In A Spaced Out Box

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Katharina

Good day ladies and gentlemen. I feel like it’s been awhile since I’ve posted although it’s only been a week. You know when you let more days pass by, and things keep adding up? That happens to me when I don’t update more often, because well… I cook everyday. So that means I have lots of things to share! That also means that I’m going to start condensing posts more often, sometimes highlighting one dish or a couple. We’ll see how it goes. But here’s a post that is not quite so compact, but fits quite nicely into the package.

: From the night before I left for my Florida vacation…

The vacation I keep thinking about, trying to tap into the feeling I had while floating in the calm, blue ocean; just listening to the sound of my breath.

: I decided to make a fondue spread for me and my roommates to enjoy

White chocolate (fortuitously scalding it a bit, giving it a caramelized flavor) with a giant diced and spiced fruit salad of bananas, pears, apples, and melon. Mustn’t forget the coconut muffin as well.

: I randomly decided to pick up beets at the store…

but I love beets so maybe it’s not so random. Let’s just say it wasn’t on the list though.

: Beet stains never get old to me.

: I picked up the beets after I picked up the jicama, and thought they would contrast wonderfully…

and I remembered the carrots that I already had at home.

: Sometimes I make things for the sake of color.

After I prepared the vegetables I had to leave to meet with someone, so I stored the vibrant vegetables in one container. However, before I left I took a bite, and thought: this needs some shredded coconut. Added some. Took another bite. Done.

: One fish: two ways

Continue reading →

Simplicity in Nature

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Katharina

I noticed that a lot of new people have been leaving comments, so I just wanted to say hello and thank you for stopping by! You know one of the things that I really enjoy about blogging? Is that we each get to read about all of the things we appreciate, and how beautiful it is to see how others views the world.

Don’t forget to vote for the RVA Internet Awards. I was actually nominated for the Best Blog category, so exciting! Check out some of the comment threads while you’re over there.

: What could this be?

Earlier this week I made Root Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie. When I first stumbled upon this recipe I marveled at all of the wonderful rustic ingredients, and how comforting this sounded. This is a vegetarian version, and the “crust” is made out of a sweet and russet potato mash. However, instead of using flour for the vegetable mix I used cornmeal. I thought it would give the recipe a more “down-home” taste.

: I love recipes with delicious hidden surprises!

Stuffed pastas, pies, dumplings, you name it.

: So flavorful that it had me scooping up every last bit.

: Breakfast… on-the-go

Awhile back I bookmarked some recipes from Martha Stewart’s quick and easy breakfast ideas. The banana-oat smoothie is basically like a bowl of oats, but in smoothie form. I also added almond butter and chia seeds to the mix.

: Sliced almonds for the final touch.

: My breakfast sometimes likes to smile back at me.

This was also another recipe I bookmarked from the quick and easy breakfast ideas: whole-grain ~~toast~~ bagel with yogurt and pistachios.

: My lovely roommate read my mind and gave me a jar of honey from the area where she’s from!

: While I was having this dainty breakfast, lavender honey crossed my mind.

Lavender honey on toast with pistachios would’ve been a breakfast fit for the Greek gods.

: Aren’t pistachios beautiful?

They have the same vibrant green of a perfect avocado, then some painter must’ve dabbed pinks on their skins.

: Delicate candies

: Pistachios were still on my mind.

: And so was lavender.

Awhile back I was browsing through recipes, wondering how I could use my package of coconut cream. I found a recipe for Vanilla Coconut Cream Cand y on Tropical Traditions‘ abundant recipe site. You can make it vegan by using agave or maple syrup instead of honey. Actually, when I make this again I want to use pecans and maple syrup. Perhaps, I’ll add a splash of bourbon as well. This recipe was quite simple. The only ingredients I used were coconut cream, pistachios, honey, vanilla extract, and lavender. I added the lavender as an aromatic and delightful touch. Now I have lavender and honey in one beautiful candy. Perhaps these could’ve been enjoyed by Aphrodite herself.

: Not as sophisticated as a Greek goddess, but something that can make anyone smile nonetheless–marshmallows!

I remember when I was younger I’d sleep over at a friend’s house and we had a wide selection of cereals to have at breakfast.

: These are Marshmallow Oaties!

I was recently sent Three Sisters Cereal, which some of you may have heard of, to try and review. Did you know that their cereal is made using renewable wind energy? That’s pretty awesome if you ask me! Their motto is: natural, sensible, and sustainable cereals. They don’t include unnecessary additives in their cereals to get colors or taste. There are some ingredients in some packaged foods that are questionable, and I know they don’t need to be on the ingredient list so I like how Three Sisters Cereal doesn’t do that. A company with a conscience… I like that. Anyway, their flavors remind me of cereals that any kid, or big kid for that matter, would love! Flavors like Honey Oaties, Cinnamon Sweets, and Graham Crackerz. I got to try the Marshmallow Oaties, Sweet Wheats, and Honey Oaties. These were all so tasty and I felt like a little kid again.

Honey Oaties: These reminded me so much of Honey Nut Cheerios, but had a more wholesome aftertaste . Honey covered O’s are a classic. Crunch, crunch, munch. In fact, I brought a jar of Honey Oaties with me to munch on as I went about town. Whose baby am I? My mom will answer that for us.

Marshmallow Oaties: I went after Lucky’s charms! “Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes, Clovers, and Blue Moons, Pots of Gold, and Rainbows, and me Red Balloons.” Well, this wasn’t a bowl of Lucky Charms, but it brought me back to when I’d eat bowls filled with colorful marshmallows. It’s got these neat shapes, and those little marshmallows we all love.

Sweet Wheat: Letting them soak in a bowl of milk is what I like to do with shredded wheat cereals. The frosting for the Sweet Wheats wasn’t as thick and sugary as other similar cereals I’ve tried. I enjoyed this since too much sugar, especially in the morning, can give me a headache. If you like denser and grainier tasting cereals then this is a good bet.

“Donation of $1.00 for every cereal package sold in April will support emergency relief work by Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee; Whole Foods Market to support with in-store effort.” to support relief efforts in Haiti.

: Would you like a chance to be a big kid too?

You can win a month-supply of Three Sister’s Cereal in the form of four freebie coupons! Please note that you can only find their cereals at Whole Foods Markets. Here’s what you can do to enter:

1. Visit the Three Sisters Cereal website and let me know the name of a product you’d like to try.

2. Link back to this giveaway on your next post, and please make sure to comment letting me know you did so.

The giveaway ends Friday February 11, 2011 at midnight EST.

From My Heart to Your Belly

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Katharina

It was so interesting reading about some of your doshas! Laury had mentioned that one of her clients sees an Ayurvedic doctor who can tell what their patient ate simply by touching them. Wow! Imagine being that in-tune! I thought I’d share a link that you may find interesting, and who knows… it may help fill in some blanks: Ayurveda Info-center.

“The whole person-and the whole field of interpersonal behavior-can be spontaneously enhanced by the process of self-referral, or looking within to experience the Self. This is analogous to the natural process by which all the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit of a tree can be simultaneously nourished and enlivened by watering the root.“

I had some prepping to do last Friday, as we were having guests all the way from Germany. I didn’t want to stress out about it because first off, I didn’t have to! As I was cooking I made sure to have a clear mind, and good intentions. I just wanted everyone to be able to relax and enjoy when they ate. Not to mention, the whole house smelled divine!

: Pain D’Epice or French honey-spice bread

: This involved egg whisking.

: Anise!

: and other delicious spices and citrus zest.

: I also made a well for the whisked eggs and soy milk.

: Finger licking

: Oh that’s right! This has to go in the oven.

: Et Voila!

A deliciously sweet and aromatic bread–a bit burned around the edges but tasty nonetheless. I don’t think that many of you know that I’m quite the honey afficianado. I have honeys ranging in flavors from lavender to almond, as dark as molasses, local variations, and even artisanal raw honeycomb squares from Savannah Bee Company. It’s funny because most of these were gifts from friends.

: Then a mysterious package came in the mail.

: I have been eyeing these shoes all summer!

: I saw this as a sign to dress up and play hostess.

The guests would be arriving soon!

: And a goofy one for the heck of it!

: Our guests!

: Ivy’s sesame-coconut rice, yellow split pea dhal, and a spinach salad with avocado, blueberries, and lemon-balsamic vinaigrette.

This meal was so flavorful! My mom also made a coconut chicken curry with pineapple. The rice was my favorite though. I cooked some basmati rice with ghee and salt. Afterwards I fried the dried coconut and sesame seeds in more ghee. Once that was golden I mixed it in with the cooked rice. Wow! The ghee did so much for this dish. One of the guests said it was one of the best meals he’s ever had. Perhaps my good intentions really did work!

Yellow Split Pea Dhal

Spinach Salad with Avocado, Blueberries, Feta and Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette (I omitted the feta since I’m avoiding cheese for the time being)

: I made mango lassi for dessert!

: Cheers to a great meal m’lady.

: The next morning involved the French honey-spice bread topped with ghee + a bowl of Greek yogurt, fruits, and ground golden flaxseeds.

The bread reminded me of one of the Christmas cakes in Germany. Deliciously nostalgic.

: We also bought pan de bono, which is a delicious Colombian cheese bread.

: And one of my other favorites: arepa de choclo

Our guests fully enjoyed the breakfast! Actually, everyone did.

: Beans, beans…

“Soaking reduces excess dryness, calming the air element in foods and enhancing the water element. The added moisture supports the action of agni, digestive fire, on food, making foods easier for the body to break down. This beneficial Ayurvedic practice of soaking is used with beans, peas, nuts, some seeds, and dried fruits. Soaking is most often done overnight by simply covering the food with pure water and letting it sit, covered, until the morning.”

After soaking the beans for many hours, I cooked them with bay leaves. Once they were cooked I fried some onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Then added the beans and some sea salt. Simple, delicious, and very helpful for my liver.

: More legumes

I steamed some edamame, then sprinkled on some sea salt. I love eating them out of their shells.

: A bowl beaming with green!

This was a mix of kale and mustard greens. I massaged the greens with flaxseed oil, as Neela had suggested. This was very tasty and helped lessen the bitterness of raw kale. Speaking of kale, I found a really great recipe for kale and chard salad with blue cheese. Check it out!

“Kale contains sulphorane…which only becomes apparent when cruciferous veggies such as kale, cabbage and broccoli are chewed or chopped. But it’s what sulphorane does that’s important. It encourages the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, especially those connected to chemically-induced breast cancer and colon cancer.“

: I also massaged watercress and green cabbage shreds in flaxseed oil as well.

Watercress is in the same family as kale and mustard greens, so they have similar health benefits.

“Watercress juice is so concentrated with so much cleansing goodness that it activates the detoxifying enzymes in the liver for detoxifying a hangover.”

Watercress juice could be a party girl’s best friend!

Another interesting tid-bit I found from an article I read by Brendan Brazier about stress-reducing foods:

“Alkaline forming – leafy green vegetables, chlorella

Enzyme rich – raw fruits and vegetables

Hormone balancing – maca (Peruvian root vegetable)

High quality, complementary protein – hemp, yellow pea, brown rice

Rich in essential fatty acids – flax seeds”

Check, check, and check! I’ve actually been adding maca powder to my oats once they cool down due to my hormone imbalance; I struggle with too much testosterone. Right now, for me, I’m trying to eat most of my vegetables steamed or lightly (3-5 minutes) pan-fried with ghee to keep the nutrients. If I eat them raw, however, I massage them in oil so it’s easier for my dosha to handle. And it looks like I’ll be enjoying more yellow split pea dhal in my future!

Without further ado, here’s my video!

Giving Nature Credit

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Katharina

Hello everyone! So I survived the semester and I’m currently at the beach for the week with my ladies. First night was so much fun. I lost my Chat Roulette virginity. Let’s just say that we did our fair share if screaming in shock! I also may not be posting regularly since I’m at the beach and the day I get back is the day I fly to New York!

Anywho, there are a few beliefs I have and one of them is that I don’t think it should cost an arm and a leg to eat well. Especially when essentially most of the things I eat come straight from nature. I’d like to say that I eat well. When I say well I mean that I don’t sacrifice good taste just because something has nutritional value. Shots of wheat grass? No thank you. Maybe I’m a food snob, but I don’t care because I eat what I like and try new things as well. Sometimes I give things a second chance like my beloved brussels sprouts. And there are some things that I loved in my childhood that never get old. As a college student and a lover of food I’ve learned how to cook deliciously on a budget. I’ve learned that hummus is a cinch to make and usually ends up tasting better than what I get at the store–aside from Sabra’s miraculously creamy hummus. Some secrets are just too good to give out I guess. Oh well, I have a few of my own too!

: I made my own creamy tomato sauce recipe!

And I am definitely sharing this one! Although I must warn you that the measurements aren’t precise because as usual when I cook, I just put in things by my taste. Mine turned out more like an arrabiata (spicy sauce) since I was generous with the black pepper. Oh! And it’s also vegan. Since I didn’t have any creamer on hand I opted to make a vegan alternative I’ve done many a time and have loved each time: cashew cream.

Vegan Creamy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Canola oil for cooking

3/4 cup onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Sea salt

2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 grated carrot stick

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Sliced sun-dried tomatoes

A little less than 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

1/3 cup cashew cream

Fresh ground black pepper

Dried sweet basil and tarragon

1. Heat pan first then canola oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until onion is soft and beginning to turn golden.

2. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add tomato sauce, grated carrot, dried basil, tarragon, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring often for about 2 minutes. Add can of crushed tomatoes and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring often, until sauce reduces and is thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.

5. When sauce has thickened, remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in the cashew cream, and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Voila!

: I served the sauce with sautéed garlic, yellow squash, onion, mushrooms, and cannellini beans over penne pasta.

Up next…

: I also made another batch of granola!

Honey Cranberry-Almond Granola

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 tbl canola oil

1 tbl almond extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Shredded coconut

White chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the dried cranberries, shredded coconut, and white chocolate chips.

3. Spread out the granola on a nonstick baking sheet.

4. Bake the granola for about 30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes or so. Halfway through sprinkle on the shredded coconut when stirring. Remove from oven, allow to cool.

5. Once cool mix in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips

It’s so easy! I love coming up with combinations, and they’re perfect as yummy gifts. Just think of the flavors a loved one enjoys and make their very own mix. You can put it in a mason jar with a delightful tag, and I’m sure the lucky recipient will name their first-born after you.

: Almonds, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips is one of my favorite combinations.

And…

: Homemade hummus too?!

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup avocado oil

Sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water. Process until smooth.

2. Slowly add in the avocado oil. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

Serve with anything your heart desires.

Gosh it feels good to share my own recipes with you all again! During the semester it’s hard for me to actually sit down and think about that. Even though I’m an only child, I love to share. So being able to share these recipes is awesome–from my kitchen to yours!

Plates Full of Color

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Katharina

I swirled in some boysenberry jam. It was like a PB&J sandwich!

Another fun bowl of oats!

Today started out with a bang! It seems that’s how a lot of days end. What caused this explosion? I swirled some boysenberry jam in my oatmeal and it reminded me of a PB&J sandwich. I want to share Heather’s favorite bowl with everyone. It’s one of the best ideas ever! This “bowl” had another inspiration in it. I boiled my oats in chai tea just like Jemima. Yummy idea, girl!

Oats were served with peach slices, blueberries, and some special sauce I made.

I finally got around to baking something! I was looking through recipes and I settled on Angela’s doughnut recipe. However, I opted to make doughnut “holes”. I made a vanilla apple glaze for them. These were delicious! I can’t wait to try out some more of her recipes.

Cooling down.

Fully dressed and ready to go out on the town, or in my belly!

A wrap stuffed with beans, corn, eggplant, and tomato.

Can you feel the love?

A little pecan pie.

I saw the cutest little idea for a date the other day in a post from Erin on Care to Eat. A mini “pecan pie”! Let’s just say I wanted to go on another date, and another, and another… I basically ran out of dates. Uh… I should probably find myself a real boyfriend, huh?

My favorite grilled cheese sandwich recipe!

I discovered the most wonderful recipe in a magazine a few years ago when I hosted a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich party. Since I didn’t have pumpernickel bread, I just used what I had on hand.

Grilled Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Mango Chutney

2 slices pumpernickel bread
1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
2 slices cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mango chutney

1. Assemble the sandwich and grill until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

I mixed avocado oil and balsamic vinegar for the tomato slices, which were topped with a ginger “rose” and fresh oregano. In that cup on the left hand corner is an incredible protein smoothie my dad made. I’m not sure what was in it, but it was awesome! On the other plate is a Wasa rye crispbread with peanut butter spread on top and some blackberries.

And some delicious honey to smear on top of my peanut butter!

Tomato slices topped with chopped macadamias, fresh oregano, and an oil/vinegar blend.

I looked through my box of samples to look for the perfect pairing for my veggies. I decided on the Crispy Parmesan flavor to go with some TJ’s horseradish hummus. Since I’m doing a review I think it’s only fair to be honest. I wasn’t a big fan of this particular flavor. It just seemed to be lacking something, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Zucchini and almonds are so delicious together! My plate is making a face at me.

Goat cheese crumbles on top of the beans were a wonderful last minute decision.

I planned on going to the beach today, but I was too lazy to drive. Too lazy to drive? What is that you say? Instead I just lounged around by my pool and started reading the sixth Harry Potter book.

Matilda is my little poolside buddy!

I am now trying to even out my tan, no thanks to these shoes. They also happen to be my favorite!

365 Everyday Value®

So I thought buying things from the bulk bins were supposed to be cheaper than packaged items. Well, yesterday Whole Foods proved me wrong. Their private label 365 Everyday Value® is $3.00 cheaper per lb. for cashews. I don’t understand why, but it is what it is. I even checked online, and they were actually cheaper per lb. than any other website. I’m not sure if it’s like that for their other products, but I’m going to go back to Whole Foods to find out! I need to stock up on nuts anyway.

I made a chocolate banana shake using one of the samples Sun Warrior sent me.

The verdict? I wish I had more!

I found out that the folks at Sun Warrior are practically my neighbors. Convenient? Yes. Coincidence? No – just meant to be! I have yet to try the vanilla flavor.

I spot a TJ Maxx find.

Horseradish is so yummy! Only use a little bit though, it's some strong stuff!

I wore this shirt with my new shorts.

I met up with my best friend, Pilar, for coffee.

I usually don’t drink cold things, but today I was so glad they had iced cinnamon dolce latte… with soy! She ordered an iced chai latte. We walked to the library with a mission. I had to find Roald Dahl’s Matilda. I also picked up Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About when I Talk About Running.

I figure it's time to read the book one of my favorite movies is based on!

Matilda is one of my all time favorite movies. I’m not sure how many times I’ve watched it, but it never gets old! As a matter of fact, one of my projects in my first year of college was to recreate a movie. I suggested this movie to my group and everyone was okay with it. On top of that, they said I should be Matilda! Here’s the trailer I made for the project. I’m wasn’t too happy with the final outcome, but I had fun making it. And yes, my doggy is named after her!

Today when my mom came home she announced something that surprised me, and I still can’t believe it. Michael Jackson died earlier today. I know a lot of people are quick to judge him, that’s a part of human nature, but I try not to do that (with anybody). I can’t imagine the life he had and how I would’ve led mine if I were in his situation. I’d imagine I’d be very confused, but proud at the same time. Unfortunately, we lost a legend, but he had such an impact to the world of music and so many other things as well.

Let's end on a sweet note shall we?

Jenny inspired to come up with a concoction to go along with these yummy So-Delicious sandwiches. I found the neapolitan flavor the other day, and without question, I put it in my basket! This reminded me of a fresh banana split, but where’s the whipped cream? That would’ve been perfect.

Enter Iowa Girl Eat’s PURE bar giveaway!

Guess what tomorrow is?

Katharina's Food Adventures

Tag Archives: honey

In A Spaced Out Box

Simplicity in Nature

From My Heart to Your Belly

Giving Nature Credit

Plates Full of Color