Posts tagged ‘Spinach’

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December 29, 2011

Holly Jolly Highlights

I hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as I did! Christmas was three days ago so this post is a little late but better late than never, right? Here’s a look at my holly jolly highlights.

After a crowded and somewhat chaotic commute home on the 23rd, I spent the night baking while watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas with my sister. That movie will never get old! I whipped up a batch of Candy Cane Crumbled Nutella Cookies and Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, both in which added a fun variety to my mother’s already made Classic Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter treats. 

I packed them in a tin and little gift bags for Mike’s family, who celebrates every year on Christmas Eve. We ate a feast and opened presents by the roaring fire Saturday night after watching the Giants beat the Jets. Mike gave me my favorite gift of the year, a new iPad! I’m a lucky gal.

I drank one too many cups of coffee for dessert so had a rough night of sleep and woke up early Christmas morning. After catching up (ahem, the entire season 3) on The League from 4 to 7 a.m., I rolled out of bed and made Apple Butter-Banana Muffins for my family. Breakfast muffins may be a new tradition! My sister and I opened the goodies from our stockings over breakfast before we made our way toward this year’s scrawny Charlie Brown tree. How cute is the Victoria’s Secret present from my parents!? I am obsessed with my new bathing suits for spring break! That will be my ‘fitspiration’ since my seven day cruise is quickly approaching in March! 

After the presents were all unwrapped, I peer pressured my dad and sister to come with me on a three mile loop near my neighborhood. They rode their bikes while I huffed and puffed up the hilly terrain. After getting ready, we piled into the car and headed to Massachusetts to visit our cousins.  

Dinner was outstanding. Turkey, stuffing, beet gratin, mashed potatoes…the works! I made the same salad (pictured above) that I put together for Thanksgiving so I could finally share the recipe! Here it is:

Harvest Spinach Salad
1 bag of baby spinach
2 heads of endive, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 medium butternut squash, cubed and oven roasted
Goat cheese and walnuts to top 

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Roast the butternut squash ahead of time and assemble the salad accordingly. Lightly drizzle with vinaigrette, toss and serve with the remaining dressing on the side. I warmed the butternut squash so the spinach would wilt a bit. This recipe is a knockout, if I do say so myself!


It was great seeing family, catching up over great food and relaxing. Merry Belated Christmas! Now it’s time to gear up for New Years! I’m currently in the process of figuring out the perfect NYE outfit…

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dessert, Dinner, Life Happenings | 2 Comments »

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July 26, 2011

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

It has been hot, hot, hot the past few days and the only things I’ve been able to eat are light salads or fruit. Not too shabby of a diet, if I do say so myself, especially since I’ve been living in a bikini! To change up my typical veggie-topped spinach salad for dinner, I decided to create my own Black-Eyed Pea Salad the other night. It was the perfect summer meal with fresh, seasonal ingredients, plus super filling!

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
3 corn on the cobs
3 cans of black-eyed peas
A bunch of green onions
1/2 of a red bell pepper
1/2 of a jalapeño
1 cucumber
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice from half of a lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

First things first, get your grill fired up. After shucking off the husks, lightly brush each ear of corn with olive oil and place on the grill rack. (You can soak your corn for 2 to 4 hours prior to grilling if preferred. I got lazy and listened to my stomach instead of my head (oops?), although I honestly can’t tell a difference between soaked and not-soaked grilled corn.) 

While the corn gets all toasty and lightly charred, begin preparing the other ingredients. FYI: The order in which you do so doesn’t matter. Open the cans of black-eyed peas, rinse and drain thoroughly. Blot with a paper towel until dry, if necessary.

Once the corn is ready, remove it from the grill and set aside to cool down. Dice up the tomatoes and bell pepper. Slice and quarter the cucumbers. Chop the jalapeño and mince the clove of garlic.

Carefully cut the corn off the cob and combine all the ingredients together! Whisk the dressing (the red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil) before drizzling over the salad. Mix everything thoroughly and chill before serving. 

As you can see, I topped mine with avocado slices! So colorful, so good. Bon appétit!
Do you get sick of the same old salad? How do you change ‘em up for a new and improved meal?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish | 1 Comment »

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June 11, 2011

An Assortment of Recap Ramblings

Hi! Hi, hi, hi! Have you missed me? Sorry for my absence. I feel like I have some explaining to do! First off, it has been quite a crazy week. Let’s just say I had my fair share of traveling. Between commuting in and out of NYC, running errands/getting pampered Thursday (I know, oh poor, Lauren…) and being in Jersey for a wedding this weekend, I’m pooped. I’m looking forward to hanging in on this rainy evening (see you in a bit, Gossip Girl Season 2) and catching up on sleep.

My internship officially began on Monday and I’m loving it. Time flies because I enjoy what I’m doing and it sounds corny, but I can’t stop smiling! I’m learning a lot, have met some great people already and sincerely look forward to the exciting things the next two months or so have to offer. After getting over the first day jitters, I was able to relax a bit on Tuesday, especially after running into a friend from high school on the train. We decided to meet up in Bryant Park for some grub during our hour lunch break and to take advantage of the wonderful weather, of course. Win.

I am proud that I not only was able to find my way there, but was also able to do so in a timely manner with a half hour to spare! (Note: Bryant Park is only a 9 minute walk from the office I’m working at…I took a few wrong turns along the way.) I attribute much of my success to Google Maps yet, being as directionally challenged as I am, I was slightly surprised to have the time to sit down and enjoy lunch in addition to my travel time. What was lunch, you ask? Spinach salad with edamame, carrots, asparagus, avocado, tomatoes and tofu lightly drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Hit the spot!

After being in and out of the city (which is around a 2 1/2 hour commute both ways) and waking up at 4:45 each day to start my morning with a 3 mile run, I needed some “me time” on Thursday in preparation for the wedding I was to attend. A gym sesh of free weights and core work followed by a mani/pedi with a book from the Sookie Stackhouse series (in which True Blood is based on) sounded like a good day off to me! I Need A Vacation on my toes and Ballet Slippers on my fingers. Gotta love dainy pink polishes!

SOoooo…that brings me to yesterday/today: Mike’s cousin’s wedding! I haven’t been to a wedding since I was seven-years-old, so I was very excited. The ceremony was very beautiful, the reception was a blast and the food was delightful. Congratulations Kelly and Aaron! I took a gamble not trying on the dress before purchasing it in the city with Taylor on Wednesday, yet it ended up fitting perfectly. So comfortable, too. I channeled my inner Blake Lively with wavy locks, although my hair refused to cooperate in the humid air. Anyway, there’s my recap for my hectic week. I’m off to make some dinner: a weird combo of this, this and this…don’t judge.One last thing before I go: I’m working on a Father’s Day gift guide post and need your help! What do you think is the perfect present for Dad?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren 

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June 2, 2011

Sweet Summertime

I’ve been pretty nostalgic lately. Maybe it’s the fact that being home and sleeping in the same room I’ve slept in since kindergarten has finally sank in. Or maybe it has been the catching up, immature giggles and cocktails with my two best friends from high school, alongside the run-ins from old classmates wherever I may go. Come to think of it, you know what could very well be the nostalgia culprit? My new obsession with Gossip Girl. I’ve watched half of the first season in a matter of days. I think I have a problem. Regardless, let me summarize my overall weirdness by saying I got teary eyed listening to Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This” while driving through my neighborhood…

Whatever this emotional stint may be/be about, I have decided not to fight it. Instead, I’ve allowed it to inspire me, especially when it came to making one of my favorite summertime meals the other night: Spinach and Strawberry Salad. Although I lost the original recipe my friend, Amy, and I used to make, I decided to improvise a bit using Fitness Magazine’s Mesclun Strawberry Salad as a guide. It ended up tasting great, especially with grilled chicken on top. Avocado mixed in would have been divine, but my local grocery store was all out so I had to manage without my favorite ingredient. Besides that, it was pretty darn perfect. Oh, the taste of sweet summertime!

Ingredients
(Yields 2 servings)
2.5 ounces spinach
8 large strawberries (or more if you love ‘em like me!)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Freshly chopped basil to taste (less than 1/4 cup?)
2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
Handful or two of walnuts
One avocado, cubed
3 small chicken breasts

Start by throwing your chicken on the grill. I was so hungry I didn’t marinate it but feel free to do so if you would like. I bet it would compliment the salad well if marinated in a strawberry vinaigrette! Next, hull and slice the strawberries. In a large bowl, add in the spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, avocado (if desired) and walnuts. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients and chopped basil.

Once the chicken is done, finish assembling the salad. Drizzle with the dressing, mix it all up and serve! Delicious! Light but sweet and filling with the chicken. Add a pinch of salt alongside a little honey or agave nectar to the dressing if need be.

In other news, I have been trying to get my act together these past few days in preparation for the start of life in the real world and the ever-so-dreaded, intense commuting schedule. Task number one: tackle my bomb of a room.

I would have taken a “Before” to compare to this “After” photo, but it was far too embarrassing to share with you all. Good as new, now. It’s funny how much better you feel in a tidy space. Please note my beautiful bottle of lemoncello brought back from Florence, Italy, courtesy of my besties. 

Next project: organizing the closet by type for easy access and outfit arrangement (jackets>tanks>short sleeved shirts>dresses>oxfords>cardigans). Can you tell I have a ‘thing’ for navy blue stripes? Yeesh…

To make my stripe addiction more apparent, I would like to introduce you to today’s glorious Steve Madden purchase. They can be laceless and feel like a sneaker. Perfect for running around NYC in! Hi, I like you. Boy, am I am a sucker for seersucker…

Last but not least on my agenda was to start compiling a summer reading list. I love having free time to read during my time off from school and what better way to keep me occupied on the train!? Thanks to my wonderful Twitter followers, I have a nice list going already…
Do you have must-read suggestions? What is a theme in your closet? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner, Random, Side Dish | 6 Comments »

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May 18, 2011

Refueling, Refrigerator-Purge

I recently purchased wheat berries and amaranth grain on a whim after seeing them used in a variety of ways on some of my favorite foodie blogs. Since finding them in the health section of my local Stop & Shop, the grains have been sitting, untouched in my cupboard begging me to incorporate them in a dish. After returning home from a taxing upper body workout at the gym this evening (which had followed a 7 1/2 hour shift), I was in dire need of some fuel, so threw together this “garbage” meal…aka use up the produce in the fridge and try out some new ingredients in the process. Success on all levels: quite filling, energizing, nourishing and tasty! Jane and Steve (my parents) approved. So did my belly.

Ingredients
1/2 cup amaranth grain
1/2 cup hard red wheat berries
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chickpeas
1 can navy beans
1/2 cup onions (I used half red, half white)
Veggies of your choice (I used broccoli, spinach, zucchini and carrots)
Olive oil, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar
Red pepper flakes, freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste 

Start by preparing the grains. (FYI: the wheat berries can take around an hour to cook so make sure you get these on the stove before anything else).

In a medium-sized sauce pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add in the wheat berries, cover and let simmer until the wheat berries are tender. In a smaller sauce pan, bring water to a boil before adding in the amaranth grain, which takes 18-20 minutes to cook. 

While the grains get going on the stove, open the cans of beans. Thoroughly rinse and drain them both.

Next, choose vegetables of your liking, or whatever ingredients you want to get out of your fridge, and dice up. My dad mentioned shrimp would have been great in this dish. Duly noted, father. Thanks, although I hate shrimpies. Something about the texture freaks me out…

Anywho, like I have said, I was trying to use up a lot of produce in the refrigerator so took advantage of the onions leftover from last night’s dinner. My dad pitched in by chopping these up (as well as the other veggies pictured above) while I tended to the grains. Look how pretty he made it for me! Can you tell he worked in the restaurant business for 25 years? Perfection.


Onto the stir-frying portion. Lightly drizzle olive oil into the bottom of a large pan over medium heat and sauté veggies of your choice. Season with red pepper flakes.

Add in the beans…

And once the grains are tender and drained, add them to the mix. I squeezed half a lemon and added a splash of apple cider vinegar for some more flava. Before serving, season with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sea salt.

Yum, yum, yum. How fabulous is that close-up? Talk about refueling the tank…this dish does the trick! Plus kept me satisfied for the rest of the night. Don’t-cha just love when that happens? I’m pumped for leftovers tomorrow.

What refuels you?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren 

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April 18, 2011

Summer-Inspired Zesty Basil Burger

Nothing reminds me of summer quite like a solid burger. My two vegetarian summers were such a drag and not nearly as delightful without the staple cookout food. Don’t get me wrong, I love veggie burgers but the fact I was always making things difficult at BBQs, having to explain why I became a vegetarian and that whole schtick in the process, became tiresome. Regardless, I still make things somewhat difficult for I haven’t consumed red meat since (except over this past Christmas break when I was starving at our family friends house and a bit tipsy but that’s neither here nor there…) my senior year of high school and therefore turned to turkey burgers. Ground turkey is much leaner and, in my opinion, tastes better so I’m fully content with bringing my own patties wherever the grilling takes place, often converting beef-lovers into turkey burger fans.

 I desperately needed to take a break last night from my endless amount of end-of-the-year group projects/papers so decided to make a light, summer-inspired dinner. I had fresh basil in the fridge leftover from a wine/homemade pizza dinner I hosted Friday with friends so experimented a bit with my favorite herb, alongside some spinach, garlic and onion, of course.

Ingredients
20 oz. 99% Fat Free ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 finely chopped garlic clove
Juice of half a lime
Pinch of chili powder and cayenne pepper
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

To start, finely chop onion, spinach and garlic. In a large bowl, combine the veggies with the ground turkey with the freshly squeezed lime juice.

Season with chili powder, sea salt, cayenne and freshly ground pepper. Add more for more kick!

Mix together and form into patties. Can you tell I was hungry with my enormous portion size? Sorry I’m not sorry…

Time for the grill! Yummm…

I put my burger on a grilled whole wheat wrap (which ended up getting crispy and chip-like) with a generous dollop of hummus. It was delightful, alongside spicy cayenne-lime veggies. Too bad tomatoes aren’t in season yet, otherwise I would have had a nice thick slice on there. I was also wishing I had some feta cheese to crumble on top. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Dear summer, get here faster. Please and thank you! What is your favorite summer food? Are you a burger fan (veggie, beef or turkey)?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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April 2, 2011

Green with Envy Drink

Good morning! I woke up bright and early on this sunny Saturday to get a nice workout in (P90x Plyometrics) before meeting up for a group project. What was on the menu for pre-Plyo breakfast? A glorious green drink!

Ingredients
1/2 English cucumber
1 Granny Smith apple
Two big handfuls of spinach
1/2 inch ginger root
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup water

I threw all my supplies into the juicer and voilà! Breakfast. Next time I’ll definitely add in some celery…and maybe another apple. Still very refreshing and a great start to my day! What’s your favorite pre-workout fuel?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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March 16, 2011

Green-ify Your Sandwich

I am a person of habit. Once I find something I like, I simply can’t get enough of it! Although I enjoy spontaneity from time to time, I typically stick with my planned and known comfort (whether it be food, scheduling tactics, clothing brands, etc.) Coinciding with this epiphany, my lunch recently has remained fairly consistent: turkey wraps. I’m going through a phase where I simply can’t get through my day without a solid sandwich. After returning back to school Sunday, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up what I needed for the week, which of course included my new lunch necessities.

Near the deli line, I came across Joseph’s Flax Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Lavash Bread. They looked great, I liked the “Reduced Carb, Reduced Fat and High Protein” concept plus saw that they were only 50 calories! Sold…

It wasn’t until I was unloading my groceries that I took a closer look and saw the “*per serving.” Fail. I hate misleading advertising! Still, you can’t beat 100 calories. They’re light, soft and easy to stuff a lot into!

Anyway, my typical wrap fix-ins have recently included hummus, alfalfa sprouts, cucumbers, spinach, turkey and swiss cheese.

The hummus (and/or avocado, if you have it) serves as a great substitute to fatty condiments like mayonnaise and adds an interesting texture alongside the fresh crunch of the sprouts, spinach and cucumber. Wraps like these provide the perfect opportunity to sneak in your daily serving of vegetables! In honor of St. Patty’s day, load up on the greens!

What does your typical lunch consist of? Do you play it safe, like me, trusting your routine and habits or are you more spontaneous?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Lunch | 2 Comments »

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February 28, 2011

The Breakfast of Champions

Good morning all! And what a wonderful morning it is. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping…oh, what am I kidding. It’s a dreary day. A day of leggings, rain boots, a baseball cap (concealing bed head) and a windbreaker. What can make a rainy Monday morning better? Breakfast. My favorite meal of the day! This morning I pulled out leftover quinoa stir-fry I made last night (with garlic, spinach and lentils), added in some sautéed vegetables and topped with an egg over easy. It was delightful and started my day off on the right foot. If you want to kick your breakfast up a notch, try this protein-powered meal with your favorite vegetable mix-ins.

Ingredients
Egg, over easy
Quinoa
Broccoli
Spinach
Yellow Bell Pepper
Lentils
Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I started by sautéing a handful of chopped broccoli and yellow bell pepper in about a tablespoon of olive oil (I know, really professional measurements here). I added in my leftover quinoa stir-fry once my veggies were lightly browned.


I then carefully cooked my egg…it’s always disappointing when I ruin it and don’t get a runny yolk! I put it over the quinoa and dug in, while looking over my to-do list for the week. Bleh, I hate Mondays!

Busy, busy bee! Over the weekend I did very little besides perfecting my resume, working on my cover letter and hitting up the gym so it’s time to kick it in high gear! Lots to do before a much-needed Spring Break…awful midterm on Wednesday, lots of internships to apply to, column to write, etc. Ahh! Have a great week!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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February 24, 2011

Protein-Powered Acorn Squash

It’s funny how your body just knows when you haven’t been eating right. Ever since I got back from a leadership conference I attended last weekend in Hartford, I haven’t been able to get my mind off vegetables. I have been craving them! At the grocery store the other day, I spent the majority of my time in the produce area, grabbing any green item I could get my hands on. I didn’t have a list of any kind, nor a remote plan of what I was going to make this week (like I normally do), so I was a bit aloof with my shopping. What did I end up with? Some staples like eggs, soy milk, cereal, tofu, etc., random items like acorn squash (which I have never tried before this recipe) and quinoa, then came my vegetable craze which included zucchini, spinach, asparagus, broccoli and a green pepper. Just what every typical college kid gets at the grocery store…Anyway, I needed to get my mind off midterms so decided to create something with the wide assortment of my arbitrary purchases and came up with my very own Quinoa, Veggie and Tofu Stuffed Acorn Squash. Filling, healthy, covered all the food groups and quite tasty if I do say so myself!

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
1/2 cup zucchini
1/2 block tofu, cubed
1/2 cup great northern beans, rinsed
1 cup dry quinoa
3 cloves garlic
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped almonds
Handful of spinach
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, ground pepper and parmesan cheese

Cut the acorn squash in half, stem to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Place cut side up in baking pan, with about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom so the squash doesn’t dry out. Add a small amount of butter to each half (I used Smart Butter’s Omega-3 Light Buttery Spread, seen here). Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until lightly browned, at 400°F.

While that bakes, get started on the quinoa filling. Cook the quinoa (as instructed here). For more flavor, I cooked it in low-sodium chicken broth instead of water!

Cut up the zucchini.

Chop the almonds and garlic. Pour the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add in the garlic and sauté the spinach until wilted.

Add in the quinoa, zucchini, almonds, beans…

…and tofu, which I had already pre-cooked the day before, to the frying pan. Add a little left over chicken broth for flavor over low heat while you wait for the squash to be done.

Spoon the quinoa mixture into the squash. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper before returning to the oven. Bake for 5-10 minutes more, until cheese melts and quinoa gets crispy.

And there you have it! My creative, healthy Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash! You have your legumes, nuts, carbohydrates, vegetables and dairy all in there…plus it was delicious! Next time I will definitely sauté onions in with the spinach for some extra flavor, although I do have to note that the sweetness of the acorn squash is delightful with the light and fluffy quinoa/veggie mixture. The occasional crunch from the almonds also made this a dish I will be recreating in the near future. I gave myself a pat on the back for this one! Try this recipe out with your favorite mix-ins and veggies!

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Dinner | 1 Comment »

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