naan pizza: serve yourself supper party

This weekend Erwin and I hosted an impromptu dinner party with out friends Pete and Kaitlyn, of eatmyblog.org. In an effort to save time and money, I challenged myself to cook the meal using ingredients I had on hand. The result was personal pizzas made with Indian naan bread and topping choices including: chicken strips, caramelized onions, homemade pesto, marinara sauce, sliced grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and shrimp.

When cruising Trader Joes last weekend on a bimonthly grocery trip, I spied the new fresh baked naan bread in the bakery section and I thought it looked a lot like pre-made pizza dough. And since I am a consistently poor pizza dough baker, the naan seemed like a way to make easy homemade pizza. The recipe is completely flexible in terms of ingedients, and the baking directions are simple.The end result was amazing - I think this might become a weekly treat.

Naan Pizza

• Naan (we used whole wheat)
• Fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
  
• Pesto or marinara sauce
• Veggies chopped (whatever you have on hand)
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Chicken strips, shrimp, etc.

Top naan with desired ingredients on a baking sheet (we lined our's with foil for easy clean up). Preheat oven to 400* and cook for 7-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Update: Please pardon the photo edges being cut off, I am still transitioning to Word Press, and the scale is a bit different.

pesto presto!

Easy homemade pesto, just like mom used to make should have made

Last night I was busy watching the Michigan basketball game with my insanely excited boyfriend, Erwin. While we watched a surprisingly well played game, I tested this easy homemade pesto recipe by Curtis Stone. The ingredients are simple (all I needed to buy was fresh basil) and preparing it took six minutes start to finish.

Homemade Pesto

• 1 1/2 bunches fresh basil (about 1 1/2 cups lightly packed)
• 4 ounces toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Grind the basil, pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese with a food processor until a smooth paste forms. Slowly add 1/4 cup of olive oil, grinding until a smooth sauce forms.

After the pesto was finished, I tried a trick my friend, Chan, gave me from his childhood. Using a clean ice cube tray, I spooned dollops of pesto in to the cubes and threw the tray in the freezer. So the next time we make pasta or wilted greens I can just throw a cube of frozen pesto into the hot noodles or greens and I'm done. Buh bye, pre-made pesto!

DESIGN YOUR LIFE: Kaitlyn from EatMyBlog.org

This week's DESIGN YOUR LIFE interview is with Kaitlyn, my dear friend and blogger for EatMyBlog.org. For those that have followed my Vegan Cleanse, you will remember Kaitlyn as my partner in crime who also gave up a bunch of animal and processed foods for three weeks. I am constantly inspired by her passion for food and cooking and I am happy to report she has rubbed off on me and I am more into cooking now than ever.

Below are 10 intentions she has for eating well and some great suggestions for the rest of us. My favorite intention she mentions is #10, not just because it is a great idea, but also becasue I am often lucky enough to enjoy her amazing meals (still dreaming about her veggie lasagna from a few weeks ago). I hope you gain as much from her tasty intentions as I do.

1. I enjoy breakfast everyday. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. I love breakfast so much because it’s the only time of the day that I can quietly think reflect on what the day has to bring. It’s a nice way to gradually move into the hustle and bustle of the rest of your day. I always look forward to breakfast and creating new meal options. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

2. I stopped drinking coffee. My intention for a better life led to me quitting my morning cup of coffee. I found myself addicted to the caffeine boost. If I didn’t drink my morning cup I would feel extremely sluggish and out of sorts. Jess introduced me to a great tasting tea, with much less caffeine and it tastes better than coffee, which made it an easy transition.
3. I plan my weekly meals in advance to cut back on waste. This is certainly an intention that I am still working at and still find myself wasting an apple here and there, but it is something that makes cooking at home more appealing. Each week I start by writing a grocery list of items that we frequently use or that we are out of. Then I think of meals that my boyfriend and I would like to have throughout the week and list the ingredients accordingly. I try to prepare meals that use perishables first, than move on to any dry or frozen foods. If I feel as though I won’t be needing certain vegetables or baked goods in the near future, I’ll chop and prepare them and put them in the freezer for later use.
4. I make desserts special. I have a serious sweet tooth and there was a time that I would eat dessert every night after dinner. My intention is to make desserts an occasion, something special. I do this by finding recipes and waiting for the weekend to prepare something extra delicious to look forward to.
5. I shop mainly at Trader Joe’s. In an effort to eat healthy and save money I have found Trader Joe’s to be a proverbial haven for grocery shoppers. Now that I have been shopping there for a while, I have amassed some favorites that I get excited for each week.

6. I eat less meat and eat more vegetables. By reading books by authors Kathy Freston, Mark Bittman, and Michael Pollan I have been learning more about reasons why eating less meat is beneficial to the environment, the treatment of animals, and to my health. Although I haven’t completely taken meat out of my diet I have been trying to incorporate more vegetables and have started trying out new vegetarian recipes.
7. I have go-to meals for the days that I don’t feel like cooking. Some days you just don’t feel like cooking, and for those days I like being prepared with easy go-to meals. These meals usually come from the pantry or the freezer, but are definitely healthy. It certainly helps not reverting back to fast food.
8. I pack healthy snacks. Whenever I am away from home I like to pack healthy snacks like nuts, apples, or rice cakes so that when I am hungry I don’t have to eat junky snack food.
9. I shop at the farmer’s market. In the spring and summertime I like to go to the farmer’s market to support local farmers. Not only is the produce fresh and seasonable, but it’s a great event to look forward to each week.
10. I plan dinner parties for friends and family. I get great joy out of planning, preparing and entertaining guests with dinner parties. It’s a great alternative to going out to a restaurant or the bars because my friends and I don’t have very much money to throw around. Besides who doesn’t love a home-cooked meal shared amongst friends?

divine wine on a dime

Everyone seems to be antsy for spring, and though the weather may still be chilly and the farmers market may still be closed, there is one favorite spring tradition that can be enjoyed right now: white wine. I discovered this Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Voignier at The Melting Pot. Last year Erwin uncovered a hidden secret: The Melting Pot has free wine tastings on Friday and Saturday night while you wait for a table. Let's just say we have informally taken a free* Wine 101 semester via this secret and Miguel, the "wine man" knows us by face.


Of the dozens of wines we have tried, our favorite remains this Pine Ridge. My preference used to be Pinot Grigio, but this blend is a bit more crisp with lots more flavor. And for $10.99 at Binny's, it's a great bottle for the price. To see what an actual wine review click here.

So drink up. Spring will come (eventually).


* Erwin disagrees about the free part. Sure, we didn't pay for the wine tastings, but the meals aren't budget friendly.

cooking class: pan seared filet of beef and truffle potato puree

Welcome to my cooking class part three. For this installment I chose to pair the Pan Seared Filet of Beef with the Truffle Potato Puree- known to laymen as steak and mashed potatoes. Both recipes are delicious, but I would put my flexitarian money on the steak, if forced to choose between the two. See recipes below.

Pan Seared Filet of Beef, Roasted Garlic Compound Butter
(2 servings)

Ingredients:
- 2 8oz Center Cut Filets
- S+P to taste
- 2 tbs. Olive Oil
- 4oz (1 stick) Salted Butter, room temperature
- 5 cloves Roasted Garlic
- 1 tbs. chopped Parsley

Procedure:
1. Place butter, roasted garlic, and parsley in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until well combined. Remove and roll butter in plastic wrap into a tube shape (like a cigar). Transfer compound butter into freezer to set up and chill for at least 20 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400*. Coat fillets in olive oil, season with S+P to taste. Set aside.

3. Heat dry skillet to med/high heat. Sear both sides of each filet until well browned (1-2 min). Move to oven and continue to cook until desired "doneness."

4. Remove beef from oven and let rest for 5 min. Serve with one slice of compound butter on top.

Truffle Potato Puree with Mascarpone
(2 servings)

Ingredients:
- 2 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
- S+P to taste
- 1 tbs. butter
- 2-4 tbs. Heavy Cream
- 1-2 tsp. truffle oil (white or black)
- 2 oz Mascarpone Cheese


Procedure:
1. Peel potatoes, large dice and boil in salted water until tender. Drain all water and return to pot potatoes were boiled in. Add butter, 2 tbs. heavy cream and Mascarpone cheese.

2. Mash with a hand masher until desired consistency. At this time, feel free to add more heavy cream, (teaspoon by teaspoon) for smoother potatoes. Add S+P to taste. Finally add truffle oil to taste. Serve immediately.

cooking class: Haricot Vert and Prosciutto Carpaccio Salad

This installment of the cooking class features two of the side dishes we prepared. The first is Haricot Vert (the French name for green beans) with toasted almonds. The second dish is a Prosciutto Carpaccio and Arugula salad. Both take just minutes!

Haricot Vert
(2 servings)

Ingredients:
- 8oz Haricot Vert (French green beans), trimmed
- 1 tbs. salted butter
- S+P to taste
- 2 tbs. blanched slivered Almonds

Procedure:
1. Place almonds in saute pan and heat until almonds are toasted (once they begin to change color to light brown remove them from saute pan and set aside- they will continue to cook while cooling).

2. Boil water. Add beans to water and boil for 1 min. Transfer to ice bath immediately to cool beans. Remove beans from ice bath and dry off.

3. Melt butter in saute pan. Add beans and S+P and saute until heated. Toss in almonds Serve immediately.
Prosciutto Carpaccio and Arugala Salad
(2 servings)

Ingredients:
- 8 slices thin Proscuitto
- 1 cup Arugala, cleaned and dried
- 1 oz Maytag Blue Cheese
- 2 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp. Basalmic Syrup
- S+P to taste

Procedure:
1. Place 8 prosciutto slices flat on two plates covering the enitre base of plate.

2. Arrange Arugula in center of late in a high mound shape. Top with crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese. Season entire late with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Finally drizzle entire plate with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic syrup. Serve immediately.

treat of the week: edible creations

This week's Treat of the Week actually came last Saturday and was devoured by the next night. Erwin brought home a great fruit bouquet with chocolate covered strawberries and apples from Edible Arrangements. It was delicious and pseudo-nutritious. Flowers and chocolates... guess he figured he'd kill two birds with one stone.

And what a tasty stone it was.

cooking class: wild mushrooms in cream on toasted brioche

Of all the recipes from the Valentines Day cooking class, this appetizer was my favorite dish of the night- and it is also the first one that I will make again! It is so tasty and is a perfect appetizer for a dinner party. The final product looks complicated but really it couldn't be easier. See below for the recipe and ingredient list.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-2 tbs butter
-1/2 pound fresh wild mushrooms, trimmed, washed well, and patted dry cut to uniform size
-1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
-freshly ground white pepper and salt to taste (regular s+p would be fine)
-3 thing slices brioche or challah bread, crusts discarded, each slice cut into 4 triangles and toasted (this was the original recipe, but I would substitute with baguette slices or any other thin, toasted bread)
-few sprigs of fresh Tarragon
-2 tbs fresh Parmesan shavings
Procedure:
1- Heat cream in small saucepan until hot.

2- Heat butter in a 10" heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute mushrooms, stirring frequently, until golden, 6-8 min. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, 1 min. Stir in hot cream and reduce heat to low. Gently simmer, stirring once, until mushrooms are tender, 10-15 min. Season with salt and pepper.

3- Arrange 6 toasts on each plate and spoon mushrooms and sauce on top. Garnish with fresh tarragon and Parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.

Valentines Day: Cooking Classes

The romantic candlelit setting.

I return back to the jewelry studio tired but with a smile on my face from all the fun I had this weekend. My boyfriend, Erwin, is very thoughtful and romantic- which means Valentine's Day at our "house" (really, it's more of a tiny studio than a house) is always an adventure. This year was no exception.

For weeks leading up to February 14th, I desperately tried to guess what he had planned. I had convinced myself that he got us tickets to one of those big boat dinner cruises that go around the lake and you stare at the Chicago skyline. But I was wrong.

At 6:00PM on Valentine's night we pulled up to Kendall College. Somewhere online he had found a Valentine's Day couples cooking class. I was surprised and very excited; cooking has become a hobby of mine in the last few months. The class was structured so that a chef taught everyone how to prepare a six course meal, then it was up to the cooking couples to prepare the dishes, and later head up to a fancy dining area to enjoy our hard work.

Ahem, never thought I would post a picture with a chef hat.
Our workstation had pre-measured ingredients.

Needless to say, the meal was amazing and I am completely impressed that the dishes were fancy and easy to make. Over the next week or so I will post one recipe at a time so that you may follow along and recreate the dishes yourself. I promise that they are all simple but look very impressive when served. I also definitely recommend checking out Kendall's other "Spice Up Your Life" cooking classes - next on my list is learning to frost floral cake decorations!

The dining area where we ate our "hearts" out and met some great people.

treat of the week: molly's cupcakes

Treat of the week: another feature which will post weekly, or as often as my photo taking diligence allows. Since my infamous Quantum Wellness Cleanse, I have decided to continue treating myself to decadent desserts once a week. Here is what my friend Kaitlyn and I dined on last night at Molly's Cupcakes, at 2536 N. Clark St.

the mixed berry purple frosting cupcake in the top row will be my next cupcake from Molly's

my cinnamon roll cupcake, oozing with frosting

Kaitlyn's Ron Bennington cupcake

coming clean about the cleanse- part 2

So now that I am back to being flexitarian* I have decided to continue a few of the habits I formed while on the cleanse. Here is a quick run down of my new intentions:

• Regarding meat and dairy I actually didn't mind going without dairy as much as I thought I would, so I plan to eat vegan at home and flexitarian when I am eating out. This way I can still enjoy cheese in moderation. I also plan to continue to drink soy and rice milk, I now genuinely prefer these choices over normal milk.
• Regarding alcohol I will continue to drink more red wine in place of Woodchuck Cider or super sweet Pinot Grigio.
• Regarding gluten This really won't make much of an imact on my life. I am still pro wheat.
• Regarding added sugar I have enjoyed limiting my sugar fix for Saturday afternoons. No more noshing on cookies mindlessly after dinner. Or in the afternoon. Or on the bus.
  
• Regarding caffiene I will continue to drink my daily cup o' honey vanilla white chai.

So there it is. I think overall the cleanse was a great chance to become more mindful of what I eat and I also learned to use lots of new vegan friendly ingredients like agave nectar, soy and rice milk, brown rice pasta, gluten-free waffles, and soy cheese. And perhaps best of all I am eating more veggies than I have in my entire life.

Though the cleanse may not be for everyone, a more moderate way of eating focusing on vegan or vegetarian options turned out to be a great way for me to makeunder my meals.


* Flexitarian: I am vegetarian 96.5% the time. But if I am in front of spicy hot buffalo wings at a sports bar, it would be hard to tell.

[photo from Rachel at Heart of Light]

coming clean about the cleanse- part 1

At long (three week) last, I have reached the end of the Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse with my friend, Kaitlyn. I have mentioned this cleanse a fair amount but now I feel it is time to come "clean" and share the ups and downs of making under my diet. To summarize, I have decided to rate my ability to keep the tenants she recommended. This blog is all about honesty... so here it goes.

• Cleanse Rule #1: No meat or dairy This was actually the easiest practice for me, as I have been flexitarian for almost a year. Giving up cheese and eggs was difficult, especially when eating out. But for the vast majority I did eat vegan* throughout the weeks (except for pizza in week two... twice). My overall ability to avoid meat/dairy: ***
• Cleanse Rule #2: No alcohol This rule was dead in the water. The first week I was limited myself to two drinks, twice a week. It loosened up from there. But overall I did drink mostly red wine and cut back the overall quantity. My overall ablity to avoid alcohol: **
• Cleanse Rule #3: No gluten Gluten, for those who aren't familiar, is a component of wheat. The first week I avoided gluten entirely. It was incredibly hard to follow this guideline when eating out. After one week without gluten, I realized don't have an allergy to gluten, and I incorporated it back into my diet. The most frustrating part of this objective overall was the fact that whole wheat products offer a fair amount of protein and fiber, unlike most gluten-free alternatives. My overall ability to avoid gluten: *
  
• Cleanse Rule #4: No added sugar This was perhaps the most beneficial rule for my personal development. Reducing sugar intake was very benefitial, considering my family history. But rather than deem sugar off limits completely, which would trigger an insatiable craving, I limited sugar to a special Saturday afternoon treat. This is a habit I plan on continuing post-Cleanse as well. My overall ability to avoid sugar: ***
• Cleanse Rule #5: No caffeine Of all the rules, this was the one I blatantly ignored from the get-go. I was not about to give up my Honey Vanilla White Chai, and considered my daily ritual benign. My overall ability to avoid caffeine: **
  

Clearly, I did not follow the recommendations to a T... or any letter in the alphabet for that matter. But I did manage to eat more veggies, less sugar, and eat healthier overall. In my next post, I will share how I intend to eat going forward in a cleanse-free world.

* Once wheat was included in my diet in weeks 2 and 3, breads consumed contained trace amounts of dairy.

loving the london fog

Late last week I had an appointment with my accountant for Jess LC at a Starbucks in Bucktown. It was mid afternoon and I was craving my usual chai tea latte, lamenting about my vegan cleanse's no "added sugar" rule.

my very first London Fog...*

To my delight Starbucks' R&D team seem to have anticipated my newly vegan mindset. They have recently launched new tea lattes with actual tea bags rather than their sugary "boxed" chai.

Since discovering this new drink they call the "London Fog" I have consumed three soy versions in the last four days. So although it may be earth and body friendly it seems to be less kind to my budget.


*Please note: this is my first photo taken while in a completely normal, public situation. I actually whipped out the camera and took a picture of the drink by myself, in the middle of the day. And yes, I did get a few stares. Perhaps I passed some kind of blogger initiation.

my salad gets a makeunder

I am not really sure if this salad I had on Tuesday night really qualifies as a "makeunder" I mean, it's not simpler than a regular salad. It actually is the vegetable portion of an amazing pasta dish my dear friend Vicki of Heavenly Metal taught me. So I guess it isn't actually a salad makeunder but a pasta dish makeunder. Perfect. Now I can keep the title.

Either way the meal was great- I don't love raw spinach salads, so this was a great way for me to get my leafy greens. Here is the ingredient list:

• 1 bag fresh spinach - this is a great dish to make if you are close to the expiration date
  
• chopped garlic (as much as you like, I used 3 cloves)
  
• 3 tbs olive oil
• capers (as many as you like, but optional)
• pesto (mine was from Trader Joes, optional but does add a nice flavor)
• pine nuts, walnuts
  

Here is the preparation:

1. Sear the pine nuts and walnuts in a pan on medium heat until brown, make sure to keep an eye on them and don't let them burn. Put them to the side for later.
2. Put olive oil in large pot with garlic and let simmer for a few minutes until warm, on medium heat. Once you see some sizzling action, throw the spinach into the pot and cover. Keep an eye on the greens as they wilt and add extra olive oil if needed. It should take 5-7 minutes and greens will look dark and squishy.
3. In a bowl add cooked spinach, some spoonfuls of pesto, capers, the seared pine nuts, walnuts, and s+p as needed. Stir and enjoy.

PS- Ever notice dinner always tastes better by candle light?

easy waffles with berries

At long last I have finally whipped out the camera and started photographing the foods I am making on this whole vegan cleanse thing. This is what my breakfast looked like this morning. After hearing I am abstaining from: meat, dairy, alcohol (more moderation), sugar, and gluten (which has now been added back in my diet), a lot of friends have asked: "so what do you eat?"

Well the answer this morning was:

• Banana gluten-free waffles from Trader Joes
• Thawed frozen berries from Trader Joes
• Agave nectar (a natural, milder, honey-like sweetener) from Trader Joes
• Toasted walnuts from Trader Joes
  

So basically this post can be boiled down to two main points: that breakfast was freaking amazing and I really, really like Trader Joes.

scouts or cookies?

Yum. Just designing this post is making my stomach rumble. As I placed my annual Girl Scout Cookie order with a friend I began to miss the days when I was a Girl Scout. I learned a lot with that great group of girls in middle school and I am still good friends with one, Catherine, to this day. And though I am sure I learned a lot from this group, the only things that stand out are the memories of french toast made in a coffee can and our fear of the green toilet in the outhouse when camping.

So maybe all I really miss is... the cookies. My favorites are Samoas, any other votes out there?

girl scout cookies - by Jess LC on Polyvore.com

spicy cooking or cooking spices?

Since I am still pretty new to the whole "cooking" thing I haven't had a chance to make those blunders that experienced cooks talk about. The whole "I have burned myself several times and been impaled twice peeling potatoes" has never been an issue for me. Until this morning.
It started simply enough. I wanted to prepare a nice vegan meal for lunch. I chose my friend Vicki's pasta recipe with wilted greens. Once the greens were finished, I moved on to boiling the water for the pasta. I had the pot filled, the burner on, and thought about jumping in the shower while the pot began to warm.

But for some strange (or miraculous) reason I checked to see how the water was doing and noticed it was not bubbling in the slightest, but there was a large stream of smoke floating behind the pot. I had turned the burner behind the pot on by accident. Needless to say, the small bowl of garlic and spice rack were well on their way to causing some serious damage. Fortunately I was able to turn off the stove and remove the burning bowl and rack to reveal a chunk of the spice rack platform burned into the stove top. So it goes.

[photo found here]

vegan for a day.

My dear friend Kaitlyn and I have been reading Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston and are inspired to try her vegan "cleanse." So basically from Monday the 19th to February 9th we are (trying) to stay away from: meat, dairy, added sugars, gluten (in most wheat products), and alcohol. Yes. I know.

On Sunday to prepare for this little experiment I stocked up on groceries (you would guess I was preparing for siege or a severe hurricane warning) and cooked vegan recipes all day - more on those in posts to come. Needless to say I have been eating better, healthier, and loving it for a full... 48 hours. That is until I went out to eat last night at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. The table looked something like this*:
And of all that was on the table I could only eat this*:
And this* (*photos not from actual meal):
Surprisingly, though I would definitely have preferred a vegetarian approach to the meal, I did end up pretty satisfied and felt great this morning. Tomorrow night out to dinner with the girls should be another interesting vegan adventure.