Reading Food Labels + Lemony Garlic Spaghetti Squash

It has been awhile since I have last posted, and I apologize greatly (again, I know). You all have been asking me to update my blog, and I promise I want to! I'm cooking everyday, it's just so easy to get caught up in the rush of my life, and sometimes I need to remind myself to take a moment to just sit down and write. I've been experimenting with a lot of new tools and flavors recently, so hopefully I will be having some interesting recipes coming your way in a more steady stream of posts.

To get the ball rolling, I decided to post a very simple recipe. Sometimes I forget that not everyone likes to spend all day chopping and preparing like I do, so I thought it might be nice to include a recipe for those who like to keep it easy.

Now before I begin with the recipe, I wanted to go ahead and talk a little bit about food labeling. I know I have touched on it before, but as I'm out shopping or getting food with people, I begin to realize more and more that people don't read labels. Or, rather, they don't know how to read food labels or know which labels to read. Half of the reason this blog exists is because I want to educate others on nutrition, so I've put together some tips o what you need to know about food labels:

• A label that says "NATURAL" means nothing. There are no official FDA guidelines for "natural," and plenty of junk foods slap a "natural" label on the front to attract customers. What people need to pay the most attention to are the ingredients on the back as well as the fat, sugar, and sodium content. Remember, not all calories are created equal, so that's not always the best way to solely judge your food. 

• Look out for hidden sugars: I mentioned this in my previous post, but I wanted to elaborate and emphasize that hidden sugars occur in many places other than just sweets. This can include anything from tomato sauce, meats, chips, etc. Especially look out in fruit juices and teas. I was out with a friend recently and he went to purchase a tea that said naturally sweetened with honey. Sounds great, but in addition to honey, it was also sweetened with cane sugar. Why is sugar so bad? Sugar is the root of many diseases, both physical and mental, and also contributes to weight gain and mood disorders.

• That being said, ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity. In the tea mentioned above, cane sugar was the second ingredient, and water was the first. That means that "tea" is actually mostly sugar water. Keep this in mind when you read ingredients. Maybe sugar is added, but if it is at the very end, it may just be very little. 

Now onto the fun stuff: Spaghetti Squash! If you've never had it before, now might by the time to fall in love. The spaghetti squash isn't butternut squash or acorn squash made into spaghetti. It's its own squash that when sliced and baked (or microwaved) can be scooped out to be made into a spaghetti-like dish that tastes pretty darn good if you ask me. 

While the consistency is a little different than spiralized vegetables, and I can't quite vouch that it tastes exactly the same as spaghetti, it's an amazing vegetable that can be used as a pasta substitute in a variety of ways. It's great for bakes, used with tomato sauce, or tossed with other vegetables. 

It's pretty simple to make, and it is full of great nutrients such as vitamin A and C. It's also a great source of fiber, and you don't get all the carbs you would from eating regular pasta (which means, of course, significantly less calories.

Simple Lemony Garlic Spaghetti Squash

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

4 large cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of basil, chopped

Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese

2 small lemons

1. Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and seeds from the top. 

2. There are two ways to cook the spaghetti squash. The first is to place the squash face down atop tinfoil and place in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. The second is to put a tablespoon of water into the spaghetti squash when it's right side up, and cook in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes. Once the spaghetti squash is thoroughly cooked, you should be able to easily scoop out the entire squash it should be soft.

3. While the squash is cooking, finely chop your garlic and basil. 

4. When squash is ready, heat up a pan with olive oil. Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to do the two halves separately (in which case, you would use half of the garlic and basil for each). Toss the spaghetti squash with garlic, basil, and more olive oil to taste for just a minute or two. You want the garlic and basil to only cook for a short time to keep them mostly raw and retain the strong flavor. Remove from heat and squeeze lemon on squash and toss again. 

5. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese to taste.

Enjoy! And I will work on posting some more recipes soon! 

Fall's Nutritional Superfood: Pumpkin + Recipe for Pumpkin Pesto Pasta

We all know that come October comes pumpkin everything -- from lattes to scones, to pies and bread. While it's tempting to indulge in these sweet treats, there are plenty of things you can do yourself with canned pumpkin at home without all those added sugars. Believe it or not,  pumpkin is extremely healthy, and versatile! It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes, and I personally love to use pumpkin in my dinners. I love this time of year not just because it indicates fall, because it gives me a fun autumn squash to spice up my cooking for a few months!

Why you should be eating pumpkin (besides from the fact that it tastes delicious)

• It's filled with vitamins, including A, C, E, beta carotene, potassium, and B vitamins including folates, niacin, and B6
• It's high in fiber (which means its going to keep you full, maintain a healthy weight, and help your digestive system)
• It's a great source of antioxidants

So what does this all mean? It's a low calorie, mood-boosting, good-for-your-skin-and-body vegetable that should be utilized while it's in season! 

As I said before, I love making pumpkin savory. It can be a good cheese substitute for macaroni and cheese, used in a risotto, even made into a savory bread. But, it can also be made sweet. I like to add it to my oatmeal in the morning with cinnamon or blended into a pumpkin pie smoothie. This time I chose to make it into a pasta, as I had a lot of extra basil and wanted to make a pesto. I totally came up with this recipe out of my head, and I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it tasted so much better than I could have imagined (and shout-out to my girls Vivian and Greer for cooking it with me!). You can always just make the pumpkin sauce or pesto on its own, but I think together they complemented each other just perfectly.

Pumpkin Pesto Pasta

(serves about 3)

Pasta: 3/4 lb brown rice pasta

For the Pesto:

2 cups basil
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lemon (to juice)
2 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup walnuts

For the Pumpkin Sauce:

3/4 can of pureed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
A splash or two of white wine vinegar
1-2 large cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of onions, chopped


(Remember, all these measurements are estimates, feel free to play around to taste!)

1. Boil your water for the pasta. In the meantime, begin chopping your ingredients, but don't forget to add the pasta once the water is boiling and check on it when it's done, about 8 minutes.

2. Start chopping ingredients for the pesto. If you have a high quality blender like the Vitamix, then you can just throw everything in the blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have that amazing blender, then chop your ingredients so that it's easier to finely blend. If it's hard to get the ingredients smooth, try adding a little bit of olive oil as well as lemon.

3. Chop garlic and onions for the pumpkin sauce. Heat some olive oil over a pan, and add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are translucent, making sure to stir often so the garlic doesn't burn. Then add in the pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt, stirring until ingredients are mixed together and sauce is warm and thickened. Add a splash of white wine vinegar here and there both for flavor and consistency.

4. To serve, pour sauce over pasta and mix in. Add a spoonful of pesto on top, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped walnuts to taste.

What are your favorite pumpkin recipes? The options are endless, and I'll be sure to be making more pumpkin goodness as fall continues on!

What Are Superfoods? + Simple Salads

Sorry for the hiatus! It has been awhile, but I have a good reason for not writing: I finished college! I officially finished my thesis about a week ago, and I will be graduating next Tuesday and Wednesday. Insane! I've been busier than I thought I would be, finishing up with my work at the elementary school as well as my internship at CityEats, so I haven't had a solid amount of time to sit down and write. Now that my schedule is a little calmer, I can finally catch up on posts and start sharing all the goodies I have been cooking.

Today's post will cover the foods that everyone should be eating: superfoods. I'm sure you've heard of the term before, and while there isn't exactly a concrete definition, superfoods are foods that are highly nutritious, filled with tons of positive health benefits and very few, if any, negative properties. These are the foods that are going to aid in your overall health, help you live longer, and make you feel better--probably even help you lose weight. These fruits, vegetables, and select grains are lower in calories, but provide a heavy dose of essential nutrients and antioxidants.

So, which foods are superfoods? Here's a list of some of the most powerful things to put in our mouths

• Fruits:
• Apples
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Brussels Sprouts
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Cherries
• Kiwi
• Lemon
• Oranges
• Pomegranates
• Pumpkin
• Vegetables:
• Artichokes
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Grains and Legumes:
• Beans
• Lentils
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Animal Products:
• Turkey
• Wild Salmon
• Other:
• Chia Seeds
• Cinnamon
• Dark Chocolate
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Flax
• Garlic
• Tea
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Now if you are into health, I'm sure you incorporate a lot of these foods into your diet without even realizing. As you can see, if you are eating a fruit or vegetable, it's probably safe to say it's a superfood. All of my recipes on this site include--at the very least--one superfood. It shouldn't be hard for you to find ways to add them into your meals. Toss a little bit of olive oil on some veggies, in a salad, on an egg. Eat a piece of dark chocolate everyday (remember, 70% or higher!). Eat an apple in the morning.

Be creative... or make the salad (below) that I made a few weeks ago!

It's really easy to cram a ton of superfoods together, as there is such a good balance of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and carbs. The salad I created can be made in two ways. In the first version, the green superfood salad is probably best as a side. In the second version, I added in a lot of protein and even more superfoods, and I was actually really surprised at how well the flavors worked together, since there were a lot of flavors! I would definitely go for the full salad, but hey, sometimes we aren't all that hungry!  

Ingredients:

 Version 1: Green Superfood Salad

Kale
Brussels sprouts
Cilantro
Green onion
Broccoli
Cucumber

Version 2: Super Superfoods Salad

In addition to the ingredients in version 1:

Sundried tomato
Artichoke
Pomegranate seeds
Feta cheese
Chia seeds
Chick peas
Lentils
Cooked sweet potato

Dressing: Balsamic vinegar & olive oil
Optional topping: Brewer's yeast for extra vitamins and a savory crunch

This salad was very filling, but left me feeling light and refreshed. Perfect for summer!

Good Foods with Bad Raps + Linguine with Clams

Overtime, new studies find that some foods we thought were bad for us are actually more beneficial than harmful, but sometimes it's hard to shake the negative stigma attached to these foods. These 5 foods have been studied extensively, and new research is showing that there are more positive health benefits than negative, and it is encouraged to eat them.

1. Eggs: Eggs were shunned for a long time because of their high amount of cholesterol, but recent research has shown that eggs have no effect on heart disease for those with normal cholesterol levels. Eggs are high in protein and other essential vitamins and are extremely versatile to cook with.

When to avoid: If you're someone who already has high cholesterol, than you should watch your intake of eggs. If you don't have any cholesterol issues, than there's no need to worry, and you can even have more than one egg a day.

2. Avocados: Avocados are a source of good fat that actually help you lose weight. They are filled with vitamins and are good for your skin, and they help you absorb more of the carotenoids in salsas and salads.

When to avoid: Unless you are making it yourself, steer clear of most guacamoles, as many are made with heavy sour creams or oils.

3. Chocolate: Some of the benefits of cocoa: source of antioxidants, cuts down risk of heart disease, helps you lose weight, and boosts mood.

When to avoid: Try to go for dark chocolate 70% or higher to get the full benefits from the cocoa. Milk chocolate is filled with sugar and cream, and that's the kind of chocolate you should limit.

4. Nuts/Coconut: Nuts and coconuts are known for being fatty, but like avocados, the fat in nuts and coconuts is good fat and will help you lose weight. Nuts and coconuts also help your heart and provide you with omega 3s and other important nutrients.

When to avoid: If you're eating something like coconut oil, only get unrefined virgin coconut oil. For nuts, avoid nut butter brands like Jiff's and Skippys because they contain ingredients like hydrogenated oils and corn syrup. Your ingredients should be pure, but for both butters and nuts, enjoy in moderation.

5. Coffee: Recent studies are now showing that coffee lowers your risk of many diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

When to avoid: Those who are prone to nervousness and anxiety should avoid coffee, as it is a stimulant that can exacerbate anxiety. Also avoid specialty drinks that are filled with cream and sugar. 

Healthy Linguine with Clams

I made this dish the other day when I was really stressed out. Although it may seem counterintuitive, cooking when I'm really overwhelmed calms me down. I set out to the grocery store unsure what I wanted to purchase, but I knew I wanted to make something I don't normally cook. I picked up some fresh basil and some sun-dried tomatoes, and then I thought "Why not make a fancy Italian pasta dish?" So, I added some canned clams to my grocery basket and set home to cook my meal.

 This dish came out way better than I expected. In fact, it was probably one of the best pasta dishes I have ever cooked, and I have cooked a lot of pasta before. I posted my picture on Instagram and got a lot of attention for it, so I figured I would post the recipe here. It's a good start for beginners, but it will be sure to impress. 

Ingredients:

Whole Grain Linguine (about 1/6 of the box)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

5 leaves of basil, chopped

1/4 medium onion, chopped

4 large sun-dried tomato pieces, cut smaller

1/2 small can of clams

Olive oil to cook with and to drizzle on top (your discretion, use minimally)

Shredded parmesan cheese, to taste

(and remember, my measurements are always approximate, since I just throw things in when I cook)

1. Start boiling the water for your linguine. In the meantime, chop your garlic, basil, onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

2. Once the water is boiling, put in your pasta and cook for about 8 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, heat up a pan with olive oil and sauté all the ingredients except the basil.  Once the onions are almost translucent, toss in the basil.

3. Drain pasta when ready. Add the linguine to the pan with the rest of your ingredients. Add a small amount of olive oil and the clams and toss together. Top with parmesan cheese as desired.