Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints

It's come to be that time of year once again where this otherwise healthy-eating dietitian buckles down and bakes cookies for two solid weekends- that's right- CHRISTMAS TIME!!! Now in my typical life I'm not the biggest cookie fan, so luckily there's no temptation in baking 13 dozen cookies, and having them cool on counters in plain sight.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
Something crazy happened this year- I found a cookie that I fell in food-love with. Every year I try a new recipe (and by "try a new recipe" I actually mean "find a recipe, decide it needs more of xyz, less of yadayadayada, and rewrite most of it to my own taste and cooking specifications") and Christmas 2009 was no different. I decided I would make Classic Sugar cookies with Super Shiny Icing, Oatmeal Craisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (a special Oatmeal Craisin Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip batch for a certain boyfriend's roommate), and a blast from my past- Mom's Thumbprint cookies. I emailed my mom for the ever-popular recipe, read it over, and realized this recipe definitely needed a baker's touch (AKA my opinions).

Changes I Made:

1. 1 tsp Vanilla? Heck no. Vanilla is for suckers. I swapped it for 1/4 tsp of Almond Extract
2. Mom used apricot and seeded raspberry preserves... not a fan of apricot, and I HATE raspberry seeds- Seedless Raspberry won
3. I am scared of germs. Thumbs are dirty (especially thumb nails). You may think "I've cleaned my hands SO well!" WRONG. I've seen the poster in the hospital bathroom. The thumb is ALWAYS dirtiest. With this in mind, I use my 2 tsp cookie scoop to measure the dough out, and a 1/4tsp measuring spoon to make my "thumbprints." No thumb germs in MY cookies!
4. Ingredient order - changes can be seen in the recipe below.
5. The name! Thumbprint Cookies just sounds boring. "Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints" ... well, my mouth is watering


Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints

1 c. Butter, softened
3 oz Cream Cheese
1 c. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1 Egg Yolk
Some Cinnamon (honestly, who measures cinnamon??)
2-1/2 c. Flour
Seedless Raspberry Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar.
3. Add Almond Extract, Egg Yolk, and Cinnamon, mixing well.
4. Slowly incorporate the flour into the dough (I do 1/2 c. at a time)
5. Scoop out 2 tsp of dough and place on cookie sheet (repeat until cookie sheet is full **NOTE: the cookies don't spread much when they're being cooked, so feel free to put a bunch on a cookie sheet**)
6. Using a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon, make an indentation in the top, center of each ball of dough
7. Using another 1/4 tsp measuring spoon, scoop out a little raspberry jam and place it in the indentation.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes then let cool on a cooling rack
9. Try not to eat all 5 dozen. Good luck.


Luckily, I was making cookies for family members and friends, so as soon as they were cool I was able to place them in tins far out of my reach (except for the 6 cookies I ACCIDENTALLY left on the counter. Total accident.) These may be my new favorite Christmas cookie, and will definitely be added to the Christmas Cookie Repertoire.

And now for the Registered Dietitian's Holiday Message: "This season, enjoy your family, friends, and food, but all in moderation."

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,
Lorilyn

Veggie Egg Scramble

Has it been a month already??? Well it appears that my previous post claiming that post-job-starting I would still have so much time was a liiiiiiiittle preemptive. No time like the present to JUMP back into posts and share with you some of the things I've been whipping up in the past month.

In my opinion, eggs are like the LBD (Little Black Dress) of the protein world. Every girl has at least one (or 5) LBD's hanging in the back of her closet, and when it doubt for dress code to a gathering, the LBD can be classically worn with confidence. It's a wardrobe staple. The same could be said for eggs. They're the definition of a food product staple, and when it doubt, make something elegantly simple with eggs.

6 Reasons I am Pro-Egg

1. Nutritious: a great source of protein (6g per egg!), and less than 100 calories (78 to be exact) for 1 large egg
2. Delicious: well they're just yummy
3. Versatile: quiche, omelets, custard, frittata, hard boiled, meringue, need I say more?
4. Cheap: depending on where you live eggs may vary in price, but regardless, you should be able to feed a family of four for less than $2.00
5. Dietary Restrictions Conscious: Have high cholesterol/watching your weight/a family history of heart disease?? Eat just the egg white!
6. FAST: Hungry now? In five minutes you could be eating a filling meal and I'll show you how!


Super Fast Veggie Egg Scramble

1/2 bag Frozen Veggies of your choice (I like to use the ones that have peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, & pea-pods)
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1-2 Tbsp Shredded Cheese (I like cheddar/jack)
Spices of your choosing (cumin, red pepper, black pepper, italian seasoning, old bay, anything!)


Heat a frying pan, and spray some Pam on the bottom. Microwave the veggies you'll be using for a minute or two so they're room temperature-ish. In a mixing bowl combine the egg, the egg whites, the shredded cheese, and the spices. Toss the veggies in the frying pan, and evenly cover with the egg mixture. Scramble to your liking!

If anything, eggs (especially in this very basic recipe) are so versatile. So next time you're not sure what to have for dinner, take out the LBD of the kitchen and accessorize with veggies, cheeses, or anything else you have lying around for a nutritious, yummy meal to remember!

Easy Beef Stroganoff

After some flu, an extended trip back home, and a busy, but great weekend I am finally back in Maryland and ready to cook! This weekend I was given a great CrockPot cookbook from my boyfriend's awesome mom. I then thought it would be a wonderful idea to attempt to read all 500 pages on Sunday night. Well before I fell asleep in the pages, I happened to stumble upon a recipe (complete with photo) of Beef Stroganoff that looked beyond yummy. [I'll admit that I was also tempted by the lack of crazy, weird ingredients- just 5 normal, average ingredients!] So yesterday I headed off to the grocery store to purchase what I needed, only to come home and realize that the stroganoff required 8-12 hours to cook (ohhhh the downfall of reading and choosing recipes at 1 am). Since I had no desire to enjoy Beef Stroganoff at 3 am, I prepped the beef and set an alarm for this morning to finish the preparations. After continuing to read the CrockPot cookbook I stumbled across no less than three Beef Stroganoff, cleverly disguised with names such as "Autumn Delight," "One-Pot Beef Supper," etc. I decided to combine the recipes together to create my own recipe, "Easy Beef Stroganoff" and I've made some adjustments based on how mine came out.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

3 pounds Beef, cut into stew sized pieces
1 cup Sour Cream
1 envelope dry Onion Soup Mix
10 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used two, but I feel like there was WAY too much gravy)
1/2 cup White Wine

Throw it all together in the CrockPot (except the mushrooms) so it's all evenly coated, then top with the mushrooms. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours. Serve over noodles, whole wheat pasta, or brown rice.

**OPTIONAL** - The night before I cooked the stroganoff, I put all of the beef cubes in a gallon sized ziplock bag and evenly coated it with flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley to flavor as well as tenderize the beef.

I served the stroganoff steaming hot with al dente whole wheat rotini- YUM!! The beef literally fell apart in my mouth, and the rich gravy had a great onion/mushroom flavor. The only problem I had was that the stroganoff cooked itself to the side of the CrockPot, which I didn't even think was possible. I know now that it is very possible, as evidenced by the soaking CrockPot in the sink. (This is the reason I now recommend cooking for 8 hours- NOT 12 hours - as long as the beef is cooked, of course.) This is definitely an easy meal to throw together, and perfect for a chilly fall evening. Without a doubt I'll be making Easy Beef Stroganoff again!

Dietetically Yours,
Lorilyn

I HAVE A JOB!

OK, this has nothing to do with cooking, but everything to do with dietetics... I GOT THE PERFECT JOB TODAY as a Pediatric Dietitian!! I know what you may be thinking:

"How will she continue her awesome blog posts now that she'll be so busy?!"

Well no worries. A girl still has to eat, and a girl in dietetics eats healthily! (Also, I can type quickly when need be.) So fear not- new posts will resume and continue once I return from New York later this week. Stay tuned for a great sauce recipe, which will then be used for Grilled Chicken Parm (special requested by a very special person!)

Love,
Lorilyn

Aunt Jane's Spinach Quiche

One of my favorite foods in the whole wide world would have to be spinach. Hailed as a superfood in the nutrition world, spinach is both delicious and versatile. Growing up, my mom made a great crustless spinach quiche, the BEST spinach salad, and very yummy spinach baked ziti. Fresh, cooked, baked in casserole- it was all good to me! Well a few days ago I had a craving for homemade spinach quiche (and a craving to get rid of all of the cheese and milk in my fridge) so I gave my mom a call for her classic recipe. She had just come back from visiting her best friend in Nebraska, and informed me that I just HAD to try her recipe... so I did!! Mom was right- this quiche was amazing- and my fridge is much lighter in the dairy department.

Aunt Jane's Spinach Quiche

1 medium Red Onion, chopped small
3 cloves Garlic, chopped (or minced, it's a personal choice every cook must make.)
2 whole eggs & 2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups Half&Half or milk (I used up the rest of the Half&Half in the fridge, then 1% milk to make 1 1/2 cups)
10oz box Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. Other cheese (I use the rest of the mozzarella and asiago- YUM), shredded
1 Tbsp. REAL Bacon Bits
Nutmeg
Chili Powder
**1 Pillsbury Pie Crust** (this is optional- you can certainly make this a crustless quiche by eliminating the pie crust. I happened to have an extra one, and figured this would be a great way to use it up!)

1. Prepare pie crust as instructed on the box
2. Preheat over to 450 degrees
3. Spray frying pan with Pan and saute chopped onion and garlic on med-low heat
4. In a mixing bowl, combine EVERYTHING and stir (I allowed the spinach and the sauteed garlic & onion to come to room temperature before I added it to the mixing bowl to prevent premature cooking of the egg).
5. Add mixture to prepared pie crust, and place in the oven
6. IMMEDIATELY turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees, and cook for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let it set for a few minutes before cutting into it.



Things I Learned:
1. This quiche is GORGEOUS (well, for a baked item... the picture doesn't do it justice) The deep green of the spinach, the bright purple from the onion, and the rich orange from the cheddar make this quiche as aesthetically pleasing as it is yummy. I'll probably make it again when I need to impress someone.
2. Quiche is a great way to eliminate extra, accumulated dairy products
3. This quiche could definitely be made healthier with no crust, 1% milk, low fat cheeses, 1 egg and 4 egg whites, and more veggies instead of bacon
4. I need a pie cutter and server. Using a large spatula results in a big, messy quiche-y disaster all over the kitchen counters and an awkward looking slice of quiche.

Dietetically Yours,
Lorilyn

November Already?? - Pear Gorgonzola Salad

It seriously seems as though October just arrived, and now suddenly November is in full swing. I had a wonderful weekend with two of my best friends this past weekend. Saturday became our day of food- first an elegant tea/brunch followed by a day of cooking! If only I had a few moments to share some of the amazing recipes of what we made, including:

-Pear-Gorgonzola Salad
-Baked Goat Cheese & Cranberries on Ciabatta
-Asiago-Scallion Whole Wheat Scones
-Elyse's Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (my first real time eating Mac n Cheese!)
-Ashley's Apple Tart
-Slow Cooked Spiced Apple Cider

Unfortunately, this wasn't the healthiest meal in the world (well hello, saturated fats!), but it sure was delicious! Until I can figure out how to put up the great pictures we took, you can take my word that it looked (and tasted!) amazing.
Probably the easiest 'recipe' of the evening was my Pear-Gorgonzola Salad. It had a crunch and sweetness from the asian pears that complemented the tangy, creamy gorgonzola. If I had been thinking, I would have added some walnuts for their heart-protective monounsaturated fats (and yummy-ness).

Pear-Gorgonzola Salad

2 bags Romaine Lettuce (I enjoy romaine's crunch, but the darker the leaves, the more phytonutrients & vitamins!)
2 small Asian Pears, chopped
1/2 c. Walnuts
1/4 c. Gorgonzola, crumbled
5 oz Champagne Vinaigrette

This is why I love salads- the instructions usually are as follows: "Mix ingredients together, and enjoy." So easy, and this salad is no different. Hopefully in the next few days I'll collect the other recipes (and beg that they be removed from "secret recipe" status) so that I can share them soon!

Dietetically Yours,
Lorilyn

Whole Wheat Red Pepper Topped Pizza

Pizza is great. Even to begin with, it has its nutritional value- veggie vitamins from the sauce, some calcium from the cheese. So why not pump it up? This was my thought as I wandered the aisles of Trader Joe's and ran across their pizza dough ($0.99 for a pound of fresh dough!). They had a white flour dough, a whole wheat dough, and an herbed pesto style dough - they all looked great. My line of thinking: I'll make homemade pizza when Kyle and John come to visit! Then I thought, "well I want whole wheat, but they'll probably want white flour dough." Clearly the answer was to get both. (And I never made either of them during the boys visit.) Instead, this week pretty much became pizza week, and today was the day to use the whole wheat dough.


Whole Wheat Red Pepper Topped Pizza

1 lbs. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (take out of fridge 20 min before using)
1/3 jar Trader Joe's Fat-Free Pizza Sauce
1 1/2 c. Part Skim Mozzarella
1 Red Pepper, sliced into rings
Flour

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees, spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray
2. Sprinkle dough liberally with flour, and use your hands to work it into the dough. Stretch the dough to the size/shape/depth you would like and (This may take a little while) place dough on cookie sheet.
3. Use a basting brush to evenly spread the pizza sauce on the crust
4. Top with cheese and red pepper slices.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes



So here's what we thought (we = me and my roommate/culinary guinea pig, Meg)
- The dough didn't crisp up like the white flour dough did, but provided a unique, chewy texture
- There was definitely the nutty, flavorful taste that comes with true whole wheat products, and it was slightly overwhelming

Overall a great success. In the future, I would pair the intenseness of the whole wheat dough with stronger flavors (ie. pesto, parmesan cheese instead of pizza sauce and mozzarella) or add WAY more veggie toppings. Dividing the pizza into 6 servings provided a whopping 5.5g of fiber per serving and Penny Wise only cost $0.78 per serving!

Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn

Penny Wise- Beer Beef Stew

I forgot to mention one of the best parts: If you divide the Beer Beef Stew into 8 (very large!) portions, it costs only $1.92 per serving! Inexpensive, filling, and full of veggies and vitamins- how can you go wrong?? Did I mention it's firefighter approved? :)

Beer Beef Stew

A few weeks ago I was given the gift of a Crock Pot. Talk about saving time... you literally just throw everything into the pot and let it cook for hours. In the end you're rewarded for doing almost nothing by tender meats, perfectly cooked veggies, and delicious smells that fill my apartment. Since I received said Crock Pot from my boyfriend's awesome parents, my boyfriend has been requesting beef stew. Since I'm not really a fan of stew, I had no recipe on hand to use, and resorted to google-ing and asking my Mom. In the end, I combined a bunch of recipes to create my own. It was flavorful, hearty, and most importantly- used that random bottle of Yuengling I've had in my fridge...

Beer Beef Stew

1.5 pounds Trimmed Beef (hormone-free from Trader Joes!)
2 med Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. Butter or SmartBalance Light
5 stalks Celery, chopped
4 large Carrots, sliced into thick coins
10 oz Baby [porta]Bella Mushrooms, sliced (pre-sliced at Trader Joes, same price as white mushrooms, but a muuuch better flavor)
12 oz Yuengling beer
28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
1 pound Mini Potatoes, chopped in half (chopped is John's order to increase the flavor profile )
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Bay leaf
Flour, seasonings to taste

1. Melt Butter or SmartBalance Light in the Crock Pot on high, add chopped onions when melted, and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Season beef and lightly toss in flour. Sear the meat in a frying pan over the stove- it shouldn't cook it- it should just give it some color.
3. When onions are softened, add seared meat and EVERYTHING else into the crockpot then cook it on high for 6 hours.

**With an hour remaining, the stew can be thickened by adding an equal mix of flour added to COLD water- make sure to get out alll the lumps before adding to the stew**


The stew gets better when it can sit in the fridge overnight. Remember to season it, because if you completely forget to season the stew, then give it to your boyfriend unseasoned, he may or may not make fun of you for a few days ;)

Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn

The Five Food Philosophies

Welcome! I am so excited to share some of my favorite recipes and cooking experiences. To begin, I think it would be wise of me to share a few of my food philosophies:


1. Whole foods are the best foods! (ie. eat the orange instead of drinking the juice)

2. Eat at home or bring your own food whenever possible

3. Healthy food can be inexpensive

4. Healthy food can be delicious

5. Maintaining a healthy diet can improve your life and prevent disease


Personally, I'm not a fan of wasting food. As my lovely roommate can attest, the fridge always has food but the amounts greatly vary from week to week. I've never had an issue eating leftovers, so usually when I make large meals I'll eat them for days at a time, until it's all been consumed (hence why some weeks may have fewer posts than others!). I welcome all questions, comments, and suggestions, so don't be a stranger!


Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn