I’m Cheating on My KitchenAid Mixer

My favorite kitchen appliance is my KitchenAid mixer. I coveted one for years. And then, after Matt and I moved in together and after I secured a new (and desperately needed) job, a KitchenAid mixer appeared in the mail. My mother, who never owned a one herself, bought me the cobalt blue mixer.

From the minute I turned it on, I was in love. Making cookies became easier, beating frosting didn’t require holding a mixer for 15 minutes and after my mother-in-law bought me the ice cream attachment, the love affair escalated. I’ve purchased many off friends’ wedding registries and got one for my mom last Christmas. Honestly, I don’t know how she lived without for 60(ish) years. Nothing could tear me away from my KitchenAid.

That is… until my Crock-Pot came along.

When Matt and I got engaged, registering fro Kitchen appliances, gadgets, pots, pans and dishes was a highlight. With my limited kitchen space in NYC, I hesitated to put a crock pot on the list. Thankfully my mom convinced me, saying even if I could use it now, I would want it in the future. So I registered for one.

My soon-to-be sister-in-law bought Matt and I our crock pot for our shower. I was super excited to receive this gift, but I knew there was no way I could store it at our apartment. So, sadly, like many of our other shower and wedding gifts, I packed it into my bedroom closet at my parents house. And then, I forgot about it.

Not because I didn’t appreciate the gift, but because I didn’t have room for it. However, every time I return to NH, I open that closet and feel an incredible sense of frustration that I have these wonderful, nice things that I simply don’t have room for. And pinterest made it worse.

When I joined pinterest, I immediately started using the site for recipes. And much to my chagrin, a huge number of the recipes I would come across were for crock pots and slow cookers. And I didn’t have one (in my possession). Eventually, it was just too much. After Thanksgiving, I hauled the large box back to NYC and spent a few hours strategically moving things around. Finally I found a spot for the crock pot!

A few days later, I pulled it out and fired it up. The first recipe I made was one recommend by Matt’s mom: white chicken chili (recipe below). I put the ingredients in  before work and by the time I came home, our apartment was filled  was delicious aromas and the cooking was done! It was amazing, delicious and the clean up was just one pot. After dinner, I hopped on my computer and started looking up more crock pot recipes. I was hooked.

It wasn’t long before the crock pot took the place of my KitchenAid. Baking cookies and making ice cream was replaced with chilis, pulled pork and soup. Matt didn’t complain by my co-workers started to question what was going on.

While I can’t say with conviction which is my favorite – I can definitely say that in our 800 sq. ft. apartment, I’m happy to designate at least 10 sq feet to my ever-growing collection of kitchen appliances!

Soda Stream and Blender

KitchenAid

Espresso Machine

Keurig

Crock-Pot

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2-3 boneless chicken breast halves (can be still frozen)

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

2 cans corn kernels, do not drain

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix(dry)

1 ½  T cumin

1 ½  t chili powder

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

_________

Put the chicken in the crock pot.

Top with the tomatoes, corn, drained and rinsed beans,ranch dressing, cumin, and chili powder; stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stir and add cream cheese.  Cook on high 1 more hour.

Shred the chicken into large pieces, stir to combine all.

Beat the Heat

…with a tasty treat!

For Christmas, Abby bought Matt and I the most amazing present –  a Zuko Popsicle maker. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees this weekend, I knew it was time to bust this out.

After mixing together a delicious concoction, in just 10 minutes, we had homemade popsicles! The only difficult part was staying to decide which flavor to try first. I settled on a chocolate recipe. I mean, you can never go wrong with chocolate, right?

     

While the old school method of just freezing juice in Dixie cups certainly works, this is a good kitchen gadget if you aren’t in the mood to sit around and wait. Plus their blog has tons of fun ideas to try! Up next – Pink Mojito!

From Scratch

Matt and I have been working out a lot lately, trying to get in tip-top shape for the various triathlons and running races we having this year. We have been spending most of our evenings at the gym which has pushed back our dinner time to 9 or 10pm. As a result, I’ve found myself becoming a little lazy and have been making lots of smoothies for dinner. While they are quick and delicious, they probably aren’t getting us enough nutrients and certainly aren’t helping me to win “wife of the year.” And clearly I want to win that award. This week, I tried to step up my game with some home cooked meals.

A month or so ago I purchased some lentils at Whole Foods. I wasn’t sure what I could make with them but they looked healthy. I let them sit for a long time in my cupboard until finally I researched a recipe (on pinterest) that called for lentils. There were a lot of options but I settled on this recipe for thai coconut curry lentil soup.

It was pretty easy to make and very tasty. I used 3 big teaspoons of the red curry paste so there was certainly a kick to it. but Matt and I like to keep things spicy (terrible pun intended) so it worked for us.

Normally, I am a fan of blended soups, but I decided to keep this one “rustic” with chunks of sweet potato and lentils. However, for round 2 (aka today’s lunch) I broke out my trusty immersion blender.

On my way to work this morning, I walked through the Union Square Greenmarket and picked up a whole wheat roll to go with my soup from the Hot Breat Kitchen booth. With more than five different bread booths at the market, you may be wondering what made me pick this one. Well, Hot Bread Kitchen is a Robin Hood grantee (meaning we fund them)! I spent the last 4 weeks researching, writing, editing and rewriting all about them for an article that will be featured in our e-newletter. It has been a very long writing/reviewing/approval process, so it was nice to see them in action and support their incredible work.

I haven’t tasted the roll yet, but I already know that my 50 cents is going to something great!

Apples to Apples

Last week I made a few things using the apples that Matt and I picked last weekend. Two recipes stood out and I can not recommend them enough: Martha Stewart’s Classic Applesauce and an Apple and Butternut Squash soup. And I made this while wearing my sweet new apron that my family-in-law bought for me when they were in Martha’s Vineyard. What’s better than one family? TWO!

Martha’s Classic Applesauce:
When I was younger, applesauce was a staple in my diet. I could not get enough of this food, especially when my mom made it from scratch and served it warm. This recipe is a little more work that most recipes, but it is definitely worth it!

ingredients
18 McIntosh apples (about 6 pounds), peeled, cored and quartered (I used Golden Delicious)
1 cup apple cider (I substituted apple juice)
1 large cinnamon stick
1/2 tbs vanilla bean paste
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1. Combine apples, apple cider, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, sugar and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed wide sauce pan.
2. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching, until the apples are broken down and saucy, 50 to 60 minutes. Mash any large pieces of apple with a large wooden spoon to help them break down. Season with more sugar and spices. Remove the apple mixture from heat and discard the cinnamon stick. (At this point, I used an immersion blender to thin the sauce, but the recipe didn’t call for it).
Makes 7 cups (I only made half and it seemed like a lot). The apple sauce can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup:
Typically I try to avoid making cream-based soups, but this looked too good to pass up. Man, am I happy I embraced the heavy cream – this soup is RIDICULOUSLY good. It is so good that I served it to Matt last night for the second time in a week and he didn’t even bat an eye. And for a kid who typically refuses to eat left-overs (yes, he thinks he is a prince) that is a BIG deal. The original recipe called for pumpkin but I substituted butternut squash.

Ingredients-
1 tbs canola oil
1 tbs butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbs ginger paste or minced fresh ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb pumpkin, peeled and finely chopped (I used butternut squash)
1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (I used Jonagold apples)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbs finely grated orange rind (I omitted this)
1/2 cup crushed, shelled pumpkin seeds, for garnish (I omitted this)

1. In a large heavy-based sauce pan heat oil and butter over medium heat until butter melts. Add onion, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and saute for 3 minutes or until onion is transparent.
2. Add pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apples and soup stock; season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes, or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat; stir in cream and orange rind, and let cool.
3. Transfer soup to a food processor or blender (I used an immersion blender), and blend until smooth. Pour soup in clean sauce pan and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Transfer to individual bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds before serving.

Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”)  a species of goosefoot (an annual flowering plant), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. Quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato. Now a days, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). And unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine),  quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

In the year 2011, when eating organic is all the rage, Quinoa is considered a “super food.” Quinoa has an addictive nutty flavor, cooks up quicker than rice, and can be used to make pilafs, risottos, salads, soups, and even desserts. The simplest way is to cook quinoa like pasta: Fill a large pot or saucepan with water, and bring it to a boil. Add just about any amount of quinoa, turn the heat to low, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow the quinoa to cool.

Tonight for dinner, I ventured into quinoa territory. I made a dish of chicken, vegetables and quinoa. Typically when foods are super healthy, what they have in nutrition, they lack in taste. I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t the case with quinoa. Somewhere between rice, risotto and rice pudding, you find quinoa. I encourage you to experiment with quinoa. There are countless recipes out there, and even more nutritional benefits!

QUINOA WITH CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa (I found this in Whole Foods with the rice)
3 cups water
1 pinch salt

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped

2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
*cook as you normally would, and cut into bite sized pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring the quinoa, water and 1 pinch of salt to a boil in a sauce pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Once done, drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about two minutes. Add the red pepper and corn; continue cooking until the pepper softens, about five minutes. Season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for one more minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken and quinoa and green onions. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 4 large servings