$60 well spent (times 2)

In the past 3 days I have spent $120 to purchase 2 items that I think (hope) are going to better my life.

The first was a juicer.

I have known about the benefits of juicing fresh fruits and veggies for a while, but I have been slow to pull the trigger on purchasing one.

Not exactly sure why, maybe it was the thought of spending $200-300 on something that might end up like my guitar, or painting set, or crocheting supplies, or snowboard (I Miss you Snowboard!). Forgotten about once the novelty wore off (or a pelvis got broken snowboarding), and shoved in a closet.  

Then I checked Consumer Reports, and found this guy: The Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer.

CR gives it the 2nd highest rating of all the centrifugal models they tested,

including Jack Lelane's Power Juicer.

And is was only $60 on Amazon!

SOLD to the lady with the short attention span.

It arrives today.

I will be leaving work with boxes of produce in my trunk.

The second item I picked up will also help to contribute to my healthy eating by minimizing (or maybe altogether eliminating) the lunches I purchase during the work week.

I am pretty much chained to my desk for 8 hours a day.

If I leave, inevitably someone comes looking for me with a problem that needs an immediate solution,

I get a call on my cell, and have to hightail it back to the office.

So I have just found it easier to eat lunch at my desk.

And on the days that I forget or am too lazy to bring my lunch, I have 2 options for delivery.

Option #1 is a place called Gourmet Bagger.

They make sandwiches. I don't eat processed meat (Read all about Nitrates/Nitrites here).

Their one veggie option has lettuce and tomatoes

along with 3 types of cheese, avocado, mayo and cream cheese.

Gag.

How is that even close to healthy? And if I ask them to remove the cheese, mayo and cream cheese, I still end up paying $6 for a LTA sandwich.

No thanks.

Option #2 is a Greek/Mexican/American cafe.

I really love their food.

I love their tuna melts, their grilled ham and cheese, their burritos, their hamburgers...

Can you see where I am going with this. Again, not the healthiest options.

In the past I have tried to stock our break room fridge with things to have on hand for the days I am lunchless.

First I had to get over the disgust and mild paranoia I felt about putting my food in this:

Have you ever seen anything so gross?

Who knows how many people go through that thing.

Or don't from the looks of it.

Opening other peoples containers out of desperate hunger, sampling their goods. It kinda skeeves me out.

Not to mention the rank odor that often develops from lack of cleanliness.

Plus it seems some mysterious Bermuda Triangle thing exists in there because several times,

when I have gone to retrieve said food, it has disappeared!

This leads to frustration and anger, which again, are not healthy.

So New Year, New Me decided to buy a mini fridge for my office.

My very own that I could stock with all my healthy treats and feel safe knowing that no one would

take them, taste them, or touch them.
Finding one on Craigslist was simple enough, there were about 17 for sale.

So Monday morning, I bought myself this little beauty for $60.

And Tuesday I came to work with canvas bags full of goodness.

Yogurt, almond flax butter, tuna, hard boiled eggs, chopped veggies, salad mix, light string cheese and a drawer full of fruit.

And now the only excuse that I have left about why I eat poorly during the work day is weakness.

I refuse to be weak.

Chili, meet Pumpkin

Chili (chil-i) noun: a spicy stew of meat, red chilis or chili powder, often with beans and tomatoes.
But who knew it could also be made with pumpkin?!
I know, you are probably thinking, gross. But I was curious, so I tried it. And let me tell you, it ain't half bad. In fact it's pretty darn good. And very easy, another of those 1 pot wonders that everyone loves. You will too. Promise.

Fall blew into San Diego today, feistier than usual. She gave everyone the cold shoulder, cried a few tears, exhaled heavy sighs of discontent that rustled the trees and promised more was to come over the next few days.
For me, this was the perfect opportunity to nestle in my kitchen, and whip up something that would bring a bit of cozy to this sulky autumn weather.
Enter Turkey Pumpkin Chili

When I first read this recipe on Pinterest (hello gorgeous new addiction), I must admit I scratched my head and thought, uh uh. Nope. Couldn't work. But for the rest of the day, my mind kept mulling over the idea. 

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories and rich in disease-fighting nutrients such as: Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, Fiber, Vitamins C and E, Potassium, Magnesium. We could all benefit from adding more of this fruit to our diets. 

  A chili whose flavors were subtle, warm and comforting instead of punching you in the mouth and searing your tastebuds with violent heat intrigued me. I kept thinking of what I could do to change up the recipe, make it even more outside the box.
I'll add cinnamon! Cardamom! Oh I think I have some all spice leftover from last Christmas... If I was going to make a chili with pumpkin, I was going to make it unlike any chili I had ever had before.
And so I set to work. 

The ingredients in the original recipe were few enough, so I started there. But then as I was cooking, creativity took over and my spice drawer flew open. A shake of this, a pinch of that, I just kept adding until my nose told me to stop.

Allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cardamom and nutmeg crashed the party. I really wanted this to be something different. Everyone played nicely together for about 45 minutes...

Then it was time to eat.

 The flavors were well rounded; there was some heat from the cayenne, but it was tempered by the velvety pumpkin. The cinnamon and nutmeg seemed to get along surprisingly well with the jalapenos. Garlic and onion go with everything in my book. If I have any criticism, it would be that this chili could use a bit more acid, maybe some lime juice to brighten it up, and I would go lighter (or skip altogether) the cayenne powder. It seemed to overpower the other, more delicate flavors.
All in all, this goes in the make again pile. Any recipe with potential deserves a second try, rarely does one hit perfection the first time.
So when autumn comes knocking on your door, and you're feeling adventurous, give this a try.

Simple Soup, Step by Step (Oooh Baby)

I feel it. Do you? The change in the air? Autumn is coming, and with it, cold nights. For me, cold nights mean soup for dinner. I love soup. It's simple, healthy and delicious. I may have jumped the gun a bit (it only just dropped below 70 degrees) but I miss soup, so tonight's dinner was one of my favorites; Curried Zucchini. I got to break out my old friend Mr. Le Creuset Knockoff, and fill our home with savory smells of chilly nights to come.

Because prep time for this dish takes maybe 20 minutes, it makes it a great weeknight go to dinner. The only real work is chopping the onion, garlic and dicing the zucchini. If you have frozen stock (either your own or a really high quality one you've purchased) this is the place to use it. With so few ingredients, using high quality stock will make a huge difference. But should you not have access to that, I have used Trader Joe's reduced sodium organic chicken broth in a pinch and it works just fine. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, simply sub vegetable stock instead. 

Mise en place: I used a shallot as well because I happened to have it

To begin

Add some oil to your pot (I prefer coconut oil because it likes high temps, but olive oil works too.) Turn heat to med-hi.

As oil is heating, chop your onion. Add to pot and stir to coat. 

As onions are cooking, chop one clove garlic (and a small shallot if you prefer). Once onions have softened, reduce heat to med (you don't want to burn the garlic, yucky) and add garlic, stir. 

Now dice your squash. I quarter mine then slice in 1 inch pieces. 

Add to pot and increase heat back to Med-Hi. Add salt, pretty liberally, zucchini is a high water content veg and you really want to draw that liquid out. I apologize for not measuring, I just eyeball it. Better to go light, you can always adjust your seasonings later if need be.

Stir.

Saute the zucchini for about 5 minutes to soften it, once it starts to loosen up, add in about 1 1/2 TBS curry powder, and again...stir.

This is when your house begins to smell divine. For that reason alone, I love making this soup. After the veg are all nice and coated in curry, pour in your stock, enough to cover just the top of the zucchini. 32 ounces should do it.

Here is where I encourage you to break away from the recipe. Dave likes things spicy, so I add in a few shakes of chili flakes and some cracked black pepper. Feel free to try your own version.

Now crank that baby up to high, slap a lid on that pot, BTB (bring to boil), RTS (reduce to simmer) and relax for about 25 minutes. 

Once the zucchini get to the point of such softness that they look ready to fall apart, and you look into your pot and think "Man that's one ugly soup", it's time to puree.

There are 2 ways to do this, the easy way and the hard way. The easy way is with this

 This is an immersion blender, one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets.

The hard way really isn't that hard, just use a regular blender, Carefully. Hot liquid and blending can be dangerous. Do it in batches and keep the lid on tight.

Once you have pureed your soup, taste it. 

Does it need more salt? More pepper? More heat? You could add some cream for richness, butter for a satiny finish. Keep it healthy and try Greek yogurt. The options are only as limited as your imagination. I like to finish mine with a little smoked paprika for color.

Finally it is time to enjoy.

Curried Zucchini Soup (basic recipe Ingredients)

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

sea salt to taste

4 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slices

32 ounces chicken stock