Healthy Choices Archives | Page 4 of 4

Corn and Black Bean Salad With Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

September 8, 2014 By Karen

I love when I have time to play in the kitchen, but the truth is I don’t always make the time to play. I get wrapped up in my own drama, make a bigger deal out of my schedule than I need to, and sometimes become a deer in the headlights at the thought of everything before me. (How’s that for honest?) The truth is my life isn’t as complicated as I sometimes think it is, and I know that. But frequently I just need a reminder. So what if I work, have crazy amounts of commuting time, kids that need attention and piles of paper everywhere? So do most of the people I know. And really, I am lucky to have a career I love, lucky to have a car to commute in and audiobooks to pass the time, lucky as all get out to have my amazing kids, and that paperwork….well, that’s just life. And I am lucky that I am a healthy and competent enough person that if I choose to, I can get all those papers under control. (And someday, maybe I will.)

Just like everyone else, I often cook just to get food on the table or ready to pack in lunch bags. It can get repetitive and boring, unless I make a conscious effort to change things up a little. Taking a few extra minutes to make a big batch of something colorful and full of flavor can go a long way for my sanity and my happiness.

This Corn and Black Bean Salad is a perfect example of that. Adapted slightly from a recipe in “Cooking Light” from way back in 2003, my oil-stained, ripped magazine page is filed away in my “keepers” binder and is covered with notes of my alterations and who I’ve served it to. With garlicky corn, sweet popping tomatoes, a little heat from jalapeños, and a citrus kick, it’s versatile and easy to make. It reminds me of summer picnics in the park, and it’s something I’ve brought to potlucks for years, because it can sit out for a while and will taste better and better. You can follow a recipe exactly, or throw whatever vegetables or canned beans you have laying around into the mix. As you can see from the photos, I don’t bother stressing over getting everything diced perfectly. My peppers and red onions are any which size, and it doesn’t make any difference at all. I’ll make a big bowl of this to keep for the week, and use it to jazz up different dishes. It can be my side salad with a turkey burger, I can serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, it can be my filling for a burrito with some cheese and rice thrown in, or I’ll just take it to work in tupperware with some mixed greens. (And if you do the same, make sure to put the Corn and Black Bean Salad on the bottom of the tupperware with the greens on top. Right before eating, shake your container to mix everything around, and your greens won’t be all soggy!) It lasts in the fridge for a good five days, which makes life and meal planning so much easier. And we can all use a bit of easy in our lives….

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Milk

September 4, 2014 By Karen

As a working mom, there are days when I feel like everything I do is either for my family or for my career. Two things I love, right? So that’s not totally a bad thing. But I realized recently that I need to work on my life balance a bit more and do some things that are just for me so I don’t go crazy. Any of you feel the same way?Which is why I started Tasty Oasis. You already know about my food obsession, but what you might not know is that before starting this project my understanding of all things technical was stuck around 1997. I just hadn’t made the effort to catch up to the 21st century, but that was getting old. It was embarrassing that when I got my new camera I didn’t even know how to transfer the pictures to the computer! I decided I had to get it together and make some changes. So I’ve thrown myself into creating this website. I could easily have asked Brian to set it up (after all, he’s this guy who can just decide to make a podcast and within weeks get a website up and have hundreds of downloads on iTunes.) But instead I’ve done the entire thing on my own. Sure, I probably spend too many hours reinventing the wheel, but I’m learning so much through the process. Widgets and plug-ins, and search engine optimization, oh my! And it’s mine, and that’s something I’m proud of.

The other thing I started recently is running. Whoa… Stop the presses. Those of you who know me are probably thinking you misread that last sentence. Karen and running are not two words that typically go together, unless you count “Karen’s running around like a chicken with her head cut off.” The last time I ran for any significant distance was through Central Park when Christo’s “The Gates” were up, and that was 2005! I ran five miles on a February morning with white glistening snow all around and bright orange flags blowing in the wind, and I felt like I’d conquered the world….

Mint and Coconut Chutneys

September 1, 2014 By Karen

I called my mother-in-law, Ammini, as I drove to work the other morning for our standard review of the kids’ schedules. After telling me the story of how my older son fell off his bike the day before, she came out with the loveliest statement any busy mom can hear: “I just cooked Rava Kichadi and Dad is making Chicken Curry with Chapati, so we’ll leave that for your dinner tonight.” Okay, maybe that exact line won’t ring bells for everyone. And if you’re raising your eyebrows at the unfamiliar sounding dishes, just know the main point of that sentence was: “Guess what? We cooked so you don’t have to!” And that is a beautiful thing.

From Kerala, (the southernmost state in India,) my in-laws are both fantastic cooks, and their traditional dishes are mouthwatering. Customarily, it’s often just the wife that cooks in an Indian household, but because Brian’s mom was a nurse working the night shift, his Dad had to make his way into the kitchen. Granted, since they both retired she’s back to doing 95% of the cooking, but Dad will jump in to make certain favorites. And I’m lucky because not only do they cater for our family on a frequent basis, but they’ve also been generous in sharing their experience and techniques so that I can make Indian food on my own. Before we got married, I remember going over to their house and I walked into the kitchen to find on the counter two cutting boards, two serious chef’s knives, and two whole chickens waiting to be broken down. I had mentioned in passing that I wanted to learn how to do it, and all of a sudden I had my own private master class waiting. (Okay, to be perfectly honest, it was fun and manageable at the time, but I still find myself buying already cut up pieces at the store. At least it’s something I know how to do!)

These days my lessons are more informal, and what just happened is a perfect example. After Ammini told me she was bringing dinner, she continued, “But the Rava Kichadi needs some chutney. So can you make that?” Chutneys are typically thick sauces that are made with fruits, herbs, spices, sugar, and acids like lemon juice or vinegar, and are used as condiments in Indian meals. They don’t require hard to find ingredients, and you don’t need to serve them with Indian food to enjoy them. And it’s a great way to use up fresh herbs that may be dying in your crisper. But truthfully, instead of just using the cilantro I had at home like any smart person would do, I decided I was in the mood for the mint and coconut chutneys that my favorite South Indian restaurant serves, so during my lunch hour I ran to a local farm-stand and picked up some fresh mint….

Roasted Peaches with Basil and Ricotta (in the toaster!)

August 23, 2014 By Karen

I really want to tell you these peaches came from a trip to an orchard with my angelic kids or the local farmers’ market, but that would be lying. Because although I had every intention of going to the farmers’ market the other night after the camp and daycare pickup, the 5pm meltdown I was faced with in the car made that… unappealing. Dragging tired, cranky kids with me so I could fawn over gorgeous produce just seemed foolish. So luckily I had stopped during my lunch hour the day before at some random grocery store for a quick fruit run, and I scored a few peaches carted in from a state far away. Ideal? No. But real life? Yes. And the basil, you ask? Growing freely in big bunches in my yard? Ha. It too came from the store in one of those dreaded plastic clamshells. I may see myself as the CSA box girl, creating wild creations from whatever lands in my neighborhood pickup every week, but the honest truth is that year after year I keep forgetting to sign up. So in the meantime, I make do with what I’ve got. Lunch hour peaches. Welcome to my world.

The Six Stages of the Roasted Peach

But look at these peaches!!! They were pretty perfect on their own, because it is summer after all and it’s prime season for them. Straight up, they’re delicious. But with a little extra effort, they become heavenly. Halved and filled with a buttery brown sugar and basil concoction, they’re roasted for just 20 minutes and transform into a simple summer dessert that makes everyone happy. Okay, you’re shaking your head because I said roasting and summer in the same sentence, and you remember me just telling you about my ancient hot house where the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on in August. But wait! I have something that may blow your mind… You can just use your toaster oven!

I started making this recipe nine years ago, when I saw this life changing article in the New York Times by Melissa Clark. (I know, my version of life changing might not be yours, but go with me on this.) It was called “No One Ever Slaved Over a Hot Toaster Oven.” I was living in my tiny Manhattan apartment at the time, which barely had a kitchen to speak of. My actual oven served as my version of storage, and all of my pots and pans and baking sheets made a home there. The idea of emptying it out to cook anything small seemed like a waste, and the risk of heating up my apartment during a New York summer was beyond me. (Confession time: today my oven still is filled with muffin trays and baking sheets, even though I technically have room elsewhere for them. So I continue to face the same self-imposed obstacles. Please tell me I am not alone in this!) But Melissa turned me on to using my toaster oven to cook real food, and not just make frozen waffles and cinnamon toast in it. It was revolutionary. I started baking chicken, and roasting vegetables and making these amazing peaches all on my counter top. I haven’t looked back since….

The Easiest Crockpot Ribs (and a Thank You)

August 20, 2014 By Karen

Since I officially announced Tasty Oasis on Monday with an email blast and a Facebook update, I have been overwhelmed by the response. Your messages and comments have been so kind and encouraging, and I am thrilled that so many of you have shared Tasty Oasis with your friends already. I can’t thank you enough! Creating a food blog has been something I’ve thought about for years. I think and read about food constantly. I have been collecting cookbooks for ages, and I go through them like novels, reading them from beginning to end and writing notes about what I’ll make one day. I’ve had magazine subscriptions on and off since I left college, and I have only recently tossed the towering stacks of ancient Gourmets, Bon Appetites, Cooking Lights, and Everyday Foods, saving precious recipes in binders instead. And the blogs. For the last many years I have read a ridiculous number of blogs daily. I started off with Smitten Kitchen back in her very early days, and the list just grew. With the ease of subscription services and feed readers, it’s like having my own set of food magazines every day, tailored to exactly my taste. Personally, I read everything on Feedly, and am always happy when one of my favorites has a new post up. It’s because of this hobby, or distraction, or whatever you may call it that that I decided I wanted to write my own blog. I know exactly what I like to read and see on a food blog, and now the challenge is to produce that on my own for all of you. I’m so excited to finally be doing it!

Moroccan Carrots, Garlic for a Miso Chicken, Turkey Chili and Everyday Granola Coming Soon!

Many of you wrote and asked who’s taking the photographs on Tasty Oasis. I am! It’s me! When I decided to start this project, I knew that I had to up my game and move on from my 8 year old point and shoot camera. In January I bought a Canon Rebel T3i, and have been playing with it constantly. Even though I’ve interpreted undergraduate photography classes over the years, I never really applied what I heard and always used to stick with the automatic settings. But I bought myself a food photography book, and pay close attention to other bloggers’ photography choices, and am experimenting every time I go to shoot something. The up-close macro shots seem to be working out, but if you saw the number of blurry kid photos I’ve taken you would have to laugh and wonder if it’s the same photographer! At the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens last week I experimented with flowers, and again, things that stay in one place seem to be where I have the most luck. I’m hoping with time I can actually get some good people shots though!

From the last couple of posts you have probably noticed that I use dried spices to flavor a lot of my cooking. There are a bunch of reasons, but the big ones are that they are easy, convenient and healthy. As a working mom, I often feel like I am running around with my time and brain split in 84 different directions. I am constantly looking for shortcuts, and tend to favor recipes that don’t have too many moving parts or specialty ingredients. Fresh herbs are fabulous, and you absolutely will see them frequently on Tasty Oasis, but they sadly die in my refrigerator over and over again. If I didn’t kill every plant I ever tried to grow (I know, watering would help, but that’s just another thing to remember to do), I would grow my own herbs and just snip what I needed, but I never seem to make it happen. So dried herbs and spices often come to the rescue. Plus, a spice rub means you can avoid making a heavy sauce, skipping the creams and coconut milk and the oils. Those all make things tasty, but don’t necessarily help for making a meal on the lighter side. That said, they have their place in my kitchen and when I use them I make sure to enjoy every bite.

One strategy I use to feed my family home cooked food is the crockpot. I can throw something together before leaving for work, and walk into a house that smells amazing. A lot of people think crockpot cooking is only for the winter for stews and soups, but summer is the perfect time to use the crockpot because you can avoid turning on the stove and heating up your kitchen. Living in a house that’s almost 100 years old without central air, that is brilliant. I’m such a fan of this contraption that I typically have two going on the counter at once so that I can double my recipes and freeze several extra meals at a time. This way I can have dinner ready with even less work later in the week or month. (I’ll be writing more posts about how to cook and freeze meals, so stay tuned!)…

Spice-Crusted Roasted Salmon

August 18, 2014 By Karen

Fish is one of those things that everyone says they want to make more often. I know I do. Healthy for you, fast to prepare and usually a hit, I always intend to cook it more frequently than I do. Truth be told, the reason is a matter of convenience and cost. I typically do my main grocery shopping once a week, and often at a place without a proper fish counter or one that leaves something to be desired. And when you factor in buying sustainable fish, you’re looking at wild caught varieties or the ethically farmed ones, and it can become expensive. So I fall back on tilapia most of the time, or defrost something frozen, but am always so happy when I throw fish into my kitchen rotation.

But I was on vacation last week in Maine, and seafood was a daily part of our eating. From lobster rolls, to fried clams, to haddock tacos, I was in heaven. We rented a cottage right on the water, with a tree house and plenty of rocks to climb on and tide pools to explore. Although I had a list a mile long of places to go, we ended up hanging out most of the time in this picture postcard setting.

A glass of wine at sunset in Maine, with a view of the water from our vacation cottage

With a view like this, I never wanted to leave Maine

And as luck would have it, there was an amazing deal on wild caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon at the local market. As part of my arsenal I happened to pack a selection of spices, which worked out perfectly for this recipe which is a tried and true favorite. My sister-in-law started making a version of this years ago for family gatherings, and I’ve adapted it only slightly. As I wrote about recently, I toast and grind my own cumin and coriander for this recipe, which is such a simple step that coaxes out amazing flavor from something that can be stored in your pantry. (If this sounds like a deal breaker for you, I am all for using already ground spices so please don’t tune out!) I switch the paprika to smoked paprika, double the amount of spices, and keep it simple by just roasting the fish on its own….

Toasted Oatmeal with Flax and Chia Seeds

March 31, 2014 By Karen

Sometimes the simplest foods become special because you take the time to make them from scratch. There’s nothing more basic than a bowl of oatmeal, but with a few extra steps it can go from being a sensible heart-healthy breakfast to a dish that you actually look forward to with anticipation.

I didn’t grow up eating oatmeal. Maybe it’s because my mom didn’t like it and so she didn’t offer it, or that warm mornings in sunny California didn’t call for it. But I discovered it as an adult, and admit to being a frequent buyer of the quick cooking oat packs. In order to make myself feel better about these sweetened conveniences, I tried to stick with the Oats and Flax ones, but even those have more sugar than I feel comfortable with, especially since my toddler began requesting them daily for his breakfast at daycare.

So when a couple of months ago I noticed several food bloggers posting about the same oatmeal recipe from the cookbook “Whole-Grain Mornings,” by Megan Gordon, I decided to give it a shot. We had family coming for breakfast, and instead of my typical homemade granola with fruit and yogurt or waffles I serve to feed a crowd, I went a different route. Toasted oatmeal for company certainly isn’t the obvious choice, but that morning it was a huge hit. And it couldn’t have been simpler….

Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

March 3, 2014 By Karen

FAST AND EASY CHIPOTLE TURKEY MEATBALLS

Dinner is often a scramble in my house. Most days I’m lucky enough that the kids are already home from school (thanks to their grandparents,) but at 5:30pm I rush through the door and head straight to the kitchen, barely saying hello and giving kisses. I drop my bags, and before I do anything else I put a pot of water on to boil and turn on the oven. Even if I haven’t planned what I’m going to cook, I do these two things just to get the process moving. Only then do I wash my hands and check in with everyone, asking if homework’s been done and how the day’s been. For our night to go smoothly, not only do I need to get our meal prepped, but our family dinner needs to be enjoyed and completed within an hour and fifteen minutes. It’s a tall order, and not always successful, but it certainly is the goal.

I have my standard kitchen fallbacks, the dishes I throw together without thinking and without a recipe, but they’re not exactly exciting. How many times can I possibly cook turkey burgers, or toss pasta with a quick turkey meat sauce? I love pulling a bag of something homemade out of the freezer and just reheating, but it’s not always an option. So I’m thrilled when I find a great recipe that’s fast and flavorful, pleases all four of us, and can even be doubled so I can freeze half for another night. Chipotle Turkey Meatballs fits the bill perfectly. It’s slightly adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, “Mexican Everyday,” by Rick Bayless. It’s a book that uses easy to find ingredients, most recipes can be made in less than an hour, and for dishes that take longer he has crockpot cooking instructions so your meal can be waiting for you when you get home. I’ve made several dishes and every single one of them works. It’s a book you should have on your shelf….