Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili (Vegan!), New Running Playlist

And just like that, the temperature dropped. I realize it’s snowing in some places, but holy crap this crisp weather came out of nowhere. It is 45* as I type this. 45 degrees!!! That’s just rude.

Meanwhile, my Gruber Farm CSA still thinks it’s Summer. I’m not upset about it; I’ll hang onto Summer as long as I can.

Week 7’s box:

• apples
• corn
• tomatoes
• black eyed peas
• the cutest pumpkin ever
• yellow squash
• broccoli

I was so excited to see that adorable pumpkin as I hadn’t bought one this year. It may be too late to carve it, but I can surely make pumpkin puree for more pumpkin bread. I bet it’ll be a million times better than the canned stuff.

Just checked the weather. It’s still 45*. I’m still cold. I bet you are too, so I made us some chili.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
• 2-3 tbsp. Sriracha, depending on your heat preference
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• Optional toppings: crumbled pita chips, avocado

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, corn, black beans, pumpkin, Sriracha, and spices. Stir until evenly combined. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve warm with toppings. Makes 5 servings.

This chili is very different from anything I’ve had. In fact, it’s better. It’s both sweet and spicy and you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. You should also note that when you first mix all the ingredients in the pot, it will seem very thick. I promise that after simmering, the juices will come out and it will be just right. You can trust me…and Sarah:

She made my day with that tweet!

In other news, I’m still running longer distances, with 5 miles being my new minimum. Amanda and I always run together, but right now her doctor says she has a sprained ligament. : ( Will you please pray for her? I hate that she’s hurting and want her healed a.s.a.p.!

Now have a looksee at my current running playlist:

What’s your favorite cold weather food?

How do you like your chili?

What’s your favorite song at the moment?

The Night We May Have Overdosed on Sriracha

Sriracha is a funny, inexplicable obsession. It burns as you eat it, but you keep adding more, hoping for a taste of the slight hint of sweetness. As you add more to your food, your eyes well up, your nose starts twitching, and sometimes, you just cry. But it’s a joyful cry, I promise you that.

Amanda and I took adding Sriracha on our food to a whole new level last week when we made an entire meal centered around it. It burned so good. I found all three of these recipes on pinterest, but, as always, altered them to our personal nutritional standards and likings.

Sriracha Panko Encrusted Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
• 1/3 cup Sriracha
• 1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 inch peeled and grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 large egg whites
• 1.5 cups panko crumbs

Preparation:

1. In a large ziploc bag,  combine the Sriracha, rice vinegar, minced garlic and grated ginger. Place chicken tenderloins in bag and shake to saturate. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425*. Set up a dredging station with bowls. Fill the first with egg whites and the second with panko crumbs. Taking one chicken strip from the marinade at a time, dip in egg white, then roll into panko crumbs until coated.Place the breaded strip on a clean plate and continue with the rest of the chicken.
3. Once all of the strips are breaded, place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. After 15 minutes, turn the oven on to broil and broil for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into strips
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (5.3 oz.) container plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp. Sriracha
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Combine cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss spice mixture on potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn potatoes with a spatula and bake an additional 10 minutes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, make dipping sauce. Whisk together Greek yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove potatoes from oven and serve with Sriracha dipping sauce.
   

Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha, Honey, and Lime

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut each Brussels sprout in half. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together Sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Remove Brussels sprouts and add to a bowl. Toss with Sriracha mixture.

This dinner was awesome. Despite having Sriracha in all of it, it wasn’t as spicy as we expected. Our favorite part was definitely the dipping sauce – we put it on everything. I’ll definitely make it again to use on other vegetables or fish.

I’m proud to say that after having my first bottle of Sriracha for only a week, it’s half gone. Crazy, right?

What is your favorite condiment? What’s your favorite way to incorporate it into a meal? What’s the strangest way you use it?

Spicy White Bean and Chicken Chili with Sriracha

This may sound ridiculous, but last week in Charleston, the weather was really cool. When I say cool, I mean mid 80s with no humidity. It was amazing! We enjoyed every bit of it knowing that just around the corner came nasty weather. Look at this week:

Gross, right? But it’s perfect weather for soup, chili, and cookies, so let me share a chili with you. Amanda and I made this last Thursday after work and it was excellent. I hope you like spicy food…

Spicy White Bean and Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 2 tbsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 (32 oz.) container fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
• Sriracha, for extra heat!

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the ground chicken, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt.  Stirring frequently, cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the beans, kale, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Top with Parmesan cheese and Sriracha!

Can we talk about Sriracha for a minute? I’ve tried it a couple times in the past and liked it, but while Amanda and I were housesitting, I become obsessed. I think we went through half a bottle in the 5 days we were at her parents’. We put it on everything: this chili, breakfast sandwiches, avocado dip, and veggie burgers. There were several times this weekend that we were at the table eating with tears popping out of our eyes, wiping our noses from the burn. It’s so hot, but so good you can’t stop!

I even put this book on hold at the library, so don’t be surprised if you see a lot of Sriracha recipes in the near future.

Are you a fan of Sriracha hot sauce?

What’s your favorite thing to put it on?

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I miss my CSA with Gruber Farm so much! I’m going through withdrawals. I’m seriously having a countdown until the Fall season begins on August 28th. On Tuesday, Boding and I stopped by the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market so I could restock my refrigerator. One of the greatest health tips I can give you is that having fresh fruit and vegetables on hand will discourage you from eating processed foods. You also save a ton of money by not eating out. It’s not rocket science, I promise!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend (or just plain quinoa)
• 2 medium ears of fresh corn, kernels removed
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• fresh cilantro, for topping

Preparation:

1. Prepare grain blend or quinoa as directed on package. Let cool and place in a large bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until evenly combined. Top with fresh cilantro or sliced avocado.

This is one of those recipes that is satisfying on so many levels.  It’s delicious, healthy, and full of flavor. It packs a bunch of fiber and protein to boot. Share with your friends – they’ll love you for it! Here’s the nutritional information that I calculated on Livestrong.

Meals like this are the reason I’m okay with frequent visits to frozen yogurt shops because it’s all about the balance. But, as of 1 week ago, I haven’t had any desserts/candy AT ALL. At work the other day, Dane (pushups partner) and I decided we should try giving up sweets for 2 weeks. I’m happy to say that I didn’t go into cardiac arrest OR a deep depression. One week to go!

Ironically, I got 3 cavities filled yesterday. Another reason to abstain from sugar! Wells Fargo was not happy when I swiped my card for that dentist bill.

And then I bought this Sonicare toothbrush. : )

Favorite vegetable combo? I can’t get enough of fresh corn & avocado!

Do you regularly eat sweets or are they a random treat for you?

Gruber Farm CSA Week 8 / Spicy Corn & Potato Chowder

Hello Summer vegetables! The Summer produce started so early this year. It seemed like so long ago that I was picking strawberries.

In the box:

• sweet corn – a ton of it!
• tomatoes
• eggplant
• onions
• banana peppers
• potatoes
• green beans

This week, I made a new favorite recipe using 3 different vegetables from the box. I love that. Eight weeks into having the CSA, I’m still reminded that it’s easy to make healthy, wholesome, vegetarian dishes. In fact, this one’s vegan. So, Court, this one’s for YOU!

Spicy Corn & Potato Chowder

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 cups of fresh corn (from 6 ears)
• 16 oz. non dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of fat-free vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the garlic, potatoes, and corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple times.
3. Add the milk, broth, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

I’m sure I say this about most recipes I post, but I loved this. Boding can vouch for this as well; he came over and ate 2 huge bowls. It’s spicy, creamy, and hearty. It’s low in fat but very filling.

My original plan was to use coconut milk, but Publix was out of lite coconut milk. I took a chance with the almond milk in my fridge and am glad I did. It worked!

What’s your favorite soup/stew/chowder? Mine is avgolemono, a Greek egg-lemon soup with chicken and rice. Check out this post when I made it a couple years ago. PS: That post has a really hot Greek guy in it.

Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Corn Salsa & Avocado Crema

After reading Food Matters by Mark Bittman, I decided to make much more of a conscious effort to eat as clean as possible. Everyone’s idea of “clean eating” varies, but to me it is eating little to no processed foods. Of course it would be difficult to eat clean 100% of the time, and honestly, I’d be absolutely miserable without my Chick-fil-A and candy. With that said, my goals are to eat:

• 4-5 servings of vegetables per day
• 1-2 servings of fruit per day
• less meat/poultry than I typically do
• more fish
• more whole grains
• less sugar

This is pretty much the way I eat now, aside from the random candy at work, Chick-fil-A, and frickles.

Early last week, I read about a perfect recipe on my sweet friend Mary’s blog. I tweaked it a bit according to my food preferences and it was absolutely delicious.

Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Corn Salsa & Avocado Crema

Makes 6-8 servings

Black Bean Burgers

• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed,
• 2 roasted red peppers from a jar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 (4 oz.) can of green chiles 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs 
• Olive oil

Avocado Crema

• 1 avocado, pitted and cubed
• 1 (6 oz.) container of plain, fat free Greek yogurt 
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Corn Salsa

• 1 (15.5 oz.) can of sweet corn, drained
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/2 (4 oz.) can of green chiles
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt & pepper, to taste

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, process 1 can black beans, roasted red peppers, eggs, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the additional can of beans and the green chiles, then pulse a few more times until combined, but not completely smooth.

In a large bowl, combine black bean mixture with bread crumbs. Add more bread crumbs if needed, forming a firm mixture that is the consistency of ground meat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

To make the avocado crema, mash the avocado until smooth. Add Greek yogurt, lime juice. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

To make the corn salsa, mix the corn, tomato, green chiles, jalapeno, garlic, and lime juice in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Remove the black bean mixture from the refrigerator and shape into 8 patties. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 5-7 minutes, flipping once.  

To serve, top the cooked patties with the spicy corn salsa and avocado crema. Serve immediately.

I insist you make this! The avocado crema is absolutely delicious on the mildly spicy burger and the corn salsa gives a good texture to the overall dish. The meal is low fat and full of fiber and protein. Thank you, Mary, for the awesome idea!

Southwest Meatloaf and Half Marathon Plans

Don’t be scared when you see a meatloaf recipe. Chances are, it’s not like the meatloaf you shuddered at in the cafeteria line. There are so many variations to this classic dish that you’d be surprised to find a modern-day recipe that’s anything like what those hairnet-donning women were serving you in grade school. Did you just shudder? I did.

Southwest Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. angus ground beef, 96/4 extra lean
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 4 oz. can fire-roasted diced green chiles
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing lightly. Add meat mixture to a greased loaf pan and press down to smooth top. Crumble goat cheese atop loaf. Bake for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165*. Let rest for 20 minutes until slicing. Makes 4 servings.

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 15.5 oz. can of no salt added black beans, drained
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• chopped cilantro, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well. Serve along with meatloaf.

Hot damn, that did not photograph well. But let me tell you, it was delicious! If you make this, be sure to let it rest before slicing or else you will make a huge mess. I wonder who did that? Hmmmm.

…

In my very first post of the year, I mentioned that 2012 is the year I complete a half marathon. My grandfather immediately suggested that he and I run the Clemson Easter Bunny Run in April. Racing around Clemson in bunny ears? Sure! The course starts at the South Carolina Botanical gardens and goes around the University with views of Lake Hartwell and the surrounding community.

With that said, I looked up some training courses and found a 12-week schedule. This meant I had to start, like, today. I took one look at the schedule and found it extremely boring. Instead of following the schedule, I set out to run in the gorgeous 70 degree weather to see what I could handle.

10 miles later it was dark and I had to stop. Apparently I can run almost a half without training. Who knew?

It may not have been my smartest move to run that far, but as I do run on a regular basis, my body wasn’t going to go in complete shock, right? Or maybe I am just Superwoman.

Needless to say, when I got home, I wanted to eat everything in sight. I refueled with coconut water, almonds, walnuts, cranberries, Greek yogurt, and a big bowl of vegetables. Honest to goodness, I don’t even know what I’m doing, so if you have any tips, let me know. Just please don’t tell me that I’m going to break my body or something because that will make me sad.

I know I have to be smart, so I will follow the rest of the “schedule”, but the competitive side of me took over during that 10-mile run. I couldn’t help it.

Tips on running your first half marathon – give them to me! Seriously, tell me everything you know. Write me a book in the comment section, send me an email, sing me a song. Goooooooooo!

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

What’s your morning computer ritual? Mine is:

1. Open gmail
2. Open work email
3. Open facebook
4. Post the day’s post on my blog’s fb page
5. Start work

I’m sure my boss is really pleased by the order of these tasks. While on facebook today I noticed this post from the local Great Harvest.

Had I not just inhaled a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal, I would have driven straight to to GH for breakfast. I exhibited self control and waited for my lunch break to go pick up a loaf. It is 100% heavenly. I am going to have to freeze 1/2 of it so I don’t eat the entire loaf in 2 days.

After work, Mariah and I went for a run around the Old Village, a pretty, old neighborhood in Mount Pleasant. It’s getting darker much earlier, but I did manage to snap a pretty photo of the water before the sun set.

When I got home, I whipped up an extremely easy vegetarian recipe.

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash, makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 15 oz. can low-sodium black beans, drained
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 15 oz. can yellow corn
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• juice of one lime

Preparation:

1. Cut squash in half horizontally and scoop out and seeds and strings. Place squash in baking dish cut-side down. Add a little water and bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until tender.
2. While squash is baking, add black beans, tomatoes, corn, and seasonings to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 10-12 minutes or until heated through. Squeeze lime juice over mixture and stir again.
3. Once the squash is done, remove from pan and stuff with the Southwest mixture. Serve immediately.

Oh, I love colorful meals. Colorful = lots of vitamins…usually. Unless we are talking about a bag of peanut m&ms. That just = happiness.

XO!

Moroccan Spicy Shrimp & Grits

You’d think after living here for 14 years I would have made shrimp & grits several times by now. I did tonight, though, with a Moroccan twist, using this Serious Eats recipe.

Moroccan Spicy Shrimp
From Hank Shaw

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large, peeled deveined shrimp
• 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tbsp.ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cayenne (less if you want it milder)
• Salt
• Juice of a lemon

Directions

1. Salt the shrimp well and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic. Turn the heat down to medium and sauté the garlic for 1-3 minutes — don't let it burn.
3. Add all the ground spices and stir well to combine. Cook this, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the shrimp. Stir to combine and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink. This shouldn't take more than 4-5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve at once.  Serves 4-6.

While I quickly cooked up some of these…

…I made a bowl of grits with diced tomatoes, onion, and garlic. All the different spices in this dish give such a simple recipe so much flavor. The whole thing took less than 20 minutes to make and would have taken even less time had I not dropped the shrimp twice, knocked over a bag of grits, and let 3 cloves of garlic burn. Clearly, I was trying to work too fast.

Speaking of speed, I have been highly irritated by all things slow today.

• slow laptop
• too many slow drivers on the way home
• too many slow people walking around the gym
• a slow woman who felt it was safe to walk in the middle of the parking lot

It’s not that I’m impatient, really. I just know that when I want something, I am on a mission and I don’t like things blocking my way. I’m like Hurricane Xtina and everyone around me needs to get on their evacuation route.But on the other hand, I absolutely cannot stand the feeling of being rushed. Does this make any sense? 

In blogger news, I met two readers this weekend! On Friday night, Jessica approached me at Trio wearing a blue wig! She was at a Bachelorette party and everyone was wearing different colored wigs. On Saturday night, I met Mo, who I didn’t know was a reader. That made me super happy. Thanks to both of you for saying hello! That’s just one of the many reasons I keep blogging. And yes, I have been absent for a few days because I needed some time to focus on other things like work and friends. Sometimes you just have to check yourself before you wreck yourself.  

What is your #1 favorite thing about blogging?

Do you ever feel the need to take breaks from blogging? What helps you regain focus?

Chunky White Bean Soup, Some Linkage, and Fashion Help!

Since I started subscribing to Fitness Magazine a few years ago, I've made a handful of their healthy recipes. Each issue contains a bunch of quick and easy recipes that even I could handle as a newbie in the kitch back then. The February 2008 issue featured several soups - one of which I adapted and have made several times each winter.


Chunky White Bean Soup, adapted from Fitness Magazine 


Ingredients:

• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey (99% fat free)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 15-oz cans of great northern beans
• 1 16 oz jar of green salsa or 2 7 oz cans of green salsa
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Directions:

1. Sauté ground turkey in olive oil in a large pot. Drain fat.

2. Add northern beans (with juice), green salsa, chicken broth, and cumin. Stir.

3. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Makes 4 big servings.

How easy is that? As simple as this soup is, it has a ton of flavor. It packs a lot of fiber and protein, making it a very filling meal. I added a bit of cilantro to mine for the first time and it was a delicious way to cut down the spice. Green salsa has some kick to it! And in case you're wondering, I use the canned green salsa by La Costena, found in the Hispanic section of the supermarket. 

Need a chuckle? Check out these links!

• Want to see Britney Spears' weird tongue movement in each of her videos? Yes, you do. Go here.
• Grammar nazi? Love this.
• Golden Girls fan? What the heck is this.
• Need help choosing an apple? The fruit, darn it. Look at this chart.
• Considering internet dating? Um...check out the 11 guys you meet on dating sites first.

And one more thing! On Friday, I'm having dinner with a guy friend who has a fashion and food blog. Before I unveil his blog to my readers, I'd love some help from all of you. I plan on giving him a little interview during dinner on his perspective of some of my favorite women's fashion trends. Help me out with some fashion questions you've been dying to ask a straight male. Example...do guys really like jeggings? Do they really care if our heels make us taller than them? Thanks loves!