Couscous with Sweet Potato and Dried Fruit

My part time job is being a server for a catering company. Yesterday, I worked at Material Cultures off of Wissahickon Ave for a 70th birthday party. Material Cultures is a store that sells art, textiles, antiques carpets and jewelry. All of the pieces at the store are so beautiful and are all so different. For example, in one corner, they have hundreds of Buddha heads and in the other, they have funky scarves.

The theme of the birthday party was Morocco. They served hummus, couscous, salmon, lamb Tagine and eggplant for dinner and for dessert, they had dozens of cakes and pies to choose from. The event was such a blast and best part, I got tons of leftovers. 

I was so inspired by the dishes from last night that I decided to make my own couscous dish for dinner tonight. Usually when I make couscous dishes, I make it with tons of vegetables and chicken but since I didn't have those ingredients available, I decided to make a vegetarian version of my couscous dish. 

Here is how I did it: 

Couscous with Sweet Potato and Dried Fruit 

Sweet potato: 

- 4 small sweet peeled sweet potatoes

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 1 tbs honey 

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1/4 tsp pepper

Couscous: 

- 3 cups of water 

- 1 1/4 cup couscous
- 1 tbs butter

- 1/4 cup raisons 

- 1/4 cup dried apricots 

- 1/4 cup dried prunes 

- 1 tsp cumin

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

- 1 vegetable bouillabaisse 

- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and cut them in half inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper and pore over the sweet potatoes. Toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil mixture until are all covered. Bake for 30 minutes until tender. 

In a pot, bring 3 cups of water, cumin, cinnamon and vegetable bouillabaisse to a boil. Chop up the prunes and apricot and add to the water as well as the raisons. Pour the couscous pearls and cover over low heat for about 10 minutes until the pearls have absorbed all of the liquid. 

Transfer the couscous to a larger bowl and add the sweet potatoes and pomegranate seeds. 

I love this dish because when you are cooking it in your kitchen, it makes the house smell so wonderful and when you eat it,  your mouth is dancing with rich spices and exotic flavors. The dried fruit soaks up the rich broth and makes them plump and absolutely mouth watering while the pomegranate seeds adds just enough acid to cut the richness of the dish. 

Anne

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins with Toasted Coconut

My favorite part of fall is all of the yummy food. I love drinking hot apple cider and eating pumpkin pie when the weather gets a little chillier. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite pie ever. Actually, anything thing that has to do with pumpkin flavors in the fall, I love. This year I just discovered the pumpkin spice coffee at WAWA and I fell in love with it! Needless to say,  I get it at least once a day.

Today I decided to make something with pumpkin, but I wanted to do something different. That is when I thought of making pumpkin quinoa muffins. I also love the taste of coconut with pumpkin so I added that in with my muffins. These muffins aren't too sweet and very healthy too!

Here is how I did it:

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins with Toasted Coconut 

Dry Ingredients: 
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut

Wet Ingredients: 
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract

On a baking sheet, spread 1/2 cup of coconut and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes until the coconut is toasted. In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, including the coconut.

In a separate bowl, combine all of your wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is fully incorporated.

Line a muffin tray with baking cups. Fill the cups to the top with batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut over each muffin. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. This makes 16 muffins. 

These muffins are a great alternative to breakfast. They are slightly sweet without being a dessert. They also are filling because of the quinoa. I recommend spreading pumpkin butter or homemade cinnamon butter (cinnamon and sugar mixed with salted butter) on them. 

Anne

"Greek" Pizza

My go to place to purchase my groceries is Trader Joes. They have such a large variety of healthy foods to choose from and they have products that I can never find anywhere else. I love to buy their edamame hummus and black bean salsa there! Every time I go food shopping I always pass by their pre-made pizza dough and I am always curious to try it. Last week when I went food shopping I finally made the jump and bought the whole wheat pizza dough to try it out. 

For my first attempt to make pizza, I decided to make my version of a "Greek" pizza. Basically anything that involves feta in it means it's Greek to me. I also added garlic roasted grape tomatoes that I made myself and frozen spinach. This pizza is so easy to make and is great for a day where you want to carb up! It also is great for any season because all of the ingredients can be purchased all year round. 

Here is how I did it: 

Ingredients:

- Trader Joes whole wheat pizza dough

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes

- 1 tbs chopped garlic

- 1 tbs olive oil

- 1 packed of frozen spinach

- 1/4 red onion

- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

- Salt and pepper 

-1/4 tsp hot pepper

- 1/4 tsp oregano 

Preheat your over to 400 degrees. On a baking tray, add cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes until the tomatoes burst. When you see that they are blistered, smash them with the back of a spoon. 

Place your spinach in the microwave for 4 minutes to defrost. Once the spinach is defrosted, squeeze out all of the extra liquid. 

Chop up your onion in thin slices and sauté with olive oil and salt and pepper until they are caramelized. 

Once all of your prep is done, roll out your pizza dough. Take out pizza dough 20 minutes before you roll it out so that it is room temperature. Roll it out with flour until it is 12 inches in diameter and place on a pizza tray. 

To assemble your pizza, first spread your roasted tomato mixture like you would tomato sauce. Sprinkle your spinach evenly around as well as the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble the feta evenly over the pizza and finally, sprinkle the Pecorino Romano cheese. Add the hot pepper and oregano at the end and for an added golden touch, drizzle olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. 

I wish I had a wood fire oven to make this pizza. You can never get the crust really crispy when you bake it in a regular oven. I recommend that if you want your crust extra crispy, place the dough in the oven for a couple of minutes before you put the toppings on so that the bottom of the pizza crisps up. The topping however are fabulous! The saltiness of the feta works perfectly with the sweetness of the dough. Also, the spinach makes you feel like you are eating a lot more then you actually are. This pizza is definitely a hit! 

Anne

Superfood Quinoa Salad

The other day, my best friend Taylor asked me to buy some ingredients for her while I was food shopping. She asked me to buy her the most random foods - kale, pomegranate seeds, and lemon. I wasn't sure what she was trying to make with all of these ingredients but I didn't bother asking. Little did I know, she would make the most delicious, filling, healthy salad ever!

The ingredients that I bought her were the ingredients she needed to make a salad that her mom found a recipe for. The recipe came off the a website called Glue and Glitter and it has four super food ingredients. I was immediately excited to try this salad because A). I LOVE Kale and B). I a huge fan a healthy recipes.

Superfood Quinoa Salad 

Here is how Taylor made it:

Ingredients: 
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 cube chicken/ vegetable bouillabaisse
- 2 cups chopped kale
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion

Cook the quinoa in water with the bouillabaisse. Taylor made hers with a rice cooker, but you can make it in a pot over the stove and cover it. Cook for 15-20 minutes. When the quinoa is cooked, place in a container and let it cool.

In a separate bowl, add chopped kale, pomegranate seeds, avocado and red onion. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pour over the kale mixture. Let it sit to marinate.

Once the quinoa is completely cooled, combine all of the ingredients and chill for an hour. You can serve the salad immediately or you can keep it chilled over night. The longer that it stays chilled, the better the flavors incorporate!

I LOVE this salad! It is a great to make in large batches and eat for days. It makes you full but it is also completely healthy! This can be a side salad with a piece a fish or you can make it a meal!

Anne

Lentil Stewp with Avocado

In celebration of the last day of summer and the beginning of fall, I decided to make a meal dedicated to both seasons. I love to make soups and stews because I can make a large batch and reheat it for other meals. Today, I decided to make lentil stewp (thicket then soup but thinner then stew) with pieces of avocado. The lentil stewp is to celebrate the coming of fall and the avocado is remind us of the summer.

Here is how I made it. 

Lentil Stewp: 

- 1 tbs olive oil

- 1 onion

- 1/2 pound of celery 

- 1 bell pepper 

- 8 cups of broth 

- 3 cups lentil 

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

Place a deep pot over heat and add your olive oil. Chop up your onions and sauté in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Chop up your celery and bell pepper and add it to the onion. (You can add carrots or any type of vegetables you like to your stewp, I happen to have only celery and a bell pepper left in my fridge so thats what I used). Sauté your vegetables for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. 

Pour 3 cups of lentils in with the vegetables and pour 8 cups of broth. Add in garlic powder and cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the lentils have absorbed all of the broth. Serve with sliced avocado. 

The majority of what I eat is vegetarian so I made my stewp with vegetable broth and kept it 100% vegetarian. You can use chicken stock if you prefer the taste. I also like to add chili pepper flakes to give it a kick! The avocado really works well with this stewp because it adds a cool and creamy texture to the stewp. This is a great meal for when it gets cold but it also is light enough to enjoy in the warmer months.

Pure Fare

One of my favorite things to do on my free time is look up fun new places to go out to eat. During my internship, I found so many fun cafes and restaurants all around center city. I would pack my lunch every day except for fridays so I could venture to new places.

Today, I met one of my friends for lunch who I haven't seen in forever. I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to try out a new place for lunch. I did some research on Yelp before we met and found this place called Pure Fare located between Walnut and Samson on 21st street.

When we first arrived, I got the impression that it was closed or there was construction but when we walked inside, I felt like I was back in France. There was a large wooden dinning table in the middle of the cafe and the decor was very rustic and absolutely beautiful. All of the signs were written in chalk which added an even more homey feel. I immediately felt right at home.

When I looked at the menu, I fell in love! All of their food is local and organic, two of my favorite things. Everything is freshly made and absolutely delicious. They had soup, salads, sandwiches and small bites to choose from. I ordered the raw brussels sprout salad with orange and raw cashews and the quinoa skillet bread which has zucchini, red onion, bell pepper, chives and eggs. I was in heaven. All of the food was so light and delicious, I could eat there every day.

The best part though was desert! They had soft serve which is probably my favorite sweet thing to eat. But it wasn't soft serve, it was VEGAN chocolate coconut soft serve and real vanilla greek yogurt. Of course I couldn't pick between both so I got a swirl which was even better! The vegan chocolate coconut soft serve was made out of coconut milk, chocolate chunks and agave. It was light and sweet and was the perfect ending to a perfect meal!

I definitely recommend that you check this place out! If you are looking for something light and quick, this is the perfect place to go.

Anne

Homemade Matzo Ball Soup!

Last night I went to my aunt and uncles home for Rosh Hashanah dinner. I had a wonderful night spending time with my family and eating delicious Jewish food! We had Matza ball soup, Challah, chicken, briquet, sweet potatoes and much much more. My favorite part of the meal the Matza ball soup! My aunt makes the best soup ever! Her secret ingredient is sweet potatoes. I always have  hard time to fight the urge to go back for seconds or thirds but I hold back since I know there is plenty of more yummy food to come.

That night, I left my aunts house pleasantly full and inspired to make my own Matza Ball soup. So this afternoon, I made myself my own version of the soup. Here is how I did it.

What you need: 
- Non stick pot
- Peeler
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife

Chicken Soup: 
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 large chicken breasts (with or without bone)
- 2 medium onions
- 1/2 pound of carrots
- 1/2 pound of celery
- 6 cups of water
- 1 vegetable bouillon
- Salt and pepper to taste

Matza ball:
- 2 packets of Matza ball soup mix
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbs olive oil

Heat your non stick pot with 2 tbs of olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over your chicken breast and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Pour 6 cup of water over your chicken breast and cover with a lid. Let the chicken and water boil for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken falls apart. Remove the chicken from the pot.

Peal your carrots. Chop onions, carrots and celery about 1/2 an inch thick. Place your chopped vegetables and vegetable bouillon in the water. Cook for 30 minutes.

While your vegetables are cooking, make your Matza balls. Pour the contents of two Matza packets into a bowl. Mix in 4 large eggs and 2 tbs of olive oil and stir until the mixture is incorporated. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Roll the Matza mix into little balls and place in the soup as well as the shredded chicken. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the balls have doubled in size.

You can serve the soup as a started or you can have it as your meal. I like to sprinkle in hot red pepper and freezer dried corn to add an added kick and a crunch. It is the perfect meal to serve on a cold and rainy evening! Enjoy!

Anne