Once again, it’s been a really long time…where have the past few weeks gone?

This week I was inspired to write again because I have been dusting off some favorite old recipes. And by dusting off, I mean looking them up here on my own blog, which has become sort of my online favorite recipe box!

The motivation for reaching back for old favorites has been multi-faceted. First, although the weather has not consistently acted like it here, it’s technically spring now, and on our few warm and sunny days I have found myself craving and making things I first discovered last spring and summer, like Broccoli & Avocado Salad and Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad.

Next, those really uncooperative cold, rainy weather days like today have rekindled my desire for thick, creamy, warming soups like Potato Leek Soup and Winter Squash Stew.

I’ve also been fairly exhausted by pregnancy and a lingering coming-and-going cold over the past few weeks, so making old standbys rather than shopping for and trying out new ones has simply been more appealing. Hopefully these “oldies” for me will be new for some of you, and I’ll aim to discover at least a couple of new recipes and/or ingredients in the next few weeks and share!

My computer time lately seems to be all filled up with freelance work, and other than “Baby Bargains” and other expectant mom resources, my “just-for-fun” book time hasn’t exactly been abundant either, so instead of reading online blogs or real novels, cooking magazines have become my go-to for a little break from reality (on the evenings I don’t fall asleep immediately upon sitting on the bed!).

I’ve been enjoying reading two in particular, Eating Well and Whole Living, and last week I somehow managed to find time to try three recipes from the latest issues!

The first two were dinners from the “Healthy Comfort Foods” article in the March issue of Whole Living. First I made Chicken Pot Pie, which got its “stealth health factor” from the inclusion of barley, a grain full of fiber and minerals. Buying that was an adventure because I had never done that before and the recipe said “hulled barley” and all I could find was “pearled barley” so there I was in Whole Foods, frantically searching on my phone for an indication about whether they were the same or not. (Apparently they are similar but hulled would have been a more healthy whole grain). I went with pearled anyway because I really wanted to try this recipe. I was similarly unable to find whole wheat phyllo dough, but I decided that would just have to be ok too! The recipe made 4 cute little individual pot pies that were yummy and, as the article’s title promised, reminiscent of classic comfort food without including the traditional heavy, less-healthy ingredients.

The second Whole Living recipe I made was Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells. It took a while to do this one, since there were quite a few steps, but it was well worth it. The pan of stuffed shells fed my husband and I for dinner and we had at least four more servings for leftovers. The “stealth health factor” on this recipe was using part-skim ricotta and including both spinach and bulgur (another new ingredient for me) in the filling, providing antioxidants and fiber.

Unfortunately I didn’t find these recipes online, but I recommend checking out the March issue, pages 92 and 93, and giving both of these recipes a try!

The third recipe I tried, Chocolate Decadence, was truly an indulgence, but since it came out of Eating Well and contained very little flour and all dark chocolate, I felt it was a worthwhile indulgence to make for dinner guests. It was amazing! Delicious and satisfying even in fairly small portions, unlike some dessert recipes that have me wanting more or leave me feeling unsatisfied the minute I finish.

P.S. This post was written back at the end of February, but somehow didn’t get published…apparently pregnancy brain + technology are not a good combo!

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Liz Vequist, my mentor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, shared this Potato Leek Soup recipe on her blog with me when I told her about my recent soup kick. I loved it so much that I have made it twice in two weeks, and will likely make it again this week! It’s creamy and comforting, like potato soup should be, and it has just a little kick to it, although of course that can be ramped up or toned down depending on how much and which spices you prefer to use!

One of the best things about this recipe is that unlike some of those delicious, but calorie- and fat-laden, potato soups you might get in a restaurant, this one is dairy-free and it only requires a few wholesome ingredients, so it’s healthy and quick and easy to make.

I did make a few modifications of my own. I didn’t have vegetable bouillon either time I made the soup, so in place of the water + bouillon I used 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth one time and low-sodium chicken broth the next, and both worked just fine! I also left out the thyme and bay leaf simply because I didn’t have them on hand, and the second time I made it I even left out the chili powder because I had run out of that, and it was still delicious and tasty. If it’s a little bland, try seasoning your individual bowl with extra sea salt and/or pepper, and even add a little shredded cheese or green onions (scallions) on top. I highly recommend this soup as a delicious lunch or supper with fresh bread. I’ll post a photo the next time I make it…and I don’t think it will be long!

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Where has January gone? I can’t believe it’s already the last day of the month, which means it’s already time for me to write about another book as part of The Kitchen Reader group! This month Sarah of Simply Cooked chose Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction, and More… by Dianne Jacob.

I have two confessions to make: first, I haven’t completely finished reading the book yet, but I am still going to share my impressions and thoughts with you.

Second, I only paid attention to the first part of the title when I requested and then picked up the book from the library, and when I picked it up to start reading it I still thought it was going to be the memoirs of a food writer, not an instruction manual for aspiring food writers.

Despite my disappointment at discovering it was, in fact, a guidebook, I have found the book interesting and very accessible—it truly would be a helpful read for anyone at any phase of becoming a food writer. Although I am not finding it extremely useful to me right now because I’ve been so sporadic with my own writing and am not willing to put the time into trying out the writing exercises or checking out all of the other resources and examples the author points to, I could see how owning this book and having it on my shelf as a resource would be a good idea. I think it would make a great gift for anyone you know who aspires to write for food magazines, is or wants to become a food blogger, or is working on putting together a cookbook.

It would probably be even more helpful if you got them the newest edition (2010), rather than the 2005 edition I unknowingly got from the library! I actually didn’t realize until I read Jill’s post about the book that I was reading an old version, although I had noticed (as she did) that the content felt a little bit outdated and I was surprised not to see a specific section about food blogging (one does exist in the latest edition). Oops!

Despite reading the old edition, and finding out that it does not contain a story as I had hoped, I’m still enjoying this book enough to recommend it. I hope that as I get further along (and maybe even splurge and pick up the newest edition for my very own) that I will pick up some valuable pointers that I can implement to improve my own writing here on this blog!

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Lately, more often than not, the answer to “what’s to eat?” in our house has been “soup!” The cold weather and a craving for warm, creamy, comforting meals has led me to make butternut squash soup, sweet potato and coconut quinoa soup, broccoli soup, and black bean soup.

The sweet potato and coconut quinoa soup and the black bean soup were both recipes from my beloved Quinoa 365 cookbook (another recipe I tried and liked from it this weekend was the Mexican Casserole!) My experiences making those delicious soups led me to experiment with the broccoli soup recipe I usually make, and I am thrilled with the results.

I already knew that adding quinoa to any soup, much like adding rice, would be a good way to bulk it up a bit, both texturally and nutritionally, and would be a more healthful choice than, say, noodles. But what about a creamy soup? Turns out that is even easier!

What I’ve learned now that you can basically add cooked quinoa to any soup recipe, and, although I love the taste and the texture, if the soup is one that you blend or puree, you probably won’t even notice the addition (hint, hint, moms!)

However, that addition is giving you added protein and fiber with minimal fat. For someone like me, who gravitates toward a mainly vegetarian diet but is often concerned about getting enough protein (especially while I’m pregnant!) quinoa has been a great option, and adding it to my favorite soup recipes is just my newest favorite way to enjoy this superfood.

Here’s my slightly revised broccoli soup recipe. I’ve added in the quinoa and shifted other ingredient quantities just slightly based on experience. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 bunches broccoli
• 2-3 large or 4-5 small sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tablespoons tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
• optional: Parmesan or organic cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Place quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender.
2. While quinoa cooks, cut the florets off of the broccoli so that you have almost no portion of the stalk and place in a separate bowl.
3. Cut the stalks of the broccoli and the sweet potatoes into small pieces.
4. Place in a medium pot and fill with water just until the veggies are covered and bring to a boil.
5. Cook until soft, about 10-12 minutes.
6. Remove broccoli and potato from the water, reserving the water, and put into blender.
7. Add cooked quinoa and blend.
8. Slowly add the water from the pot to your blender until you get a good soup consistency.
9. Add garlic and tamari, and blend again.
10. Place soup back in the pot and add broccoli florets.
11. Leave on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with a little fresh ground pepper.
12. Optional: sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese or organic cheddar on top of your bowl before serving.

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As I posted on Facebook and Twitter this evening, tonight I cooked a wholesome dinner for the second night in a row, and I feel as if I have woken up from a long winter’s nap!

I didn’t exactly resort to fast food or frozen TV dinners in December, but I definitely haven’t been cooking wholesome meals and trying out new recipes the way I enjoy. I wouldn’t trade my time spent making traditional holiday treats or visiting friends and family for anything, but I am glad to settle back in to a more healthy routine now that the new year is here.

Last night I made winter squash stew, a.k.a. butternut squash soup, and man, was it delicious! It had been a long time since I made that recipe and I already can’t wait to make it again.

Tonight I tried a recipe from Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. I’ve mentioned this book before, when I made my chocolate birthday cake, but that was before I actually owned the book.

I got it for Christmas (thanks, Mom!) and so now I not only own it, but I have at least 10 pages flagged already with recipes I intend to try in the next 2-3 weeks. Tonight’s dinner was Thai Cashew Chicken and Broccoli on Quinoa. As far as a quinoa recipe goes, it wasn’t too innovative—basically it was an Asian dish served on quinoa instead of rice—but it was delicious, easy to make, and got me excited about quinoa (and cooking in general) again!

Since I don’t have the publisher’s permission, I won’t share the recipe here, but I encourage you to get this book, whether from a bookstore or from the library, and try it out. My only note was that I’d like to try the recipe with cashew butter instead of peanut butter—it doesn’t use much, only 3 Tbsp, but since the cashews were just sprinkled on top, the chicken had more of a peanut-y flavor than a cashew one, although it was certainly yummy so I can’t complain!

One other note about this recipe: it calls for oyster sauce, which I have never used before. According to Wikipedia, oyster sauce describes a number of different sauces, all made by cooking oysters. Sadly on my first attempt to find it in a regular grocery store, all I found was oyster-flavored sauce, which was really just fish sauce, and was loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, so I decided to pass on that. Luckily I found real oyster sauce (sans the corn syrup!) at Whole Foods, and since the recipe only called for 2 Tbsp, I have plenty left for trying this recipe or some variation again.

I think next time I might swap in shrimp for chicken, and I definitely plan to try it with long slices of zucchini instead of broccoli for a friend who is not a broccoli fan. Luckily my husband, who is also not a broccoli fan, happily ate it up in this dish!

I have a feeling this is the first of many blog posts I will be writing about my experiences with this cookbook. I’m sorry not to be able to share the exact recipes, but check out the authors’ Quinoa 365 website for a few freebies they have posted there, and if you get the book, be sure to let me know which recipes you try and enjoy! I’m all revved up and ready to try a lot of new healthy recipes to get our year off to a great start!

What has you jazzed about the new year? Are you feeling inspired and motivated? Leave me a comment and share!

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Late last week I had a craving for cinnamon rolls. This craving had gone on for several weeks, but every time I was out Christmas shopping at the mall, I made the decision not to cave and buy one, even though they smelled so good…

Luckily when the craving just had to be satisfied, I did a quick web search and found this “Easy No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls” recipe from The Happy Housewife. It was a great instant gratification recipe since I didn’t have to wait for the dough to rise, and it called for no oil, shortening, or refined sugar, like many other recipes I found.

I needed the whole cup of milk, and I found it only made 8 rolls, which surprised me. I used a 9″ round cake pan and it didn’t fill the whole pan, but I was able to line the pan with them and when they baked they spread out and touched each other. Before I put the rolls in the pan, I greased it with a little bit of butter and sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon in.

I only needed to bake them for 16 minutes, and they were yummy drizzled with some leftover royal icing I had from making Christmas Cut-Out Cookies!

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This month instead of sharing book reviews, members of the Kitchen Reader group are all sharing a holiday recipe that is special to them.

I decided to share my mom’s recipe for Christmas cut-out cookies, although to be fair, they can be and have been made many times at other times of the year. Although they are probably the most time-intensive recipe I make at the holidays (because of the decorating time), I always make at least one batch because they remind me of making and decorating them with my mom, and they make me (and the loved ones who ooh and aah over them) feel young.

I thought about tinkering with the recipe to make it fit my blog a little bit better, perhaps swapping in a natural sweetener for sugar, but ultimately decided to stick with the original. I did use wholesome ingredients (organic butter, sugar, and flour, cage-free eggs) and decided they were a treat worth enjoying (in moderation!) Here’s the recipe!

Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1.5 c. confectioner’s sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1. Cream butter, confectioner’s sugar, egg, and vanilla.
2. Blend in dry ingredients.
3. Cover and chill the dough for a few hours or overnight.
4. Roll out on a floured surface and cut with favorite cookie cutters.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes per batch.

For decorating, you could make buttercream frosting or Royal icing. I made Royal icing (using meringue powder) for the first time this year because it hardens nicely and I wanted to mail some cookies to relatives we won’t be able to see this year.

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Wow, it’s been a while already since I wrote my last post, and I know my frequency has been down a bit over the past couple of months. I’m finally ready to share why: my husband and I are expecting our first baby in early June!

At first I was so excited, I couldn’t figure out how to write a blog post without spilling the beans…then, and for most of my first trimester, I felt pretty icky and, well, didn’t have a lot to share beyond that, since my time in the kitchen and the gym were both drastically reduced by all-day nausea. Even if we had been ready to announce the news, I didn’t figure my readers really needed to hear about me eating yet another bowl of Trader Joe’s tomato soup or taking another mid-afternoon nap to escape the queasiness.

Now I am feeling much better and hope to get back into the swing of things with more regular blog posts. I’m still seeing (and accepting new) health coaching clients, and although some of my healthy favorites are strangely unappealing these days (fish, beans, and spinach, to name a few) I do hope to get back to doing more home cooking and trying out new recipes again, so thanks for staying tuned!

It’s time for this month’s Kitchen Reader book review! This month the selection was made by Stacy of Little Blue Hen. She chose Heat (An Amateur’s Adventure as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany), so I got it from the library and spent the past week reading it.

For anyone who knows me well, that will seem like a really long time to spend on one book, especially when it was a holiday week when air travel was involved. Unfortunately, though, that is how long it took me to make it through.

Overall I can say I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t as much fun as I expected. The premise is very cool: Bill Buford, a writer and former editor of The New Yorker, basically put his real life on hold to spend many months literally slaving away in the kitchen of Babbo, one of Mario Batali’s famous restaurants in New York, as well as traipsing through Italy on multiple trips, spending months at a time learning from various restaurant owners and a butcher. This is his memoir about the experience, and I thought it would be enthralling to learn about the goings-on behind-the-scenes in a New York restaurant and to find out what he learned in Italy, but the pace was a little slow, and I have to admit, the sections that take place in Italy were my least favorite!

I did enjoy getting a glimpse into the (crazy) personality of the famous chef Mario Batali, and finding out more about how a restaurant works. It had never really occurred to me before that my slice of lasagna was not assembled and cooked right when I ordered it (although logically, of course, I understand it’s not…I’ve made lasagna and it takes a while!) so to read about the author’s experience working his way up from prep work during the day to plating pasta during the evening service was interesting and entertaining. I think I had hoped to glean a little bit of cooking wisdom or practical information I might use, since I adore Italian food, but mostly what stuck with me was the intense nature of working in the kitchen at a restaurant, and the quirky and eccentric personalities that seem necessary to survive in it!

I would recommend this book, but it might be one you put down and pick back up here and there, reading a section at a time, or even skip around and try to just hit the parts that take place in New York, if you are like me and find that to be the most enjoyable.

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