Foodie Friday

Happy  New Year Friends!

I hope everyone’s holiday was enjoyable & you haven’t given up on your resolutions. I tried to keep mine really simple, be kind: to myself, to others, etc… so I will keep you posted on that throughout the year. I have been keeping myself busy trying to find a new yoga home here in Walnut Creek & planning all the travel coming up – Palm Springs next week, Philadelphia & Charleston in March, Mexico in April, Virginia Beach in May, Spain in June, and Italy in July…oh boy!! With all the travel on the horizon I have been focusing on easy, comforting, and healthy recipes while I am home. This week I have been enjoying a hearty vegetarian soup & it couldn’t have been more simple to make.

Tuscan Bean Soup

• 1 container vegetable stock 
• 2 cans diced tomatoes 
• 2 cans tuscan beans
• 1 big bunch of kale 
• 1 large white onion 
• 6 cloves garlic 
• 3 zucchini 
• 1 bag carrots 
• 1 bag celery 
• 1 bag small potatoes 
• 1 bunch tyme 
• 1 sm. bunch sage 
• salt/pepper
• EVOO
• Parmesan

Peel & small dice carrots, small dice celery, garlic, & onion, quarter and dice zucchini, tear kale from stems, quarter potatoes, & prep herbs while 1/4cup EVOO heats up in a large dutch oven on the stove top. Start with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, & potatoes in the pot and cook down for 10 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, beans (drained), herbs, salt & pepper – cook until it simmers. Mix in kale & zucchini and allow soup to cook together for another 10 minutes. Ladle into a bowl, sprinkle on some freshly grated Parmesan (optional), and enjoy!

With this recipe I have enough soup for lunches all week & 5 more portions frozen in mason jars for the next time I have a hankering for this delicious comfort dish.

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

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Foodie Friday!

It’s the weekend!! I am so excited to enjoy a weekend away in New York. One of my favorite things about road trips are the snacks! This foodie Friday post is dedicated to an awesome comfort food snack, soft pretzels!

These honey wheat soft pretzels are incredibly easy to make and totally to die for delicious!

Honey Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels

1 packet yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 pinch salt
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour (plus a little extra)
1 heavy tbsp honey
1 egg (beaten)
1 tbsp course salt

Preheat the oven to 425°. Add packet of yeast to warm water and briefly stir. Mix in the honey and salt, and allow to sit for a minute. One at a time, add the cups of whole wheat flour and mix in using a wooden spoon. Continue to add flour until the mixture is no longer sticky, then transfer to a floured surface. Knead the dough for a few minutes until you’re able to form into a ball. Cut the dough into four equal parts and begin to roll out pretzels. Dip each pretzel in the egg wash before placing on the baking sheet and sprinkling with coarse salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

These are fabulous right out of the oven or at room temperature! Dip in some mustard, cut in half and use as a mini sandwich, or enjoy just as they are! These soft pretzels are not only healthier than your average, they’re incredibly versatile and make the perfect on the go snack!

Have a wonderfully delicious weekend!

Asian Inspiration

Happy Hump Day!

The snow continues here, only a few inches thankfully, but I wont let it get me down! In a few days I will be visiting one of my college besties in New York for her town’s St. Patty’s Day celebration! While we both keep crazy schedules, we always make time to visit each other a few times a year and the Rockaway St. Patty’s Day parade has been one of those occasions for many years!

In other efforts to keep the snow from bringing me down I have been trying to make comforting evening meals that taste indulgent but are totally healthy! This Asian stir-fry is one such comfort food I can’t live without – and neither can Phil! I have been making variations of this forever, but thanks to the Rocco Dispirito’s Now Eat This Book, I have taken all my Asian dishes to a whole other level while still keeping it guilt free!

Tofu Teriyaki Stir Fry

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 small head nappa cabbage
• 1 small box of shitake mushrooms
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 batch Rocco’s Rockin’ Asian Sauce (1/4 cup chopped ginger, 5 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 bunch scallions fine chopped, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 3/4 cup stock, 1/2 cup reduced sugar ketchup, 1 tbsp corn starch, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar)

* Cook brown rice as instructed on package (1cup rice 2cup water boil/cover for 20-30 minutes). Drain and dry tofu, slice into cubes and bake in oven @ 400 for 10-15 minutes, rotating every few minutes. As tofu cooks, heat non-stick pan to medium and add sesame oil. Add shallots and garlic to the pan first, followed by all the vegetables except the cabbage. Cook veggies until tender, add cabbage, rice, sauce and tofu.

The dish, sauce and all, takes about 35 minutes and is AMAZING as leftovers!

Nothing like a little comfort food to carry you over the mid-week hump..enjoy!

Foodie Friday

Happy Friday folks!

Today’s foodie Friday post has a Thai twist. For Christmas I was given Rocco Disprito’s cookbook Eat This, Now! Each recipe in this book breaks down comfort foods and creative ways to make them healthier!

This delicious shrimp pad Thai recipe is under 300 calories, incredibly flavorful and oh so comforting after a long day!

The recipe is a bit long, so I’ll be adding it soon, but I was so surprised by how well it turned out, I has to share!

Who needs to order out and wonder what you’re eating?!? Roll up your sleeves, get in the kitchen and see what you can create!

Enjoy!