Ayurvedic Spices & Super Grains

I made these handouts for a project at work and thought I would share.  Our chefs were in a cooking competition and wanted to exhibit the health benefits of the ingredients used.  I was amazed at the medical healing properties of the spices - it's no wonder the are incorporated into so many cultural foods.  

It's Fall

There is a chill in the air and the leaves are changing color - It's Fall in New England!  I really don't know how I lived without one of the best seasons for 20 years of my life.  Fall brings pumpkin coffee, comfy sweaters, boots, pumpkin cream cheese, apple cider, and apple picking!

The girls and I wandered out to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, MA for a day of picking apples, enjoying apple cider, and devouring apple cider donuts - YUM!  My favorite part was eating apples right off of the tree.  There is seriously nothing better than a fresh picked apple - so juicy and crunchy.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

We left the orchard with almost 30 pounds of apples... Time to cook and bake! 

I originally planned to bake an apple cake as well as homemade applesauce, but I was enjoying the fresh apples for snacks so often that I was left with only enough apples to make applesauce.
Boyfriend loves this applesauce and does a little happy dance every time he eats it - it must be good if Boyfriend likes it!

Here's my recipe for baked applesauce:

INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons water
1/4cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh NH maple syrup (for a sweet New England twist!)
4 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and halved

METHODS:
Preheat oven to 375*
Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven; toss to coat.  Cover and bake for 1 hour, or until apples are tender, stirring once after 45 minutes.

Happy Fall!  

A Berry Fun Summer

One of my favorite summer activities in New England is berry picking.  Six years ago boyfriend and I picked 10 pounds of blueberries at a farm in New Hampshire.  When we got home he stated that he did not have to go back berry picking for 10 years - 1 year for each pond we picked... only 4 more years until he will accompany me again.  

Thank goodness for girlfriends!  Pen Pal and I ventured up north to Turkey Hill Farm in Haverhill, MA.  The farm is owned and operated by Dave.

Dave worked in the insurance industry for his entire career.  He always had a passion for fresh fruit and vegetables, and began growing blueberries as a hobby.  A few years ago, Dave retired and decided to make growing berries his full time gig.  He spends his days roaming the fields with customers, sharing picking techniques, and educating them about the plants' country of origin.  His passion for farming is evident in the large smile that is permanently plastered on his face.  Pen Pal and I were so inspired by his story that we vowed to always follow our passions and dreams.  

There are golden raspberries, red raspberries, blueberries, and fresh flowers grown on the farm.  

Pen Pal and I left the farm with 5 pounds of blueberries and 3 cartons of raspberries.  We had every intention of picking four full baskets, but those darn thorns made the raspberries a literal pain to pick.

After the picking, comes the fun part - cooking with the berries. 

Pen Pal and I made a delicious berry infused lime margarita.  We blended the berries with sparkling limeade, lime rind, and a splash of 100% cranberry juice.  Added some patron tequila for a tasty, refreshing afternoon beverage.  YUM!  The whole fruit in the cocktail was an added bonus.  

After consuming the majority of the fresh berries, I decided it was time to bake with them.  I made a summer berry tart.  See recipe below. 

Summer Berry Tart:

Ingredients

2 cups blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup golden raspberries

2 cups strawberries

1 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick of butter

Methods
Preheat oven to 350* 
Mix the berries and pour them into a sprayed pyrex pan
Mix dry ingredients together and cut butter into the mixture
Spread the butter and dry mixture evenly over the berries
Bake at 350* for one hour, or until berries are bubbling and oats are browned


Serving suggestion: My favorite way to enjoy any fruit crisp is to add it to Greek yogurt for breakfast.  I mixed this summer berry crisp with nonfat blueberry Greek yogurt - 5 stars!

And I'm back...

Once upon a time I blogged about the food I prepared and enjoyed.  Then life got a bit crazy, and the time I had to blog disappeared.
Well, I am happy to announce that I am back and ready to blog!  A lot has changed over the past 18 months... Boyfriend and I moved across the country, started new jobs, reconnected with old friends, and have had absolutely no time to cook or bake. So don't worry - you have not missed anything!

Life in Northern California made it easy to cook... there was always a local farmer's market with fresh produce, a close grocery store with a parking lot, and 8 hour work days that left me plenty of time for hobbies when I got home.

Life in Boston - not so much.

I now live in the middle of a bustling city with all 4 seasons, work at least 10 hours a day, and use my feet or bicycle as primary modes of transportation.  Needless to say, my endeavor to teach myself to cook has been halted.  The lack of home made cooking as turned me into quite a restaurant expert though.  

Professionally, my life with food has changed also.  I have the same job responsibilities and duties, but on a much bigger scale.  I am now working at one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country and am continuously making improvements to the patient experience and 'hospital food' for over 600 patients a day.  Hence the reason I don't have the time or energy to cook when I get home. Yet, I still love my job!

My passion for food, nutrition, and cooking remain strong, yet the setting in which I enjoy them has changed.  Who knows, maybe I'll find a little time to cook something just so I can blog about it.  

I cannot wait to share my experiences with food both professionally and socially from the 'right' coast... Stay tuned - I promise not to wait another 18 months to post again.  

Copy Cat

Last week my friends Kitchen M, CAL, and I went to Mustard's for dinner.  Since we all work in Napa we like to take the opportunity once a month or so to discover new restaurants in wine country.  The fact that all 3 of us are dietitians, foodies, and food bloggers,  makes for a photo-filled, nutritious, and giggly meal.

After a mishap at 'Go Fish', the three of us decided to dine at a restaurant that did not smell fishy - literally!  We figured we couldn't go wrong with a restaurant that's known for their 'Honest American Fare' - Mustards Grill.   

Per our usual dining experience, the three of us chose a bunch of appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts that we MUST try.  One appetizer especially caught my eye as it included two of my all time favorite ingredients: garlic and goat cheese! 

Warm Cabecou Goat Cheese, sundried tomato relish, roasted garlic, grilled bread

The combination of these ingredients was fab.  I don't particularly like sundried tomatoes...although this dish may make me a convert.

It's been oddly warm here for February, but it has made for some beautiful sunsets.  Such a beautiful night for dinner with wonderful friends. 

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As every football - loving American is aware,  Sunday was the superbowl.  As you can see from many of my previous posts, I will do just about anything (even cook) to avoid watching football on a Sunday afternoon.  Well, this super Sunday was no different - It was time to cook.

I could not get the delicious appetizer from Mustard's off my mind, so during my 35 mile, 2.5 hour bike ride on Sunday morning I plotted how I could run to the store to collect the necessary ingredients to make the yummy appetizer before kickoff.

Ingredients:
2 heads of garlic
goat cheese
sundried tomatoes
1 loaf of bread (I prefer seedy bread)

Method:

Cut off the tops of each head of garlic to expose all garlic gloves

Wrap the garlic in foil and bake at 400* for 45 minutes.

Cut the loaf, plate the sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and roasted garlic

Assemble and Enjoy!

This appetizer is SO easy to make and SO SO SO delicious.  The roasted garlic disappeared within minutes.  Next time I may have to purchase 3 heads! I think I'm enjoying sundried tomatoes more and more each time... or maybe I just like them with garlic and goat cheese, who knows.

The unfortunate part of this dish being so easy and quick to make was that I still had plenty of time to watch football... Thank goodness it was the Super Bowl.  No more football till next year!!  WOO HOO

Work For Food / Food For Work

* CAL - This post is for you!

I realize I have many posts about food I try to cook and food I enjoy at restaurants, but food is also a major part of my life from 8 - 5 Monday through Friday also.  

I currently work as a Patient Services Manager at an acute care hospital in Napa, CA.  Yes, I know what you are thinking... "What is a Patient Services Manager?" and "I thought she was an RD".  Yes, don't fret- I am a Registered Dietitian! Rather than having a traditional clinical job, I work in foodservice management.  It's my responsibility to manage all of the people and processes that are required to get the food from the pot it's made in to the patient in the bed, and then ensure that patients are satisfied with their dining experience.  

Now i REALLY know what you are thinking, "Blech!  Hospital food is gross!"  Well, think again my friend.  I am fortunate enough to work for an amazing company (yay Sodexo!) that makes my job quite a joy.  I am armed with a multitude of fresh ingredients, recipes, and talented chefs that make feeding ~120 patients 3 meals a day a sinch.  

There is quite a diverse group who work in our kitchen, which makes food that much more fun.  Below is an example of some of the fun we get to have.  Those are tongue tacos (they call them la lingue) with onions & cilantro and traditional matzo ball soup.  

You know how there's Asian fusion food?  Well, this is our version - Jewish Mexican fusion.  

I LOVE MY JOB!  

Happy Birthday Boyfriend 2011

After my failed attempt at baking banana cheesecake last year, I decided to switch it up for his 27th birthday and skip baking all together.  I know, I know... practice makes perfect, but simply thinking about the smell of the cake from last year made me ill.  

Our weekend was packed full of celebrating, so there was very little time for baking anyway.  This year I stuck with a recipe that's tried and true and purchased the cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.   

Pictures courtesy of my iPhone - Sorry for the poor quality!

Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake: banana cream cheesecake topped with Bavarian cream and fresh sliced bananas.

When boyfriend asked why I did not bake him a cake - I told him to take a bite.  He had no more questions!  Maybe I'll try baking again for his 28th... or 30th...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYFRIEND!!!