TO DIE FOR! Let’s just say this recipe made me fall in love with spaghetti squash and I have sworn off pasta forever. It’s such a healthy alternative and a versatile ingredient you must try this season!

Kru and Steph both enjoyed it!

I have always loved pesto. Every summer, my mom makes homemade pesto and it is a tradition I cherish as it coincides with happy memories of beautiful shoreline weather and fun in the sun with family and friends. This recipe revamped a summer favorite into an staple fall meal, starring spaghetti squash. Be on the lookout for more recipes from me using my new favorite vegetable. Until then, try it with marinara sauce:

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren


 

Posted in Dinner | 9 Comments »

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October 14, 2010

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I have always wanted to try stuffed peppers but usually recipes seem a bit daunting with lots of ingredients and directions, not to mention the requirement of appliances I do not currently own as a college student (i.e. a crock pot.) I recently found this recipe from Self Magazine (online), yet substituted the ground turkey with one package of tofu for my vegetarian roommate, Allie. The short list of easy ingredients was what interested me but of course I didn’t read the entire recipe to find it, like every other recipe, required a crock pot. SO I used the cooking end of the recipe from SimpleRecipes.com to bake them in the oven! Whoops? Let’s just say I think my blond moment ended up making the recipe even better. I made this delightful, healthy meal after I went for a nice jog with my sorority sister, Ari, along the most gorgeous part of campus: Horsebarn Hill. I have been enjoying and taking full advantage of this Indian summer by exercising outside and walking to class!


Ingredients
1 package of extra firm tofu or 1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup of couscous or rice (not instant)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 green bell peppers (or any combination of red, yellow or green)
1 can tomato soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

To begin, clean the peppers, cut off stems/tops. Remove and discard the seeds and weird insides.


On one burner, start cooking couscous.


In a large skillet, cook the tofu.


This is where I started to alter the Self recipe because I don’t have a slow cooker. Once the couscous and tofu are both done, combine all the ingredients together into a medium sized bowl.


I first put the soup, sauce, salt, etc. with the couscous.


I mixed in the tofu last.


Time to stuff the peppers! Fill them up, it’s ok if a little protrudes from the top, the couscous concoction will get crispy from the oven.


Before popping them in the oven, drizzle (and rub the outside of peppers) with olive oil so they brown. Don’t they look fantastic? So colorful!


Place in the oven at 350°F for 35-45 minutes. (I would have cooked ours longer so the peppers browned more but we were ravenous after working out!)


Here’s what they looked like fresh out of the oven! Perfection.


I went with the orange bell pepper. Divine!


Allie’s was the green. She cut that thing in half as soon as I put it down on her plate!

This was a terrific meal and not much work at all! It would be great for entertaining because they look pretty impressive, if I do say so myself, plus you can do all the prep work before your guests even arrive and easily throw in the oven when needed. Because I altered the Self recipe, these had a bit of a kick to them, but nothing unbearable. I hate spicy food and ate every last couscous crumb on my plate, not to mention my consumption of the last pepper for left overs the following day. Yum.
Note: Ari did a wonderful job being my photographer for this post, thanks for your help! She’s super talented and has a photo blog you must check out.

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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October 10, 2010

Gimme a Via!

Not only is it a cool trend to have a coffee in hand (Blackberry in another) while strolling around campus…as a college student it is a necessity to have a constant flow of caffeine to keep going! To be frank, I hated the beverage until I came to UConn and now will admit that I am a coffee-aholic. It is a PROBLEM. Living in walking distance to a Starbucks at school makes matters even worse.


The laid back but upscale atmosphere they provide is the perfect locale to meet up with friends or snuggle up (in their comfy lounge chairs) with a good book. Their fantastic coffeehouse soundtrack fosters the ideal studying environment. I’ve been spending an ABSURD amount of money on their fabulous drinks (stay tuned for a post on the best Fall flavors) so I decided to purchase the new Cinnamon Spice Via last time I went in to save some money ($6.95 for 6 packets, or 6 coffees!) Want to know what made things even better!? They had a great offer going on last week: get a free tall drink with the purchase of a 6-pack of Starbucks new Via flavored coffee. Success. I left with a Turkey and Swiss sandwich, my 6-pack of Via and my usual red eye with a splash of soy.

Anyway, back to the Via. It is obviously very convenient (pour in the packet, heat up water in the microwave/stove, pour it over the coffee, stir) and tasted great! I am a huge fan of the Cinnamon Spice, but will definitely look into their other flavors (vanilla, caramel and mocha.) Two thumbs up from me, Starbucks!


Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren


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October 7, 2010

Lactose-Intolerance, It’s a Bitch

I used to love milk. Every night with dinner growing up I would have a glass or two with dinner. BUT during my May term this year, I started to put two and two together and self-diagnosed myself lactose-intolerant. I’ve been feeling great ever since I cut dairy from my diet, but yes, it can be obnoxious. Quite a few people have recently asked me how I manage to live without milk, ice cream, etc. so I figured I’d quickly outline a few products that help make, what some would consider a curse, pretty tolerable.

Silk Soy Milk: My favorite is the Light Vanilla. It is a great source of calcium for only 80 calories (it’s low-fat) AND has 6 g. of protein per serving. It tastes awesome with cereal and in your coffee. I like the chocolate, as well! I was a fan of this stuff even before I had the revelation I was lactose-intolerant.

Smart Balance Butter: This is a healthier alternative to butter AND, depending on which buttery spread you chose, can be non-dairy and lactose-free among other things (0g trans fat, gluten-free…) I like the Omega-3 Light Buttery Spread the best. It is awesome on whole wheat toast, bagels or even great coating the pan before making eggs in the morning!

In the mood for ice cream? Lots of companies now have lactose-free products on the market (Breyers, Tofutti and Lactaid are a few options off the top of my head.) I really can’t taste a difference! To my fellow UConn huskies, they serve Tofutti in East’s Whitney Dining Hall!

Yogurts: Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free yogurts and kefirs deliver the great dairy taste, there is no compromise on that like other lactose-free products, and the probiotics other yogurts provide. The Plain is great if you add in fresh berries. Yum.

Over-the-Counter Lactase Enzyme Tablets: self-explanatory. It is always an easy, reliable way to enjoy meals you aren’t cooking yourself (I hate telling people that I don’t eat red meat or dairy products. I sound like such a snob!) Not only does it give me the flexibility to eat what I want, these tablets help me avoid the awkward or rude dinner table fux pas.

Sprinkled with Love,

Lauren

 

Posted in Food for Thought | 8 Comments »

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October 6, 2010

Dinner and a Movie

Like I’ve mentioned in my past few posts, I’ve been a bit chaotic the past few weeks and have felt like I have consequently put my incredible boyfriend of 3 years on the back burner. I’m awful, I know. Mike is beyond patient, caring, supportive…the list could go on forever. He’s wonderful. Sorry, I’m not sorry, for getting so sappy. I consider myself one of the luckiest girls in the whole world to have found the “one” so early on in life. Want to slap me yet? ANYWAY, the reason for my long diversion is to shed light on why a date night was MUCH NEEDED this past Sunday. Dinner and a movie, classic. We have both been itching to see The Social Network so gave in and drove a few exits away towards the amazing Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, CT. The movie was terrific (I was impressed with the theater, as well: Showcase Imax Buckland Hill in Manchester CT.) If you haven’t seen it yet, you HAVE to. Seriously. In theaters. You cannot wait for it to be released on DVD, it is way too good. After leaving the theatre we decided to try out Burtons Grill, a place I have heard rave reviews about since my freshman year at UConn.

Side note: For those of you who do not live in the area, YOU’RE IN LUCK! There are 4 different Burtons Grills in Massachusetts and one in Virginia!

The South Windsor location offers upscale-casual American dining in a sleek atmosphere, with outdoor seating, as you can see in the image above, and is well-equipped with a gorgeous bar (AHH I TURN 21 IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS!)

Mike and I were starving by the time we got there so almost immediately put in an appetizer order for the Spicy Chicken Dip. Fabulous. I don’t do well with really spicy things (I start sweating and get flushed cheeks, real attractive, I know…) but this I thoroughly enjoyed. The dip came with tortilla chips and put our growling tummys to rest for a bit while we waited for our meal.

I was super obnoxious when it came time to order my meal. What’s new? If you’ve been to a restaurant with me before, you know I ask the server like a gazillion questions…but after being raised in the restaurant business and working in two restaurants this past summer alone, I don’t think anything of it. Woops? Anyway, I couldn’t decided: salmon or chicken…or salad!? Mike and I started P90X yesterday so we both came to the conclusion we’d indulge and have our own little “Last Supper” before our crazed work-out/diet began. He ordered the Burtons Burger and I caved and got the Pan-Seared Chicken & Wild Mushroom Ravioli (great idea for my self-diagnosed lactose-intolerant self right?)

I attempted to take photos of all this to blog about BUT it is a nice place and I felt uncomfortable taking a lot so I apologize, here is one I quickly snapped.

The menu was innovative and had a fantastic variety of quality items. I cannot wait to go back and try something new! They even offer vegetarian and gluten-free menus! Cool, huh? Check out their Food Allergy Commitment. Why didn’t I know about places like this when I was a vegetarian!? It would have made dining out A LOT easier. Burtons Grill also has monthly features and alter their menus around seasonally, fun fact. OH and before I forget…THEY CATER. Next time I have a big event, I will no doubtably call them.

As Kevin Harron, president and cofounder of Burtons and 2007 Massachusetts Restaurant Association’s Man of the Year, said on the restaurant website’s “About” page: ”Our strategy is simple. We commit to serving only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, to employ passionate, driven people and train them to deliver consistent, considerate service. We keep our prices affordable, our atmosphere comfortable, and we work diligently to make sure we’re upholding our values.”

Eating in Love (this time, hehe)

Lauren

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