Love the ingredients, not the food.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Written on April 6, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I love Summer. More honestly I love cookouts, grilling, Summer foods, and ice cream weather, but it’s easier to just say “I love Summer”. This recipe reminds me of Summer foods. It’s good hot or cold, sweet with a little savory, and oh so easy to make. It kind of reminds me of baked beans that you spend all day cooking except the whole thing comes together in 20 minutes! Winner, winner, chicken bean dinner.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
1 can pinto bean
1 can cannellini beans
1 onion, julienned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for finishing(optional)

Combine all of the different beans in a large bowl.

Caramelize the onion by cooking it over medium heat in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil for 10-15 minutes. When the onion has turned translucent and slightly crusty, remove from the heat and add to the beans.

While the onions are caramelizing, reduce the balsamic vinegar to about half its original volume in a small sauce pan over another burner set to low-medium or medium heat. You want the vinegar to reduce to a molasses consistency but not overboil and turn into a taffy. If it does reduce too much, remove from the heat and stir in some hot water to thin.

Add the reduced vinegar, honey, salt and extra virgin olive oil if using to the beans and onions. Mix well until the sauce coats all of the beans. Serve hot or cold.

If this is any indication, it’s going to be a tasty Summer.

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Raspberry Fudge Sauce

Written on April 5, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

After I baked this cake recipe for my birthday, the cake looked good but a little plain so I decided to throw together something for the top. I love the pairing of raspberries with chocolate so I decided to make a raspberry chocolate sauce to go on top. I had no clue how it would turn out but I’m happy to report it was perfect. Heated, the sauce is easy to work with and at room temperature it hardened to a semi-soft, fudge consistency which was easy to cut through. It was great on cake but would be good over ice cream, too.

Raspberry Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

2/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup(or any liquid sweetener)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the raspberries over low heat in a sauce pan until they’ve reduced to about half their volume and cooked down to a sauce.

Toss in the chocolate chips, butter, maple syrup, and salt and mix until the butter and chocolate chips have melted. Frost or scoop over ice cream while the sauce is still warm and liquid.

I should have made extra to eat with a spoon; one year older, still not wise enough.

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Burnt Caramel Sweet Potato Mash

Written on April 4, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

April 1st 037

I try not to oversell anything. Just this once I’m going to tell you this is one of the best recipes of the year, and it’s only April. I’ve never made mashed sweet potato because I thought “How can you improve on a roasted sweet potato?” Oh, you definitely can. Burning the caramel adds a bitter flavor which balances out with the natural and added sugars. The taste is totally unique and even if your guests can’t tell what it is they’re bound to love it.

Burnt Caramel Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mashed or pureed sweet potatoes*
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup milk
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
Nuts for garnish(optional)

*I would recommend either roasting your own sweet potatoes or buying the canned puree kind. Microwaved sweet potatoes tend to be too starchy and not sweet enough after cooking.

Combine the butter, sugar, and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Keep mixing the ingredients until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Continue boiling until the caramel starts to burn and turn a light brown. Err on the side of caution and go on to the next step as soon as it starts browning, but mine turned a little too black and still tasted fine in the end.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sweet potato, milk, and salt. Mix. Return to the heat until the dish is hot enough to serve.

Paula Deen would be so proud. I love the uniqueness the burnt caramel adds to the flavor; you can tell it’s not maple syrup or just plain sugar that sweetens this. It was especially good with the richness of the pecans on top. It’s the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, but I really hope you don’t wait that long to try it.

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10 Things My Marathon Taught Me

Written on April 3, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Running

1. Now is the time to eat those cupcakes.

I’m an avid believer in carboloading for anything. Got a big test? Carboload. It’s a Tuesday night? Carboload. 11am? Carboload. But for racing it’s actually encouraged and socially acceptable, so grab a few friends and dig into dessert together.

2. Don’t plan anything for the rest of the day. Or week.

I was most sore immediately following my race(actually, I was really sore miles 20-26 but I don’t think that counts). I walked like I was in a Western and looked bad enough for people to give me their seat on the train. Looking back, planning a lunch and dinner after the race was a little overambitious. I’d recommend planning a day in bed with a Law and Order: SVU marathon(that’s my kind of marathon).

3. A kickass playlist really does matter.

I don’t know how people run a whole marathon without headphones. I’d get bored and probably quit at mile 4. Music really helps me zone out and push forward. A lot of time I had this conversation in my head: “Another hill? I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think…*Britney Spear’s new single begins to play* I’ve got it in me. I can do this.”

4. Porta Potties are hot commodities.

At my marathon there were about 15,000, and that many people needed to use the bathroom. I should have waited in one of the lines at the start line because even with porta potties every other mile they were filled up. Eventually I stopped and just waited in one of the lines because when you have to go you have to go. I learned you need to practice and plan your bathroom breaks as much as you do for the running.

5. Vanilla bean GU is freaking delicious.

I was always under the impression GU was a nasty, vile mix of chemicals with a taste to match. It’s still a mix of chemicals, but I was shocked at mile 18 when I had my first taste of it and thought it was better than anything I’ve baked lately. It actually tastes like vanilla beans! I grabbed extra and have been hoarding them since the race for a night I want them as dessert… I hope I’m not the only one.

6. A good cheering crowd makes all the difference.

The loneliest miles were the ones without people shouting and cheering on the side lines. Even the people who don’t know you support you through the endeavor and that’s worth more than anything. I can’t thank enough the people who stood in the cold holding signs that said “You have a nice ass” and “That’s What She Said” shouting “This is as hard as it gets”. I do and it was.

7. The last thing you need after running a marathon is someone to surprise you with a camera to capture how miserable you look.

3008 Course

Race pictures are a cruel joke. Nobody looks good in them because you don’t expect it and don’t have time to prepare. Instead, get a friend to wait by the finish line to take your picture as you pose for free. Bonus points if they bring wet wipes to wash your face and make you look halfway decent.

8. A marathon medal goes with anything.

Whether you’re wearing a sweatshirt, jacket, denim(don’t wear denim) the marathon medal is going to match it for that weekend so wear it proudly. Just remember to take it off at airport security; they get touchy about things like that.

9. You’re going to be hungry for the next week.

Just go with it.

10. You’re going to want to do another one.

I’ve already forgotten how much it all hurt, how I’m actually still injured, how it sucked to stay in Friday nights to dedicate Saturday morning to long runs, and how much it all costs. 5 days after running my first marathon I went ahead and signed up for my second. What was I thinking?

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The Dog Days of Winter

Written on April 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Restaurant Review

Today is April 2nd and there is snow on the ground.

But on Wednesday it was bright and sunny at the temperature almost hit 50! That’s about as close to any dog day we’ve gotten. I spent the day in Boston with one of my best friends from high school. After about 3 hours of walking, we stopped at The Asgard in Cambridge for lunch.

I scoped out the one thing on the menu that was vegan/gluten-free and ordered that(I’m not vegan, I just pretend to be 90% of the time). When I asked for a salad without meat the waitress was shocked. Apparently pubs don’t get a lot of vegetarians(again, I’m not, I just pretend).

The salad was really good. It came with chickpeas and grilled vegetables. The reduced balsamic vinegar made it all come together.

Of course after 3 hours of walking there was no way I wasn’t ordering pub fries.

These were definitely the best part of the meal, especially smothered in salt and ketchup. They should just add a french fries salad to the menu and I’d be all over that.

I promise I was much more happy than I look.

And then there were actual dogs!

We borrowed these dogs from their owner and walked them around Cambridge and Boston. They had much more energy than we did. I was tempted to steal one but something about running down Comm. Ave holding a dog with people chasing me would have been a little obvious. We gave them back and the dog day was over, and everyone sang Florence and the Machine happily ever after.

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Cannellini Salad With Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes

Written on April 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Some days you just need a salad, especially when that day starts out with a cake hangover. This is a retake on a salad I had at Pizza Paradiso the night before my marathon. The flavors were so simple and fresh that I knew it wouldn’t be hard to recreate. To make it vegan I used nutritional yeast in the parmesan dressing and it came out just as tangy. Now how many more of these will I have to eat to balance out the cake?

Cannellini Salad With Artichokes and Sundried Tomatoes

Ingredients(Makes 2 entrees or 4 salad portions):

2 cups mixed greens
1 can cannellini beans
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
8 artichoke hearts, halved
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon parmesan or nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar, parmesan, salt, and black pepper and whisk until emulsified.

In a large bowl, toss the mixed greens with the dressing.

Add in the sundried tomatoes, beans, and artichokes and mix until combined. Top with additional parmesan and/or crushed red pepper flakes.

I loved all of the flavors in this. The dressing had the perfect kick from vinegar and brininess from the nutritional yeast. And the red pepper flakes gave it a spicy touch. But my favorite part was probably the sundried tomatoes; I always forget how much better those are than regular tomatoes.

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Italian Quinoa With Fava Beans

Written on March 31, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Quinoa is the perfect canvas for any recipe. You can add flavors from any culture, any sort of ingredients and have it be delicious, cohesive, and filling. This was my first time trying fava beans and I loved how their meaty texture matched the sundried tomatoes and olives. This has quickly become a new favorite potluck dish.

Italian Quinoa With Fava Beans

Ingredients(Makes 3-4 servings):

1 dry cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup diced black olives
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
1 can fava beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add more water if need be.

Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix while fluffing the quinoa. Serve hot or cold.

Am I wrong to think you must serve this with a nice chianti? You can skip the liver though.

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Oh, The People You Will Meet

Written on March 30, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I promise I ate more than just cupcakes in DC. This past weekend was filled with meeting some of my favorite bloggers bonding over what else but food.

Sana was my DC guide for all of Friday and Saturday. We met at the Healthy Living Summit and keep in touch ever since. Saturday night we had dinner at our agreed favorite restaurant ever: Whole Foods.

The Arlington Whole Foods had an impressive salad bar collection. Resisting buying 5lbs of food, I got dressed kale, grilled asparagus salad, steak fajita filling(my first taste of red meat in 3 months), and herb roasted potatoes. It was almost all delicious, except for the cilantro in the asparagus and the fajita filling; I hate cilantro. Yep, this restaurant is going to go places.

And then of course there was Holly and Madeline. You can read all about our adventures here. Early on Friday Holly tweeted that she would jump on me the moment she saw me and sure enough during the race expo she leapt right for me. I like a person who is true to their tweets.

Saturday for lunch, Gena set up a small group to meet at Sweetgreens. Getting to this lunch was motivation through my entire marathon. It was so fun chatting with Sana, Matt, Anne, and Gena for two hours; the conversation flowed like we had just gotten together last week even though it was only our second or first time meeting.

It’s the No Meat Athlete! I can die happy. If it looks like I’m laughing painfully it’s because Sana had just made an inappropriate joke.

Friday night for our pre-race dinner a bunch of racers went to Pizza Paradiso to carboloading. There I got to meet Beth, Sarah, Alex, Mindy, and Christine for the first time.

Ordering gluten-free at a pizza restaurant is never easy but lucky for me there was an awesome salad on the menu with cannellini beans, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and a parmesan dressing. I need to recreate this at home!

Saturday night Emily put together a great meet-up at Northside Social(ps. If you’re ever there, order the “street nuts”). There were so many people there it was hard to talk and get a picture with everyone; I’m glad Emily snapped this photo of Caitlin and I. She’s epic and just as personable as you’d imagine.

And last but certainly not least:

Just kidding. Abe Lincoln isn’t a blogger.

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Happy Birthday To Me

Written on March 29, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Holiday

I used the cake from this recipe…

…and then improvised a raspberry fudge sauce….

Next year I’m adding booze.

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Cupcake Tour of DC

Written on March 28, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Restaurant Review

When you’re a foodie, the best part of visiting a new city isn’t the historical monuments or the shopping centers. It’s the food—more specifically, the cupcakes.

My partners in crime, Holly and Madeline share this same sentiment. After over a year of ~~stalking~~ reading there blogs I was ecstatic to finally meet both of them. On Friday after finding each other at the race expo we down to Georgetown to Georgetown Cupcakes.

If you aren’t aware of the gem of a reality show that is DC Cupcakes you really should be. The TLC show focuses on two sisters who opened up a cupcake bakery and… well, that’s the entire premise. But I promise it’s funny. The storefront offered some amazing sounding flavors. I was most surprised when I saw they had a gluten-free lava fudge cupcake for me!

This might have been the best cupcake I have ever eaten: a chocolate cupcake with a vanilla cream cheese frosting and a fudge sauce filling. The filling was delicious and entirely unexpected. And the cupcake part didn’t taste starchy at all which can be a problem with gluten-free baked goods. But the best part was the frosting; Madeline and I both agreed that we would have bought a tub of the frosting if they sold that.

On Sunday the three of us headed to Sticky Fingers Bakery for breakfast. The owner of the bakery won season 1 of Cupcake Wars on Food Network(another show that I admit is awful and yet 100% addicting). Sticky Fingers is an all vegan café with plenty of gluten-free options, too.

I ordered the gluten-free pancake plate which came with maple syrup, tofu scramble, and vegan grits.

Simply put, the pancakes were amazing. They were thin but the taste and texture were dead on. They even soaked up the maple syrup perfectly. I have no idea how they made these without eggs or gluten but I want the recipe.

The vegan grits came with Daiya cheese. I’m still not even sure what grits are or how these were made. They were filling and tasted OK but could have used a pinch more of salt.

Sticky Fingers was definitely a winner in my book.

On the way out we all grabbed some cupcakes. I meant to save it for the bus ride to the airport but ended up eating it at 11am. Hey, I did run a marathon the day before.

I got the gluten-free chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting. The cupcake itself was excellent and reminded me a lot of Georgetown Cupcake’s gluten-free cupcake. The frosting, however, was a little boring and just tasted generically sweet. I enjoyed Georgetown Cupcake’s cupcake more but if I were vegan I would not at all mind settling for Sticky Fingers. My only wish would be that cupcake stores make more interesting gluten-free flavors than chocolate(I swear I ordered it both times not because I’m a chocoholic but because that’s all there was).

I have to say thanks to my hungry companions, Holly and Madeline, for the awesome time! The only question left is what city should we hit up next?

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