Kale

Kale has always been one of my favorite veggies. Even before people realized that it was healthy and started eating it, I loved kale. Kale is delicious and is super easy to cook in a variety of ways and make it taste amazing. I like to add kale to as many dishes as I can, but I also like it eat it by itself. Here are three of my favorite recipes for eating kale by itself or with something else.

Sauted Kale (my personal recipe)
-This recipe is great on its own or as a side dish or over pasta. If you put this over pasta I suggest adding mushrooms which should be cooked after the garlic but before the kale.
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale (rinsed and ripped into small pieces)
3 cloves garlic (minced and crushed)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine
1 tsp lemon juice
salt
pepper
Italian Spices

Directions
Heat the olive oil at medium-high heat, add the garlic, cook till golden brown. Add the kale, quickly add the wine and lemon juice and cover. Allow to partially steam, about 1 minute, add the spices, mix, recover and allow to steam for about 2 minutes more. Mix, remove from heat and enjoy.

Kale Chips (my personal recipe)
-This is how I typically make my kale chips, but you can flavor them how ever you like. For example, they would be great with curry powder and ginger. Or if you are from Maryland like me you will probably enjoy them along side your Blue Crabs with some Old Bay seasoning. Kale chips make a great healthy snack or a great side dish.
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
Italian spices
pepper
salt
garlic powder

Directions 
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Rinse each whole kale leaf individually and shake off as much of the excess water as you can. Rip the leaves into bite size pieces and place into a colander, allow to air dry for 15-30 minutes, tossing occasionally. After the kale is dry, place in a large bowl and toss thoroughly with olive oil, add spices, toss again. Lay out a single layer of kale pieces on a cookie sheet, cook for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the leaves are lightly browned. Enjoy!

Flavorful Steamed Kale (my personal recipe)
Ingredients 
1 bunch of kale (rinsed and ripped)
2 garlic cloves (rough chopped and crushed)
2 lemon wedges
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp white wine
Italian spices
salt

Directions
Place all ingredients in a few inches of water cover with a steaming basket, add kale. Bring to a boil and steam the kale till its color changes. Sprinkle with a little salt, enjoy.

Smoked Gouda and Pale Ale Mac n' Cheese

Mac n' Cheese is not only a quick, classic, and delicious dish but is also extremely versatile. Now there is nothing wrong with your basic Mac n' Cheese, but it is so easy to take this dish from good to amazing. So why not make it a little more interesting? Make it spicy with hot peppers and Cajun spices or Jalapenos, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Or you can do what I did and make your Mac n' Cheese smoky and sweet with smoked Gouda, beer, bacon and sweet, crisp apples.

Smoked Gouda and Pale Ale Mac n' Cheese (my personal recipe)
Ingredients 
1 lb pasta (I used whole grain penne, elbow noodles would work just as well)
2 1/2 cups smoked Gouda
2 cups cheddar cheese (I used half mild and half sharp)
4 eggs
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk
1 cup Pale Ale (or Amber ale)
1 Tbsp olive oil (or truffle oil is great if you have it)
2 cloves garlic-minced and crushed
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups ripped kale
4 strips of bacon (I cut the fatty bits off)
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 apple (diced)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt
pepper
-Some other optional ingredients that would be great with this recipe:
Broccoli, spinach, onions, tomatoes, chicken, shrimp (If you choose to make this recipe with shrimp I suggest adding some Cajun spices)     

Directions 
Preheat oven to 374 degrees.
Cook pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon and the veggies. Cook the bacon until crispy, let it cool, then break it into small pieces. To cook the veggies start by cooking the garlic in the oil on medium-high heat until golden brown. When the garlic is done, add the mushrooms and saute. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the kale and cover with a lid. Allow mushrooms and kale to steam for a few minutes. After the kale is done steaming, allow the veggie mixture to simmer until any liquid in the pan is gone. Once the veggies are done set aside and allow to cool. Whisk the milk and eggs together.
In a sauce pan melt butter, whisk in milk and egg mixture, heat, add ale. Heat this mixture until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in cheese a little at a time, saving about a 1/4 cup. After the cheese has melted and is integrated into the milk and ale mixture, whisk in the cooked veggies, bacon bits, and spices.
Place cooked pasta in a greased casserole dish, pour the mixture over top, mix well. Sprinkle with the final 1/4 cup of cheese, the green onion and a dash of nutmeg. Place in oven, bake for 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, sprinkle apple on top. Enjoy!    

How I lost 6 lbs in 7 days

For the past week I have been on a seven day cleanse. After being sick for close to two months with asthma issues, a nasty cold and then a sinus infection, I needed a way to jump-start back into a healthy life style. The cleanse seems to have worked, I have more energy and feel like myself again. Although I lost only six pounds as oppose to the promised 10-17 lbs I am still satisfied with my results and proud of myself for sticking with the cleanse.

I have looked into cleanses in the past but never did one, as typically they sound like a good idea but are not. With most cleanses what ends up happening is that you feel great for the first few hours and then find yourself both mentally and physically exhausted. Now, this cleanse was no cake walk but it is much friendlier then many other cleanses out there. However, if I did this cleanse again I think I would limit it to 3-5 days and only do the fruit and veggie days. So, this is what I went through the last few days. 

Where I got my information about the cleanse:
   http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/134591-7-day-cleansing-diet-miracle-soup-recipe
   http://dana-justtalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/7-day-cleanse.html

Day One (only fruit):
This is the day I was most excited about, I absolutely love fruit, I eat it like its candy. So, because of my love of fruit this day was pretty easy. However, I did find that I was a little more tired than usual and had some trouble rock climbing that afternoon. Another issue I had is that I really just wanted some sort of grain, I felt like I needed to have a bowl of pasta or eat a slice of bread. The last problem I had with this day was that fruit is primarily water, so I was constantly hungry. 

Day Two (only veggies-and a potato for breakfast):
On this day I woke up starving and was super excited to eat my potato. Although like the first day I was rather tired, this day was a bit kinder because veggies have a lot of fiber and less water so I wasn't starving all day. What I started to realize as this day went on is that although I generally eat a lot of veggies I typically dip then in something like hummus or cook them with a little olive oil and some spices. So to make up for the general lack of the strong, delicious flavors that usually accompany my veggies I tried something new. Instead of flavoring the veggies directly I tried flavoring the water I steamed them with, and they were quite delicious. I made kale, broccoli, and an artichoke taste great by doing nothing more then adding a few ingredients to the water I steamed them with.
I added:
3 garlic cloves (roughly chopped and crushed)
2 lemon slices (squeezed into, then added to the water)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup white wine
Italian spices
Salt

Day Three (fruit and veggies-no potato):
This is the day I felt the best, eating a feast of fresh fruits and veggies made me feel amazing and gave me loads of energy. All my extra energy allowed my to excel at rock climbing in a way that I hadn't in months.

Day Four (bananas and milk):
This day was torture. I don't like bananas, and I am not the biggest fan of milk. By the end of the day I would glare at the banana I was eating and tell it how much I hated it. The most edible thing I had all day was  the banana and milk smoothie with cinnamon and nutmeg I had for lunch.

Day Five (beef and tomatoes):
This day wasn't bad, but it wasn't so great either. I wasn't hungry, but I wasn't too happy either as I typically stick to a vegetarian diet and don't enjoy eating meat for both moral and health reasons. Also, I don't favor plain, raw tomatoes even if I do love then in every other form they come in. I did however survive this day by cooking my tomatoes with my meat, some garlic, a little red wine and a few fresh basil leaves. 

Day Six (beef and veggies): 
This day was better then day five except for the fact that I spent the whole day hungry no matter how much I ate. Though, because I could eat what ever vegetables I wanted, I was happy. I cooked my meat with garlic, a tomato, a bunch of mushrooms, tons of kale, flavorful spices and some white wine.

Day Seven (brown rice, fruit juice and veggies):
By this final day of the cleanse I was just happy to be able to eat some grains, even if I wasn't happy about having to eat vegetables for breakfast...again.

T-J MIRACLE SOUP (You eat this soup as much as you want along with the other foods for each day.):
-I changed the recipe a little from what the websites said
5 cloves garlic (minced and crushed) 
5 large onions 

2 red peppers

1 can whole plum tomatoes (partially drained and chopped)

1 head of cabbage (chopped)

1 bunch of kale (ripped into small pieces)

1 cup of chopped carrots

12 cups water

no sodium chicken bullion I used a whole box of packets

1/2 cup red wine

Sriracha (I used a ton, I love spicy food) 

salt 

pepper

spices 

When I made the soup I made it to my taste preferences for example I took out the celery and added kale instead.  I used the chicken bullion instead of the onion soup mix because the onion soup mix had tons of sodium and I try to keep from eating a lot of sodium. 
To make the soup you just combine all the ingredients in a large pot and allow to cook until the veggies are soft.

T-J Miracle Soup can be eaten at any time when you feel hungry. East as much as you wish and as often as you like. This soup will not add calories, so eat all you want. The more you eat, the more you lose. Enjoy. 

Crepes: Sweet and Savory

A few weeks ago I ran across a recipe for coconut whipped cream, and since then I was trying to find an excuse to make some. The excuse I finally landed on was that I would make crepes. The crepes were delicious and the coconut whipped cream was both yummy and a bit odd.

The Recipes

Crepes (recipe found in The Joy of Cooking ) 

-I made one recipe of batter, I used the first half for the savory crepes then added the sugar for the sweet crepes.

Ingredients

Savory

1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat, half all-purpose)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup warm water (I don't believe I actually added this)

4 eggs

1/4 cup melted butter

pinch of salt

Sweet (for half the recipe, double these measurement if you would like to make all sweet crepes)

1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk until smooth. Allow to sit for around 30 minuets. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or crepe pan to medium heat. Put a small amount of butter (maybe 1/8-1/4 tsp) in the center of the frying pan. Pour about a 1/4 cup of batter in the center of the frying pan, quickly pick up the frying pan and tilt it around in a circle so that the batter thinly and evenly covers the whole bottom of the frying pan. Wait till small bubbles appear, check to see if the side cooking is a light golden brown color, if it is it is time to flip the crepe. To flip a crepe gently lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula, the gently grab the crepe with your fingers and flip it over. Cook for 15-30 seconds more or until the second side is golden brown. Enjoy.

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream 

Recipe found: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-whipped-cream-from-152490  

Ingredients

1 can of coconut milk

2 tsp sugar

Lime Zest(optional)

Directions

Allow the coconut milk to sit in the refrigerator overnight so that it can solidify. Scoop the solid coconut milk out of the can into a medium sized bowl, leaving the liquid bit at the bottom in the can (this can be used for a smoothie or drink). Using an electric mixer whip the the coconut milk until it starts to stiffen, add the other ingredients and continue to whip until stiff (you get little peaks of whipped cream when you turn off the mixer and pull it out). 

Top your sweet crepes with the coconut whipped cream and strawberry slices and enjoy.

Savory Crepe Filling (my personal recipe, and favorite way to eat eggs with or without the crepes)

This is what I put in my crepes but you can put anything you like in your crepes. Also, these measurements are not exact. This fed three people and we had some left over.

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic (minced and crushed)

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms 

3 handfuls of kale (freshly washed and ripped)

1 Tbsp white wine 

1 1/2 cup egg beaters or 6 eggs

1 handful mozzarella cheese or whatever cheese you like

salt

pepper 

Italian spices

Directions

Heat large frying pan with olive oil to medium-high heat, add garlic, cook till golden brown. Add mushrooms, saute. Add kale, cover with lid, and quickly add wine (this helps steam and flavor the kale), cook the kale till it has changed color and shrunk slightly. Spice the mixture and mix thoroughly, add eggs(or egg beaters), scramble. Add cheese and enjoy.

What I did with my leftover Coconut Milk

6 slightly over-ripe strawberries (over-ripe means more flavor when it comes to smoothies)

1 ripe mango

however much coconut milk you have left(I had around a 1/3 cup)

Chop fruit and throw in a blender with the coconut milk, enjoy.    

    

 

Chicken with Creamy White Wine Mushroom Sauce

Yesterday evening I made chicken for the first time. This was big for me for a few reasons. First, I typically stick to a vegetarian diet for both health and moral reasons. However, I figured after having been sick for close to two months now I needed the protein. Second, I typically stay away from chicken because in my opinion chicken that isn't made well tastes the way sweat smells (the "I've been out in the sun too long" kind, not the "I just ran 10 miles without deodorant" kind).
This recipe is just me experimenting with chicken for the first time and I think it turned out great. A quick disclaimer: I made these recipes as I went along based on what flavors I know go well together from past experience and what smelled delicious. So, once again, these measurements are estimates of what I used.

Recipes: (I used 6 chicken breasts)
Marinade (my personal recipe)
Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped and crushed)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 bay leaves
5 leaves fresh sage (roughly chopped)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Pepper
Salt

Directions
To make the marinade I essentially just throw everything together in a sauce pan and brought it to a boil. For the rosemary and thyme remove the leaves from the twig-like stems then roughly chop up the stems and throw those in along with the leaves(the stems aren't great to eat but have a ton of flavor that's great for marinades). Allow to simmer for just a minute or two to allow the flavors to mix together. Allow the marinade to cool.
While the marinade is cooling rinse your defrosted chicken.
I then, having no experience with chicken, decided that it made sense to poke holes in the chicken. I figured this would allow the flavors of the marinade to really infuse into the chicken. So I took a fork and stabbed each piece of chicken breast about 100 times, top, bottom, sides, everywhere (while wearing gloves and making faces because I refuse to touch raw meat). I then put the chicken in a large bowl and poured the marinade over top. Next I put my hands in the bowl and massaged the chicken allowing the flavors of the marinade to really get inside the chicken. Then I left the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for about 4 hours.
When the chicken is done marinating heat a frying pan at medium high heat, melt a little butter if the pan is not non-stick. Cook the chicken till golden brown on both sides (about 5 minutes each side).

Creamy White Wine Mushroom Sauce (my personal recipe)
Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic (minced and crushed)
12 oz mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup chicken or mushroom stock (I used chicken)
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 bay leaf
5 leaves fresh sage (roughly chopped)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (remove leaves from stem, throw away stem)
5 sprigs fresh thyme (remove leaves from stem, throw away stem)
Pepper
Salt
1 cup light cream

Directions
Heat butter and olive oil at medium-high heat, add garlic, cook till lightly brown. Next, add mushrooms and sauté. After the mushrooms are sautéed add lemon juice and spices. Stir in stock and wine, simmer for about 10 minutes or until only about half the liquid is left. Stir in cream. Spoon over chicken and enjoy. Can served over pasta, rice or with potatoes.

Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli with Vodka Sauce

This past Friday I spent a few hours making spinach and mushroom ravioli with vodka sauce and garlic bread. Creating the ravioli took a rather long time but was worth every second. A quick disclaimer: I use recipes as guides as opposed to rules so many of the measurements are estimations.  

The Recipes:
Pasta Dough(found on foodnetwork.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 whole eggs plus 1 yoke
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
some salt
1 or 2 tablespoons of water

Directions:
Put the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water.

Using a fork beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, dont worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.

When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!

When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately do not refrigerate.

Roll and cut the pasta into desired shape.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/chef-annes-all-purpose-pasta-dough-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback


Ravioli Filling(my personal recipe)
Ingredients:
~2 cups of mushrooms (minced)
~2 cups fresh spinach (minced)
3 cloves of garlic (minced and crushed)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine

1/4 tsp lemon juice(fresh is best)
salt
pepper
Italian spices
bay leaf

16 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1 egg


Directions:
In a large nonstick frying pan heat olive oil on medium-high heat add in garlic cook until just golden brown. Add mushrooms to the pan, saute. Add spinach quickly followed by wine and cover for a minute or two to allow the spinach to steam. Remove cover, mix in lemon juice, add the bay leaf and various spices. Lower the heat, allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes until 90% of the liquid is gone.
While the mixture is simmering in a large bowl mix together the cheeses and egg and more spices. After the stove top mixture is done reducing (don't forget to remove the bay leaf) add to the cheese mixture, mix together quickly so the egg does not cook.

How to Make the Ravioli (be prepared this takes a long time) 
Lightly flour a clean dry work surface, roll out about 1/4 of your dough. Cut the sheet of dough into two similar sized planes. On one sheet place heaping teaspoon sized balls of filling at about 2 inch intervals. Get a small bowl and put water in it. Dip your clean finger in the water the dab water around each ball of filling(this acts like a glue). Lay the second sheet of dough on top of the the first sheet with the filling balls (you may need to re-roll the second sheet a bit as the dough has a tendency to contract). Use the side of your hand to press the dough down around the filling balls. Then use your fingers to really press the to sheets of dough together so that you don't have exploding raviolis. If you have one use a ravioli cutter (looks like a tiny, zigzaggy pizza cutter) to separate into individual raviolis (if you don't have a ravioli cutter I imagine that a knife would work but I don't know as I have a ravioli cutter). Continue this process until you have the desired amount of raviolis.
To cook the ravioli bring as much water as you would use to cook a pound of pasta to a boil. Add the ravioli and watch as they cook rather quickly. Ravioli are done when they float to the top. Also, I cook the vodka sauce and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees while waiting for the water to boil.


Vodka Sauce (my personal recipe)   
*This is a double recipe. I always make a lot since I like to keep it around for a few days because its so delicious. When I make this with Penne I often add mushrooms.
Ingredients
6 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of Garlic (minced and crushed)
1 medium-large onion (finely chopped)
2 28 oz. cans of whole plum tomatoes (mostly drained then coarsely chopped)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vodka
~24 fresh basil leaves(must be fresh and coarsely chopped)
Italian spices
salt
pepper

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Add garlic, cook till golden brow. Add onions cook till lightly brown. Mix in tomatoes, red pepper flakes and vodka, bring to boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 10 minuets. Mix in basil and spices, add cream. EAT!


Garlic Bread
Ingredients
Bread (I used a hardy whole grain bread, but u can use Italian bread, a baguette or whatever bread suits your fancy)
olive oil
a couple garlic cloves
Romano cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into slices, lay the slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in oven for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. While the bread is in the oven peal the garlic cloves and cut in half. After the bread is done toasting, while it is still very hot, rub each piece with the cut side of a garlic clove, infusing the bread with flavor. The hot bread cooks the garlic a bit aiding the infusion. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

I found that I had some left over ravioli filling and untoasted bread slices. So for lunch today I lightly toasted the bread so that it was crispy but not browned at all. Then I smeared on some ravioli filling, topped it with a little vodka sauce and put in back in the toaster oven for a few minuets. It was quick, easy and delicious!




 
 

A Little About Me

Hello! I'm Hope, I am 20 years old and from Maryland. I am currently going to school in hopes of getting a degree that allows me to integrate Photography and Marine Science. If I could I would spend all of my time traveling around the world to various fantastic places. However, I don't have the funds for this and instead spend my free time hanging out with friends, rock climbing, working on my photography portfolio, and cooking.  

Recently I have found myself unable to go out on Friday nights as I have to be up ridiculously early for work on Saturday mornings. So rather then sitting around the house being bored I have decided to put my Friday evenings to good use. Each Friday I plan on fulfilling my passion for cooking by trying out a new recipe each week. In the past I primarily have cooked Mediterranean style dishes but my plan is to branch out and try cooking dishes from all corners of the world.

So this blog going to primarily be a food blog but i will likely include; things that I find helpful or amusing, fun little everyday experiences, my travels, and a few tips for people like me who have crazy curly hair.