KOR Water - The New Delta!

Back in July, I ordered my first KOR Hydration Vessel in Orchid Pink. I absolutely loved having this bottle with me all the time and it was so convenient! Unfortunately, I left it in the car one too many times in the Texas sun and, so, it has since been recycled! I went to order another and, it turns out, KOR has come out with a new  750ml bottle called the Delta! I ordered one in Sawgrass Green and I cannot wait to get it in the mail!

(off to green(er) pastures ... my first KOR hydration vessel!)

To buy a KOR Water Vessel (and help save the world), go to KOR Water. Use the code KWS-12383 and you'll save 15% off your purchase!

(Chicken) Chow Mein!

Lately, I have been craving Chinese food! The only thing is that sometimes all of that oil makes me feel a little sick so I set my mind to learning how to make a few quick Chinese dishes that I love. This way, I can control all the oiliness and tailor all the ingredients to what I prefer. Today, I made chicken chow mein. For a vegan or vegetarian option, you can substitute tofu chicken or skip it altogether.

I began by chopping up baby corn, bok choy, water chestnuts, straw mushrooms, and green onions, and thinly julienning a red bell pepper. During this time, I was also bringing to a boil a large pot of unsalted water for the Chinese yellow wheat noodles (seen on the far right). Due to the amount of sodium in the soy sauces, I chose to forgo the salt I would typically add to cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and let cook. Once all the noodles are able to freely move about and are floating, they are done. Drain the water and add just a bit of sesame oil so the noodles don't stick together.

If you are choosing to use chicken or tofu, you will first need to create a marinade and then cut the breasts into pieces. My marinade consisted of sweet chili sauce, regular low-sodium soy sauce, and a few dashes of all spice. If you'd like to marinade overnight, seal it in a resealable plastic baggie and refrigerate. I only let it rest for about 20 minutes while I was doing all of my vegetable prep and it came out well enough. If you like a lot of heat, I would suggest adding some sriracha. If you are using only vegetables, you will still need to create a marinade as, later, we will be adding the noodles to the veg and there will not be a separate sauce.

Once you're happy with your marinade, take out your wok, add some peanut oil, and put on very high heat. The wok will start to smoke but don't worry! This just means the oil has heated sufficiently and you need to put your ingredients in. You will need to use some sort of spatula to put the first ingredients in because the oil will begin to sizzle and it will pop up and burn your skin. Nevertheless, add in your meat, tofu, or vegetables. If you're using meat or tofu, let cook fully (at least a few minutes) before adding in the veg. Once you've added in your vegetables of choice and they have simmered for a few minutes, add in your pasta and a little light soy sauce. After this cooks for about a minute, do a taste check and modify as you wish with additional spices or sauces. 

Once this has cooked for another minute, remove from heat, plate and enjoy!

P.S. Just a side note - I always save the little vegetable leftovers that I would typically disregard and later throw away for vegetable stock for later soups and stews! Just store them in a resealable plastic baggie in the refrigerator until you want to use them later. When you want to use them later, just put it all into a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Spicy Shrimp Quinoa

I realize this recipe is not vegan or vegetarian like all of my others but it was just too good to not share (or put here so I could remember it later)! So, to begin, I put one cup of quinoa and one cup chicken stock (you can use water, coconut milk, or any sort of stock you'd like) into a pot and brought it to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover for about 10 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, I chopped half of one large golden onion and one and a half tomatoes. Then, I diced about six ounces of sun-dried tomato polenta.

First into the pan is the onions with a pinch of salt and of pepper. I use freshly ground all natural sea salt and whole peppercorns. Don't use any oils or butter at this point, as the onions need to "sweat". Once they begin to brown slightly, you can add either extra virgin olive oil or butter. At this point, add the chopped tomato as well and allow a nice sauté for at least five minutes. If your quinoa has finished soaking up all of the liquid and looks nice and fluffy, add in about half of the diced polenta, stir just a bit, recover, and turn off your burner while leaving the pot to stay warm. 

Once the tomatoes and onions have cooked, add in your shrimp and the rest of the polenta. If you have any scallions on hand, you can give them a rough chop and add them in at this time. Also, chiffonade and add any herbs you'd like, such as cilantro. I added turmeric and cayenne pepper, in addition to a little more freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Let all of this sauté for a few more minutes. A good rule of thumb is that the shrimp are cooked when they have formed a C-shape. If they have attained an O-shape, they have over cooked and will probably be chewy.

Once everything has finished cooking, mix everything together, plate, and serve! 

Baked Brown Sugar Squash

I went to the grocers the other day and they were having an amazing sale on acorn squash. I ended up buying as many as I could carry and, while at the time, this sounded like a great idea, being surrounded by squash really isn't as ideal as it sounded at the time. For one, I've never made a squash a centerpiece of a meal and, for two, I wasn't even sure of how to cook a squash without mixing it into a bunch of other veggies. 

 

After a little experimentation, it turned out the more simply I kept things, the better the result. First, I preheated the oven to 450 degrees and put a bit of EVOO into the bottom of a small pan (4x6 is what I used). The oil will keep the skin and "meat" soft, which is essential if you plan on keeping a luscious, creamy texture.Cook the squash for about 40 minutes.

Once the 40 minutes is up, take the squash out of the oven, remove the seeds with a spoon, and spread about one teaspoon of butter or butter substitute over the squash. Next, sprinkle a pinch or two of brown sugar (I use all natural raw cane dark brown sugar) over the flesh. Place the squash back into the oven without turning it back on. The brown sugar and butter will caramelize over the top of the squash.

After a few minutes, you may remove the squash and serve either in its skin or you may remove the flesh and serve as is. I served it still in it's skin, as seen above. The brown sugar really brings out the sweetness of the squash and the butter plays into the smooth texture quite well. I was asked for the recipe quite a few times! Next time, for the sake of presentation, I will be plating the latter way and serving more as a mashed squash.

Citrus Garlic Spinach and Faux Chicken

I know mushrooms are relatively as filling as meat but I've been eating a lot of them lately and thought it was time to change things up a bit.

 First, I took fresh organic spinach and rinsed it. Shake just a bit to relieve the excess water or pat dry.

Then, I got out a large pan, put a bit of flavored olive oil in it, and placed it on the stove on medium heat. Once the olive oil has heated and thinned out a little bit, add the garlic and, after a minute or two, add the spinach. Immediately after this, I squeezed in the juice of two oranges. Feel free to put in as much spinach as you want as it will cook down quite a bit. An amount that would be suitable for two to three people in a salad will only be enough for one person after being cooked.

Tofu chicken seemed to be the easiest choice. (Sorry the picture looks blurry - it's from the heat of cooking!) The one I chose was already prepared and in little stripes so all I had to do was cook them a bit. The directions said you could just throw them in the microwave for one minute so I made sure to have the pan already hot with flavored olive oil, the juice of one orange, and diced garlic.

After the spinach has cooked down and the faux chicken has the slightest browning, plate and squeeze a little more orange juice all over the top. Other citrus juices would be good, too, as would rosemary or basil. I think next time I'll add a little cilantro or parsley in as well with the spinach to cook. Overall, though, it was very good, especially since the spinach retains a bit of it's crunch! (I'm one that eats for texture and, then, taste)