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?

Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry (#Sriracha)

Eeeeeh, I got so many good things in my CSA box this week. I was overjoyed by all the GREEN! In my opinion, green veggies are the best for you. Eat ‘em up for high doses of Vitamins A, C, and K and also iron and calcium.

In this week’s box:

• kale
• box choy
• watermelon
• cucumber
• onion
• green pepper
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes
• green beans
• eggplant

Let’s talk about tofu for a minute or two. (I rhymed!) I’ve had it several times the past month and each time I have it, I’m less creeped out by it. In fact, I think I’m finally a fan. That said, I decided to pick up a slab at Trader Joe’s over the weekend. It was only a couple dollars, so worst case scenario, I’d lose about what I would’ve spent on a Diet Lemonade at Chick-fil-A. Great rationalization, no?

The first time I tried to make it was a disaster. I sliced it way too thin and had the heat up too high (so says Miss Courtney). I did want it crispy, but not this crispy.

YIKES. Is that not scary? Ok, calm down. The tofu came out better the second time around when I made…

Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) package firm tofu
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thin rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 pound bok choy, sliced
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation:

1. Pat dry the tofu with paper towels, and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the tofu until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the pepper and eggplant. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then the garlic and  ginger. After about 30 seconds, add the bok choy and stir-fry for about 1 minute until slightly wilted. Add the water. Cook, stirring, until the water evaporates.
4. Stir in the tofu, soy sauce and Sriracha. Stir-fry for a few additional minutes until everything is seasoned. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Serves 4.

I ate this as is, but to make a bigger meal, I suggest serving this over steamed rice. Embrace your inner Asian and get your stir fry on!

Oh, and clearly I squirted Sriracha all over it. Wouldn’t you?

What’s your favorite GREEN vegetable?

On a scale of 1 to burn, baby, burn, how much do you love Sriracha? Favorite thing to put it on?

Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Tomatoes

A good friend makes you laugh. A good friend is someone you can trust. A good friend has a shoulder for you to always lean on.

And a great friend brings you unexpected bowls of frozen yogurt just because there’s a new flavor at your favorite spot.

Hey, Danielle – that’s you! Yesterday evening, I got a text from Danielle telling me that Tutti Frutti had pumpkin frozen yogurt and asking if I wanted some. Obviously my response was prefaced with an “Omg” and finished off with a “Yessssss.” Seriously, how would you have responded?

Her delivery came on the perfect day; I was making an all veggie meal that should only be balanced out with something sweet, right? Just say yes. I was determined to use a bunch of items from my 5th CSA box.

In this week’s box:

• watermelon
• red potatoes
• apples
• collard greens
• squash
• green peppers
• onions
• tomatoes
• green beans

As much as I talk about eating candy, cookies, and dessert, I really do have great self control. I eat it often, but never eat a lot at a time. I took a huge bite of the pumpkin froyo, declared it  amazing, and put the rest in the freezer for after dinner. I swear this motivated me to a)cook a healthy dinner and b)grocery shop at the speed of light for the other items I needed.

Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch collard greens (about 6-8) leaves
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash the collard greens and pat try.  Cut down the center of each leaf to remove the rib.  Chop leaves into 1/4" strips and set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper.  Cook until they are browned and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Add a little more oil to the pan and add the onion and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until tender. 
4. Add the chard and sauté until it starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes and tomatoes into the skillet with the greens. Add the garam masala and stir. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.  Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring often, to let the flavors meld. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Hello, colors! You’re going to love this dish, I promise. And boys, if you need meat in your meal, serve this as a side next to your steak or something. It’ll make anyone happy. And when you’ve finished gobbling it all up, you can comfortably reach for that cup of frozen yogurt.

Did someone just shout “Balance!”?

Amen.

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic / Gruber Farm CSA Week 4

Do you want to know one of the best feelings in the world?

Okay, maybe not in the world, but at least in the kitchen.

Looking at a recipe and realizing you have all of the ingredients. Every single one. Thanks to being subscribed to a CSA, I have this feeling more often than I used to. While I’d skip over recipes if they called for an ingredient I didn’t typically buy, my CSA has encouraged me to try new fruit and vegetables that aren’t part of my regular diet. Green tomatoes are just one of the examples.

I’m 1/3 of the way through the Fall CSA with Gruber Farm and still getting Summery produce. Can anyone explain this to me? I guess I’m just disappointed because it’s October. But hey, the weather was pretty warm until yesterday, right?

In the box:

• watermelon
• eggplant
• spaghetti squash
• green peppers
• yellow squash
• green beans
• sweet potatoes
• heirloom tomatoes

Goodness grief, those tomatoes were not attractive. But let me tell you, with a dash of salt and pepper, they were divine. Moments after being disappointed in getting a box half full of Summer veggies, I was slapping myself. I ate a whole tomato in about 2 minutes and started daydreaming about warmer weather. Can we rewind to May please? And not just because I was still 27.

Back to the green tomatoes. My immediate reaction was to make fried green tomatoes, or, considering this is Hungry Meets Healthy, baked green tomatoes. I just wasn’t excited about the idea. And then came the Serious Eats recipe for Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic.

I had everything it called for. I was working at home that day. It was a no brainer.

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic, adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 lbs. green tomatoes, cores removed, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often, making sure it doesn’t burn.
2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt, and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so.

4. You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and serve.

The only change I made to this recipe was omitting the cilantro. I like cilantro, but it just didn’t seem right for this dish to me. That’s the beauty of cooking– you can cater recipes to your palate’s desires.

The final result of this dish? Awesomeness. Seriously. Boding and I ate it for lunch and were so pleased with it. It was really hard to put enough away for Tuesday’s lunch. Every time I opened the fridge, it was like “Hey Christina, you know you want me…”

Kind of like that bag of pretzel M&Ms in my pantry. So rude!

Now if you’re unlike me and don’t have the above ingredients in your house, I suggest your get your cute behind to the store and buy them. It’s worth it. I never thought I’d use the garam masala I bought for my Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Stew, but now I want to put it on everything.

Which spice/herb did you shy away from before and now love?

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup / Gruber Farm CSA Week 3

Hello friends!

I guess the heat has something to do with the Summery produce that I’m still getting in my CSA. I was looking forward to Fall veggies – where are they?

In the box:

• watermelon
• eggplant
• sweet potatoes
• cucumbers
• green tomatoes
• muscadine grapes
• cherry tomatoes
• onions
• yellow squash

Almost every time I’ve gotten sweet potatoes, I’ve baked them. It was time for something new: soup!

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cups (or one 32 oz. carton) low sodium, fat-free vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Place the sweet potatoes, onion, and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
2. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3. Return the soup to the saucepan and add milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Reheat and enjoy!

You’re probably like, “3 steps? Really? Sure.” Oh, but really. Let me show you.

Boil the veggies.

Transfer them to your food processor. Blend. Make a mess. Ignore that wine glass, it’s just there to look cool. It wasn’t full a few minutes before or anything.

Put the soup back in the pot, add spices, and heat until warm. 

Serve to anyone and everyone willing to eat it. They’re goanna love it!

Okay my soup loving friends, I’ve got a proposal of sorts. Do you have a favorite soup recipe that you’ve made several times? How about a special family recipe that has been passed down to you? Or what about a new favorite that you recently discovered?

Would you be interested in a healthy soup contest? Think about it and let me know. I’d love to host a contest on my blog where the winning recipe will be featured in an upcoming post and you’ll win a prize! I’d love to know if you’re interested. :)

Thoughts On Thursday

1. I picked up my second box of the Fall CSA with Gruber Farm. This box had more Summer vegetables than I expected. I guess because the weather is cooling down (low 80s, ha), I feel like I should be eating Fall veggies.

In the box:

• potatoes
• radishes
• eggplant
• onion
• cucumber
• arugula
• tomatoes
• watermelon
• cantaloupe

2. Before leaving for the beach house last weekend, Amanda and I stopped by the liquor store for tequila. While checking out, I spotted this pickle flavored vodka. Can you imagine? I’d love to try it, but buy a whole bottle? I will not.

Once at the beach house, Amanda whipped up some tasty drinks with muddled strawberries, lime, vodka, and a splash of champagne. Party we did.

3. My aunt told me I needed to ask Siri to tell me a knock knock joke. I did, and her response was kind of rude.

4. To make things better, I set myself a happy wake up alarm. Starting the day on a positive note or being narcissistic? Don’t answer that.

5. As I was walking out to work this morning, I noticed two leaves in the shape of a heart. Is the universe trying to tell me to fall in love? EEEEK!

6. Though we don’t have an actual Fall, Charleston really is gorgeous this time of year. The humidity said sayonara, which makes for perfect running temps. Amanda and I are soaking up as much of this weather as we can and running outdoors a lot.

7. Try not to laugh at this.

WHEN MY BEST FRIEND AND I ARE TRYING NOT TO CRACK UP

Tomorrow is Friday! Yippee!!

Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad/ Gruber Farm CSA Week 2

Hi friends!

I have a funny story for you. On Sunday when I went to Rosh Hashanah at Sean’s house, I made a funny oopsies. One of the guests and I were discussing our love of local produce and the CSAs we were signed up with. I was telling her how much I loved Gruber Farm and blurted out, “I love picking up my box each week. It’s like Christmas every Tuesday!”

I made a Christmas reference at a Jewish event. Derrrrrrrrrr.

As soon as I said it I thought “REALLY? Of all the cool things to compare something to you chose that? Tonight?” The woman probably thought nothing of it, but I laughed in my head thinking how typical that was for me.

Thank heavens my teddy bear challah came out well or else I would have just had to excuse myself from the festivities. After telling the story to another Jewish friend later, he remarked “You should have said it was like Hanukah every week.” Oh, really? Thanks for the tip.

CSA Week 2:

• cantaloupe
• zucchini
• eggplant
• beets (!!)
• red potatoes
• Muscadine grapes
• green beans
• red pepper
• cucumbers
• onion

That cantaloupe was the largest I’ve ever seen. Annabel, who is also signed up with Gruber Farm, asked me, “Do you have a size DDDDD cantaloupe in yours too?” Yep. I did.

Back to business. Before ultimately deciding on the pumpkin challah for Rosh Hashanah, I borrowed a Jewish cookbook from the library called The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook.

This book has so many recipes I’d love to make that I might actually buy it. I’m not kidding, there are recipes for pumpkin bread, asparagus avocado salad, white bean hummus, muhammara, greens and orzo soup, grated beets with toasted hazelnuts, and more. Get excited for lots of these being featured on the blog. The first recipe I made was…

Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Turn stovetop gas burner to high and place eggplants, one at a time, directly over burner grate, turning occasionally with tongs until all sides are charred and eggplant is soft, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and let cool completely. Drain juices, remove skin, and place eggplant pulp in the bowl of a food processor. *If you do not have a gas burner at home, you can broil the eggplants (turning them just as you would on the flame) until their skin is blistered and the inside is creamy and soft.
2. Pulse eggplant 10-15 times until well chopped but with a few remaining chunks. Add red pepper, garlic, scallion, oil, tahini, lemon juice, cayenne and salt, pulsing to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Two things to note: 1. I omitted the olive oil because I thought it was unnecessary. 2. I pulsed mine a bit more and it turned out like a spread. Regardless, it was very tasty and made for a great veggie burger topping. It would also be so good in a pita with veggies, black beans, and feta. Heck, it’d be good with chips too!

What’s your favorite dip or spread? Hummus? Olive tapenade? Roasted red pepper dip? Black bean dip? Baba ghanoush?

Do you find yourself sticking your foot in your mouth like I did? Shoot, sometimes it’s my whole leg.

Gruber Farm CSA Week 1 / Honey Balsamic Green Beans & Onions

It’s finally back! In the beginning of the Fall CSA, I expected to see the last bit of the Summer harvest. I was right!

Week 1:

• sweet potatoes
• cucumbers
• okra
• green onions
• corn
• apples
• green pepper
• zucchini
• yellow squash

Oh, the variety! On Tuesday, I immediately dug into the box and baked some sweet potato fries to have with dinner. Later I had an apple for dessert. It really is amazing to taste the difference in quality with local produce.

For dinner Wednesday evening, Amanda brought over homemade turkey meatloaf. To accompany it, I made a new green bean recipe.

Honey Balsamic Green Beans and Onions

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the beans from the water and add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then stir in the vinegar, honey, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes.

Don’t let the blanching step fool you; this recipe is pretty darn easy to make. After adding the balsamic and honey, the onions begin to caramelize which gives the dish an overall sweetness. We loved it and would definitely make it again.

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

What I’m Loving Wednesday 9.12.12

1. My Fall CSA with Gruber Farm started yesterday. I’m so excited to have a fresh box of produce every week again. I’ve really missed it these past few weeks! I’m also happy to see that I’ve encouraged a few friends to sign up with Gruber. I hope they’re just as pleased as I have been.

I will share all the goodies with you tomorrow, along with a recipe.

2. I should probably make this salad from Ali Baba, right? It’s delicious. Their misspelling of “raisins” makes me laugh.

3.  I bought this shirt from Forever 21 last weekend. It just seemed right with the whole Xtina/X thing. I’m a sucker for anything with an X or XO.

4. When I found the Candy Corn M&Ms at Target, I also spotted Candy Corn Oreos. I cannot commit to a box, but I do want to high-five anyone else who tries them. Let me know how they are.

5. Candy proposal? I don’t mind saying yes to that.

6. Is this Boding’s future child?

7. Love.

Fall 2012 Bucket List

First off, I’d like to give a shout out to Jane, one of my favorite bloggers, who writes In The Pink & Green. She’s got an awesome blog, writes well, has a great sense of style and seems like such a sweetheart. I hope to meet her one day! Yesterday she posted a Fall 2012 bucket list and inspired me to make my own.

Food

• Bake at least 1 new recipe with pumpkin
• Bake at least 1 new recipe with apples
• Make 1 new recipe per week using my CSA produce
• Use the double waffle iron I won on The Shiksa’s blog

Fitness/Health

• Run at least one registered 5k – the Pajama Run and/or the Reindeer Run
• Reduce sugar intake during the week, feel less guilty about indulging on the weekends
• Continue doing 30 pushups and/or 1 minute planks every hour at work with Dane

Education

• Attend a cooking class
• Read at least one book a week (I know, I’m crazy.)
• Go to the 30th Annual That BIG Book Sale
• Attend a Wine Awesomeness Wine School class

Fun

• Have a girls’ beach house weekend on IOP using the gift certificate Amanda & I won from the Bacardi contest
• Celebrate my baby brother’s 16th birthday – ahh!
• See Breaking Dawn Part II on November 16th…at midnight, of course
• Halloween!!

Travel

• Go to at least 1 college football game this  year
• Visit my family in Massachusetts
• Visit my grandparents in North Carolina

Fall officially starts September 22nd and ends December 21st. I have plenty of time to cross everything off!

What’s on your Fall bucket list?

What’s your favorite thing about Fall? I bet 50% of you are going to say PSLs….

Hearts of Palm and Tomato Salad with Feta

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a recipe!

And Boding named it for me. Say thank you to him, won’t you?

So this recipe. It’s pretty! It’s Summery! It’s tasty. You will love it.

The tomatoes used for this recipe were the last of my Summer CSA with Gruber Farm. It was bittersweet. And by bittersweet I mean I am mildly depressed that the Summer season is over, but very excited knowing that the Fall season will start at the end of August.

Yes, I said August. August 28th to be exact. What is with South Carolina being so ahead of the times? Seasonally speaking…progressively, not so much. Thank goodness our people are so friendly.

Before I go off on another tangent, let me share with you some salad.

Hearts of Palm and Tomato Salad with Feta

Ingredients:

• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 14 oz. can of hearts of palm, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 3 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, toss together tomatoes, hearts of palm, and feta.
2. Add parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly mixed.

I highly recommend using local tomatoes and fresh parsley for optimal flavor. It gets better as it sits, so for best results, make the night before you want to serve it. The salad is great as an appetizer or as a side; I’ve had it both as a snack and with grilled chicken and veggies.

On Saturday, I dropped my Shun Santoku knife off at Coastal Cupboard to be sharpened and got it back today. Aside from the above recipe, this was the most exciting part of my day. The knife slices through tomatoes so easily, it’s quite scary. The moment I took it out of the packaging,  I nicked my fingernail. I would.

You know you’re a foodie when…

CSA Week 11 / Crunchy Baked Okra

I can’t believe there are only 2 more weeks of the Summer CSA. So sad! With how abundant this season has been, I’ve been able to make some really fabulous recipes. I’m pretty pumped for the Fall CSA too!

In the box:

• green peppers
• corn
• beets (!)
• watermelon
• heirloom tomatoes
• cherry tomatoes
• okra
• red potatoes
• cantaloupe
• and dem boys

A couple of weeks ago, I ate some delicious fried okra at Fat Hen. I knew I wanted to make something similar, but alas, this is a healthy food blog. And we all know how much candy I consume, so I had to find the balance somewhere.

Crunchy Baked Okra

Ingredients:

• fresh okra, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• egg whites
• whole wheat breadcrumbs
• seasoning of your choice (I used Penzey’s Mural of Flavor blend – thanks Grandparents!!)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375*. In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs and seasoning. In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg whites.

Dip the okra in the egg white…

and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture until evenly coated.

Place okra on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat (or coated with cooking spray).

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!