My Very First Kitchen

Indian Feast & Product Reivews!

Dara — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:07:44 +0000

Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. The only time I ever get to have it is if I go out to an Indian restaurant or get take out. Lately, I have had an enourmous craving for it, but not a craving to go anywhere and order food! I decided I would try out some boxed Indian meals… my hope is to find some time to actually prepare an Indian dish from scratch. But for now, boxed it is.

I started with these:

Tasty Bite Bombay Potatoes:

Ingredients: Water, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Onions, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Ginger, Garlic, Corn Starch, Coriander, Chilies, Cumin, Spices.
(VEGAN, KOSHER, GLUTEN-FREE, MSG-FREE & NO PRESERVATIVES!!!)
Nutrition per half box: 100 calories, fat 4g, carbohydrates 13g, fiber 3g, protein 5g

I was actually quite impressed with the nutrition! An entire box provides 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber! Pretty awesome! I was lazy and just microwaved the the contents of the package for 3 minutes. It was kind of a watery dish, so I used it as a sauce for some veggies, as you will see below!

Step 1: Saute lots of beautiful delicious veggies with spices! (ginger powder, garlic powder, coriander, chili powder, cumin, onion powder)

veggies include carrot, celery, mushroom, onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes

Step 2: Spiralize zucchini

Step 3: Pan-fry spiralized zucchini

Let me tell you, this was the best idea I ever had! TRY IT!!

Step 4: Microwave Tasty Bite contents and combine veggies and zuke spiralz in a bowl and top with heated the, in this case, bombay potatoes!
(this was only my FIRST bowl of goodness!)

Indian Life Samosas: Mixed Vegetable

I LOVE samosas! And these truly did not dissapoint for being frozen. They are a great snack for whenever, but I figured if I was going to have an Indian boxed/frozen feast I might as well go all out!

Ingredients: Peas, potatoes, carrots, corn, enriched flour, filtered water, onions, salt, ginger, green chilies, lemon juice, cilantro, canola oil, herbs and spices and citric acid.
VEGAN
Nutrition per Samosa w/ Tamarind sauce: calories 130, fat 6g, carbs 17g, fiber 1g, protein 2g

I was not exactly impressed with this nutrition info… but it is a yummy snack wrapped in a pastry shell! A good way to get in some fat at least! But at least I can feel good because of this from their website…”Majority of our products are 100% NATURAL with newer ORGANIC ingredients with NO PRESERVATIVES to minimum. Most of our extensive line of products have NO Added Flavor, NO Color, NO Eggs, NO MSG, NO Lard or NO Hydrogenated oils (Trans).” Not bad!

Directions: dipped warm and soft naan in bombay potato contents while consuming! Dip samosa in TAMARIND sauce

Indian Life Garlic Naan:

Ingredients: Organic Unbleached Enriched Flour, water, garlic, canola oil, salt, sugar, yeast, baking powder, vinegar and calcium propionate

Nutrition per half Naan: 150 calories, fat 4g, carbs 24g, fiber 2g, protein 4g

This Naan is unbelievably good for buying it prepackaged. All you do is wrap it in foil and put in the oven for a few minutes!

Of course, enjoy any type of cuisine with a side of Kabocha with ketchup and tobasco
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Overall, I was extremly happy with my Indian feast! The veggies with pan fried zukes + the bombay potatoes was absolutly delicious! With the addition of the soft doughy warm naan and crispy samaosa, I was in boxed meal Indian heaven. I could not have been happier…

note: if you try the Tasty Bite bombay potatoes, I highly suggest serving them with veggies as the base. It makes for a delicious, yet hearty (from the taters and chickpeas) sauce for the veggies.

Warm up with Miso

Dara — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:39:27 +0000

With rapidly approaching low temperatures outside, I am preparing to warm up inside. I have already begun to feel the onset of the chilly weather via the common cold. Every year when the tempertures drop, I get the “common cold,” as do most it seems. It is hard to walk into any public setting (school, restaurant, drug store) and not hear multiple people sniffing, coughing, sneezing ect.

Appetizing, no? Well, No is correct. But the recipe I am so enthused to share with you all…? Well, yes, in fact, it is

Forget over-the-counter medications that are hard on your body and merely cover up your sneezing and coughing for 4-6 hours (if they even do!) and try a more preventative and healing approach with my latest recipe.

Without further ado, I give to you…
MyVerFirstKitchen’s Warming and Healing Macrobiotic Miso Soup
serves 1 big bowl, or 4 small ones

The ingredients for this soup are available at most health food stores, Asian markets/grocery stores or Whole Foods. I have also added them to MyVeryFirstKitchen’s Amazon Store so you can at least know what to look for in the store. Not familiar with sea veggies, macrobiotics and healing??

Check out my page dedicated to Macrobiotics, Macrobiotics: Eat to Heal

Before I delve into this glorious recipe, can I just mention that this was by far the best Miso soup I have ever consumed. Yes, not only the best I have ever created, but the best I have ever tasted. I attribute it’s complex, intoxicating and delicate flavor to the Kombu, which I used to flavored the broth.

So, what do you need to make this amazing soup?

Ingredients
-Kombu: one 4×4 inch piece

-Wakame: 1/2 teaspoon

-Dried Mushrooms (I used a medley I bought from TJ’s and used about 1/3-1/2 of the package. Dried shiitakes work amazingly)

-Nama Shoyu: 2 Tablespoons (I was all out and substituted Tamari)

-Miso paste: 4 teaspoons (preferably mellow white, and Westbrae Natural is a great brand to purchase)

*optional additions include:(for a heartier miso soup)

-tofu, sliced into small cubes (about 3/4 inch)

-veggies such as carrot pieces, onion, scallions, sliced mushrooms

Instructions:
-Soak rinsed mushrooms in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes

(tip: boil one cup of water in a tea kettle or on the stove and then pour it into a heat safe bowl and add the shrooms)

-Rinse, pat dry and then soak the Kombu in 3 cups of water for 10 minutes

-After 10 minutes, add the kombu and its soaking water to the soaking mushrooms for an additional 5 minutes

-Remove mushrooms, slice off and discard stems and thinly slice caps and return to water

-Bring the water to a simmer, making sure to keep just below a boil, and cook for 15 minutes

-In the mean time, prepare wakame by soaking it in 1/2 cup of just boiled water. The wakame will expand by 20 times in size!

*(this is also a good time to prep any tofu and lightly steam your carrots and onions, if using. The veggies should be sliced thin or diced as small as the tofu)

-After 15 mintues, remove and discard kombu and mushrooms from the simmering water with a slotted spoon and then add the shoyu or tamari, and the miso. Stir until the miso is well incorporated (about one minute) and then add the wakame, tofu and any veggies.

-Remove from heat, pour into bowl, and serve! (if using scallions, sprinkle them on top right before serving)

kombu and mushrooms soaking:

simmering the broth (kombu + mushrooms):

“just poured into bowl” miso soup:

Directions: Consume for a happy body:)

In case you haven’t seen…

Dara — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:05:46 +0000

Eater Not A Runner is having her VERYFIRST giveaway!! hurry and enter!!

And with that let me quickly give you a glimpse of my latest baking adventure

Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from VCTOTW)

Can I just tell you that these were absolutly amazzzzing! As well as SOY FREE

Weekend Snacks

Dara — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:33:37 +0000

First thing, I would like to thank all of my readers and to those of you who comment on my Blog!! It is so awesome and truly means more than you know to me! Food is my passion, and I am so happy to be part of a blog atmosphere of passionate foodies:) Okay…on to the food.

The beauty of weekends seems to be the lack of structure. Structure guides our lives monday through friday (or at least my life!), and I do enjoy it from a productive stand point. The weekends, however, provide a nice change of pace. Rather than having to eat what I find time to pack in the morning for my busy days, I have the luxury of eating the food I crave WHEN I crave it. There is also more time for food presentation fun:)

“didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with your food…?” ummmm…yeah.

Kabocha Squash Fries (yes, I eat ALOT of kabocha!) w/ Ketchup + Tobasco dip

I sliced the leftovers from a whole roasted kabocha squash into “fries” and roasted them at 350 while broiling until crispy (20 min?)

Roasted brussel sprouts + tofu (400 for 20 minutes) seasoned w/ginger powder, garlic powder, tamari, chili powder, onion powder and soy

of course ketchup + tobasco dip

Ak-maks + parm slices

Protein power snack: Sun Warrior Protein Powder + PB + almond milk and water, all topped with dark choc chips (looks like a cookie!)

Plus a plain greek yogurt and dark chocolate chips

Plus pumpkin puree

All eaten together and used as a dip for a Honey Crisp apple

Next up: MORE kabocha fries! + raw broccoli, cauliflower, a carrot, celery, cherry toms, and nori

Dipping sauces= peanut butter sauce + pumpkin butter + pumpkin and of course ketchup + tobasco for the fries

Apple + carrot + celery dipped in almond butter + PB2 (yes dark chocolate chips managed to make their way into this snack)

Another delish veggie snack plate

Dipping sauces= pumpkin butter + peanut butter

How do you eat on the weekends? Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner, or all day grazing….

If I had my choice, I would opt for snacking consistently throughout the day as opposed to meals everyday. For me, large meals (especially during the day) weight me down, make me sleepy, and lower my level of productivity. I tend to eat my largest meal at dinner time for this reason.

I hope you enjoyed this snacky-post!! What is your “go-to” or favorite snack??

My Very First Protein Bar (high raw, vegan, gluten free)

Dara — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:35:55 +0000

My favorite food bars are those which contain healthy vegan, soy-free protein and a short ingredient list. I realize that food bars are not the healthiest way to get one’s nutrients, but there are times in which my schedule leaves me no choice! When I am running late in the morning and don’t have time to pack a “well rounded” meal, I grab a protein bar and greek yogurt to go. They are also awesome for traveling. Well, they are also quite pricey! (meaning wayyyy overpriced for what you get!)

Well, my recent obsession with Nugo Bars and Rebars inspired me to create my own version… this was a completly random and on the spot creation, no pre-meditation!

Ingredients:
-Peanut Butter/Almond Butter or PB2, 1/4 cup
-Agave, 1 tablespoon
-Coconut Milk, 2 cups (I use So Delicious Unsweetened)
-Cornstartch, 2 tablespoons
-Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
-Stevia (optional), 4 drops
-Rolled Oats, 1/4 cup
-Chia Seeds, 2 tablespoons (optional)
-Brown Rice Puffs, 5 cups + 1 cup
-Protein Powder, 6 scoops (I use Sun Warrior)

1. Toast oats in oven at 350 for about 5 minutes
2. Dissolve cornstartch in 1/4 cup of cold coconut milk
3. In a large bowl, mix together 5 cups of the rice puffs and the 5 scoops of protein powder
4. Bring remaining coconut milk to a boil, once boiling remove from heat and immediatly add peanut butter, agave and stevia and stir until beginning to thicken
5. Add cornstartch mixture and continue to stir (note: my mix above did not thicken as I wanted it to, so I added cornstartch)
6. Once it has slighly thickened, add rolled oats and chia seeds (optional, will make batter “gummy”)
7. Gradually add the rice puff-protein mixture to the peanut butter mixture until combined
8. If mixing is difficult (as it was for me) transfer to a food processor and lighly pulse just until combined
9. My mixture was paste like, so I folded in 1 cup of the rice puffs at this point
10. Roll mixture out onto parchment paper, using extra protein powder as “flour”
11. Press in extra rice puffs during the process if needed to make rolling easier
12. Dehydrate for at least 30 minutes @ 118 degrees, or use your oven on the lowest setting with oven door ajar
13. Remove from dehydrator or oven and slice into even “bars” (I made about 16)
14. Make ganche!

rolled out dough with puffs “pressed” in for ease…

Chocolate Ganche
1/4 cup non dairy milk
4 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips (or about 7.5 tablespoons)
Pure Maple Syrup

1. Bring milk to a boil
2. Immediatly remove from heat and add chocolate and maple syrup and stir until smooth and creamy
3. Dip the smooth side of your bars into ganche and return to wax paper.
4. Refridgerate until dry

If anyone attempts making these, please tell me if you do anything different! I am going to be creating another version of these as my goal was to make them more crispy. I am thinking of doing a “rice crispy treat” inspired protein bar next time to acheive the lightness I want.

Nevertheless, these are very tasty and boost 12 grams of protein/bar

Kabocha for days

Dara — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:14:20 +0000

My love and appetite for Kabocha Squash is indefinte. I recently stocked up after an “out of kabocha squash” scare at my local co-op. I decided to try making “kabocha moons” this time, as opposed to roasting the squash whole until done, or in quarters as I did here.

Although, nothing can truly beat roasting an entire Kabocha squash until the entire house smells of its goodness, at least in my books.

Oven: 450
Procudre: Roast whole kabocha (I like to poke a whole or two into it)
Time: 15-45 minutes (depends on on the size of your squash) or until just soft enough to safely cut.
LET COOL 5-10 mintues before slicing in half
Slice: Remove stringy insides and seeds and slice Kabocha into half moons and top with any seasonings you like
Seasoning: I left 1/2 of the slices plain; 1/4 seasoned with pumpking spice and coconut oil; the last 1/4 of slices I seasoned with braggs liquid aminos, ginger, garlic, seseme oil, red pepper flakes, and maybe a few others. I figured an asian spice mix was appropriate as Kabocha is a Japanese Pumpkin!
Roast: Roast the the half moons until it reaches your desired crispiness/softness/gooeyness (20-45 mintues longer, flipping half way through)
NOTE: I prefer to roast my veggies on parchment paper with canola oil spray, but when I run out, I opt for foil + spray

I roasted a few trays of kabocha, as you can never have too much! One of the trays also included extra firm tofu, brussel sprouts and broccoli trunks.

Tofu: Extra Firm patted dry & sliced
Seasoning: (another Japanese insipriation) Red pepper flakes, braggs, garlic powder, onion powder, seseme oil, ginger powder, agave, onion granules, and I think that is all (?) I also enjoyed my tofu with some nori!
*The broccoli trunks and sprouts were included in this seasoning mix to simplify things

I loved the half moon style of roasting kabocha. It was carmelized in parts and absolutly delicious (of course). I will defintly rotate my Kabocha prep methods with the half moon style.

Kabocha dinner #1 (there were many “seconds”):

Reheating for Kabocha dinner #2 (although Kabocha is delicious cold!):

squash + maple brussel sprouts + roasted mushrooms + spinach + leftover black beans stir fried with veggies + spices

ps: spinach leaves make awesome little mini “wraps” for the beans or squash

Kabocha dinner #3

tortilla veggie&cheese pizza + shrooms + leftover black beans + bell pepper halves stuffed with black beans and parmesan + Kabocha squash

I am slighly addicted to dipping Kabocha into ketchup + tobasco, but it is excellent on it’s own as well!!

How do YOU enjoy Kabocha if you have tried it? What is your favorite winter squash and way of preparing it?

Recent Eats: Protein Power

Dara — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:33:28 +0000

Some recent eats around MyVeryFirstKitchen, and for lack of a better theme to tie everything together, we will go with PROTEIN POWER snacks/meals

1. Baked tofu + green beans

(extra firm tofu, pressed with paper towels & baked for 20 minutes with seseme oil + bragg’s liquid aminos + spices, flipped half way through, at 425)

2. Smoked salmon chunk + carrots + peanut and pumpkin butter + brussels sprouts and parsley from the garden

3. Spicy Black Beans from scratch (these have such an amazing texture compared to canned beans. Plus, NO SODIUM!)

Instructions: Soak beans overnight (or in the morning before you go to work/school) with double/triple the water. After 8-12 hours, rinse beans thoroughly. Add fresh water (double the amount) to your pot/pan and with the rinsed beans and slowly bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until your beans are the consistency you want and the water is absorbed. Easy!

4. Snack Plate: Celery + almond butter + raisins, pumpkin and cinnamon

5. Tortilla Pizza + Veggies + Cheese
(high protein La Tortilla Factory tortilla’s or Flat Out Wraps)

6. Dessert lately has been alot of Greek yogurt + toppings:
Raspberries + dark chocolate chips + pom seeds + crushed Newman’s o cookie

Random eats but good ones, especially the new addition of yogurt to my dessert menu (18 grams protein/serving)

*some snacks/meals that don’t exactly follow my protein theme of the day*

Brussels Sprouts + Shallots (before)

After:

These were awesome! I have never pan “fried” brussels sprouts before, I always roast them in oil + maple syrup

Lots of veggie salads + Annie’s salad dressing (the best!)

ORGANIC DARK CHOCOLATE

Sorry for the overload of eats!

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Dara — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:34:12 +0000

The best part of roasting your own chicken??

Leftovers

Try these amazing pulled chicken sandwiches

You will need:

3 Tablespoon (T) of Ketchup
1 T of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T of grainy mustard (regular will do fine as well)
1 T molasses
1 teaspoon (t) chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
4 turns of fresh ground pepper
a dash (or 1/8 t) of ground ginger
Desired amount of shredded chicken meat, at least 3 servings (or 12 oz)
-you could also use raw chicken meat cut into 2 inch pieces, cooking time will increase
-add the raw chicken to the saute pan with all other ingredients, follow instructions and cook until cooked through (20-25min)
*Buns of choice (I prefer Rudi’s organic)
Mayo/horseradish

1. Combine all of the ingredients besides the shredded chicken and buns in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally.
3. Once sauce has reached desired consistency, should be like a very thick bbq sauce, add chicken
4. Stir with chicken just until it is heated through
5. Spread mayo onto bun (or desired sauce) and top with chicken mixture
6. Serve with a pickle and enjoy

How To Roast a Chicken

Dara — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:48:51 +0000

Roasting your own chicken is wonderful. You can buy free range organic (Trader Joe’s has these), roast it with your favoroite seasonings, and enjoy with integrity. Your home will also smell of amazing garlic, rosemary (my herb of choice) and lemon while roasting

Preheat oven to 425

Step 1: Rinse your chicken with cold water and pat dry
Step 2: Remove giblets if they have not done so for you from the cavity of the chicken
Step 3: Stuff about one lemon’s worth of slices, entire head of garlic, fresh herb sprig and a 1/2 tablespoon of butter into the cavity of the chicken
Step 7: On the top of the chicken, make a small insert into the skin and slide a 1/2 tablespoon of butter underneath the skin
Step 8: Sprinkle chicken liberally with sea salt + pepper
Step 9: Put chicken in casserole/baking/roasting pan or dish and into the oven for 90 minutes, or until the juices are running clear

Enjoy leftovers all week long: Rather than buying chicken strips, chicken thighs, breasts, ect, try and reduce your footprint and buy a whole chicken for roasting. From there, make your own soup stock and freeze it for future usage. Save the planet AND money.

CHeck out THIS link to learn more about the most enviormentally friendly way to eat meat.

HERE is another article to check out about eating meat in the most green fashion possible.

Product Review: Jamfrakas Bar by Larabar

Dara — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:59:25 +0000

We all love our LARABARS, but I was super excited to find these Jamfraka bars for kids at the store! They are about half the size of a normal Larabar and thus contain about half of the nutrition. Larabar is a company I will always trust, so the more products by them, the better!

From their website:
Our company name comes from an ancient belief that food falls into two categories:
BECKONING FOODS, which beckon consumption again and again, sapping the body of energy without any real health benefits, Today, they’re called “junk foods.”
HUMM FOODS on the other hand, resonate with energy in a whole, natural state. When consumed, they cause you to feel vibrant and alive.
You can expect an unmistakable urge to humm after every LÄRABAR bar you eat.

Pros:

-smaller size for when you want a less filling bar
-soy free, dairy free, gluten free
-USDA organic
-CRUNCHY/CRISPY!
-contain fruits + nuts + honey + whole grains
-contain about 10 vital minerals and vitamins in each bar
-and of course, trans fat and high fructose corn syrup free!
-fun flavors: Apple Crispalicious, Chocolate Chip Cosmocrisp, Banana Chocolate Blastocrisp, Strawberry Crispiscrumptious, Peanut Butter Blisscrips

Cons:

-not raw or vegan
-less flavor options
-flavor less pronounced
-higher in sodium per gram
-longer and less attractive list of ingredients

Jamfraka Review: Peanut Butter Blisscrisp

INGREDIENTS: Organic Peanuts, Organic Dates, Organic Rice Crisps (Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Honey, Organic Raisin Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt), Organic Honey, Sea Salt

NUTRITION PROFILE per bar:
calories: 120
Fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g

Texture: Slight crisp/crunch. In comparison to the Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar, the Peanut Butter Blisscup is much less chewy. The flavor has a interesting aftertaste to it that I can not figure out. It is not bad, I just couldn’t find a word to describe it! I actually prefer it to the Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie bar.

Lastly, I found this bar less filling obviously than a Larabar, however it did hold me over longer than anticipated during class. I have yet to try the other flavors, but look forward to doing so!!

Overall, I would recommend you give these a try, kid or not! Although I also eat kids gummy vitamins… so what can I say!