Weekend Happenings

Friday: Amanda and I got dinner and then went downtown for some much-needed cocktails. It was a long week! We ran into my friends Moe and Sebastian at Star’s, and the four of us made moves to LIFE, another new bar on King that we really like. It looks like Space Mountain inside and every time we go, we meet some really interesting individuals.

Saturday: I decided a while back that I needed to completely redecorate my bedroom. As much as I love the color green, I was over it for the boudoir. Using this as inspiration…

Amanda and I headed to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to make some purchases. I was in the market for a new comforter, so I “tested” out a few. Can’t make any rash decisions on beddings, you guys.

We shopped until we dropped and I got some great deals. I completed bought new bedding, completed a DIY project,  and painted one of the walls grey. This is what 8 hours of sleep + coffee do to me. I felt so productive. Here’s a sneak peak -- I’ll reveal more when I’m done!

That night, Boding, Danielle, and I went out to um, have some more cocktails and do our famous pose. Yes, we went back to LIFE. The lights, they draw you in.

At one of the bars we ventured to (Midtown, ew, what were we thinking?), Danielle noticed there was a girl with a very similar outfit on. Then we noticed she was standing with her Asian bestie. Double set of twins.

Doesn’t that guy look like Harold from Harold & Kumar?! Or just annoyed to be taking that picture? Ha.

Our final stop was Oku, for a dance session. Danielle had a moment on the dance floor. Is this not hysterical? She was really feeling the music.

Sunday: Danielle and I went to brunch at Puree. We’ve been eating here a lot lately; I am going to do a full review this week! I had a big juice of beets, apple, kale, and mango and The scrambler:  a burrito with cheese, tomatoes, kale, sweet & Yukon gold potatoes. Loved it.

As I was trying to pour the rest of my juice in a to-go cup, I knocked it over and made a huge mess. So typical. Good thing the owner, Jenan, is super sweet and laughed it off. I am a wreck.

After brunch settled, Amanda and I met up for a run through I’On and around Shem Creek. It was so hot, we were dehydrated from the night before, and my stomach felt wonky. Somehow we managed 5 miles.

Now I’m all settled in my soft, new sheets and comforter and off to do the crossword in my New York magazine. Stay nerdy my friends. XO!

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?

popchips tortilla chips giveaway!

You guys know I love popchips. They’re high up on the list of my favorite snacks because of the flavor and nutritional stats, and the company is just great. They seem like such a fun group of people that I wish I could work with!

Their new tortilla chips are made with  stoneground masa, the same whole grain corn used to make traditional tortillas. They add a little heat and pressure to pop the tortilla chips, and then top them off with naturally delicious seasonings.

The flavors:

• nacho cheese
• ranch
• chili limón
• salsa

The nutritional perks:

• half the fat of flavored/fried tortilla chips
• 4 grams of fat & 120 calories per one oz. serving (about 16 tortilla chips)
• 0 grams trans fat
• 0 grams of saturated fat in chili limón and salsa (only .5 grams in nacho cheese and ranch)
• no fake colors, no fake flavors
• no preservatives
• no cholesterol
• gluten free, kosher, vegetarian (salsa & chili limón are vegan)

 

They’ll be making it to stores soon, but if you can’t wait (why would you?) check out their online store.

Want to win a CASE of popchips tortilla chips? (You do.)

There are three ways to enter.:

• Add me on instagram or follow me on twitter (@christinaorso for both)
• Post/tweet a pic of your favorite popchips and tag me, @popchips, and #hungrymeetshealthy
• OR Let me know your current favorite popchips flavor below!

In the comments section below, leave a separate comment for each of the following ways you’ve entered.

Good luck! Giveaway ends Sunday,  October 14th at noon.

Food Survey!

God bless a good food survey! It’s my favorite kind of post.

Breakfast
Favorite cereal as a child? Lucky Charms. You know, I really miss this cereal. I miss it so much that the next time I’m craving dessert, I think I’ll have a bowl. Damn that sounds good.

Coffee or Tea? With milk or without?
I drink coffee, but I don’t need it to survive my mornings. I take it with milk and 1-2 packets of Splenda. I’ll drink tea occasionally if I find a good flavor or if I just need a warm beverage.

The one food you eat most often at breakfast.
Greek yogurt, for sure. I am definitely team Fage (for the thickness – TWSS?), but also a huge cheerleader for Chobani.
Lunch

Sandwiches are usually considered lunch food. If you had to choose from a grilled cheese sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly, which would you pick? That’s easy – a peanut butter and jelly. A grilled cheese is great, but not as satisfying as the sweet and salty awesomeness of a pb&j. I like mine on soft bread with creamy pb and raspberry or strawberry jelly.
You can only put four ingredients in your salad (not including greens); what do you throw in the mix? Additionally, which greens and dressing do you pick?

My perfect salad:

Base: Butter lettuce

Four ingredients: chickpeas, roasted red pepper, cucumbers, feta

Dressing: balsamic vinaigrette + a squeeze of lemon

One food you cannot live without at lunch.

Dessert? I’m serious. After lunch, I almost always throw back a few M&Ms or a piece of dark chocolate. It just rounds out the meal. Ha.

Dinner

It's the end of the day. You're tired, hungry, and your fridge is empty. If fast food (from a chain) is your only option, where do you go and what do you order?
Ha! Everyone who reads this blog can already answer that. Chick-fil-A. And because I know you’re all still wondering, I’m pro marriage equality.  <3 Love is love.

TV/Computer on or off while you are eating?

If I have the TV on, it’s probably just for background noise. I typically write my blog posts while I eat dinner unless I’m with someone.

The one food you eat most often at dinner.
Any vegetable from my CSA. Beets, roasted broccoli, zucchini, squash, peas, or Brussels sprouts are among my favorites.

Dessert

Choose between two American desserts: cheesecake or apple pie.
Oh, my favorite category! My answer is apple pie. I don’t really even care for cheesecake. It’s too soft. The sweetness of an apple pie with a crunchy, cinnamony pie crust is just divine. Don’t get me started on blueberry pie, which is my favorite. Ahh.

Choose between two foreign desserts: tiramisu (Italy) or flan (Spain). EW! I despise both. The texture of flan makes me want to gag and tiramisu is no better. I don’t even bother trying tiramisu anymore because I just never like it. Yuck yuck yuck.

Ice cream: cone or cup. Cone. I prefer a wafer cone to a sugar or waffle cone. There’s something about the last bite of a wafer cone that’s softened from the cold ice cream. Gosh!! I get so excited every time.

The Friday Five 10.5.12

1. What I’m Reading: Wild About Greens: 125 Delectable Vegan Recipes for Kale, Collards, Arugula, Bok Choy, and other Leafy Veggies Everyone loves.

Ok, that has to the be the longest book title ever. This cookbook is broken up into 5 chapters: Basic Preparations for Leafy Greens; Greens with Beans, Grains, Pasta & Other Vegetables; Salads, Dressings & Dips; Greens in Soups & Stews; and Green Juices & Smoothies. There are a ton of good recipes but unfortunately very few pictures. This is sad because I’m sure they’d all photograph beautifully.

2. What I’m Eating:  Lately I cannot get enough of Publix’s reduced fat mozzarella string cheese. I feel like a 5 year old when I eat it, but it’s an easy, somewhat healthy snack. Each stick has 70 calories, 4 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein. Are you a peeler or a biter? I’m most definitely a biter. I take aggression out on my string cheese.

3. Recipes I’m Bookmarking:  Grilled Chicken with Balsamic and Feta. Did you just drool? I did.

4. What I’m Listening To: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend.

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

WHEN I SCROLL THROUGH FACEBOOK IN SEARCH OF A DATE TO A WEDDING

WHEN I PUT DOWN MY OTHER SINGLE FRIEND AS MY PLUS ONE FOR A WEDDING INSTEAD OF FINDING A DATE

Have a wonderful, blessed weekend! 

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. :)

What I’m Loving Wednesday 10.3.12

1. I’m loving that it’s October, but Charleston’s weather is still in the 80s.  I’m not ready for Fall clothes. I hate Fall/Winter clothes. They make me feel dark, boring, and frumpy. Thank goodness I can still wear shorts and dresses for a few more weeks.

2. Danielle and I didn’t plan on both wearing colored jeans on Saturday; she appeared at my apartment glowing in these orange jeans right after I had just “painted” on my electric blue.

Let’s just say they did not go unnoticed and we are both convinced we should wear colored jeans every weekend.

3. Because it’s October, my brain wants me to eat Fall-ish breakfasts. Check out this sugar bomb of a breakfast combo. It’s pretty much dessert.

4. Speaking of sweets, Amanda and I have been trying to cut back on our sugar intake during the week. We were craving something sweet after our salty dinner (of course), so I dug into my stash. I asked her, “Who ran 5 miles today?” She looked at me and said “Um, we did…” And then I gave her five pretzel M&Ms.  One M&M per mile seems logical, right?

That picture makes me laugh; it just looks so pathetic.

5. I found this prayer in The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook and made it pretty with instagram (@christinaorso). I just love it!

6. Random purchase of the week: Scentportables from Bath & Body Works. They were buy 3 get 1 free, so I left with Marshmallow Fireplace, Mahogany Leather, Apple Crumble, and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin.

My car currently smells like mahogany leather. I’ve got cloth seats, but trust me, I’m tricking everyone.

7. I ordered an Iphone cover on Etsy last week and I’m really excited for its arrival. Here is the proof. Cute. Cute. Cute. I can’t wait to see it in person and slap it on my phone. Gently slap.

Check out the store PrintsandPapiere. They have a ton of styles.

Have you jumped on the colored jean bandwagon? What’s your favorite color to wear?

What does your car smell like? Don’t tell me garbage or french fries!

Bell’s Brewery Beer Dinner at The Coastal Cupboard

One of my favorite stores in the Belle Hall Shopping Center is The Coastal Cupboard, “the Lowcountry’s most complete kitchen store.” They’ve got all sorts of tools, gadgets, gourmet food products, and gifts. I could spend hours just poking around looking at all the fun kitchen toys. Aside from being a store, The Coastal Cupboard offers cooking classes taught by Chef Stephen Harman.

My friend Eric, another food writer, and I were both invited to select a class to attend. The Bell’s Brewery Beer Dinner appealed to both of us, so we signed up, and my “sister wife” Amanda came along for the fun. The class started at 6:30, shortly after the store was closed so we had the entire place to ourselves (and about 18 other guests).  We were seated and given the recipes with room to take notes.

We got down to business right away. And by business I mean beer. The first bottle we tried was Lager of the Lakes. I’m not much of a lager fan, but I actually quite liked this one! While we sipped, Chef Stephen started on the first dish: Maple Bacon Mac N Cheese.Look how creamy that is. Guess how. Butter, flour, whole milk, maple syrup, and cheese. Paula Deen would be so proud.

The second course was Rahmschnitzel, which is essentially veal cutlets that have been breaded and pan seared, then cooked with cream, lemon juice, and herbs. MORE CREAM!

The Rahmschnitzel was paired with a Pale Ale. I liked this one a lot too.

The next dish was sort of a bonus; the chef was braising pork for another event but let us have quite the sample…and I’m so glad he did. It was fantastic! Alongside the pork were braised mustard greens.

The third beer we tried was Two Hearted Ale, which Eric said is one of the best-rated beers. I liked it, but had to give it to him or else I would have been bouncing all over the place. ;)

Our fourth and final course was dessert of course! For this, we tried the Kalamazoo Stout. I’ll be honest – there was no chance in hell I was drinking this. It was way too heavy for me. A man beer if you will. I was much happier with the dessert.

We had a slice of Chocolate Stout Cake with a scoop of Molasses Stout Ice Cream, both of which had been prepared in advance. I’m not really a fan of chocolate cake (weird, I know), but this was so rich, I couldn’t resist eating half of it. The ice cream? Oh, that went down easily.We had a great time at the cooking demonstration. Stephen gave us great tips, let us ask questions, and was very personable. I’d love to go to another class. Eric and I both suggested they do a class on pickling. Pickles + beer = heaven.

Thanks to The Coastal Cupboard for having us! Check out more classes here.

Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

At the end of the weekend, I find myself scrambling to use up the last of my CSA box. I pick my box up each Tuesday, so I try to eat the majority of the veggies from the previous week by Monday. Sometimes I end up eating the veggies raw, sometimes I end up throwing them all in a soup, and sometimes I end up roasting them and drizzling them with, you guessed it, Sriracha.

I was skimming through The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, my newest favorite find at the library, when I noticed a recipe for Caramelized Onion Rice. I thought it sounded like a great side but could easily be amped up with a couple more vegetables.

FoodBuzz recently provided me with a tub of Texmati White Rice as part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with RiceSelect. I cracked it open and started cooking!

Caramelized Onion Rice with Tomatoes and Cucumber

Serves 4-6, as a side

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Texmati white rice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta, optional, for topping

1. Cook rice according to package directions; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant; remove from heat.
3. Add onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Gently toss until combined. Top with feta, if desired.

This side dish is incredibly easy to make. The caramelized onions give it a sweet touch that balances out the saltiness of the feta. While the rice is fluffy and tender, the cucumbers give it a nice crunch. Serve with your favorite veggie burger and top with grilled shrimp for a light, Summery dish.

Yes, I’m still pretending it’s Summer. It’s 84* today, wouldn’t you?

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.