Merry Christmas to all...

As usual, holidays go by so quickly.  Good thing I've been prepping for Christmas since, oh, November 1st.

It was our second year in our "new" house and we decided that we need to start making some traditions.  Christmas Eve church is a given, but our new thing will now be to have Chinese food afterwards.  You know, kind of an homage to Ralphie & family:



"Christmas Vacation" is another holiday must.  Here's a fun fact that might blow your mind as it did mine- you remember Rusty, the son, from the movie?

He grew up to be this guy:


Big Bang Theory whaaaaaaa?

But anyway, I am not super into Chinese takeout.  Too much fat.  Too much salt.  And way too much sauce.  So why not make my own version?

Sweet and Sour Chicken
1 pound boneless skinless chicken strips, cut into 2" chunks
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pinch of pepper and salt
Cooking spray
2 bell peppers, cut into 1" chunks
1 cup pineapple chunks (reserve the juice from the can)- set this aside- you'll add this last
1 small yellow onion, diced

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Coat with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, pepper, and salt in a shallow bowl.
3. Dip chunk of chicken into egg, then into flour mixture. Lightly coat and set on the baking sheet.  Repeat with all the chicken chunks.  Bake approximately 30 minutes, flipping chunks occasionally.  Chicken is done when internal temp reads 160 degrees and it is golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, let's make the sauce:
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients together.  Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Once it starts to thicken, remove from heat.

So at this point, we'll have time to prep the vegetables before the chicken is totally done.  I chose bell peppers and onions, but you could add whatever veggies you want.

1. Fill a large shallow pan with 1/4" water.  Bring to a boil.  Add veggies and place lid over pan to let them steam.  Cook for just a few minutes, until they're tender but not soggy.  Remove from heat and drain.

Thanks to my friend Shanna for the smiley face colander.  All kitchen accessories should have smiley faces.


Assembling it all:
-In a small crockpot, add cooked chicken, veggies, and pineapple.  Pour sauce over.  Cook on low until you are ready to eat.  You could eat this immediately, but it tastes best once the sauce has had time to soak into the chicken- at least an hour in the crock pot.

Serve with rice, and optional spicy sesame pea pods:

Spicy Sesame Pea Pods
8 oz fresh pea pods, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil (other oil would work fine too)

Using the same pan you used to steam the pepper and onion, bring another 1/4" water to boil.  Add pea pods and cover.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Pea pods will puff up a bit.  Drain.  Return to heat, adding oil and sauce.  Saute another 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Now it'll be another 11 months until Clark Griswold, "you'll shoot your eye out," Buddy the Elf, and nonstop Christmas music on the radio, however I don't think we'll be waiting that long to make this recipe.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Nothing says Christmastime like...

...falling leaves.

Can we give a slow-clap for the oak in our front yard?  It suddenly decided *now* would be an appropriate time to shed its leaves.

And yes- we have a burned out bulb.

Just keeping expectations low for my fellow home-owners.

Know what else is not really seasonally appropriate?

Asparagus.  But when I found a super easy recipe for asparagus risotto, and my one true love Aldi's had nice asparagus on sale, it was a green light.

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
5 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and into 1/2"-ish pieces
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 oz shaved Parmesan or Reggiano cheese

1. Heat a pan over medium-high heat.  Add butter and oil.  Stir in garlic and onions.  Cook 5 minutes, or until onions are slightly tender.  Add rice.  Stir constantly for 3 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 cup broth.  Continue stirring.  Once most of the broth has been absorbed, add another 1/2 cup.
3.  Keep slowly adding broth and letting it get absorbed.  This is what makes risotto so creamy.
4. Once all five cups of broth have been added (took me only about 12-15 minutes), add asparagus.  Switch heat to low and cover, letting asparagus get somewhat steamed.  Stir every few minutes until asparagus is slightly softened.
5. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Add cheese last.  Serve immediately. 

 Onions and garlic simmering. 

 Stir the rice continously to allow it to absorb broth evenly.

 Add seasonings before serving. 

Yummmm.  Nice lemony asparagus and creamy cheesy rice.

Makes 6 servings.  Per serving: 350 calories, 12 g fat, 13 g protein, 5 g fiber

Now onto shoveling the leaves...or raking the snow. 

Christmastime in the city: Part II

On Saturday my husband and I took a long weekend trip to NYC, just as we'd done last year.  What can I say- I am a sucker for that Rockefeller tree, and my husband was craving Chinese food.

It was more a tour of eating, which I am ok with.  As soon as we dropped the bags off at the hotel, we headed down to Chinatown to Xi'an Famous Foods.

He ordered stewed oxtail while I ordered hot oil noodles.  Mine was the best entree we ate all weekend- the noodles were so fresh and had just the right amount of spice.

 Then it was next door to the market to see what weird things we could find.  Didn't take long.  The smell of dried fish bladders is...potent. 

  Dried sea cucumbers. 

Tilt your head please and view bins upon bins of dried seahorses! 

Next door to the market was a cute bakery.  It had typical sugar cookies and cakes, but then I noticed this:

 You know how many times I've eaten cake and thought to myself "well this is good, but it could really use some red beans?"  Never.  This was not good. 

But I ate it anyway so as to not offend.  Mmmm...legume cake.

After Chinatown we walked down to Battery Park so that my husband could see the Statue of Liberty (last year we only saw it at night).  Then it was up to Koreatown for another adventurous meal.  We both ordered bibimbap, which is essentially Korean hotdish: warm rice topped with cooked vegetables, spices, and an egg yolk.  You stir it together before eating.  

 After our entrees we were both brought little dishes of warm tea.  This stuff was delicious- it was like sweet cinnamon syrup. 

The next morning we walked over to Columbus Circle, where there's a standing holiday market with crafters and food vendors.  We sampled some homemade charcuterie, macarons, and gluhwein. 

 Then it was off to Brooklyn to see the sights.  First stop was the NYC transit museum (you know, 'cause when people ask "So what shows did you see?  What did you do?" and all you answer with is "eat," it sounds kind of lame).  We are just soooo cultured.  But it was actually pretty neat learning about the history of how the subway system was created, and they had subway cars from each decade available to tour.  All had the original ads posted, including this WWII era poster.  "We observe meatless days, wheatless days, porkless days."  I of course already knew all about that, having read the American Girl: Molly series.  Victory Gardens!  Ha. 

Grimaldi's pizza is historically considered the best pizza in Brooklyn, but thanks to a tip from my Brooklynite friend Erin, we went next door to Juliana's pizza, which is the true Grimaldi family restaurant.  I can hardly look at this picture the pizza was so good.  Fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and sauce, on the perfect crispy/chewy crust.  

So as to walk off the entire pizza we finished off, we took the train up to Harlem just to see what's what. It was kind of weird to see that there's a Gap right across from the Apollo Theater.

For dinner we went to Ben's Deli and split an authentic kosher meal, complete with pickles, slaw, knishes, and pastrami.    

 Ever heard of Dylan's Candy Bar?  If not, you've definitely heard of Dylan's dad- Ralph Lauren.  She made her own 3-story candy shop in the Upper East Side and I wanted to check it out.  You know, 'cause I'm *that* dietitian who happens to enjoy candy.  They definitely had quite the assortment.  Have you ever heard of fruity farts?  Of the edible sort, that is. 

 Anthony, the store employee who exuberantly sang a candy-themed version of "Twelve Days of Christmas" would clearly rather be performing on Broadway and not in front of a giant plastic chocolate bunny. 

 The.  Tree. 

 Our last morning was spent going on the NBC Studio tour, where I saw this shirt for sale.  That sketch has to be one of my all-time favorites because who can't relate to "THESE FRIES ARE DELICIOUS!"

 Warmed up with a cup of tea at the NY Public library main branch before heading home. I had to see where Carrie and Big's wedding *didn't* happen. 

Another great trip filled with lots of sightseeing, eating, and CULTURE.  Of course it's always nice to return home and eat normal food : )

Holllllllliday Tiiiiiiiime

It's officially ok for me to be posting holiday recipes.

I mean, if Christmas tunes are on the radio, it's fair game, right?

Plus I bought the following at the grocery store this past weekend:

Piney soap and snowman print baggies.  Sweet.

I also picked up a pomegranate at the store. 

Why?

(No, that's not a rhetorical question- seriously- why did I buy a pomegranate??  I have no clue how to eat it or prepare it).

I decided to try making a cranberry sauce with pomegranate.  It was...an experience. 

Superfruit Sauce
1 bag cranberries, rinsed
1 pomegranate, seeded
2-3 small apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup blueberries, rinsed
1/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water

1. Okay, so first things first.  How the heck do you seed a pomegranate?  Maybe this is something that Pinterest people have nailed, but once I sliced into this thing, I was clueless. 

I first tried scraping out the seeds with a regular spoon.  That did nothing but create a juicy mess.  Not effective.  Then I realized if you peel back the sides, you can easily expose the whole seed and gently peel it off with your fingers. 

The inside skin is kind of like a honeycomb with the seeds stuck inside.  At the risk of sounding super lame/way too easily amused, once I got the hang of it, it was kind of fun to peel off the seeds.

All in all it took less than 10 minutes to seed the whole thing.

Onto the recipe...
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a low boil, stirring regularly.  As cranberries begin to burst, the sauce will thicken.
3. Once all the cranberries have burst and the mixture is struggling to bubble through the thick sauce, remove from heat and let cool completely.
4. Refrigerate overnight.

I called this "Superfruit Sauce" because it sounds cool this is loaded with antioxidants, thanks to the cranberries, blueberries, and pomegranates.  You could use any combination of fruits for this, but being Thanksgiving week, cranberries seemed appropriate.

Try out this sauce this year.  Skip the canned junk.  The pomegranate seeds give it a little crunch, so it's definitely a different texture, but it's a tangy/sweet combo that just tastes really good.

Now to crank up the Christmas tunes for the drive home from work...

Been awhile...

...since I posted a cupcake recipe.

For good reason though, right?  I mean, I get paid to promote health and wellness, and as nice as li'l cupcake may be, it's nothing but a sugar bomb.

But a very very cute sugar bomb.

This past weekend I co-hosted a bridal shower for a good friend.  I happen to love girly-girl stuff, as does this friend, and so pink was the theme.  I decided to go with raspberry cupcakes with champagne buttercream frosting.  No fiber or flaxseeds to be found here.

 Other items on the brunch menu included chicken wild rice salad (made with leftover cheater chicken from last week's posted recipe), fruit, pita chips with salsa, and an egg bake (not pictured).  The treat bags contained funfetti puppy chow.  Don't know what it is?  Google it.  You'll feel like you're the only person in the world who hasn't heard of it. 

So yeah, back to these cupcakes.  They're actually pretty easy to whip up.  You just have to buy 1 non-traditional ingredient: raspberry extract.  At first I thought I'd just puree some raspberries and use the juice to flavor the cupcake, but after reading online, I learned from others that this results in a very gray batter- not pretty at all.  Find some McCormick raspberry extract at a grocery store or online for best results.

Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream
1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients that it calls for- oil, eggs, water)
3 teaspoons raspberry extract
Few drops red food coloring

2 sticks butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup champagne
Pinch of salt

1. Make cake mix according to package instructions.  After beating, stir in raspberry extract and food coloring.  Use your judgement on this- a few drops go a long way in terms of coloring, and we want nice pink, not crazy red.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full and bake according to package instructions.  Let cool completely.

2. Beat butter until it's fluffy.  Beat in 1 cup of powdered sugar and pinch of salt.  Add champagne.  Beat in additional sugar until it's a pipe-able consistency.  I chilled mine for an additional 20 minutes to make sure it would "set" nicely on the cupcakes.

3. Using whatever reasonable size tip (mine was nothing fancy- you could even just snip the corner off a Ziploc bag and do nice fat thick frosting) at the bottom of a plastic bag, add frosting and start piping.  I kind of did a double pipe- starting at the center, working outwards, and then swirling back over back to the center for nice height.  I added a little edible glitter to mine too. 

4. Chill until ready to serve.  Add the raspberry on top right before serving (if the raspberry sits too long, the juice begins to bleed onto the frosting). 

Total calories?  Pffft.  They're for a good cause- the bride! 

Also, do you like my living/dining room remodel?  White trim...ahhh. 

Cheater Chicken

In just the past few weeks I've ended up buying a few rotisserie chickens for various recipes that call for shredded chicken.  Sure I know how to roast a chicken, but it's messy, takes time, and you end up with a nasty carcass.

I had an idea (idea = rip-off of a recipe my sister-in-law makes) involving the slow cooker.  Why not make my own shredded chicken and freeze it for future use?

Cheater Chicken
2 packages (about 3 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat bits trimmed
48 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon pepper

Place all the ingredients in a large slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until internal temp of chicken registers at least 165 degrees.

Place chicken breasts in a large bowl, along with about 1 cup of the broth, and use two forks to shred it into smaller bits.

Put shredded chicken in individual baggies and freeze for future use.  *Hint- to thaw, just pop the frozen baggie in a sink full of hot water.

Su-per ea-sy.  I am feeling good today knowing that I could easily make some chicken chili, chicken tacos, chicken pot pie, barbecue chicken sandwiches, or anything that involves shredded chicken.  Sorry Cub deli, but I will not be missing you.

Another thing that has me feeling happy today?

Super glittery gold nails.  Not exactly work appropriate, but great for a Monday.