The Friday Five 11.16.12

1. What I’m Reading: The Flexitarian Table by Peter Berley. This is an awesome cookbook! It’s got options for “vegetarians, meal lovers, and everyone in between.” There are a lot of beautiful photos and so many recipes I want to make. None seem very difficult and all very healthy.

2. What I’m Eating: These Simply Gingerbread pita chips by Stacy’s are really good. They taste just like their cinnamon flavor but “a little like Christmas” as my brother said. They’re seasoned with nutmeg and ginger. Grab a bag or two while you can!

3. Recipes I’m Bookmarking: Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables & Ginger.

4. What I’m Listening to:  A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. After you see Breaking Dawn Part 2, you will appreciate this song SO much more. The movie, by the way, was sooooooooo good. I really loved how they recapped the entire saga through Bella’s eyes and credited all the actors at the end. So so good.

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

WHEN I’M ABOUT TO EAT MY FAVORITE FOOD

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS THEY DON’T LIKE AVOCADOS

Happy Friday! Go see Breaking Dawn!

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?

Feeling Hungry and Healthy? Purée Café Is Your Place.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been head over heels in love. But no, not for a boy. For a restaurant! Purée Café in Mt. Pleasant is a new gem that you must check out. Purée caters to those health-conscious individuals like myself, but will surely please the appetites of anyone smart enough to eat there. The menu is vegetarian, with many vegan and gluten-free options. Fillers, preservatives, artificial colors, and GMOs are no no’s at this joint. Go in hungry and leave feeling happy and healthy!

My first visit to Puree was with my friend Eric, a meat-loving man, who worried the vegetarian menu wouldn’t satisfy him. While we glanced over the menu, we ordered two juices: the Green Clean (spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, parsley, apple, and lemon)  and The Vitality (kale, beet, carrot, and peach).

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We also couldn’t pass up the White Bean Dip with pita chips as an appetizer. I could not stop eating the dip!

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We shared a salad too. Hey, we saw a lot of things we liked…The arugula, goat cheese, & roasted beet salad with toasted nuts & berries was another great starter -- sweet, savory, and summery. Pretty, isn’t it?

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The meat-eater immediately spotted two items that intrigued him:  the Blackened Jalapeno Cheddar Burger and the BBQ Tempeh Sausage Burger. Jenan, the owner, stopped at our table and convinced him to go with the latter. Wise choice – the burger was huge and topped with sautéed onions, avocado, and melted cashew cheese

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I chose the Mediterranean platter:  falafel  & hummus, served with mixed green tahini salad & toasted pita. I loved this dish because I got to try a little bit of everything. The falafel is a family recipe and the roasted red pepper hummus is better than anything you could buy in a store.

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After my visit with Eric, I was hooked. Thankfully, so is my good friend Danielle, and we’ve been going pretty often. One day we didn’t tell each other we were going for lunch and happened to go at the exact same time. I’m not sure if we were more embarrassed or amused that we caught each other. :)

On more than one occasion (like four, sue me), I’ve had the Black Bean Burrito. I can’t stop! Jenan urges me to try new things, but I keep going back to it. The whole wheat wrap is filled with black beans, greens, pico de gallo, and avocado.

One afternoon, Danielle and I decided a cocktail with lunch was necessary. She got a margarita with organic tequila and I got a mixed drink with organic vodka, beet juice, strawberries, and lime. These were probably the healthiest cocktails we’ve ever encountered, ha!

My most recent visit (when I spilled the beet juice everywhere) was for brunch. I had the The scrambler: tofu with cheese, tomatoes, kale, sweet & Yukon gold potatoes wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla and a side of pesto. The tofu tasted pretty darn similar to eggs and I loved that there were two kinds of potato.

Locals, please check out this adorable café! Vegetarian or not, I know you’ll find something delicious. Stop in for a juice, eat one of the awesome entrees, chat w/ the sweet owner, and leave with a freshly-baked dessert. The vegan chocolate chip cookies are ridiculously good. Trust me, I’ve had a couple. ;)

Check out Purée on their website, facebook, or twitter. Tell Jenan I sent you!!

Do you often find yourself ordering the same thing over and over because it’s so good or do you like to always try new things?

What’s your favorite vegetarian dish?

A Fitness Survey

Thanks for the survey, Sara!

1. Run/workout in the heat and humidity or freezing cold temps and snow?
While the sound of both of those makes me ill, I’d probably choose the heat. I prefer to wear as little clothing as possible when I run so bundling up to exercise sounds awful. Running in the rain is really cool though. Liberating!

2. Washboard abs or flat abs?
On whom? Me? Flat is fine. I think I have a 2-pack. Ha. On men? Washboard abs are okay, but if it’s too sculpted, it’s gross. Again, flat is fine. Chest muscles > abs.

3. Dr. Oz or The Doctors?
Does Dr. Oz know everything? I think he does. I’d probably obey anything he told me to do.

4. Cardio or strength?
Both! I go through phases when I despise cardio (think July, August). For the most part, I know it’s good for me, but strength training is just as important. I’d MUCH rather be fit and toned than thin and frail. I’m not saying that cardio makes you thin and frail, but I get no upper body definition from running.

5. Cravings: Protein or carbs?
I rarely crave protein – hopefully because I get enough. Who doesn’t crave carbs? I could sit around and eat pita chips, crackers, and bread for hours. Pasta bores me though.

6. Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper?
I really don’t pay attention to either of them. But hey, they have nice bodies. So does this guy, just saying.

Side note: That was not the first time I have googled “Zac Efron shirtless”.

7. Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream?
I like both equally. Froyo is a guiltless option, but ice cream is more fun to indulge in.  I can’t get enough of Chick-fil-A’s IceDream. Remember the time I got to ride in the Chick-fil-A car with ice cream? Still cracks me up.

8. To train: Upper body or Lower body?
Upper body.

9. Protein powder or food with protein?
Food with protein, for sure.

10. Lunges or squats?
Squats. I hate lunges. But not as much as I hate burpees.

11. Sweet or salty?
I like both of these equally too. I especially love the combo. I could eat a hundred of these:

12. Workout attire: cute or comfy?
I’d much rather be comfy than cute, but I’ve never bought anything that I didn’t consider cute. Thanks, Target. 

13. Body Pump or Heavy lifting?
I enjoy strength training on my own. I really dislike Body Pump.  I feel like I can get so much more done by myself and don’t have to listen to that awful music.

14. Yoga or Pilates?
Yoga is not for me. I don’t have the attention span for it, I can’t relax, and I don’t get anything out of it. I know a lot of people get so much from it, and that’s great. Pilates can be a nice change-up from my regular routine, but I’d prefer other classes first. 

15. Nike or Adidas?
I don’t own anything by either. I wear Asics sneakers. 

16. Running on the treadmill or outdoors?
Both. Running outdoors is much more entertaining, obviously. And SO much more relaxing. 

17. Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s?
Ever since our Trader Joe’s opened, I rarely go to Whole Foods. There are staples that I like at TJ’s and I love trying their new products. Amanda and I were pretty psyched when it opened last Summer.

18. Summer or Winter Olympics?
Summer! Gymnastics! Ice skating is pretty fun to watch though. 

19. Exercise classes or Exercise videos?
Classes.

20. Steamed veggies or roasted veggies?
Roasted! Beets!

Halloweekend Update – Picture Heavy

On Saturday, Boding and I took advantage of the beautiful fall weather and frolicked around downtown. We decided to stop at Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, a new(ish) restaurant on King Street. I had been craving a gyro for like a month (weird?) so I was excited to see what they had to offer.

I am so glad that we went to Taziki’s. It’s really pretty inside, all the employees were extremely friendly, and the food was incredibly fresh.

I had the Grilled Chicken Gyro with taziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and grilled onions with two sides: chips, and a tomato-cucumber salad.

You know I am really weird about onions, and these didn’t even bother me. Although I think the potato chips were unnecessary, I was very pleased with my other side. It was as if they had just chopped my tomatoes and cucumber a few minutes before.

We also shared hummus and pita chips. The hummus was on the grittier side (which I like), but still creamy enough.

You have got to get to Taziki’s. I’m so in love and you should be too.

After lunch we walked around for a few hours. I gave him a little tour of my alma mater, the College of Charleston. Go cougars!Our next stop

Planking on a fancy campus building.

We also stopped at Tom’s Toys, a little store that sells Kapla Blocks. You can go in and play with the blocks anytime. The owners have created some really neat constructions.

I am not so creative. I built two things: my name…

…and a twitter hashtag.

That evening, it was time to dress up for Halloween! Last minute, Ashley and I decided to be the devil/angel duo.

We had SO much fun on Saturday – first the four of us (Rachel, Ashley, Jenny and I) met up with Valerie at O-ku. So sad this pic is blurry.

Then we all went to Trio to dance, dance, and dance. We had quite the dance circle going on!

Devil and Catwoman.

Tomb raider, Trophy Wife, Angel.

What were YOU for Halloween?

Best thing you ate this weekend?

Baked Apples with Barley Sausage Pilaf

It's been over a year since I found this recipe on Serious Eats. It seemed like such a warm and fuzzy cold weather meal. Too bad it was 76 degrees today. I've officially renamed November as Junevember because we are currently experiencing summery weather in South Carolina. Oh well, apples are in season and I'm determined to use them! Granny Smith apples aren't a favorite of mine or Brandon's, but I didn't want to screw around with this recipe. Certain apples are good for baking and some will explode! I don't need another cooking mishap. Burns all over my hands and arms are enough.

I used the Al Fresco chicken sausage again. It's so good.

I was worried that this recipe wouldn't have much flavor with cinnamon being the only added spice, but the sausage did the trick. Cooking the barley wasn't bad - it took about 25 minutes to completely absorb the chicken broth. The difficult part was scooping the barley mixture atop the apples without it falling all over the place. It kind of looked like a disaster going in the oven.

But it tasted really good! The barley was a bit chewy which went well with the sausage, and the cinnamon really paired well with the apples. I'm glad I chose chicken sausage because I was using chicken broth to cook the barley. If I made this recipe again, I would not scoop the barley over the apples before baking them. I'd just bake the apples separately, then plate it together.

 In other news, I have a new obsession. I've always loved Stacy's pita chips -- Multigrain being my favorite flavor. I never thought the Cinnamon Sugar would be good because I couldn't imagine a pita chip being sweet. While at Nikki's house this weekend, I gave them a try.........woah woah woah I could not stop eating them! They go on sale at Publix tomorrow and I am stocking up! YES!