Cooking With a Muffin Pan

Up until recently I thought the only thing you could to with cupcake/muffin pans is make cupcakes and muffins. What a discovery it was when I read The Daily Dish (my best friend, Shari’s blog) recently and suddenly felt inspired to think “outside the pan,” if you will.

Cooking traditional recipes in a muffin pan is a great way to portion control and also put a new spin on things. It’s also an efficient way to cook things in “grab-n-go” style so that you always have something to munch on. Below are some of the initial muffin pan ideas I have tried along with a few ideas I have for testing in the future. If you have any more I’d love to hear them!

Tried and True:

Going off of Shari’s blog post, I made my own version of grab-n-go breakfast quiches.

• First I minced some mushrooms and broccoli and cooked up about ½ lb of white meat ground turkey
• I then combined a mixture of these ingredients in each muffin circle with one egg white and a very small amount of cheddar cheese.
• I didn't use the muffin cups as Shari did, but I did spray the pan with fat-free Pam first, and then I baked the quiches for about 20 minutes at 350°.
• I love this idea because you can do SO many different combinations of veggies, cheeses and meats, and they stay good for up to about 5 days – just microwave for about 30 seconds! Perfect breakfast for the work week!

Also inspired by Shari, I recently made my own spin on her famous mac-and-cheese recipe portioned out within the muffin circles.

• First I cooked about ½ a box of whole wheat shell pasta, baked about 1 lb of thin-sliced chicken cutlets seasoned with salt, pepper and chili powder (for about 20 minutes at 350°), and minced some broccoli
• Once the pasta and chicken cooled, I cut the chicken into small cubes and combined with the pasta along with salt, pepper, the broccoli and enough egg whites to coat the mixture
• Once all combined I mixed in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• I then portioned the mixture throughout the muffin circles and topped each one with a little more cheese.
• Finally, I baked the mac-and-cheese for about 25 minutes at 350° and then enjoyed – delicious!
• This recipe is a great option for portion-controlled lunches that touch on almost all the food groups – protein, carbs, dairy and vegetables!

Some Other Ideas:

• Playing off the mac-and-cheese recipe above, I want to try an Italian version with ingredients you might find in a chicken parm dish (pasta, chicken, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce)
• I would like to play with a beef stew/french onion soup version of the recipe cooked with small noodles, beef, onions and gruyere cheese.
• I plan to play with a Mexican version of this recipe, which would combine ingredients such as ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, peppers and beans

Follow me on Twitter @THFoodieNYC for updates on how these new ideas “pan” out!

THF Monthly Mix: September 2011

I know, I know - I have left you hanging without a Monthly Mix for almost 6 months. I'm sorry! Here I will (sort of) make up for it by giving you an extended list. Give this a try while doing cardio or weights at the gym, and you're sure to stay motivated and go the distance. Enjoy! And I promise, it won't be so long before I post another!

For background on this series, read here.

• Last Friday Night - Katy Perry
• Little Secrets - Passion Pit
• I Wanna Go - Britney Spears
• Love on Top - Beyonce
• Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol
• Right There - Nicole Scherzinger featuring 50 Cent
• Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw
• Born This Way - Lady Gaga
• You Make Me Feel - Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
• Yeah Yeah Yeah - The Sounds
• Give Me Everything - Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer)
• Yeah X3 - Chris Brown
• E.T. - Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
• Boomerang - DJ Felli Feli
• Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) - Foster The People
• Marry The Night - Lady Gaga (Zedd Remix)
• Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
• Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
• Run the World (Girls) - Beyonce
• It's My Life/Confessions - Cast of Glee

Restaurant Review: Dirt Candy

While I love to eat most things and try almost anything once, my wonderful mother is the complete opposite. She is a “vegetarian” – which I put in quotes because she does eat chicken, not because she wants to, but she feels she has to in order to maintain a healthy diet (which isn’t true, but that’s another story).

Since my mom is always inclined to accommodate my need to go on dining adventures rather than just out to dinner, during her visit to New York this week I wanted to take her on a dining adventure that might be a little more fit for her. Enter Dirt Candy – one of the only Michelin-recommended vegetarian restaurants in America.

Let me start by saying that I greatly enjoyed my Dirt Candy experience, and so did my “vegetarian” mother. The food was delicious, the presentation was gorgeous, and New York Press was right when they said, “Dirt Candy is a restaurant where meat eaters and vegetarians can order side-by-side and leave feeling like they’ve experienced something special.”

The one hang up I have about Dirt Candy was the “health” factor. I honestly went there thinking that if it’s vegetarian, it must be healthy, but at Dirt Candy this is not the case. Again, the food was delicious, but it was very rich and heavy, and often deep fried. All in all, a great experience, but not one that will fit into your healthy regimen. I actually found this interesting because on their website Dirt Candy explains its name saying, “What is dirt candy? Vegetables, of course. When you eat a vegetable you’re eating little more than dirt that’s been transformed by plenty of sunshine and rain into something that’s full of flavor.”

If it’s so full of flavor, why mask it with heavy cream and breading? That’s just my opinion, though! At the end of the day, I say go for it on your diet day off. Just be sure to make arrangements via OpenTable in advance. There are only about 20 seats in the place and they book up fast.

Here are some pictures of the items I tried and enjoyed (sorry they’re a little dark!). 

Atlanta Food Porn

My big summer vacation this year was down to Georgia where I enjoyed quality time with my soon-to-be extended family, @QueenbeeFL, @GaryPatriot and @Shanntastical, and of course @Jerpdavis. The majority of our time in Georgia was spent in Blue Ridge where we enjoyed mountain activities, cabin Olympics and daily cocktail hour. We also spent some time in Atlanta, where @Shanntastical lives, where we had a chance to indulge in some serious southern eats.

If I wrote about each of the awesome things we ate in Atlanta, this post would be FOREVER. If I left some things out, that would just be unfair to you. Thus, please see all the food porn pics below. If you don’t have your flight to Atlanta booked by the time you finish, then I have failed. I apologize in advance for showing some half-eaten pictures. Enjoy!

Nothing better to cool you down in Hotlanta than an Arnold Palmer ice pop from King of Pops. Mouth. Watering.

One of the best meals of my life was at Holeman and Finch. These are the photo highlights from our meal, which included Deviled Eggs, H&F Hotdog, Bone Marrow, Beef Tartare, Pork Belly Buns, Homemade Carbonara, their famous Burger and more. Definitely stop in when you’re in Atlanta. They don’t take reservations, so expect to wait it out.

As New Yorkers visiting the great state of Georgia, we couldn’t resist a restaurant called Empire State South, where Hugh Acheson of Top Chef Masters is Chef/Partner. Here we indulged with Pimento Cheese with Bacon Marmalade, La Quercia Prosciutto, Braised Rabbit, Squash Gratin and more.

I stole this picture from Blissful Glutton because I didn't take my own. Bocado is home to Atlanta’s reigning best burger for good reason. Here @ATLChef, who is a friend of @Shanntastical’s, made for me the best burger and best heirloom tomato salad I ever had. 

I’m cheating a little here too. I went to Flip on a different trip to Atlanta, but had to include it because it’s that good and I am a huge Richard Blais fan. I’m not going to compare to Bocado for you because I am biased to @ATLChef – you’ll just have to go try them both for yourself!

Spice it up! THF Top Ten Spices for Your Kitchen

One of the biggest challenges when eating healthy is finding flavor that does not come with added calories. The best trick in the book is to use regular kitchen spices to punch up flavor, keep your waistline happy and not completely break the bank.

Yes, buying small containers of spices at the store can sometimes lead to sticker shock, however I assure you the ROI is worth it and it’s WAY less expensive (and wasteful) than buying fresh spices that go bad after only a few days.

I typically use grocery store spices to make different types of “rub” that create delicious, healthy chicken dishes. I do this by placing the chicken on a cookie sheet, dressing it with a small amount of olive oil and then sprinkling it thoroughly with spices. I bake the chicken for 25 minutes or so at 350°, and then serve with brown rice and fresh vegetables to create a well-rounded, delicious meal for less than around $10 (for two people).

Here I list for you my choices for the top ten spices to always have in your kitchen. Not included here are salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder (SPOG) since these four are likely already in your kitchen. Next to each spice I have listed other spices you could combine it with to make your perfect rub! Enjoy!

• Italian Medley (Combine with SPOG for any Italian dish)
• Crushed Red Pepper (Add to the Italian Medley above to spice it up)
• Cayenne Pepper (Add to anything you’re wanting to make spicy)
• Chipotle Pepper (Adds a smoky spice – I use with SPOG in guacamole)
• Chili Powder (Combine with the above two peppers and SPOG when making fajitas!)
• Cumin (Combine with SPOG, Chili Powder, cornstarch and lime juice to make a delicious sauce)
• Chef Paul's Blackened Redfish Magic (use on its own – delicious!)
• McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (can also be used on its own)
• Rosemary (combine with SPOG on chicken, or with Cayenne Pepper and Cumin on sweet potatoes)
•  Thyme (combine with SPOG or even Rosemary, also delicious with a hint of lemon)

Most Important Meal of the Day

Growing up we’re told breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As adults, breakfast tends to become a lost meal. Whether we’re running late to work during the week or sleeping in on the weekends, I’m willing to bet most “grown-ups” don’t eat for the first time each day until 11am or even later, even though most of us are up and running much earlier.

To give a little breakfast back story, according to WebMD, breakfast eaters tend to weigh less, snack less, and have higher levels of concentration and better performance throughout the day. Breakfast eaters also have higher energy and motivation levels, which can help with staying on top of your workout routine.  The most important ingredient? Protein, protein, protein, which satisfies hunger more than any other food type.

For a very long time I was a victim of the “no breakfast” trend. I would set my alarm earlier so I would have time to drink my coffee and eat a bowl of cereal before leaving the house, but time and again I just hit “snooze.” I realized I needed something on the go and delicious that I could look forward to eating each day.

In honor of spring, I decided to purchase a blender so I could make fruit smoothies and drink them during my morning walk to work. It was on the expensive side, but I invested in a KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender.

After about three weeks I can confirm that it was totally worth it. Yes, I need to wake up 10 minutes earlier to make the smoothies, and yes, I need to wash the blender every day, but between the delicious taste and the clear health benefits, it’s all time very well spent. I even bought the reusable smoothie cup below for easy on-the-go consumption. All of the above is dishwasher safe.

You can definitely switch out the types of fruit used to change up the flavor, but here is what I use to make the smoothies (enough for two people to have breakfast, or you can half the recipe for one person):

Ingredients:

6 large ice cubes

10 frozen strawberries

2 fresh bananas

2 very large scoops of 0% Fage yogurt

2 scoops of GNC brand Whey Protein (vanilla ice cream flavor)

2 packets of Splenda

½ cup of water (more or less as desired)

Preparation:

1. First use the “crush ice” speed to crush the ice cubes and frozen strawberries

2. Once those ingredients are crushed, add in the bananas and yogurt, and use the “puree” speed to blend

3. After blending, add in the protein and Splenda, and use a combination of the “mix,” “puree” and “liquefy” speeds to create a smooth consistency – you may need to stop every couple seconds and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides

4. Last you’ll add in the water and use the “mix” speed to achieve desired thickness

5. Enjoy!

Trying and Loving Pilates

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have made it a personal goal to try a new form of exercise every month. I do this because I think it's very important to change up your workout routine as often as possible to keep from getting bored. This month I tried Pilates and LOVED it. I actually think enjoying it as much as I did might make trying new things more of a challenge because I won't want to do anything else.

To quote Wikipedia on what exactly Pilates is, the method, "uses the mind to control the muscles, and seeks to increase the strength, flexibility and control of the body." Some Pilates is done on a mat using various "props" such as a block or elastic bands, and other forms of Pilates are done using equipment. I have only tried mat Pilates to date and really enjoyed it - it's all about using your own resistance to tone your body.

As someone who does not like weight training, Pilates is a great solution for really tightening vs. constantly doing cardio. I have NEVER been so sore as the morning after my first Pilates class. As the saying goes, pain is gain, so I have continued to do some of the Pilates moves at the gym on my own, and I continue to feel the same results. If you ask me, that's how you know you got a good workout - when it hurts afterward. Hurts so good.

To get started on my Pilates journey I bought a package deal (via LivingSocial) for Gramercy Pilates Fitness (GPF) and have two classes remaining. Once I finish that up I will purchase their beginners package, which is 4 classes for $99. As you can see, it is quite expensive, so I plan to switch off between classes at this facility and perhaps Sixth Street Pilates, which is more affordable and much closer to my apartment.

Side note about GPF, the great thing about this facility (and why I don't mind spending the money) is that the classes are extremely small - I'm talking 3 to 5 people. So even though it's not a private session, it is intimate and you do get a lot of focus from the instructor. If you decide to try this place do a class with Megan - she was awesome. Another great thing about this Pilates studio is how nice it is. The equipment is all brand new and the space is huge.

Anyway, I highly recommend that you try Pilates if you're looking for a new and challenging form of exercise. It makes me really feel results and feel like I am doing to change my body and my fitness for the better.