Stir-Fry for One (Week)

I woke up this morning feeling like a large heavy truck ran me over, then reversed and ran me over again. And no, it wasn't solely due to a hangover; it was the result of a long day at ACL.

You see it's easy to forget that our bodies--or at least mine--are not made to stand/jump/dance/skip in the sun for long periods of time with little to none consumption of H2O and plenty of some wine. However, it's also easy to remember this fact the day after doing such a thing.

That being said, my day at ACL was one for the books. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of music festivals (let's just say the sweaty crowds and porta-potties are not my thing); however, ACL is growing on me. I like that it doesn't feel humongous (even though it has eight stages); it features amazing food (see the list of food trucks here); it boasts amazing views of the city skyline (here's a photo from last year); and the venue is relatively accessible (walk less than a mile to South Lamar and it's actually possible to get a ride). Maybe next year I'll actually make it all three days!

And now for the recipe that provided delicious lunch/dinner for me throughout the week . . .

Cabbage Chicken Stiry-Fry with Green Beans and Broccoli
Adapted from The Runner's World Cookbook.
Makes about 4 servings.
Active time: 30 mins; total time 40 mins.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 3 cups trimmed green beans, cut in half
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot salsa (I used green tomatillo salsa from Whole Foods)
• 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 slivered or chopped almonds

1. Heat a large wok over medium-high heat (you might have to use two woks or large skillets). Add 1 tablespoon of the oil; add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside. 
2. In the same wok, add the remaining coconut oil and the onion. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. 
3. Add the shallot and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring, or until golden. Be careful not to let either burn.
4. Add the green beans, broccoli, shallots, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. 
5. Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, and vinegar and cook for 3 minutes, or until lightly reduced.
6. Return the chicken to the wok, add the cilantro, and stir. Remove the wok from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with almonds. 

A short and cold post.

I would say I can't remember the last time my hair froze into icicles, but it was today. About five hours ago to be more specific. When I lived in Aspen, my first encounter with the frozen-hair phenomenon left me worried about the inevitable damage that my auburn locks would suffer. And I never really thought it would happen again, but it has and now I'm blogging about it.

Before I move onto food, I'm going to state the obvious and just get it out of the way: TODAY WAS REALLY COLD.

There, I feel like that is all that is needed to acknowledge today's weather. And since I'm not very inspired to write today, I'm going to keep this post short.

I made pan-grilled cod with colorful salsa for dinner. It was delicious. The artichokes complemented the tomatoes in the most subtle way; and the addition of slivered almonds added an unexpected crunch to the tangy salsa. I would pair this salsa with any grilled chicken or fish and just call it a day (or a night). Enjoy!

Fish with Tomato Artichoke Salsa (adapted from Food & Wine Best of the Best)
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings.

• 4 vine-ripened tomatoes
• 5 ounces marinated artichokes, drained
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 2/3 cup + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Juice one lime
• 4  6-ounce pieces of fish (I used Alaskan cod)

1. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove seeds; finely dice the tomato skins and transfer to a bowl. Dice the artichoke hearts and add to the tomatoes. Add olives, almonds and parsley. Toss gently. Add 2/3 cup olive oil and balsamic and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper. Cook fish until slightly golden on the edges, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve fish topped with salsa.

Laziness + Granola

I guess I should acknowledge that I am past the 100th post! Woooo-hoooo!

Today I woke up wanting to bake but I had no idea what to make. Given my super packed schedule including Just Dance 3, tanning and coffee with friends, I didn't have too much time to spare. Oh, and I also had to pay a visit to the dentist--one which I always dread.

But when I mentioned the urge to bake to my mother, she quickly jumped at the opportunity. She asked me to make her granola. I said sure.

Here is the recipe for a quick granola that tastes great atop fruit and yogurt, sprinkled on a salad, or even on its own. Pros: it's simple to make, it's plenty, and it makes the kitchen smell amazing! Cons: it will most likely be gone quickly.

Apricot & Ginger Granola
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes + cooling

• 6 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups dried apricots, chopped
• 1/3 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 
2. In a large bowl, mix oats, almonds and seed with oil, maple syrup and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Spread granola on two rimmed baking sheets; place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
3. Remove granola from oven and cool completely on sheets. Add apricots and ginger and toss to mix. *Granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen up to 4 months.

Its winter! Let's eat toffee.

Here I am, sitting at Logan Airport waiting for my flight to board.

I'm thinking "What could I possibly do with all this extra time on my hands?"--now that the super hectic Fall 2011 semester is behind me--and then I realize I have a blog that I've been ignoring for the past four months.

Now before I blog about food, I'll share a little bit about life.

I turned 22 yesterday. (Insert angry/sad/annoyed face here). If you don't know this about me already, I hate getting older. Sure, I am approaching the peak of my life (blah blah blah) and I am probably overreacting about my age, but the fact is, time is really flying by and I am not liking it. I want to be a kid again. I want to go back to my high school graduation; or to the moment I moved into my first (or second) apartment. Please someone come up with a solution for me!


Enough of my age-related rambling. Let me talk about the amazing winter break that awaits: two places, two climates, two holidays and hopefully a whole lot of presents! Oh and in between the celebrations and relaxation I have a magazine to plan.


TasteBUds is up and running, but it needs a lot of tweaking and organizing. Here is a our first issue.


Anyways, during break, I plan on spending some time setting next semester's deadlines, compiling a style and writing guide, contacting advertisers and testing recipes for our next issue.


Ok, now it's time to talk about food. Here is the toffee I made for a holiday party a couple of weeks ago. I tweaked this recipe a little because honestly there was not enough chocolate in it! At least not in my book. Oh and also, be prepared to stand near the stove for a long time.

Almond Toffee (adapted from Martha Stewart)

• 1/4 pound whole almonds
• 3 sticks salted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread almonds evenly on rimmed baking sheet and put in oven. Roast until fragrant, but not burned, about 15 minutes. Remove almonds from oven and let cool. Transfer to Ziploc bag and pound nuts, using a heavy object, until coarsely ground.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add sugar and continues stirring until toffee reaches 305 F on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour toffee onto rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly to cover. Let cool until slightly hardened but still tacky. Run a knife along edges of sheet to facilitate removal later.
4. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Remove chocolate from heat and let cool, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour chocolate over toffee and spread evenly. Sprinkle ground almonds over chocolate; pressing down gently with a spatula.
5. Transfer toffee to refrigerator until set, about 1 hour. To remove from pan, run sharp knife around edges and lift toffee from the bottom. Break into large pieces using hands and store in freezer until ready to serve.