Exhausted

Hey everyone~

I had a great but exhausting weekend! It started with a few of these during happy hour on Friday with friends.
And ended with some homemade lentil soup tonight. After the below freezing temperatures this weekend, warm soup was all I was craving!
For tonight's bowl I added spinach which wilted from the warm broth. I divided the rest for meals later in the week and also froze a few servings.

Backing up a bit, after happy hour on Friday I ended up going to dinner with a few classmates at Chinese Mirch in Murray Hill. We ordered family style so I tried a bit of everything, well, all the vegetarian plates, which turned out to be most everything!

For starters we ordered crispy okra:

And Momo's (tibetan dumpling):
For entrees there was a lamb dish, I believe it was the szechuan:Zeeshan eyeing the szechuan vegetable fried rice:

Vegetable ball manchurian:Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce:
Everything was delicious and spicy, but a good spice, perfect food to warm you in the cold!

Saturday I volunteered with Don't Walk By, a campaign by the Rescue Alliance to give homeless men, women, and children an alternative to living on the streets. After walking in the streets for several hours we were able to convince one man to come back to a local church for a warm meal, the option for shelter that evening and a long term program to help get him off the street.

The experience was very humbling and physically exhausting. My fingers and feet were freezing after just 4 hours in the cold, I can't imagine what it would be like to spend the night in this weather.

I was beyond tired this morning despite sleeping for 8 hours, I'm sure it was the freezing temps and winds. As a result I took it pretty easy today, as in no work out.

I did meet up with a friend for brunch at Josie's East. I've never been to the east location for brunch and although I prefer West overall, I thought I would try East's once more. After today's meal I still prefer Josie's West and would opt for other organic/vegetarian options that are on the east side.

Ryan ordered the veggie omelette:

I ordered the Vegan "Denver Style" scramble, which included a tofu veggie scramble, tempeh, roasted veggies, and an english muffin. Tempeh is really growing on me and I thoroughly enjoyed it with my breakfast, however, I wasn't a fan of the tofu scramble. I ended up eating the veggies from the scramble but left most of the actual tofu. Thankfully the veggies were there, but a good scramble should be able to stand on its own.

I'm off to bed, not only am I ridiculously sleepy but I need to get to lab early!

Nicole

Battle of the Brothers

Hi guys! Nicole and I had a game night with some of our friends at my new, incredibly small studio last weekend. We didn't get through too many games, but managed to make it through quite a few bottles of wine. One of the wine highlights, provided by yours truly, was a Chardonnay comparison between Robert Mondavi and his brother Peter's winery (Charles Krug winery). Robert Mondavi has a special place in my heart since he was a huge supporter of UC Davis...plus, I've been reading his book, Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business...just because I'd like to figure out how to turn the good life into great business. Hmmm...I suppose that's a topic for another day. Anyways...

Both Robert's and Peter's wineries are located in Napa Valley. The two used to work together at Charles Krug, but Robert had a different vision for American wine and wanted to change winemaking at Charles Krug to reflect his ideas. Since Peter wasn't on board with this plan, Robert ended up starting up his own winery. When I went to buy wine for the party, both wines were sitting side-by-side and I knew it'd be fun to compare the two wineries side-by-side. At $19 a bottle, these wines fall into a higher price grade than your standard house white, but in my opinion, didn't taste any better than a dirt-cheap Chardonnay.

Charles Krug (Peter) vs. Robert Mondavi

The cover of Harvests of Joy

Robert vs. Peter

My apartment! I love it!

Amanda

Good Eats

Hey all~

It's been such a busy but relaxing Sunday full of great company and conversation. I met up with a friend for lunch at Curly's. It's one of the few vegetarian/vegan places that I had yet to try in NYC. The place was pretty small and we had a 20 or so minute wait, but once inside the servers were friendly and prompt and the food was amazing! We decided to each order an item and spilt. We ordered the Buffalo Blue Cheese Veggie Burger, which I forgot to face towards me in the picture, and the Santa Barbarella (with pumpkinseed pesto schmear, avocado, tofu bacon, jack cheese, cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce and sprouts)! Both were great but the next time at Curly's I'm definitely getting another burger, it was out of this world!
For dinner Amanda wanted to try out a crustless tofu quiche that she recently sampled at a vegan cooking school where she volunteers. The quiche is amazingly delicious, especially considering how easy it is to make and how simple the ingredients are. The bulk of the quiche is made with a combination of pureed and crumbled tofu mixed with lemon juice, tumeric, dry mustard, and a little salt and pepper. The add-in possibilities are endless, and tonight we used mixed mushrooms and broccoli, which were sauteed with garlic, onion, and olive oil.

Baked in the oven for 30 minutes and served with spiced sweet potatoes "fries."

Night,

Nicole

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Hey all~

Long time no post, sorry about that, but it's been a rather uneventful week.

After the deliciousness that were my carrot oat muffins, and the leftover carrots that I had no interest in eating raw, I decided to make carrot cake pancakes for dinner one night this week.

The recipe was pretty easy-

For 6-8 pancakes:

1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

dash nutmeg

dash of salt

1 egg white

3 tblsp brown sugar

1/2 c milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded carrots

As usual-mix the dry, add the wet:


I topped with plain greek yogurt and a bit of maple syrup, yum! This meal was so filling not to mention delicious. I ended up buying more carrots at Whole Foods today just so I could make them again!

In other news-Amanda and I decided to go to Austin City Limits, I'm so excited! After making reservations for the hostel where we will be staying, I looked to see if there are any hot yoga studios nearby. Sign I'm getting addicted? I hope so!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,

Nicole

Breakfast for Dinner

Hey!

How was everyone's weekend? My plans as of Friday were to work all weekend, and when I woke Saturday morning I still had every intention of working in the lab all weekend. However, after waking up at the crack of dawn and reading the morning away, my brain was fried and I realized that mental breaks are necessary so I took the rest of the weekend easy.

The weather on Saturday was also amazing, 50* and sunny! I would have been a fool not to take advantage. Amanda and I decided to walk downtown to enjoy the unseasonable temperature and hit-up The Organic Grill for dinner. I love this place and they have a wonderful vegetarian/vegan breakfast menu offered all day! Their menu is also pretty hilarious and worth a read for laughs and giggles if nothing else.

We both ended up taking advantage of the breakfast option. I ordered the tofu rancheros with vegan cheese:

Amanda ordered the tofu omelette:

The thing was huge and full of fresh veggies!
We left with our stomachs full and happy!

Happy MLK day-

Nicole

Vegetables where I can get them...

Hi everyone!

What do you think? Do carrots in my muffins count as a serving of vegetables? As I mentioned about a week ago, my mom and I are challenging one another with a fruit and veggie challenge, a way to make sure that we get back into the habit of eating 6-8 servings/day of fruits and vegetables. Originally I wasn't doing so great on the creativity side, mostly I had salads, but part of my goal for this challenge was to get cooking once more. This week I've done much better on that side of the challenge.
All the same, I guess the carrots in the muffins do not count, but they are yummy! In the mix for 10 muffins:

-1/2 c whole wheat flour

-1/2 c white flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

-3/4 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp cinnamon

-3/4 cup oatmeal

-3/4 cup brown sugar

-1/2 oil (I generally replace with applesauce, but I'm out!)

-1/2 tsp vanilla

-1 cup shredded carrots (about two medium carrots)

Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet. Pour 2/3 full in muffin pan and bake 15 min at 350.

Has anyone seen the New York Times series on meatless burgers this week in their Recipes for Health section? They've had some wonderful ideas, some I've had such as the portobella burger, but the Mushroom Burger with Spinach and Almond, I need to give that a try!

For a recent dinner I had at my house I adapted their recipe for White Bean Burgers.

2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (I used a red onion)

Salt to taste

2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced

2/3 cup finely grated carrot

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used lime)

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or thyme

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Whole grain hamburger buns and the condiments of your choice

1. Heat olive oil in a medium-size skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, the garlic and the grated carrot, and continue to cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and the carrot has softened slightly. Remove from the heat.

2. In a food processor, puree the beans with the lemon/lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion mixture, the parsley, sage or thyme, the bread crumbs and the egg. Shape into patties, ½- to ¾-inch thick. Set on a parchment-covered baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy skillet or on a griddle over medium heat and brown the patties for 4 minutes on each side, being very careful when you turn them over. An offset spatula works well for this. Serve on whole grain buns, with the condiments of your choice.

See adorned burgers in the background.
Along with the burgers I served roast butternut squash and apple casserole.

FYI-Best trick for butternut squash, poke a few holes into the squash using a fork and cook in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size.

This will make the skin much softer and easier to peel. For the casserole, peel and cube the squash and apple (a tart apple is better for baking). Mix squash and apple together and place in a 2 qt casserole dish. In a small bowl blend together 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup, and a few pads of butter. Sprinkle on top and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Have a great weekend!

Nicole

It's cold outside ... Let's go for a run!

Hi guys! I know it has been quite a long time since I've done a post. What can I say -- I'm a better blog reader than a blog writer. I don't remember if I've mentioned it, but I'm a distance runner and have been since I started running 5k's at 10 years old. So 13 years later, I'm still a runner -- hopefully, what can be considered a seasoned runner. 2010 is the year of the half-marathons for me, and 2011 might just bring a marathon or two. We'll see. I tend to get WAY too competitive in races, which was a good thing when I was a cross-country runner, but I can get too intense even for myself! So I'm easing myself into racing again. Now on to the post!

Running in the cold. It’s exhilarating and so worth braving the elements! I grew up outside of Chicago, where the winter temperatures can go well below 0F and the snow can really pile up, so I’m used to running in winter conditions and have even come to enjoy it. The hardest part is always the first step out the front door!

(source)

Here are some of my winter running tips:

1. Try to run during daylight hours.

The sun (if there is any) will make you feel warmer. It’s really hard to muster the motivation for a run when it’s dark AND cold outside.

2. Get the right clothes!

Dressing appropriately will make the cold much more tolerable. There are many high-tech and expensive brands of cold-weather gear on the market now, but I’ve always been one to keep it simple when it comes to my running. I prefer to wear sweat-wicking fabrics as my first layer, and then layer on whatever else I need. Sometimes all I need is an additional cotton long-sleeve shirt or a cotton sweatshirt. On windy days, I layer on a wind-proof jacket, and if it’s raining, I’ll put on a waterproof jacket. Running with a waterproof jacket isn't very comfortable since you’ll heat up faster and sweat more, so I’ll only wear this if it’s too cold to just run and get wet. For your legs, a thick pair of tights is usually enough for me, but when the temperatures really drop, adding a pair of wind-proof pants does the job. It’s best to limit the amount of bottom layers you wear since you want to keep your legs flexible. Plus, your legs are going to be working hard and generating a lot of heat while you run.

I have a love/hate relationship with gloves. I wear fleece gloves that are breathable but thick enough to keep my hands warm. When it’s really cold, I’ll switch to ski mittens because I find my fingers stay warmer when they’re in contact with each other. I hate wearing a hat, but will wear one if it’s really necessary. When it’s really cold, the air can be painful to breathe in, so I wear a homemade knitted “neck warmer.” It protects my neck (so no need for a bulky scarf) and I can pull it over my mouth and nose so that I’m not breathing the cold air directly. Just remember not to wear so much on your head that you’re blocking your peripheral vision.

My last tip for running wear is to dress like it’s 10 degrees warmer outside – that way you won’t overheat right away.

3. Watch out for ice!

I’ve fallen so many times on ice, and it’s a bad way to fall. The fall is always so sudden that you can’t control how you fall – not good. It’s easiest to run on plowed streets, rather than shoveled sidewalks, when there’s a chance for ice on the ground. Usually the streets are salted when the weather creates dangerous driving (and running) conditions. So find a running route on streets with low traffic, and be safe!

4. Start warm and stretch!

Don’t give your legs a chance to get cold before you start your run. I start running as soon as I get outside to prevent the cold from making my muscles tight. When you finish your run get back inside as soon as you can. Stretch inside!

Happy winter running! I hope you come to love it as much as I do!

On a warmer note, I leave you with a picture from one of my favorite places to run. An olive grove in Davis, CA. Peaceful, beautiful -- makes every run a dream!

Amanda