Super Bowl Eats

Did you have a good weekend? I did. It was busy but fun! It was a treat to “party” on Sunday night to watch the Super Bowl. While I was rooting for the Saints, I was also there to watch the commercials and of course, eat!

I love those E*TRADE commercials (“Milka..what?”) and the Careerbuilder.com one about casual Fridays was pretty funny, too. Did you notice how many Budweiser and Doritos commercials there were?

The game was a good one and it was accompanied by some delicious food – both savory and sweet! Pizza dip. Pigs in a Blanket. Veggies and dip. Cookies!

I brought Buffalo Chicken Dip to the party. It’s totally addicting. I even made it a bit healthier by using low-fat cheeses.

Lighter Buffalo Chicken Dip (serves 8 people)

Ingredients:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

¼ c. reduced fat blue cheese crumbles

¼ c. reduced fat blue cheese dressing

¼ c. hot sauce

1 can of chicken in water, drained

½ c. reduced fat mozzarella (2%)

Preparation:

1. Layer the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate with the cream cheese.
2. Top cream cheese with blue cheese crumbles.
3. Top crumbles with chicken and top with hot sauce.
4. Pour blue cheese dressing over hot sauce.
5. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the dip.
6. Bake dip for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until mozzarella is melted.
7. Enjoy with crackers or veggies.

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about dessert. I have been drooling over eyeing the recipe for Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting from Joy the Baker. These treats were sweet and delicious! You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate – two of my favorite ingredients! I especially loved the fluffy frosting. Thanks, Joy!

I really enjoyed the Super Bowl this year and like the Saints, our food was also a winner!

What was your favorite Super Bowl treat? What was your favorite commercial?

 

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken

We made it to Friday, phew! I’m so ready for the weekend. I have some Super Bowl cooking to do!

Speaking of cooking, yep, I’m actually posting a RECIPE today. It feels like it’s been weeks since I’ve posted one!

This week I made a whole chicken in my slow cooker. I know, I know, BORING chicken. But it doesn’t have to be. Do have a slow cooker (aka Crock Pot)? I love my Crock Pot, I’m just in awe of all the different recipes a Crock Pot can slow cook.

In the blog world, my favorite site for slow cooker ideas is A Year of Slow Cooking. The blogger, Stephanie, used her slow cooker EVERY DAY in 2008 and blogged about it. She still posts new recipes quite often and I enjoy reading about her adventures in slow cooking. I’m a dork.

Anyway, recipe time. This Simple Slow Cooker Chicken is really, well, simple. It’s quick to prepare and then you can set it and forget it. Now I sound like a Ronco infomercial! Does anyone actually have one of those rotisseries?  Why would you need one when you have a Crock Pot?!

What I like about this recipe is the fact that it takes 10 minutes to prepare and you can return after a full day’s work to a moist chicken waiting for you. And, a whole chicken means a lot of meat. Not to sound like a line from Forrest Gump, but think of all the things you can make with chicken. Chicken salad, chicken noodle soup, chicken broth! The list goes on and on.

This time, I bought a whole organic chicken from Whole Foods. It was 4.5 lbs. and cost $11. I know it was a bit pricey but for me, it’s worth it to buy quality, humanely raised chicken.

What I don’t like about this recipe is the fact that I had to touch the raw whole chicken. It really grosses me out but I won’t go into details. Let’s just say I wash the chicken as quickly thoroughly as possible! Hopefully I’ll get used to it over time but right now, I could do without touching the raw chicken body. Did I scare you away yet? No need to be scared, really.

For this recipe, I layered the bottom of the crock pot with chopped up carrots and celery as well as pearl onions. How I love pearl onions!  Once the chickie was bathed, I showered him/her/it with a little salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. I also added a little fresh thyme under the skin and in its…um…cavity. Oh my, I’m reliving this! Really, the results are worth it. I’m just a wimp.

Once the chicken is ready, plop it on top of the veggies. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and cook it for 7-8 hours. You will return to a lovely home cooked dinner!

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken

1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs.)

½ c. carrots, chopped

½ c. celery, chopped

10 pearl onions (mine were from a jar)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Poultry seasoning, to taste

Fresh thyme

1. Place chopped vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Remove the bag from the chicken cavity and thoroughly clean the chicken. Pat dry.
3. Sprinkle salt, pepper and poultry seasoning on chicken and in cavity.
4. Stuff a few sprigs of fresh thyme in cavity and under the skin (by cutting a slit in the skin first).
5. Put the chicken in the crock pot and cover.
6. Set the crock pot to low and cook for 7-8 hours.
7. Put chicken on a cutting board and cut accordingly.
8. Enjoy!

The night I made this chicken, I enjoyed a nice chicken dinner with Whipped Sweet Potatoes (the White House’s recipe!). Delish! You’ve gotta try this recipe.

But, with so much leftover chicken, I need to decide what else to make. Since I love sandwiches, I decided to make chicken salad for lunch the next day. In the mix:

• Shredded chicken
• Light mayo (a tablespoon or so)
• Chopped walnuts (a tablespoon or so)
• Dried cranberries (two tablespoons?)
• Black pepper (a pinch)

Mix it all up and put between two slices of bread. So tasty! There’s nothing better than moist chicken mixed with a sweet and crunchy texture of cranberries and nuts!

For the rest of the week, I’ve topped salad with chicken (a lean protein – the perfect topping to a healthy meal) and even added on a homemade pizza. The opportunities are endless. Chicken isn’t so boring after all.  

But, the big question is…what are you making for Super Bowl?

Enjoy the weekend!

 

Burlington, VT is for Foodies

Last weekend, my friend Megan and I ventured North to Burlington, VT for the weekend. It was a bit of a random trip and just happened to fall on the coldest weekend of the winter so far. The cold didn’t bother us too much since we were to busy eating, drinking, shopping and visiting a spa. Oh yeah, and meeting firefighters too. Not a bad weekend.

Burlington is known for a few famous things: Ben and Jerry’s, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Magic Hat beer and the University of Vermont. It’s a laid back, clean, fun college town right on Lake Champlain.

The foodie in me was sure to take as many photos of my meals as possible – and I only got a few funny looks!

When we arriving late Friday night, we checked into our hotel (which happened to have a view of the lake!) before leaving again to get a bite to eat. Right up the street was the Vermont Pub & Brewery. I’d read some good reviews online so I was excited to check it out. The place was less exciting than I pictured but you can’t judge a book by its cover, right? Well maybe you can.

The food was just average but the beer was decent. I had read that the sweet potato fries were amazing but they just didn’t do it for me – especially since they were served only lukewarm (ick!). Unfortunately, my sandwich wasn’t anything to write home about either. Being the oldest craft brewery in Vermont, I expected the beer to be good and it was, albeit unique. I tend to like fruity beers so I ordered the Forbidden Fruit. It was pretty tasty but not very beer-like. While I liked the flavor, it reminded me more of raspberry iced tea than beer.

The service was just average as well. Our waitress was not very friendly and made us feel rushed. We were hungry and tired so I guess being rushed wasn’t completely a bad thing. Overall, the Vermont Pub & Brewery was just an okay experience for us. Luckily, that was our last average meal of the weekend.  

On Saturday, it was 8 degrees (gasp!) when we stepped outside. While I was born and raised in New England, I’m not really a fan of winter or cold weather (what the heck was I doing in Vermont in January?). My parents warned me but Megan and I made the best of it. Surprisingly, the cold really didn’t bother us much.

After a light breakfast and a little shopping, we headed to the Magic Hat Brewery (more beer!) in South Burlington. I love love love Magic Hat #9 but hadn’t liked the other Magic Hat beers I’d tried in the past. My time at the brewery changed that. We met up with my friend Amanda and her boyfriend who live in the area to go on the brewery tour. It wasn’t much of a tour but our tour guide was energetic and we learned a little about the history of the brewery and craft beer in general. Magic Hat is currently available in 36 states and its #9 beer results in 50-60% of its revenue. See, I was listening. I knew I liked #9 for a reason!

During the tour, we were given one beer sample and after the tour, we visited the bar on site where visitors can have as many (2 ounce) samples as they want. For free! The tour was completely free too. We tasted a few beers over the next hour and chatted about Burlington and where we should eat that night. I’m always thinking about my next meal!

Magic Hat’s bar is in their company store, which was fittingly dark and designed with funky décor and florescent lights. I kind of felt like I was hanging out in Spencer Gifts for a minute! In addition to #9, I tasted (and liked!) Magic Hat’s Vinyl, Spring Odd Notion, and Single Chair brews. Magic Hat also offers these cool half gallon growlers of freshly brewed beer so I was sure to bring one home with me!

After leaving Magic Hat, we said goodbye to Amanda and Andrew and  went back to Burlington. We decided to grab an afternoon snack at Luenig’s Bistro. It’s a French restaurant is located on the corner of College and Church Street in downtown Burlington. We hadn’t had lunch so we shared a cheese and fruit plate to hold us over until dinner. We enjoyed aged cheddar cheese from Grafton Village, a local cheese company and it was delicious! One of the best cheeses I’ve ever had.

After a little more shopping and a trip to a spa, we went to dinner at the American Flatbread Company. The restaurant was packed with people but we were lucky to get a seat at the bar where we were able to enjoy artisan flatbread and hand-crafted beer. The menu is simple, offering one salad and a variety of flatbread pizzas. I was lacking veggies for the day so I had a salad first then Meg and I split a pizza. We ordered one flatbread – half cheese and herb, half new Vermont sausage (nitrate-free maple and fennel sausage with sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, mushrooms, cheeses and herbs). The pizza was fresh and full of flavor!

During dinner, I enjoyed one of their specialty beers, Farmhouse Ale – which was Belgian style and organic. Sitting at the bar was highly entertaining. The bartender was friendly and the people around us were fun as well. We talked to a couple who lived in the area, a girl from Boston who just graduated college and was looking to move out West and some local firefighters, too. They all had suggestions of where we should eat and what we should do while in town. With all the attention, I started to wonder if we looked out of place!?

Our day of food and beer didn’t stop us from enjoying a big breakfast before our departure on Sunday. I’d read about Magnolia Bistro online and our new friends mentioned it too. It was right up the street from our hotel so we stopped on our way out of town. Luckily, we were seated right away – that never happens on a Sunday morning in Boston!

Magnolia Bistro is a unique eatery that fits well into the Burlington culture. While it offers fairly traditional breakfast items, each offering has a little twist. Magnolia uses local and organic ingredients whenever possible and is a certified green restaurant. Very Burlington.

Meg and I were eyeing the fresh banana bread on the menu (I love when restaurants list appetizers for breakfast!) so we ordered that to start. The banana bread was warm and moist, served with cranberry cream cheese. Delish! For my meal, I ordered oatmeal pancakes with apples and bananas which were full of texture and also very tasty (somewhat healthy too!). Other unique offerings include lemon ricotta pancakes, banana bread French toast, and a North Carolina omelet (with bbq pulled pork and Vermont cheddar).

With our bellies full, we left Burlington on our three hour drive back home. I’m looking forward to going back in the summer time when we’re able to spend more time outside and explore a bit more. Burlington is definitely a great getaway for foodies!

 

Side dishin’: How do you push yourself during workouts?

I have a few food posts coming later this week but I forgot my camera cord at work and I’ve been working from home. Food posts to come, I promise. For now though, I want to talk about running.

Last week, I posted my thoughts on interval workouts to fight boredom on the treadmill. I really like interval workouts because I’m able to push myself in small bursts. However, I don’t always do interval workouts. Today, for example, I ran 3 miles at 6.0 mph – which is a 10 minute mile. I wanted to pace myself and see how far I could go. By mile 3, I was sweaty…but bored. I finished my workout with 10 minutes of walking uphill. It was a decent workout, yes, but I really need learn to push myself and actually like running.

I recently read an article in Runner’s World about Apolo Ohno, the Olympic speed skater. As part of his training when he was younger, he would jog with his teammates (and often skip part of the workout to eat pizza with a friend then join his teammates again at the end of the run). He hated running. That was until he was alone for a week in the wilderness, contemplating his future as an athlete. He ran a lot during that time and, even in the harsh conditions, learned to love it. Today, he runs nearly every day and even envisions himself skating while he’s running.

I find that some days, running is easier than others. Sometimes my workout is over before I know it and other times, my legs feel like lead and I really need to push myself to finish. Sometimes, I’m just plain bored. I don’t have a running mantra but maybe I should. Normally, when I want to stop, I ask myself how I feel from 1 to 10. Usually, when I’m just bored, I’m not that tired or in pain so I’m at a 5. That keeps me going. Temporarily. But, I want to really enjoy my runs.

My questions to you:

How do you push yourself to finish your workouts? 

Do you have a mantra?

What keeps you going?

 

CEiMB: Emerald Stir Fry with Beef

Another Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe! This week it was Alyssa’s (from Alyssa’s Two Bites) pick and she chose Ellie’s Emerald Stir Fry with Beef  recipe, which is in the newest cookbook, So Easy.

I love stir fry recipes because they are so easy, healthy and versatile. You can use a variety of proteins – from beef to chicken to shrimp plus the choice of vegetables and sauces are endless. And, you don’t really need a recipe.

But, for this recipe, I bought grass fed beef from Whole Foods (a bit more expensive but worth it for taste and quality). I also gathered the vegetables for this recipe from Whole Foods produce department. The one I go to in Cambridge (Fresh Pond), now has what I like to call a stir fry bar where you can package your own prepared veggies. This is in addition to a large salad bar on the other side of the store. When I was there, they had a variety of chopped mushrooms, bok choy, broccoli and green beans. I’m not a huge fan of asparagus (which this recipe calls for) so I got a variety of other veggies for my stir fry. I also picked up some frozen edamame – as the recipe suggests. I’m not sure I would have thought to add edamame in a stir fry dish but it was a welcome addition!

The preparation was pretty quick and painless. I had the rice going in one pot as I cooked the beef and vegetables. Dinner was ready in no time and the results were great! The flavor of the sauce was light and not too salty. I think the freshness of the beef and vegetables really made a difference and paired with brown rice, it was the perfect weeknight meal. On a side note, I halved the recipe which still allowed for some leftovers (which were just as good the next day).

 

Peach French Toast Bake

Having more than cereal or toast for breakfast is rare for me. During the week, I’m always eating breakfast just before running out the door. On the weekends, breakfast is sometimes more leisurely, especially when it includes a visit to a diner or other local restaurant in Somerville. Kelly’s Diner is one of my favorite places with Sound Bites and the Neighborhood Restaurant rounding out my top three.

This past weekend, however, I made Ellie Krieger’s Peach French Toast Bake at home. I didn’t have a chance to participate in Craving Ellie in My Belly last week but still cooked one of Ellie’s recipes from her cookbook, The Food You Crave. So far, all of the recipes I’ve tried have been winners – including this one. 

Not only did this dish taste great, it was extremely easy to prepare. The recipe suggests you prepare the French toast the night before, allowing it to sit chilled over night. Sunday morning, I just pulled my dish from the fridge and popped it in the oven. In about 35 minutes, I had a hearty (but healthy) breakfast.

I halved the recipe and followed the exact instructions otherwise. The French toast came out great in my opinion but I did find that one side of the “toast” was cooked a bit more than the other side. I didn’t mind, but if you prefer a more evenly baked French toast, I would suggest turning the bread over about 15-20 minutes into the baking process. That would be sure to brown all sides. Once out of the oven, I immediately added a little maple syrup and breakfast was served. Delish!

I am looking forward to trying this dish again and again. The combinations of bread and fruit are endless. I’m thinking of trying cinnamon raisin bread topped with apples. I bet it would be amazing!

What’s your favorite kind of French toast?

 

Side dishin’: Surviving gym boredom with interval workouts

This post is a little off topic – it’s not food related for once. I actually haven’t done much cooking this week due to my work load but have been able to fit in a good amount of exercise (since I workout in the morning).  One of my goals for 2010 was to learn to like exercise as much as I like food. Quite the feat, I know.

I have always exercised on and off but never really enjoyed it or pushed myself. Most of the time I would have a good week with exercise then I would slack off a little the next week. Luckily, 2010 is off to a pretty good start and I’ve been able to get myself to the gym 4-5 times a week. I’ve realized that the reason I didn’t love working out was because I would normally get bored, causing me to not make exercise a priority. I been trying to mix things up with a variety of classes and cardio machines and so far, no boredom. One of the things that has helped me is interval workouts.

There has been a lot of talk in the blog world about intervals lately. Intervals are when you workout at different speeds and intensity during your workout. This can be applied to walking, running, spinning, even the elliptical. Not that intervals are a new phenomenon or anything, but the technique gets a lot of attention due its benefits. Doing interval workouts have been known to increase endurance, improve cardiovascular fitness and burn fat faster. All good things! But, my favorite benefit is that interval workouts prevent boredom. Hooray!

This morning I did a interval workout on the treadmill and the time flew by. I think it’s because I was focused on getting through the current interval (of 1-3 minutes) rather than saying “33 minutes to go? Ugh” like I used to do. I have been known to use the most distractions possible when working out. I’m normally the girl with the magazine in hand, headphones on and TV in front of me…all attempts to beat boredom. This morning, I only used my iPod, which was a nice change.

Here is my interval workout from today. I really enjoyed it and hope I can keep the excitement going. Don’t worry, my next post will be food-related.

Friday’s Treadmill Interval Workout

00:00 – 05:00 @ 4.0 mph (walking)

05:00 – 08:00 @ 6.0 mph (running)

08:00 – 10:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

10:00 – 12:00 @ 6.4 mph (running)

12:00 – 14:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

14:00 – 16:00 @ 6.0 mph (running)

16:00 – 18:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

18:00 – 20:00 @ 6.4 mph (running)

20:00 – 22:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

22:00 – 25:00 @ 6.0 mph (running)

25:00 – 30:00 @ 4.0 mph (walking)

30:00 – 32:00 @ 6.0 mph (running)

32:00 – 34:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

34:00 – 35:00 @ 6.4 mph (running)

35:00 – 36:00 @ 6.6 mph (running)

36:00 – 37:00 @ 6.4 mph (running)

37:00 – 39:00 @ 6.2 mph (running)

39:00 – 40:00 @ 6.0 mph (running)

40:00 – 45:00 @ 4.0 mph (walking)

45:00 – 48:00 @ cooldown

Total mileage: 4.25 miles (3 miles running; 1.5 miles walking)

Total time: 48 minutes

Do you like interval workouts? Share your favorites!

 

Cooking Light’s Cream Cheese Brownies

What to have for dessert? The big dilemma. Chocolate? Cheesecake? You can actually have both…without the guilt. Over the weekend, I made Cream Cheese Brownies from one of my Cooking Light cookbooks.  

A chocolate brownie with a layer of cheesecake? I’m in. The recipe is pretty straighforward and simple, full of easy-to-find ingredients. The best part? One brownie is only 130 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Now I have to admit that I love a good brownie, that means it has to meet two criteria. It must be fudgy and moist. If it’s not super chocolately and dense, it falls into the cake category in my book. This recipe was more of a cake brownie than a brownie brownie…if you know what I mean. Flavorful? Yes. And, chocolatey. Plus, the cheesecake topping is oh so creamy. But, the brownie itself was fluffier than what I was consider to be ideal.

None the less, this dessert turned out sweet and decadent and I look forward to making them again.

 

First CEiMB recipe: Arugula, Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza

I recently joined the Craving Ellie in My Belly (CEiMB) online cooking club. The group cooks their way through Ellie Krieger’s two cookbooks, The Food You Crave and So Easy – both which I now own.

In addition to be a cookbook author, Ellie hosts a show on the Food Network, “Healthy Appetite” which focuses on delicious and nutritious meals. In joining the online group, you’ll see me posting the weekly recipe each Thursday (unless I choose not to participate that week). Most of the upcoming recipes look awesome but there are a few that will come along that I know I won’t be interested in. I hope you enjoy my CEiMB post this week and every Thursday!

Ready for this week’s recipe? It was a good one! Arugula, Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza. Oh yeah, pizza for my first week. I’m a big fan of all of the ingredients for this recipe but never made a pizza on a whole wheat tortilla. In fact, I normally only order pizzas with red sauce so this was a great opportunity for me to branch out.

I thought the tortilla may be bland but my pizza turned out crispy and full of flavor. I didn’t miss the red sauce at all! If you like thin crust pizza, then this recipe is for you. The sweetness of the onion blended well with the arugula and cheese. The meal is definitely on the lighter side but I had it for dinner and was satisfied. I’m glad Ellie opened my eyes to tortilla pizzas and I’m looking forward to getting creative with all toppings that could work. 

 

 

Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge

As much as I have my favorite restaurants, I am always up for trying somewhere new. Last Friday night, my friend Holly and I went out to dinner at Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge. 

Garden at the Cellar is located on Mass Ave in Cambridge, between Central and Harvard Square. The restaurant’s vision is to provide “local, sustainable, fresh and seasonal food, cuisine and ingredients.” Definitely my kind of place !

Upon arriving, the restaurant looked busy but not packed. Little did we know, the bar was downstairs and that’s where parties waiting for a table were hiding. After giving the hostess my name, we headed downstairs to get drink. The bar was very basic with just one (very friendly!) bartender. Within a few minutes we had a seat at the bar and about an hour later our table was ready. The hour actually flew by even though we were hungry! Even though Holly and I have known each other since 7th grade, we can always find something to talk about!

The restaurant is small but adorable, with about 10-12 tables in total. There is also a small bar upstairs that allowed for some people watching during our meal. Garden at the Cellar’s dinner menu is  divided into small plates, charcuterie, appetizers, soups, salads, grilled flatbreads and entrees. While the offerings are somewhat unique, there is something for everyone’s appetite.

Holly and I decided to order Bacon Wrapped Dates ($6) off the small plates list to start. The dates were served on a bed of curried apple hash and the bacon/date combination of salty and sweet was apparent. I love bacon so I knew this dish would be tasty.  

Because I’d read so much about the rosemary-truffle fries, I decided to order the Hanger Steak ($25) for dinner which came with the infamous fries. The steak was served over spinach and parsnip puree which may not sound too appetizing but it was delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly and the fries were pretty awesome. I wouldn’t say they are the best fries I’ve ever had but they were thin and full of flavor, just the way I like them. My only complaint is that I couldn’t finish my meal. See, I’m learning portion control.

Holly decided on the Hand Rolled Potato Gnocchi ($17) for her meal. The gnocchi was mixed with squash, sage, tomato-lemon confit and Parmesan cheese and the portion size was perfect. She was happy with her meal.

I noticed on the menu that Garden at the Cellar offers a dish which includes four sides for $17. I really enjoyed the sides that complemented my meal so I may consider ordering that plate next time.

Garden at the Cellar doesn’t offer dessert (as a way to turn tables quicker, I believe) but we were pretty stuffed anyway, so that wasn’t a problem. Check out Garden at the Cellar if you’re in the area. We were satisfied with our delicious meals and attentive service and I’m sure you will be too.