Two words I love side by side, easy and pizza! Inspired by a similar recipe from Runner's Mag this month, but with some twists here and there. This is so easy you'll want to make it all the time! You'll notice that I don't have many measurements here, it's pizza, put on what YOU like! You can also skip the cheese all together for less heavy pie.
10in round pizza dough (I buy the Whole Foods Organic 2 pack in the bread aisle. It's awesome.)
mozzarella cheese
feta cheese (pre-crumbled works best)
spicy chicken sausage
red onion, sliced into thin half moons
spinach
small can of tomato SAUCE(the Whole Foods 365 brand is great for this and about 79 cents)
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp. EVOO
1. Pre-heat oven to 425
2. Pull the crust out of the package. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel to spread the EVOO all over it. Sprinkle the garlic over the whole pie.
3. Add about a half a can of tomato sauce, spread evenly around the crust.
4. Sprinkle on the spinach, LOTS! It will shrink in the cooking so don't be scared of using lots of it.
5. Next add the mozzarella in an even layer, I don't like to use that much(well, I do, but I shouldn't!) and then sprinkle on a little feta.
6. Add the onions on top of that, along with the chicken sausage.
7. Put in oven for 10 mins and EAT!
Hurray! It is so easy! In fact 2 nights later my boyfriend was in charge of dinner and simply took the remaining crust, slathered on the other half can of tomato sauce, sprinkled a thin layer of the left over mozzarella, and the rest of the chicken sausage. Heated that at 10 mins at 425 and then I made a spinach, tomato, red onion salad on the side. We love making use of those leftovers!
Also, one other thing, you can place the pie on a pizza pan or just put it on the rack for a more crispy crust. Sometimes I use tin foil underneath to make the transport easier.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Bruschetta!
Oh! One of my favorite things! I made a good one last weekend and then we made another batch the next morning to have with egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, and a little chopped green onion. Yum!
6-8 medium sized tomatoes chopped
1 medium red onion chopped
12-16 medium-large chopped basil leaves(you can leave these a little big in the chopping)
3 tsp. chopped Italian parsley(as small as you can!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Throw the tomatoes, red onion, basil and parsley in a large mixing bowl add in the EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. THAT'S IT! Will keep for a day or so.
3. Cut the baguette and place the pieces flat on a baking sheet. Let them bake for 4-5mins and then flip them for another 4-5mins(I like to use salad tongs to flip them). Place the pieces in a bowl or dish next to the bruschetta or pre-arrange them if they are going to be eaten right away.
*Also, you can cube some mozzarella in there too!
6-8 medium sized tomatoes chopped
1 medium red onion chopped
12-16 medium-large chopped basil leaves(you can leave these a little big in the chopping)
3 tsp. chopped Italian parsley(as small as you can!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Throw the tomatoes, red onion, basil and parsley in a large mixing bowl add in the EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. THAT'S IT! Will keep for a day or so.
3. Cut the baguette and place the pieces flat on a baking sheet. Let them bake for 4-5mins and then flip them for another 4-5mins(I like to use salad tongs to flip them). Place the pieces in a bowl or dish next to the bruschetta or pre-arrange them if they are going to be eaten right away.
*Also, you can cube some mozzarella in there too!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Cold Sesame Noodles
Oh boy! I love this recipe! Inspired by Rachel Rays recipe with my own short cuts and option to make it a full meal-easy and fast. Don't be afraid to mess around with proportions. It's always good to modify recipes to your taste. I've listed suggestions for measurements but if you want less of a taste, go easy on that ingredient and add it slowly until it suits you.
One package of Soba noodles
crunchy peanut butter
sesame oil
sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped green onion(scallion)
1 package of bean sprouts
shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
chili sauce
chicken or tofu(optional)
1. Cook the Soba noodles according to the package instructions.
2. Put about 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. Zap it for about 10-15 seconds. The PB will melt down a bit.
3. Combine about 1/4 cup of shoyu(tamari, or soy), 2 tablesopons of sesame oil, and a healthy squirt of chili sauce( I like the spice, not everyone does! If you don't want spice you can also add some rice wine vinegar(1 tbsp)). Stir the mixture and set aside.
4. Drain the noodles in a colander and run cold water over them to make them cold. Be careful as you are handling the noodles to not burn yourself, use a pasta spoon if you have it!
5. Put the noodles in a large bowl, add the sauce mixture, the green onions, bean sprouts, and sprinkle lots of sesame seeds on (1/4 cup or so-I like a lot).
6. You can add some cut up cooked chicken or tofu for a full meal, or use Cold Sesame Noodles as a side dish.
One package of Soba noodles
crunchy peanut butter
sesame oil
sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped green onion(scallion)
1 package of bean sprouts
shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
chili sauce
chicken or tofu(optional)
1. Cook the Soba noodles according to the package instructions.
2. Put about 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. Zap it for about 10-15 seconds. The PB will melt down a bit.
3. Combine about 1/4 cup of shoyu(tamari, or soy), 2 tablesopons of sesame oil, and a healthy squirt of chili sauce( I like the spice, not everyone does! If you don't want spice you can also add some rice wine vinegar(1 tbsp)). Stir the mixture and set aside.
4. Drain the noodles in a colander and run cold water over them to make them cold. Be careful as you are handling the noodles to not burn yourself, use a pasta spoon if you have it!
5. Put the noodles in a large bowl, add the sauce mixture, the green onions, bean sprouts, and sprinkle lots of sesame seeds on (1/4 cup or so-I like a lot).
6. You can add some cut up cooked chicken or tofu for a full meal, or use Cold Sesame Noodles as a side dish.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Berry Fillo Cups
I made these for our Memorial Day BBQ. They were a big hit! Thanks for the feedback everyone.
1 package of Fillo Dough
1 container of Tru Whip (this stuff is 70% organic and not as sweet as regular Cool Whip, you can get it at Whole Foods. If you can't find it you can substitute with the regular Cool Whip brand)
berries(blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
muffin pan
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Unwrap the Fillo(generally they come in twin packs. One pack=18 tarts. You can keep the other pack in the freezer for up to a month). One twin pack has two sheets and you want to cut these into 9 rectangles(3 cuts), do the same with the other sheet.
3. Pick up a rectangle and start to peel each sheet off and form it to the muffin pan cup. Do this all the way around the cup making sure to push the dough firmly into the edges to create your fillo cup.
4. Bake the cups for about 8-9mins. They should be a little brown around the edges when finished. Take them out and let cool.
5. In the meantime dump your berry of choice(or even mix the berries up-go nuts!) in a mixing bowl(if you choose blueberries or if your berries are not ripe, you should use a blender-will make your life much easier. Be careful to not liquefy the mixture though!), smash up the berries with the back of a fork. Slowly add the Tru Whip, you'll use about 2/3rds of the container in the end. Keep mixing until all the white from the whip is gone.
6. Put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into each cup.
7. Top each cup with fresh berry or two and refrigerate for 20mins before serving.
1 package of Fillo Dough
1 container of Tru Whip (this stuff is 70% organic and not as sweet as regular Cool Whip, you can get it at Whole Foods. If you can't find it you can substitute with the regular Cool Whip brand)
berries(blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
muffin pan
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Unwrap the Fillo(generally they come in twin packs. One pack=18 tarts. You can keep the other pack in the freezer for up to a month). One twin pack has two sheets and you want to cut these into 9 rectangles(3 cuts), do the same with the other sheet.
3. Pick up a rectangle and start to peel each sheet off and form it to the muffin pan cup. Do this all the way around the cup making sure to push the dough firmly into the edges to create your fillo cup.
4. Bake the cups for about 8-9mins. They should be a little brown around the edges when finished. Take them out and let cool.
5. In the meantime dump your berry of choice(or even mix the berries up-go nuts!) in a mixing bowl(if you choose blueberries or if your berries are not ripe, you should use a blender-will make your life much easier. Be careful to not liquefy the mixture though!), smash up the berries with the back of a fork. Slowly add the Tru Whip, you'll use about 2/3rds of the container in the end. Keep mixing until all the white from the whip is gone.
6. Put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into each cup.
7. Top each cup with fresh berry or two and refrigerate for 20mins before serving.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Protein Packed Chili
You should be able to eat this for a week! There's a lot, so modify according to your needs. Vegetarians can cut the turkey or ground beef out. For the the garlic; I know we all hate to chop it up! You can cut some time and smell by buying already peeled garlic(Trader Joe's does them and there are 5-6 cloves per pack with about 5 packs in the bag), or you can buy it in the jar in the spice aisle of your super market. Just make sure you refrigerate both of these garlics, otherwise they will go bad. Also, this may seem obvious, but I made many mistakes in the beginning and I want everyone to avoid the headache, make sure you chop and dice all your ingredients prior to cooking. This saves tons of time and then the cooking part is a piece of cake, you're basically just combining.
1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef
1-2 cans of black beans(depends on how chunky you want it)
1 medium to large sized green pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves diced
28 oz can of unsalted plum tomatoes
dry chili pepper
dry cumin
dry oregano
paprika
chili sauce
cayenne (optional)
salt
masa or arrowroot(you will dilute this in a 1/4 cup of water to thicken the mixture)
1. Get a skillet or sauce pan really hot to cook the meat, once it's hot bring it down to a medium flame. Add about 2 tbsp of canola oil(you can also use Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO), but I like to use canola for high heat). Put the garlic and the onion in the pan. Saute about 2 mins.
2. Add the ground meat. If you are a vegetarian just saute the garlic and onion and set aside. Cook until the met has browned.
3. While the meat is cooking(keep an eye on it and stir frequently. If you're not a good multi-tasker just wait till the meat is cooked to go on), put the tomatoes, green peppers, and beans into a soup pot and set the burner to a medium heat.
4. When the meat is finished pour it into the pot. If you are looking to cut the fat(if you use lean meat I wouldn't really worry about it), you can drain some of the juice out of the skillet before you throw it into the soup pot(just be sure to not loose to much of the garlic and onion, we need those for flavor and texture). Stir these ingredients together in the pot.
5. Now here's where you can get creative but you've got to follow some guidelines. With the spices it's all about what you like. So you can give or take on these numbers a bit. Trow about 2 large tbsp of chili pepper, 1 tsp of both cumin and oregano, 2 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp on salt, and a decent sized squirt of chili sauce. I also like to throw in some cayenne, just a couple of dashes but you've got to be careful with cayenne and chili sauce! A little goes a long way.
6. Now you want to bring the temperature down so all these spices can come to their full flavor. Reduce the heat so that the chili can simmer for about 30 mins. If you want it a bit spicier, let it sit for another 10. Stir occasionally.
7. Add 2 tsp of masa or arrowroot to 1/4 of warm water. Dilute it in your measuring cup with a fork by mixing it around until it's a thick but still flowable mixture. Then add it to the chili.
8. Let your chili simmer for another 15mins or so, try it out. Does it need a little more spice? Add it and stir.
9. Take it off the heat and eat! It's super healthy and delicious, will fill you up and you'll have left overs. You can freeze it in containers for up to 3 months(just make sure you allow it to cool before adding it to plastic, otherwise it melts some of the plastic and we don't want that. Better yet, get some glass containers-better for you and the environment!).
YAY!
1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef
1-2 cans of black beans(depends on how chunky you want it)
1 medium to large sized green pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves diced
28 oz can of unsalted plum tomatoes
dry chili pepper
dry cumin
dry oregano
paprika
chili sauce
cayenne (optional)
salt
masa or arrowroot(you will dilute this in a 1/4 cup of water to thicken the mixture)
1. Get a skillet or sauce pan really hot to cook the meat, once it's hot bring it down to a medium flame. Add about 2 tbsp of canola oil(you can also use Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO), but I like to use canola for high heat). Put the garlic and the onion in the pan. Saute about 2 mins.
2. Add the ground meat. If you are a vegetarian just saute the garlic and onion and set aside. Cook until the met has browned.
3. While the meat is cooking(keep an eye on it and stir frequently. If you're not a good multi-tasker just wait till the meat is cooked to go on), put the tomatoes, green peppers, and beans into a soup pot and set the burner to a medium heat.
4. When the meat is finished pour it into the pot. If you are looking to cut the fat(if you use lean meat I wouldn't really worry about it), you can drain some of the juice out of the skillet before you throw it into the soup pot(just be sure to not loose to much of the garlic and onion, we need those for flavor and texture). Stir these ingredients together in the pot.
5. Now here's where you can get creative but you've got to follow some guidelines. With the spices it's all about what you like. So you can give or take on these numbers a bit. Trow about 2 large tbsp of chili pepper, 1 tsp of both cumin and oregano, 2 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp on salt, and a decent sized squirt of chili sauce. I also like to throw in some cayenne, just a couple of dashes but you've got to be careful with cayenne and chili sauce! A little goes a long way.
6. Now you want to bring the temperature down so all these spices can come to their full flavor. Reduce the heat so that the chili can simmer for about 30 mins. If you want it a bit spicier, let it sit for another 10. Stir occasionally.
7. Add 2 tsp of masa or arrowroot to 1/4 of warm water. Dilute it in your measuring cup with a fork by mixing it around until it's a thick but still flowable mixture. Then add it to the chili.
8. Let your chili simmer for another 15mins or so, try it out. Does it need a little more spice? Add it and stir.
9. Take it off the heat and eat! It's super healthy and delicious, will fill you up and you'll have left overs. You can freeze it in containers for up to 3 months(just make sure you allow it to cool before adding it to plastic, otherwise it melts some of the plastic and we don't want that. Better yet, get some glass containers-better for you and the environment!).
YAY!
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Beginning.
I moved to NYC to be an actress, but have discovered in the short time I've been here that I am much more than just another face in the crowd looking for that big break. I guess a city as fast paced and cut throat as this will do that to a person-force you to think outside the box. Last year, as I was looking for things to do between auditions; auditions are not fulfilling! You are constantly putting your work, your heart, and soul out on the line to have that casting door slammed in your face! Well, not all the time, I haven't done half bad for the few years I've been here. But until you get that big break, until you can choose to do Blood Diamond or Saving Private Ryan it can seem kinda meaningless. Meanwhile you go to acting classes to keep up your chops, by working on Tally's Folly and All My Sons so you don't go insane when they ask you to come in wearing a tube top, mini-skirt, heels and act like 20 something airhead for Jose Cuervo.
I digress. The whole point of this blog is to talk about cooking and running. The other things I do when I'm not bopping around with my can of Aqua Net.
So, I was looking for other things that interested me. Somehow, I started to get creative in the kitchen. I just started picking up random cookbooks and trying recipes out and discovered that I wasn't half bad. I took a few cooking classes at NYC's Natural Gourmet Cooking School. And then I thought I wanted to be a chef. I started to contemplate a career change. After a long meditation on this, I decided I wasn't willing to give up the dream. I had worked so hard to become an actor, not to mention the $70,000+ I spent on grad school. I could see depression coming in on me like a freight train. It hit me and rolled me over into a ditch where I spent the next two months drooling on my back with dead leaves sticking to my face(or at least that is what it felt like-I'm in drama, give me a break!).
It was then October and I kinda felt like shit. I was bartending, so at least I had a job, just not the one I wanted. My roommate received a flyer from Team in Training, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that I happened to see lying in her stack of mail on our kitchen table. I snatched it up. I could do this, couldn't I? No. Yes. No. Yes. Oh, it went on and on! I remember sitting in the kitchen with Meghan saying, "Wouldn't this be cool?" and her having this unwavering faith in me. Now let me explain something. Never, in my wildest dream did I ever really think that I would actually follow through. I have been known to be a dreamer. I think up all sorts of insane projects, and I think how cool they'd be and I talk them up and then they are gone. To never be spoken of again even though I speak of them with complete conviction. Very few come to fruition.
Maybe what helped get me there was the emotional connection(my dad and all). Or maybe it was the 10 items of running clothes my boyfriend got me for Christmas, but I did it. On May 5th I ran my first half-marathon. It was emotional and amazing. As I continue to write this blog I will share the experience of that race but what I really want to do is focus on the future.
So when I was done with this race I started to think to myself, "What next?". I am still a struggling actor and it will always be my first love and top priorities, but this running thing is awesome! I need to do something else. I got to brain storming and decided to start the blog to post recipes for runners as I train for upcoming events. I live in NYC where food is expensive, eating out is not always an option, but time is an issue too. Plus, I do a lot. There are some days I run around to 5 auditions all over the city, have to bartend at night and fit in a run, plus cook! So, the whole point here is time, money, nutrition for runners or really active people and ease of cooking(it's more difficult for some, I get that!). The goal here is to try out some stuff and let you all know about it so you can do it yourself. I hope you enjoy and check back often. I will post my Protein Packed Chili Recipe later this afternoon. Enjoy!
I digress. The whole point of this blog is to talk about cooking and running. The other things I do when I'm not bopping around with my can of Aqua Net.
So, I was looking for other things that interested me. Somehow, I started to get creative in the kitchen. I just started picking up random cookbooks and trying recipes out and discovered that I wasn't half bad. I took a few cooking classes at NYC's Natural Gourmet Cooking School. And then I thought I wanted to be a chef. I started to contemplate a career change. After a long meditation on this, I decided I wasn't willing to give up the dream. I had worked so hard to become an actor, not to mention the $70,000+ I spent on grad school. I could see depression coming in on me like a freight train. It hit me and rolled me over into a ditch where I spent the next two months drooling on my back with dead leaves sticking to my face(or at least that is what it felt like-I'm in drama, give me a break!).
It was then October and I kinda felt like shit. I was bartending, so at least I had a job, just not the one I wanted. My roommate received a flyer from Team in Training, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that I happened to see lying in her stack of mail on our kitchen table. I snatched it up. I could do this, couldn't I? No. Yes. No. Yes. Oh, it went on and on! I remember sitting in the kitchen with Meghan saying, "Wouldn't this be cool?" and her having this unwavering faith in me. Now let me explain something. Never, in my wildest dream did I ever really think that I would actually follow through. I have been known to be a dreamer. I think up all sorts of insane projects, and I think how cool they'd be and I talk them up and then they are gone. To never be spoken of again even though I speak of them with complete conviction. Very few come to fruition.
Maybe what helped get me there was the emotional connection(my dad and all). Or maybe it was the 10 items of running clothes my boyfriend got me for Christmas, but I did it. On May 5th I ran my first half-marathon. It was emotional and amazing. As I continue to write this blog I will share the experience of that race but what I really want to do is focus on the future.
So when I was done with this race I started to think to myself, "What next?". I am still a struggling actor and it will always be my first love and top priorities, but this running thing is awesome! I need to do something else. I got to brain storming and decided to start the blog to post recipes for runners as I train for upcoming events. I live in NYC where food is expensive, eating out is not always an option, but time is an issue too. Plus, I do a lot. There are some days I run around to 5 auditions all over the city, have to bartend at night and fit in a run, plus cook! So, the whole point here is time, money, nutrition for runners or really active people and ease of cooking(it's more difficult for some, I get that!). The goal here is to try out some stuff and let you all know about it so you can do it yourself. I hope you enjoy and check back often. I will post my Protein Packed Chili Recipe later this afternoon. Enjoy!
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