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>I Ate my Final Project: Cooking up Change Competition 2010

19 Mar

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One of the perks of being a nutritional science-dietetics major is…well, food. Finally, after suffering through chemistry and biology and biochemistry and physiology…finally I get to take classes that are more “fun.”

Food Science, Food Systems Organization and Management, Human Food Practices, Nutrition in the Community…

For my final project in my food management class, I teamed up with my classmates Julia and Maggie to cook up a storm so that we can enter the Cooking up Change Competition 2010.



Cooking up Change is a contest in which teams of college students from across the nation compete to design a healthy school lunch.

We had to submit a recipe, a report on the nutritional content of that recipe, and photos of the team during various stages of the process. A judging panel of culinary professionals will evaluate our recipe on format and clarity, originality of the dish, and cohesiveness of the ingredients. We were instructed to present one entree and two accompanying side dishes that follow their strict ingredient list and nutritional requirements. And if we win, we get to go to Detroit to compete in round 2!

So, what’s on the menu?

Entree: Rainbow Rotini: multi-grain rotini pasta, fresh spinach, tomato, summer squash ribbons, basil ribbons, and chicken

Side #1: Cheesy Basil and Garlic Toasts: rustic whole grain bread loaves, broiled until bubbly with cheese, topped with basil ribbons and garlic

Side #2: Fresh Fruit Salad: chopped apples, sliced bananas, raisins, cinnamon, and fresh squeezed lemon juice

Our recipes had to have six steps or less and our meal had to meet certain nutritional requirements:

Calories 750-850 calories

Fat Less than 35% of calories from fat

Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat

Zero trans fat

Protein 2.0 oz – 2.4 oz protein

Fiber 10.7 grams or more

Grains 2.4 oz – 2.6 oz grains

At least half must be whole grains

Fruits and Vegetables 1 cup vegetables, 1⁄2 of which must be either dark green or orange

vegetables.

1 cup of fruit (not juice)

No starchy vegetables (i.e., potatoes, corn or peas)

Sodium Less than 1000 mg

After futzing around and thinking out load, we were able to adjust our meal to meet the requirements.

My team entered the competition because, firstly, cooking is WAY better than, well, anything. Second, we wanted to find a way to incorporate local ingredients and fresh, tasty, colorful meals for (college) student lunches.

Here are some photos documenting our adventures in the kitchen…



Fresh tomatoes, diced


Fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade



Julia is so happy surrounded by colorful veggies!


Stir stir stir!



Chop that chicken, Maggie!



Ah, the finished product!



And now…LET’S EAT!


Rainbow Rotini



This recipe has so much great color and texture to it! Mmm



Ingredients

1 lb. Multigrain Rotini Pasta

5 cups fresh spinach, chopped

3 yellow summer squash, peeled into ribbons

3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch of fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

salt, black pepper, garlic powder

Directions

  1. Boil a large pot of water. Add the pasta.
  2. When pasta is almost done, add the spinach and squash ribbons. Let cook until all components are cooked (about 2-3 minutes more).
  3. Drain the pasta/vegetable mixture.
  4. Sauté chicken in 1 Tablespoon of oil until no longer pink inside.
  5. Add the cooked chicken, tomato, and basil to the pasta. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.



Cheesy Basil and Garlic Toasts



Note: Having a broiler made this go very fast and it browned our toasts to perfection. If you do not own a broiler, you can use a toaster oven or just a normal oven at high temp.



Ingredients

1 loaf of whole grain bread, cut into slices

3 Tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

12 slices jack cheese

1 bunch fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons

Directions:

  1. Preheat the broiler.
  2. Brush bread with oil.
  3. Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder.
  4. Place one slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
  5. Place bread on a sheet tray and broil for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
  6. Take the toasts out of the broiler and sprinkle with fresh basil ribbons.




Fresh Fruit Salad



Ingredients

1 apple, chopped

1 banana, sliced

¼ cup raisins

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Combine fruit and raisins in a bowl.
  2. Pour the lemon juice over the fruit.
  3. Add the cinnamon.

>I’m Goin’ C-c-c-Curry Crazay!

17 Mar

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Today I learned how to use a rice cooker. My life is now infinitely easier.

Today I made curry for 60 people without using a recipe, I just chopped, sauteed, poured, and stirred. Somehow everything turned out great.

I made it in a pot THIS big:


Now that the sun stays out later, I can take pretty pictures of my Tuesday night co-op dinners in nice daylight. I can enjoy a nice meal outside on the beautiful porch with beautiful people and the most amazing view of the Bay Area.


So back to curry. I have eaten many types of curry in my day, however I still feel pretty clueless about all the different kinds and what they each entail. There is Thai curry, Indian curry, red curry, yellow curry, green curry…and all have specific names that I have trouble remembering and pronouncing (maybe Mexican mole sauce falls into this “curry-like” category?).

From my experience, curries are usually stew-like, thick yet liquidy and eaten with rice or some form of bread. There is a variety of spices and flavors used.

The curry that I made today was spiced with fresh ginger and garlic, tumeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, curry powder, and cinnamon sticks. All of these spices gave the curry a nice yellow/orange color.

I threw in a TON of vegetables: sweet potatoes, onions, bok choy, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, roasted Kabocha squash, scallions…I also threw in garbanzo beans and fried up some tofu and tempeh to add to the mix. The liquid was a combination of coconut milk, tomato sauce, water, vegetable broth, and lemon juice.

Simmering, steamy, sumptuous:


With a little (or in my case, large) dab of yogurt sauce (plain yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dill, scallions…), I am ready to dig in! Feast your eyes on this:


To wash it all down, my cooking assistant David made some freakin’ chai-licious chai tea drinks. Well done, David.

In my opinion, this curry felt really hearty but very “light” at the same time. I did not use cream or butter (ok fine I did still use some oil and coconut milk…), and the curry is mostly made of vegetables. I love all the different textures and colors, and I love that this can be made for just a few or for a bazillion people. It is also nice because once all of the vegetables are prepped, the curry just simmers and there is no need to exert a lot of physical energy to cook it. Carrying the HUGE pot to the table is the hardest part.


Here is a rough recipe for the curry (you can subsitute any vegetables/fruits that you like and you can also add meat if you choose). Honestly, I just threw in a pinch of this and a squeeze of that…after cooking such large batches of food for so many meals, I feel fairly confident when I do not use exact measurements. The palm of my hand is a sufficient measuring device.

C-c-c-Crazay Curry

adapted from my own recipe for impromptu curry

Ingredients:

Onion, sliced thinly

Spice mixture: tumeric, curry powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon sticks

Garlic, minced

Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated (use a microplane or hand-held grater)

Roughly chopped vegetable assortment: potatoes (yams and sweet potatoes are great, too!), bell peppers, bok choy, celery, cauliflower, eggplant…

Coconut milk

Tomato sauce or diced tomatoes in puree

Vegetable broth (or water)

Tempeh or tofu (or both), cut into cubes

Garbanzo beans

Lime zest and juice

Cilantro or other fresh herb of choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sautee the onions and spices in oil. Cover the onions and let them “sweat” aka until the onions start to soften and become fragrant (about 5-8 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.

2. Stir and add the peppers and potatoes.

3. Add the coconut milk, tomato sauce, and veggie broth.

4. Add water if it gets too thick. Just eyeball it, no need for exact measurements.

5. Let everything simmer for a while until the potatoes are tender (may take about 20 minutes).

6. While the curry is simmering, heat pan with a thin layer of canola oil until super hot. Add the tempeh and tofu and fry on each side until golden. Add this to the simmering curry.

7. Add the garbanzo beans to the curry.

8. Taste and add some lime/lemon juice, zest, and cilantro or scallions.

9. Remove cinnamon sticks.

10. Enjoy over rice or with naan bread!

Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups plain yogurt
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Scallions, sliced thinly into coins
Fresh dill
if in season: cucumbers

Combine everything into a bowl and serve with curry and rice/naan.


>Yay for Vegemetables!

11 Mar

>
Yay for Vegemetables! The spring season is almost upon us! This means peas and favas and fennel oh my! This means asparagus and rhubarb, strawberries and pineapple, and ma ma ma mango!


It’s almost spring. It’s time to lighten up. It’s time to soak up some sunshine and frolick in the park and wear hats and flowy dresses. Polka dots and flowers and bright colors and patterns. Frisbee and baseball and dachshund derbies!

It’s mating season–for the squirrels, for the birds, and well, for us humans.

All I want to do is sip on mimosas and dance in the streets and have someone whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

When I think of spring, I think light. I think fresh smells. I think of color. And this is exactly what I think about when I want a nice spring meal. Something not too heavy (simple simple simple), something fragrant and filled with fresh herbs and flavors (fresh basil, chives, rosemary…), and something bright green and red and orange and white.


And now I present you with two beautiful spring recipes highlighting the essence of simple, fresh, and, well…springy!

Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics has a great recipe for roasted vegetables–fennel, fingerling potatoes, thin French green beans, and asparagus. You just need a splash of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a few dashes of Parmesan. Done. Perfect. Gorgeous. TASTY TOWN!

Next I have for you a lovely galette, a free-form tartlette. Filled with the last of the sweet winter squash and spiked with the fresh hint of green spring basil and purple shallots. I’m licking my lips. My tummy is thanking me.


So, let’s get cookin’:


Oven-Roasted Vegetables a la Barefoot Contessa

serves 6

2 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
1 pound fingerling or small potatoes
1/3 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound French string beans (haricot verts), trimmed
1 bunch thin asparagus, ends removed, cut diagonally into 3-inch pieces (I just left mine whole)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (omit if making this for vegans)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the fennel bulbs into 6 wedges each, cutting through the core to keep the wedges intact. Place on a sheet pan. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and place them on the pan with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss with your hands.

Roast the vegetables for 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender, tossing once while cooking. Toss the string beans and asparagus with the roasted vegetables and roast for another 10-15 minutes, until the green vegetables are tender. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and roast for another minute or two until the cheese melts.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.

and now…

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GALETTE
Adapted From Doable and Delicious
Originally From Gourmet Magazine February 2009

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used Earth Balance spread to make this vegan)

1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp ice cold water

Dough: Pulse flour, butter, basil, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough. Gently press dough into a 5 inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic warp, until firm, at least 1 hour.

For the filling:
2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 x 1/4 inch slices

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

A few shallots, sliced thinly

6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, crumbled (omit if making this tart vegan)

extra:
1 egg, lightly beaten (omit if making this vegan)

more fresh basil, chiffonaded, for garnish

Preheat oven to 500 with rack in the middle.

Toss squash with sea salt and 1 tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet. Roast, stirring once halfway through roasting, until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375.
Meanwhile, cook the shallots in remaining 2 tbsp oil with a pinch of salt in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-10 minutes.

Roll out dough into a 13 inch round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a baking sheet (lined with parchment) or pizza stone. Arrange the squash, shallots, and goat cheese and fill the galette in an even layer in center of dough, leaving a 2 to 3 inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough if necessary.

Brush pastry with beaten egg (omit if making this vegan) and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

Celery Root and Apple Puree

27 Jan


There’s nothing better on a chilly winter day than some warm, soft, mushy comfort food. This celery root and apple puree is a nice alternative to the classic creamy mashed potato dish (although them creamy mashed potatoes are mighty good!).

The recipe comes from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics cookbook. Everything that I have made from this book has come out superb: brownie pudding amazingness, baked sweet potato fries, confetti corn salad, mustard roasted fish, spanikopita…and I’ve been eyeing and oogling over the all of the soups in this book.

I think I could eat bowls and bowls of this stuff! I love the zingyness of the apples, the fresh taste of the fennel and celery root, and the smoothness of the potato. The whole house will smell like a warm bowl of heaven.

Just before serving, garnish the dish with some fennel fronds and a sprinkle of sea salt to wow your fellow eaters.

Celery Root and Apple Puree
from Ina Garten’s Back to Basicsserves 6-8

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup large-diced fennel bulb, tops and core removed
2 pounds celery root, peeled and 3/4 inch diced (I used 2 celery roots)
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
3 Golden Delicious apples (I used one Granny Smith in replace of 1 of the Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and 3/4 inch diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good apple cider
1/4 cup heavy cream (I just used low fat milk and was very satisfied)1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a shallow stock pot or large saute pan. Add the fennel, celery root, potatoes, apples, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes (I had to use two pans because all of my veggies would not fit).

2. Add the cider and tightly cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft. If the vegetables begin to burn or seem dry, add another few tablespoons of apple cider or some water.

3. When the vegetables are cooked, add the cream (or milk) and cook for 1 more minute.

4. Transfer the mixture to a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade and process (or you can use a food processor for smoother texture). Taste for salt and pepper and return to the pot to keep warm.

African G-nut (aka Peanut) Stew

14 Jan


Bored of your regular cooking repertoire? Tired of cooking/eating the same thing all the time? Need ideas for a healthy, hearty vegetarian dinner that comes together in just minutes? Let’s take a little journey to Africa shall we?

Here is a stew that is so hearty and filling and stick-to-your-stomach good (and good for you, too!). In Africa, peanuts (or “g-nuts,” short for groundnuts) are featured in many meals. Today I have paired the nut with a sweet potato, carrot, onion, green bell pepper, and garbanzo bean stew. You can add whatever vegetables and beans and other goodies that you like–eggplant, peas, tomato, spinach, cauliflower, chilies, pineapple, tofu (or chicken or lamb).

I made some cornbread and sliced up cucumbers to go along with the stew, but it would also be lovely served over rice.


What I love about this stew is that it can be made for one or a few people or multiplied and made for a large crowd. This definitely makes my comfort food list…warm, mushy, hearty stew, and makes great leftovers, too.

Another dish that I like to make is this “G-nut Special Sauce and Sweet Potatoes” from Vegetarian Times Magazine. I have made this dish over and over and just love it!

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Updated photo: 4/26/14

African G-nut (aka Peanut) Stew
based on the recipe from blogger Field to Feastserves 42 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups veggie broth
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans
1/2 cup peanut butter
cilantro or parsley, for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the ground cumin and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

 

2. Add the salt, vegetable broth, green pepper and garbanzo beans. Bring the stew to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the sweet potato and carrot are soft. Mix in the peanut butter and cook for a final 5 minutes. If you want a thinner or thicker stew, you can add more peanut butter or, alternatively, more broth.

3. Serve the stew hot, with the toasted peanuts and cilantro or parsley as a garnish.

 

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