kale, white bean, and chicken sausage soup

Wise words to follow, always.

I’m currently sipping on an insanely delicious soy green tea latte and am completely sacked out in bed. I don’t want to move for a while. My sickness is still taking over with full force, but it didn’t stop me from making the trek up to campus for a physics lecture. Win.

On the way home I stopped at Safeway and stocked up on the essentials. Nyquil, pomegranate juice, super soft tissues, and enough soup to last a week. I seriously prefer homemade soup. I mean who doesn’t? Every time you open up a can of “hearty” vegetable soup the disappointment sets in. It’s never hearty. Ever.

Do yourself a favor and make this soup! It’s easy and flavorful!

kale, white bean, and chicken sausage soup
-adapted from Eat, Live, Run

1/2 lb spicy chicken sausage, thickly sliced

1 cup of slice mushrooms

1 stalk celery, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch green kale, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the sausage.

Brown sausage then add mushrooms and celery. Toss to combine and continue cooking for another six minutes. Add kale and beans and cook until kale just starts to wilt.

Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

-K

tofu, coconut, and lemongrass soup

It is most definitely soup weather outside right now. It is rainy, gloomy, and freezing. Yup, bring on the soup!

I woke up this morning with an awful sore throat and aches, so there was no excuse not to make up a pot of soup. My favorite soup of all time is the delicious soup that I almost always order at thai restaurants consisting of flavorful lemongrass and hearty veggies.

Here it goes….

Thai Tofu, Coconut, and Lemongrass Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 head of broccoli cut into mini florets
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 small red chili peppers
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 12 ounce can light coconut milk
5-6 thin slices ginger
5-6 1-inch slices lemongrass
juice from one lime
1 16 ounce package tofu, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

In a large soup pot, sautee the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil until lightly cooked.

Reduce heat to low and add the vegetable broth, coconut and remaining ingredients, except for cilantro.

Allow to simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro just before serving.

I just finished my second bowl of this soup and I’m in love. Next on my list for the day…..drink tea. A lot of it. Must. Get. Healthy.

-K

wheat bran muffins

At the beginning of December I headed home for winter break with high hopes of cooking up a storm every day. While I did make a few dishes here and there, which can be found on the blog, I didn’t do nearly as much cooking as I had planned. I can thank grad school apps for that!

My Dad is truly an amazing cook and I have him to thank for my love of creating delicious, healthy meals. He also has the ability to wake up at the crack of dawn and start making a yummy breakfast for the fam. One morning he created bran muffins boasting with whole grains and tons of fiber. Tons. Eat a couple muffins and you’re good to “go”. Hehe.

Wheat Bran Muffins

Preheat oven to 350F and line or lightly spray regular muffin tins

Sift together:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 TB baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Mix in:
½ cup wheat bran
½ cup wheat germ

Mix together:
2 eggs-beaten (or use flax eggs! One egg= 1 tablespoon of flax mixed + 3 tablespoons of water)
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup honey
¾ cup almond milk (or whatever milk you have on hand!)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend gently until few lumps remain.
Drop by mounded tablespoons into muffin tins, roughly 2/3 full
Bake 16-18 minutes until tops are springy and centers dry

Feel free to add berries or nuts to these muffins! They are not super sweet so you can also adjust the sugar level with a sweetener of your choosing!

Enjoy!

-K

winter blahs

It’s winter, which means it is cold and it’s only getting colder. I’d rather be indoors where it’s warm unless I have to drag my butt up to campus for a variety of responsibilities. Being stuck indoors on dark dreary days can be somewhat depressing. The good news is that there are definite ways to deal with it!Here are my top eleven tips for beating the winter blahs:

1. Work Out! I cannot stress this one enough. Seriously, working out has been proven to boost one’s mood and have an overall positive impact on your day to day activities. Do anything you can to get that heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day. Your body and your friends will thank you.

2. Bake. Personally, after a long, stressful day, baking a batch of whole grain blueberry muffins will instantly put me in a better mood. It is my ultimate stress reliever and definitely helps me beat the winter blahs. Friends will also reap the benefits of this one!

3. Watch a movie in a warm bed with a cup of tea. Currently, it is 7:45am and I am sitting in a lecture hall waiting for class to start and I would much rather be in bed, watching a Joseph Gordon-Levitt film, and sipping on a cup of jasmine green tea. Damn.

4. Visit a farmer’s market. Most farmers’ markets are open rain or shine and are boasting of fresh veg, fruit, breads, and samples. Invite a friend and make a date out of it. It is also awesome seeing all the beautiful flowers! On that note…

5. Buy yourself some flowers! I absolutely love seeing a fresh bouquet of flowers on my desk, in my bathroom, on the kitchen table, everywhere. When it’s rainy and cold outside and the plants are struggling to stay vibrant and colorful, fresh flowers will always make me happy.

6. Get dressed. I know that on the days where I actually put some effort into my outfit choices and I wear something other than leggings and a sweatshirt, I feel better because I actually “tried” to look good. It would put a little pep in your step.

7. Make a pot of soup. I love love love to make a large pot of chili, veggie soup, or lentil soup and eat it on those cold winter days. I think that there are very few things as satisfying as a huge bowl of vegetarian chili topped with cheddar cheese, greek yogurt, and onion. Yum.

8. Eat the rainbow! Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables for an instant energy boost. Frozen fruits and veggies are great options too. I’ll put a bunch of frozen blueberries in my steaming oatmeal and I’m set for the day.

9. Discover new music. Finding new artists and songs instantly brightens my day. This is a really simple trick, but will seriously make even the dreariest of days brighter.

10. Get organized. I love re-organizing the kitchen and my bedroom when I want to be productive and secretly enjoy it too. I have found that when my life feels a bit more organized and put together I am stoked no matter what the weather is.

11. Get cozy at a coffee shop. This is one of my favorites. Fortunately, Santa Cruz is filled with tons of mom and pop coffee joints that are often filled with artwork, live music, and delectable baked goods. My personal recommendation is the Abbey in Santa Cruz. They have a drink called Bowl of Soul which is tea steeped with frothy soy milk and honey. So good.

Did I already say work out? Do it. ENDORPHINS! Oh and don’t forget to SMILE!

-K

the latest

Hey friends!

So just last week I started my Nutrition Education internship and so far I am LOVING it. I didn’t realize how completely stoked I would be teaching and observing 1st graders taste test fruits, vegetables and grains. I also didn’t realize how excited they would be to try dates and vegetable chili! It is awesome!

Last week, the kids learned about protein by playing a few games and then tasting some fresh guacamole with cilantro, onion, and a bit of bell pepper with a blue corn chip. Gotta have that rainbow of color in their diet!

After their lesson, I came home with avocado on the brain and hungry for lunch! I whipped up a mixed greens salad with chunks of ripe avocado, crisp carrots, and peppered turkey breast. I topped it off with a DELICIOUS honey mustard vinaigrette. My protein quota was filled. Practice what you preach!

Served alongside a smoothie consisting of: 100% guava juice, frozen strawberries, peaches, and a bit of greek yogurt. I’ve been on a major smoothie kick lately.

Fast forward to this week, week three of my last winter quarter at UCSC! School has gotten busy and I’m running from one thing to the next, but that didn’t stop me from picking up a special treat at New Leaf before class today…

It was my very first time trying coconut butter and I am a fan. I smeared it on a whole wheat english muffin before a spin class and fell a little bit in love. I can’t wait to try it in steel cut oatmeal or on some whole wheat waffles. Yum.

Hope everyone’s week has been a good one so far! I’ll leave you with this beautiful view off of West Cliff and a quote courtesy of Yogi tea.

-K

the wise words of wednesday (on tuesday)

I won’t be able to post tomorrow so I wanted to leave you with this thought. Have a wonderful and healthful day!
-K

chocolate chip cookie dough larabars {healthy!}

Hey there! I hope everyone is having a restful week after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  I just came back from a great Mother-Daughter trip near San Clemente and I’m feeling ready to tackle the last few to-do’s before I submit my first grad school application. Yikes!

In other news, these homemade larabars taste uh-mazing.  Please make this healthy treat!

Ingredients:
Courtesy of Mama Pea

1 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 cup organic chocolate chips

Grind the almonds in a blender or food processor. Once ground, remove and set aside.

Add dates, vanilla, and salt until finely chopped. Add almonds and chocolate chips and pulse until a dough starts to form.

Place the mixture onto plastic wrap and flatten into bars. Refrigerate for about an hour and then eat! Actually tastes like cookie dough, but healthy! Yay!

Enjoy!

-K

the wise words of wednesday

Yup.

-K

gingersnap crumble with cranberries and pears

Last year, at my family’s annual Christmas Eve dinner, I made a pear tart for dessert. It looked beautiful, smelled amazing, and tasted awful. This year I tried using pears again and I was veryyyy happy with the result!

This crumble was the perfect way to end dinner and was fairly easy to make! It tasted light and refreshing, with the added lemon zest and juice, and it was really delicious!

Gingersnap Crumble with Cranberries and Pears
Adapted from Sweet Melissa Patisserie and Smitten Kitchen

Crumble Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 cup gingersnap crumbs (about 16 storebought cookies)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Pear and Cranberry Filling
4 to 5 large Anjou pears (peeled, halved, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Stir together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, ground ginger and salt. Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form.

In a 2 quart baking dish, mix the pears, cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together then toss it with the fruit mixture in the pan.

Sprinkle the gingersnap crumble over the pears and cranberries. Set the crumble in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the crumble is slightly darker and juices begin bubbling through the crumbs.

I think I’ve totally redeemed myself from last years recipe fail.

{I couldn’t resist.}

-K

crock-pot stuffed chicken breasts

I’m in love with a crock-pot. I’ve used it three times this past week and every meal has been delicious. It’s also perfect when I’ve got a long day of holiday shopping and can’t be home to cook!

I made these stuffed chicken breasts a few days ago and they turned out pretty well! I stuffed them with spinach, garlic, and feta cheese to kind of go for a greek theme, but you can go crazy and stuff it with anything you’ve got on hand!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
a few handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Make deep cuts into the side of each chicken breast to create two flaps. Be careful not to cut through! Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add spinach and garlic and cook until slightly wilted. Then place in a bowl on the side.

Begin stuffing the chicken with the feta cheese and spinach and push these ingredients as far back as you can into the chicken. I ended up using toothpicks to keep the chicken closed and that worked very well.

Using the skillet again, place 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. When hot, place the chicken breasts into the pan to sear each side for about 3 minutes. This helps make the chicken more tender before placing it into the crock pot.

Pour the wine and chicken broth into the crock pot. With the stuffed sides up, place the chicken breasts into the crock-pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over quinoa or rice! Enjoy!

-K