Random musings & rants of a girl who is attempting to do and have it all while raising her little person.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Huh? Quinoa AND Pizza?!

In my quest to add more things like barley, wheatberries & quinoa into our diet, I picked up a copy of Quinoa 365, a cookbook devoted to this versatile superfood. Seeing as I haven't grocery shopped since returning from NYC, I needed a quick dinner using ingredients on hand. Pizza is about as quick & easy as it comes!

Outrageously Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup white quinoa
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp. white or cane sugar
3 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. quick-rise yeast
1 large egg, beaten
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour

*I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and about 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour.

Combine the 1 1/3 cups water & quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

Mix the 1 1/2 cups warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the oil, salt and yeast. Mix in the egg and cooked quinoa. Blend in the flour, starting with 3 1/2 cups. Work in another 1/4 cup of flour. Grab the dough with a clean, dry hand to test stickiness. (If the dough sticks to your hand but pulls off you have enough flour in the dough. If the dough remains stuck to your hand, add more flour.) Continue adding small amounts of flour, doing the "sticky test" after each addition (you should not require more than 4 cups of flour in total). Freeze unused portions of the dough in resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Slide the dough in half for 2 large crusts or roll itinto a log and cut it into 3 pieces for medium crusts. Form the pieces of dough into balls. Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil or greased and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area to sit for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly grease the pizza pan(s) and press the dough evenly into each pan. Dress with your favourite sauce & toppings and bake on the centre oven rack for 25-30 minutes (time may vary with different pizza pans and amount of toppings). Remove the pizza from the oven when the cheese in the centre is bubbling and the bottom of the crust is golden brown. refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

To prepare leftover frozen dough, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil or grease, cover it with a dishcloth and allow the dough to rise as above.

I personally couldn't tell there was quinoa in the crust though D said he could. The crust crisped nicely but still had a great chew factor. This will definitely become my go-to crust because it's much healthier & filling with all the extra protein thanks to the quinoa. This will make an easy meatless option for us in our quest to eat less meat.

*Outrageously Quick and Easy Pizza Crust, Quinoa 365, p. 120.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Eating the Big Apple


D & I just got back from a 5-day getaway to NYC where we strolled aimlessly, shopped furiously and ate heartily. We planned ahead (well, the 4 hour flight delay helped us to actually book reservations) and lucked out with reservations at some great restaurants. Seeing as I'm a food obsessed fatty, here are some of the great places we ate along our travels:

Everyone knows Chef Bobby Flay, right? The grilled pizza with double smoked bacon, caramelized onions and toasted garlic was AMAZING.

The Bowery Hotel is a hip little spot in the Lower East Side. We went to Gemma with friends and the food was delicious. I actually over-indulged to the point that I had to immediately go back to the hotel, curl up in a ball and hope to not give birth to my food baby. I couldn't resist stuffed zucchini flowers, strozzapreti with spicy Italian sausage ragu or numerous bites of tiramisu & vanilla panna cotta.

We made brunch reservations at the urging of my friend and it was worth it. Simple but delicious. To boot, the Meatpacking District is a fantastic place to wander & drop some coin.

This is your typical old school steak house with a bit of a twist. In 1985, the boss of the Gambino crime family was gunned down as he walked into the restaurant with his bodyguard. D & I were certain it was the MASSIVE 14oz filet mignon that must've killed him and the hit was just an urban myth.

On Sunday, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and wandered around Dumbo & Vinegar Hill before stumbling across this cute little place. Admittedly, not too many things on the brunch menu jumped out at me initially (as I don't eat eggs) but the Indiana Casserole was an indulgent dish of hot dog, elbow macaroni, peas & sharp cheddar.

Loved this place. LOVED. Good wine, delicious food and a cool breeze on a hot patio. Perfection. The in-house made sausages were amazing. I had the Espagnole & Vermont as part of the sausage duo and D had the piggie burger.

Traditional bistro fare with a renowned bakery. Worth checking out for the great location but in terms of breakfast, I wouldn't say we were floored. The brioche French toast was fresh & tasty and D seemed to enjoy his eggs something-or-other.

There you go! Lots of restaurants crammed in to a short few days. This was the first time I've been in NYC where we've actually planned ahead and made reservations. I always ask myself when leaving a new restaurant if I'd go again and to all of the above, I would. The only reason we won't is because there are far too many amazing restaurants in NYC to ever return to the same ones.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Jar - Part II



Remember the savings jar? You can read about it here. When D gifted me with the trip to NYC back in February, I immediately pulled out a big jar and got to saving. This time, we amended the rules a little and decided loonies & twoonies were acceptable but the goal was to save paper. We've been tossing in spare cash here & there and in just 4 months, we saved $1107 without feeling a pinch. Bring on NYC!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Booyah!

11km run this evening! As usual, I was running along, listening to my iPod and psyching myself up to train for a half-marathon in the fall. Dare I do it?

Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is a reason I long stopped baking cookies. I cannot resist raw cookie dough. Alas, I got out the butter & sugar and baked a batch of good ol' chocolate chip cookies today. I would likely have had another dozen but I managed to eat enough dough to make myself feel ill.

Baking: 1
Jenn: 0

It's been almost a week since my last run and despite adding in a few mini cheats, I'm still hovering around 130lbs. I'd like to get out for a good run tonight so we'll see.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Lemony Orzo with Tuna & Artichoke Hearts

I stumbled upon this recipe when flipping through an old(er) Fine Cooking collection last weekend. Quick, from the pantry & fresh? Yes, please! It took no time to pull together and was very fresh & delicious.

Lemony Orzo with Tuna & Artichoke Hearts

Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups dried orzo
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 14-oz can artichoke heart, drained and quartered
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 5-oz can water packed solid white tuna, drained
3 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and add the vermouth or wine. Return the skillet to the heat and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and cook just until tender and heated through, another 2-3 minutes. Off the heat, gently stir in the tuna.

Transfer the hot orzo to a large bowl and toss with the creme fraiche and lemon juice. Add the artichoke mixture, 2 tbsp of the basil and salt & pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine. Spoon into bowls, garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp basil & serve.

*Fine Cooking, Fresh & Quick 2010.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Moroccan Toasted Couscous with Spiced Honey Citrus Dressing

I played around with a recipe sent to me by a friend and came up with this delicious variation.

Moroccan Toasted Couscous with Spiced Honey Citrus Dressing

Dressing:
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together & set aside.

Salad:
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 red pepper, diced
10 dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup pistachios, toasted
1 1/2 tbsp grated orange zest
Handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley (leaves only)

Preheat the oven to 375 and toast the couscous on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, shaking halfway. Cool and place in a bowl. Combine the turmeric with boiling water and pour over the couscous and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Fluff the couscous and combine with the rest of the salad ingredients. Add dressing and add S&P, if you wish.

This makes a perfect side to any sort of grilled meat but is equally good on its own. Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Holding Steady...

130lbs.

Meh. Still pleased I dropped the initial 5lbs but I'd love to shed a few more. I'm still eating a cleanse friendly diet and really haven't cheated at all. I could probably work on portion control (as usual) but at least I know I'm eating fresh & healthy.

8.3km run on Monday night followed by an hour of bootcamp last night. The day is early yet but my legs are still working. It's either going to hit me HARD when I first attempt to stand after sitting at a desk all morning or it means I have to work harder tomorrow night.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Boot Camp

I finally gave in and signed up for one of those boot camps that take place in parks across the city. Um, yeah. It was HARD and within 20 minutes, I was panting and secretly looking for a way out. Pushed through and lasted the entire hour (not without a few pauses to make sure my legs were still attached to my body) and am so glad I committed to this program. I dragged my friend with me so at least I/we have motivation to continue. We have 4 weeks of this... twice a week... no excuses. Right?!

Also, buttery popcorn for dinner. It was on the cleanse so I maintain that it's healthy & justified!