Steamed Artichoke

A few weeks ago my family and I took a road trip down to Monterey. On the way back to SF we stopped in Castroville, a town famous for growing artichokes. My fiance told me how much he LOVED artichokes and how he would like to have it at home, but I have never in my life cooked an artichoke. I bought an artichoke and promised to cook it when I get the chance – which basically meant that  I pushed it off until it was the only  thing in my fridge to eat . After researching multiple blogs, Youtube videos, and pictures- I decided I had gotten the gist of it.  I have to say the artichoke looks a little intimidating, but it actually wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be! After Googling how to eat an artichoke, my fiance and I were delighted with the flavor. I will definitely be adding this vegetable to my regular shopping list.  Click continue to see the step by step recipe!

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Overnight Oatmeal

Oatmeal

Now that I am trying eat healthier in order to keep my gut from spilling out in my wedding dress, I have started to make breakfast for myself. I needed something easy and fast as I never have extra time to prepare anything in the morning. I came across this overnight oatmeal recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot. I am now addicted. I love that I can mix up flavors and add different ingredients and get various flavors out of one easy meal. I wasn’t too sure about having cold oatmeal, as I never had it before, but I actually prefer this to hot oatmeal now. Not only is the meal easy to make, but it keeps you feeling full for a long time. The added chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fat and protein and makes me feel healthier when I eat it.  Try it out for yourself!

Makes – 1 serving                                      Cook time- 10 min prep, overnight in fridge

1/4 cup of oatmeal

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of shredded coconut (optional)

1 tablespoon of dried fruit ( I used cranberries)

1 tablespoon of nuts ( I used walnuts)

1/2 cup of milk (nut milk and soy milk as well)

1/4 cup of fresh fruit or berries (I used raspberries)

optional - coconut or vanilla essence, brown sugar, cinnamon or other spices

                                                                                                                                           

1. Add all the ingredients into mason jar or Tupperware.

2. Mix it up

3. Put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight or at least 4 hours.

4. In the morning just add your fruit and enjoy!

Seriously, it doesn’t get any easier than this. Mix it up! I have tried apples and chai masala, coconut essence and dried apricots, and there are so many more possibilities. Oatmeal isn’t boring anymore!

Kale Chips

Ok—so let’s be real– I hate salads…yes, I am a vegetarian who isn’t a big fan of lettuce or any other leafy green. I think because salad was always the go to at most restaurants, I was over fed with salad and I hated it. Now that I am T minus 4 months away from my wedding I guess it’s time to start getting my gut sucked, tucked and tight. Also, now that I live in San Francisco, the most granola and salad-happy city I have ever lived, I now feel an immense amount of peer pressure to like kale. I gave it a shot in a salad–was NOT a fan. Then I heard you can get them in chip form, which seemed a lot more appetizing to me. Who doesn’t love chips?  I bought a HUGE bag of kale from the grocery store and decided to try and make some at home. And guess what- I LOVE IT! I used a sample of  Char Crust roasted garlic peppercorn rub I got from the International Association for Culinary Professionals Expo a few weeks ago as seasoning. It was delicious- the chips pretty much disintegrate and melt in your mouth. It’s a interesting and weird texture, but I liked it. There might be a chance I ate half the batch in one sitting….but you can’t have too much of a good thing right?  Make some for yourself and try it out!

 

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Twice Baked Potatoes- with a healthy surprise

twice baked potatoes and pictures of my pretty flowers—just because :-)

I was feeling in carb-y starchy mood the other day–well, to be honest I am in the mood for carbs and starches everyday–but this day was overwhelmingly bad. All day at work I looked at pictures of potato recipes on Pinterest. Once I got home, I mixed a few recipes together and and went to town.  I had 1/4 head of cauliflower left at home and decided to use it in this recipe before it went bad. Sooo I guess it’s healthy…well more than 2 vegetables in any recipe = healthy in my mind really. :-)

 

Serves- 4                    Cook time- 2 hours

2 potatoes

1/4 head of cauliflower cut into small pieces

1.5 tablespoons of butter (I used vegan butter)

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper each

3 tablespoons of shredded cheddar – (You can substitute this with Daiya cheese to make it vegan!)

1 stalk of a green onion, sliced

1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil, melted

 

1. Pre heat the oven at 400 F

2. Wash your potatoes and dry them. Lightly coat the potatoes with melted coconut oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes for about 1 to 1.5 hours.

3.  Steam your cauliflower until it is easily cut by a knife- took me about 10-15 minutes. Remember we are going to be mashing these- so make sure they are soft enough to mash!

4. Once the potatoes are done baking, take them out of the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes.

5. Slice the potatoes down the middle and scoop out the middle of the potatoes with a spoon into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch edge. Make sure not to tear your potato skin!

6. Add the steamed cauliflower to the bowl of potato innards and mash away. Add the garlic powder, sliced green onion, salt, pepper, butter and cheese and mix well.

7. Fill the potatoes back up with the mashed potato and cauliflower mix and top with cheese (optional).  Bake again for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

 

Homemade Pretzel Bites

When I lived in Philadelphia for college, I often ate Philly Soft Pretzel because they were 1) filling and 2) cheap. I was having a moment of nostalgia and decided to make some soft pretzels at home. I mixed and mashed two recipes and created my own for a small batch. Click continue for the full recipe.

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Visit San Diego

Photo from Wikimedia

So for the last 4 months I was on a work project that required me to travel to San Diego 2 weeks out of the month. During my visits I came across some mind blowing food and some stellar hotel stays. Prior to my project I had only been to San Diego once and didn’t see much because it was a weekend getaway trip with my fiance.

HOTELS We stayed at the Hyatt Mission Bay which has a nice tropical island feel to it. The price is up there but there is free internet and the rooms are pretty large. I stayed here during a few work trips as well. There are 2 different fire pits, cabanas around the pools and a hot tub. The gym overlook the bay and beautiful at sunset. Originally, our company stayed at the Andaz in downtown San Diego, which was by far the best hotel when it came to atmosphere, amenities and location. Every morning they would stock our rooms with free Toblerone bars, granola bars, chips, and various beverages.  All of those perks also came with a price tag.  I also stayed at the Westin, which was my least favorite hotel. My thermostat didn’t work on 3 different visits and the price of the internet is ridiculous. A lot of conferences occur here and it’s in a ideal downtown location. Also the workers are absolutely the most polite and nicest people in the world.

FOOD If you go to San Diego, you must eat at these restaurants. I honestly would go back to San Diego just to eat- it’s THAT good.

1. 

Oscars Mexican Seafood -  Now you are probably thinking- “Hetal, aren’t you a vegetarian?”. Why yes, I am. Sam, the generous owner of this establishment, was kind enough to create me a veggie burrito. I died. The re-fried beans and the sauces—oh the sauces—are amazing. He has three main sauces; an avocado sauce, chili sauce, and a creamy salsa. My co-worker introduced me to this place and ever since then we have continuously gone back every week.  Sam has all the fish brought in fresh every morning, and from what I am told , you can tell from the great quality of the food. 2.

Photo via Google+

Craft + Commerce - Cute bar/restaurant with a great cocktail menu. I had their veggie burger which was HUGE but delicious. They make their veggie burgers in house with quinoa, beans and vegetables. The atmosphere of this place is super quirky and kitschy. They have an upside down lion rug, zebra bust on a wall, and a stuffed squirrel riding a stuffed raccoon with a cowboy hat on that decorates this place.  I mostly just want to eat and find every little kitschy thing in the place.

3. Urban Solace - The first thing you notice when you walk in is a large painting of Ron Burgundy on their wall and bears…bears everywhere. This restaurant had one of the best vegetarian meals I have ever had. The farro sauté with roasted carrot broth, caramelized pearl onion, and grated Parmesan was so damn good that even the meat eaters wanted a taste. It tasted like a creamy,healthy version of mac and cheese. If I could get the recipe, I would eat this everyday of my life-hands down.

4. Karl Strauss Brewery - The Westin is two steps away from Karl Strauss, which meant that I made visits here quite often.   The best item at this place is the sweet potato french fries- they are delicious. I ordered a basket the first time I went and my co workers and I went to town. They have a chili lime seasoning and come with a side of ranch that tends to get messy. Order two baskets because they are THAT good.

5. The Blind Burro - I went here with my coworkers as well for a team dinner. The Blind Burro is a restaurant/bar that serves Mexican food. I had the salsa flight–yes a salsa…flight…similar to a wine flight. It came with three different salsa with varying levels of spiciness  The salsa was addicting and I quickly ran through 3 bowls of chips….I love me some carbs…I also had their Corn Off the Cob- kernels of corn mixed with Cotija cheese and cilantro with lime and cayenne pepper. It was a great mixture of sweet, spicy and tangy.  This is a great place for a date night or girls night out.

Oscars Oscar's Mexican Seafood on Urbanspoon
Craft+ Commerce Craft and Commerce on Urbanspoon
Urban Solace Urban Solace on Urbanspoon
Karl Strauss Karl Strauss Brewery & Grill on Urbanspoon
The Blind Burro The Blind Burro on Urbanspoon

Half Moon Bay Day Trip

Hola! I know it’s been a while since I have blogged- mostly because I was put on a new project at work which required me to travel every other week to San Diego ( SD restaurant review post to come soon!) I have tons of catching up to do!

A few weeks ago my sister came to visit me from NJ. Over the weekend we went to Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. We spent the whole day wandering around the area and playing in the tide pools. Our first stop was Half Moon Bay State Beach. Parking costs $10, but if you’re okay to walk you can just park down the street for free, which is exactly what we did.

Half Moon Bay State Beach and Mavericks Beach

We had a small picnic on the cliffs of Half Moon Bay and then moved onto Pillar Point Marsh- where we walked around to get a view of  Maverick Beach, famous for it’s gigantic waves for surfing.  We walked around the small tide pools and poked around at sea anemone and snails.

Later on we walked around downtown and found a cute little shop called Oddysea. The shop sold material for the perfect terrarium and other small knick knacks. I ended up buying supplies to make a terrarium with air plants.

For dinner we went to Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. My sister and I enjoyed garlic fries and veggie burgers while we watched locals dancing to a live blue grass band. This place was by far my favorite place in Half Moon Bay. The people were friendly and everyone had smiles on their faces. I felt like I was down south in New Orleans, not in California. Over all our visit to Half Moon was great- it’s a wonderful day trip idea. This place had a quaint small town atmosphere that I loved. I will most definitely be going back sooner than later.

Love with Food- January 2013

I received my January Love with Food box yesterday and wanted to share what I got! Last month’s box was wonderful, especially the Hill’s Mint Chocolate Cappuccino mix. It was divine! This month Love with Food screwed up their little info cards and credited everyone’s accounts with 500 points. This speaks volumes for their customer service as most companies would never credit you or even admit to a mistake.

 

Turbana Plantain Chips- $0.50

 

Turbana Plantain Chips These plantain chips are made in Columbia and are a healthy alternative to potato chips.

 

Chuao Chocolates Chocopod- $6.00, New Tree mini Chocolates- $0.75, Biscotti di Suzy – $1.75

 

Firecrack Chocopod from Chuao Chocolatier: This bar of chocolate is made with Venezuelan chocolate, pop rocks, and chipotle. Not a combination I would ever think of, but I am interested in seeing how it works.

Cinnamon Milk Chocolate and Belgian Biscuit Dark Chocolate from New Tree : Chocolate made in Belgian where the raw ingredients are from Peru and Domincan Republic. I was kind of sad to see how tiny the samples were. Chocolate should always be given in large quantities.  I will savor every tiny bite.

Almond Anise Biscotti from Biscotti di Suzy:  I love biscotti on it’s own and am very excited to try a local (Oakland,CA) product.

 

Kyotofu Shortbread Tea Cookies- $4.75

Gluten-Free Shortbread Tea Cookies by Kyotofu These are gluten free cookies made by a Japanese bakery based in NYC. I received Genmai Toasted Brown Rice cookie, Matcha Green Tea cookie and a Black Sesame Cookie.

 

GogoSqueeze- $3.42

Apply Strawberry Applesauce by GogoSqueeze: This product is from France, and kind of on the pricey side. For a pack of 12 it costs $41.00! That is nuts for applesauce. Can’t wait to see if it’s worth it.

David Rio Chai Mix: $1.25

Tiger Spice Chai from David Rio: Being Indian, I am a Chai purist. I am excited to see if this local product can hold up to my mom’s chai.

 

Total Value: $18.42

Homemade Nutella Almond Butter


I dream of creamy, ooey, goeey, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth almond butter. I also happen to really like Nutella. I combined both of my favorite things into one delicious, yet healthy spread. It is simple, quick, and cheaper to make at home than to buy. You only need three ingredients!

Makes: 1/2 cup of almond butter                                                Cook time: 15-20 minutes

7 oz of roasted almonds ( I used Wonderful Almonds)

2 teaspoons of sea salt OR 1 teaspoon of regular salt

1/2 tablespoon of Nutella ( you can add more if you like ;-) )

 

1. Add the almonds into a food processor ( I used a Cuisinart Smartstick grinder attachment with the dull blade). Start blending for about 3-5 minutes. Pulsing a few times.

Left: After blending for 1 minute, Right: Blending after 3 minutes

 

2. When the almonds are coarse and they are able to stick to the walls of your food processor add the Nutella and salt.  Now blend for about 5-10 minutes. It might get a little thick, so you might have to stop every once in a while and stir the mixture. The heat from your blender will start warming up the almonds allowing them release their oil, making the butter a nice creamy texture. Now I stopped before it was completely blended and creamy because I like my but nutters to be a little on the chunky side. You can keep blending for another 5 minutes to get it to a creamy texture.

3. Now enjoy with some fresh fruit, on toast, or just on its own. It isn’t too sweet, and the perfect thing to help you get past your sugar cravings.  Enjoy!

2012: A Year in Review

This year has been a year of dramatic changes and life events. Honestly, it’s been the best year of my life. I wanted to just reflect back on the wonderful year of 2012 and list a few highlights.

1. I went to Cleveland, OH to visit my cousin! It was the 1st time in years that my entire family went on a vacation. We had so much fun, and there is no place I’d rather be than with family…even if it was in Cleveland, OH. :-)

2.Visited Boston,MA on a mission to get my fiance to fall in love with the city…which was a no go. It was FREEZING cold and we tried to walk to Freedom Trail. FAIL big time!

3. Drove from Santa Monica, CA to Monterey along the Pacific Coast Highway 1. This was one of MANY road-trips this year, but it was the most beautiful road trip I have EVER been on. I would fight to stay awake just so I wouldn’t miss any scenery. Who knew California was so stunningly scenic?

4. Went on a massive food crawl for my 25th birthday in NYC. My best friends and I hit up 9 different eateries and stuffed ourselves city.  It was an amazing way to enjoy what NYC has to offer. Next year it’ll be Birthday Food Crawl: SF Edition.

5. I interviewed and received 3 job offers in SF, LA and DC. I obviously chose SF, but this whole process was a huge boost for my self confidence career-wise. I remember last year at that time, I was getting rejection after rejection and it was difficult. It was nice to know that I have skills that are needed and worth something.

 nail art

6. I got into this whole nail art thing. It’s been a nice hobby for me and a channel for me to be creative. After going to school for 6 years for hard science and getting the creativity wiped out of me, this was a nice welcome.

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