Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Sadly, the only time I get to come back to my hometown in Texas is during the holidays. With that being said, for the past few years, this dish has become synonymous with family dinners at home. I'd highly recommend it for any gathering of friends or family -- and with only 15 minutes of hands-on time, it's a comfort food that speaks for itself.

Servings: enough for 8 people

What You'll Need:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (two tablespoons of honey will work too)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Cooking spray (or olive oil)
• Couple handfuls of mini-marshmallows
• Oven

The Step-by-Step:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Rinse the potatoes in running water, and use your hands to make sure all the dirt is off. Using a good knife, slice potatoes into circles, then the circles in 4 pieces each to make chunks.
3. Spray a good sized oven pan  with cooking spray. (I used one of my mom's circular pans, but if I was at home, I'd use a standard-sized brownie pan)
4. Place the potato chunks in the pan, and in a small bowl, mix the syrup and the sugar together.
5. Pour the syrup mixture onto the potatoes and toss with your (washed) hands.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and use a fork to see if the potatoes are soft (if you have a hard time inserting the fork, it needs to bake more.) If soft, sprinkle the marshmallows over the potatoes and place back into the oven for 5 more minutes.
8. Remove from the oven. The marshmallows should be melted.
9. Eat up!

 

xoxo n

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For the record

Brown sugar and maple syrup may not be super nutritious, but sweet potatoes are commonly called the most nutritious vegetable there is (not to mention one of the cheapest ever.) As far as nutrients, it's probably the best bang for your buck you can get.Many recipes you will find on the internet for a marshmallow/sweet potato caserole dish will have way more sugar and fat than this one. I would know -- I used to make it by mashing the potatoes and adding about a cup of sweetened coffee creamer (on top of everything listed above)! YIKES! So I decided to lighten it up, and to this day, everyone still eats it up, even those who aren't as healthy as I try to be. If you keep the portions on this dish in check, this dish is a perfectly good way to celebrate, whether at a dinner party, or just on a Tuesday.

 

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cupcakes



Part of being healthy is being resourceful. The holidays have just finished, and maybe Grandpa Ted didn't eat all the cranberry sauce you wanted him to. Or perhaps, you made too much because its so delicious and you felt like eating from the tub with a spoon during a Netflix binge. Since it keeps in the fridge for two weeks, feel free to be the star of your New Year's party (sauce recipe here). There's no substitute for homemade sauce, and it makes the perfect co-star for the sweet cupcake and creamy frosting. This would also make an incredible middle layer to a two-tiered cake.

Servings: 24 cupcakes

What You'll Need:

• 1 box (yes, box -- pick your battles) Vanilla Cake mix
• Egg, Oil, and Water required (listed on cake box)
• 1 tub vanilla frosting (again, pick your battles. If you want to make your own, mix 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar with a tablespoon of softened butter and a spoonful of milk at a time until it's the thickness you want.)
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce for frosting
• 1 and a 1/2 cups cranberry sauce (for filling)
• 24 cupcake papers & an Oven
• Optional: 24 fresh cranberries
• Optional: Clear sprinkles

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to degree listed on cake mix box (usually 350 or 375 degrees F)
2. Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and water in a small bowl (based on the cake mix's directions).
3. Place cupcake papers in your cupcake pan, and fill each halfway.
4. Bake for the instructed amount of minutes, and repeat this process until all of the cupcake batter has been used up.
5. While the cupcakes are baking and you have some downtime, mix the frosting and the cranberry sauce (a little at a time until its "cranberry enough" for you), and place the mixture in the fridge to cool a bit.
6. Let the cupcakes cool off (about 30 minutes).
7. With a small spoon, (or even your finger!) scoop (or poke) a hole straight down about halfway through each cupcake.
8. Place 1 cup cranberry sauce in a ziploc bag. Use your hands to get all the sauce towards one side of the bag. Using a scissors, cut a small snip of the bottom corner off.
9. Holding the ziploc like a cone, place the snipped corner in the hole of a cupcake. Squeeze until the cupcake is filled (just to the top of the hole!), and repeat with each cupcake. You may have to pause and wiggle some sauce down towards the bottom of the bag (Stop and adjust -- this is perfectly okay!)
10. Fill a new ziploc bag with the frosting mixture. Snip the corner like before, and squeeze the frosting onto a cupcake, in a circle -- starting with the cupcake's edges and working your way to the center, like a spiral. When you get to the middle, stop. Repeat until all cupcakes are frosted.
11. Optional: If you have some fresh cranberries and sprinkles like I did, feel free to put them to good use.

xoxo n

A side note:

Even though I would hope you are using my recipe for homemade cranberry sauce, you don't have to. If you have a spare can lying around, you can use that -- but since canned sauce is kind of Jello-like, empty the can in a bowl and add 1/3 of a cup of orange juice. Mash and mix together until it is a nicer consistency. Then you can measure it out like in the recipe above.

The Perfect Cranberry Sauce

I have to admit -- growing up, I wasn't a big fan of "the sauce." However, cranberry sauce is Austin's favorite food group (besides egg nog; so let's just establish now that in December he's a very happy camper.) Anyways, having that information, I set out to find the easiest, most natural recipe, and after a little tweaking, this recipe is what tastes the best (and is the best.) I'm now a believer.

Servings: About 3 cups

What You'll Need:

• 1 package fresh cranberries (you can easily find them at any grocery store during the holidays)
• 1 orange, cut in half
• 1 cup brown sugar

The 3 Steps (yes, three):

1. In a medium pot (one you would use to heat up soup,) squeeze the orange until all the juice is in the pot, and put on the stove to heat.
2. Stir in the sugar until it is all dissolved.
3. Add in the fresh cranberries and turn down the heat to low. You'll hear popping as they cook. Stir often. After about 20 minutes, the cranberry sauce should be ready. 

Besides placing a bowl of it at your family table, feel free to also spread it on a leftover-turkey sandwich, or use it as a tangy filling for cupcakes or a cake! This version is so very easy and cheap. Bottom line: Ditch the can and impress everyone this holiday.

xoxo n

Beef Egg Rolls w/ Ginger Carrots and Coconut Oil

Surprise, Surprise -- because I love a good challenge (and because I already eat lots of vegetables so I figured this couldn't be too difficult) I decided to go VEGAN for the month of December. No worries, as I have a very carnivorous boyfriend, expect some of the same meat-friendly recipes (in moderation, of course.) But, on the contrary, I'm excited to share with you all some of my "get creative" meals here and there in the great big mix of holiday classics and boyfriend-friendly meals. Starting with these awesome egg rolls. Make them in large numbers for a party, or just a few for your dinner.

Servings: 2 (3 egg rolls make one full meal)

What You'll Need:

• 1 package egg roll wrappers (I found a brand named Nasoya that makes a pack of 20 wraps for $3.99 -- plus you can refrigerate the ones you don't immediately use -- win!)
• 1/2 package meatless crumbles (vegan fake meat; but feel free to use half a pack of ground beef if you're not down for the cause)
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger 
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (they make these awesome squeezie tubes now for both ginger and garlic; find them in the salad area of the grocery store)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large carrot
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium pan, spray some cooking spray. Heat the meat with the garlic and stir until combined (if using ground beef, stir until the meat is no longer pink.)
3. Turn the heat down to low, and with the spoon, scoot the meat to the side of the pan, and respray the open space. Using a grater, grate the carrot into small shreds right in the open space. Add the ginger and coconut oil to the carrots, and stir. After about 5 minutes, turn off the heat.
4. Take a egg roll wrapper and spoon a little bit of the meat in a line down the middle of the wrapper. Repeat with some of the carrots, but on top of the meat. Use your fingers to make the line as neat as you can.
5. Wet your fingertips with a little water, and fold up the egg rolls (see pictures below.)
6. After you've wrapped all the egg rolls and placed them on the pan, use your fingers to wipe a little olive oil on each of them. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Optional tips: Serve with chopped green onion and teriyaki sauce.

xoxo n

And for the record -- I was mistaken, being vegan is difficult.

Garlic Lime Shrimp & Kale Salad

The perfect salad that even the kitchen-challenged can make.
Take a swing at it!

Servings: 2 (tuppleware the extras and put the dressing in a plastic baggie! lunch tomorrow!)

What You'll Need:

• 1 lb raw shrimp (about $8.00 at the grocery store)
• Mrs. Dash -- Garlic Chili Lime seasoning
• 4 cups fresh kale (easy sub: fresh baby spinach!)
• Dressing of Choice (I used Cranberry Gorgonzola dressing from Trader Joe's!)
• Cooking Spray
• Oven/Baking Sheet

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the shrimp in a small bowl and lightly spray with cooking spray.
3. Use your (clean) hands to lightly toss the shrimp.
4. Sprinkle some of the Mrs. Dash seasoning (about 2 tablespoons) and toss again until each shrimp is seasoned. If you don't have this garlic chili lime seasoning, try salt, pepper, squeezing a fresh lime, and adding some fresh chopped garlic. I like this Mrs. Dash seasoning because it is salt-free, but Get creative!
5. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, and place the shrimp on the pan.
6. Bake the shrimp for 15 minutes.
7. Place kale in two bowls and top with cooked shrimp.
8. Drizzle on some dressing of your choice!

xoxo n

Sweet: A Thanksgiving in Sugar Land

With all of the travel that I've been doing for work and the holiday season, I'm now back in action. And the good news is, that means more recipes! But first, I thought that I would share some personal photos of my sweet sweet Thanksgiving in my hometown of Sugar Land, TX -- with those I love.

Spent some quality time (& dance moves!) with my mom....

Drove to Austin....

Oh, and we ate....

Visited the State Capitol (my Austin had a blast!)....

Helped my brother organize his college planning (let's go Howard!)....

Ate some more...

Saw some great Dulles High School basketball (go Vikes!)....

...and ate some more

So readers -- happy holidays from my family to yours.

xoxo n

Personal Apple Pies

October is over. So over. In fact, it's 16 days over.
But..... to conclude AppleFest once and for all (I had so much fun!) I had to share with you these Mini Apple Pies! These babies were so unbelievably easy to make, using fresh apple, and also -- only about 100 calories a pop!

Servings: 8

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 an apple
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon ground ginger (if you dont have these individual spices, or don't want to buy three spices, you can buy 1 tube of apple pie spice! it has all of the above in one.)
• 1 can Pillsbury Crescents (in the refrigerated section by the dinner rolls!)

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop the apple into small pieces and place in a bowl.
3. Add the spices to the apple pieces and stir, until evenly coated.
4. Open the can of crescents and unroll the dough. You'll see that it is already separated into triangle shapes.
5. Take a triangle, place about two spoonfuls of apple mixture at the widest point of the triangle.
6. Roll the dough over the mixture, and keep rolling until you're at the skinny part of the traingle.
7. Use a fork to poke three holes into the top of the pie.
8. Place your "pies" on a flat baking pan, and bake for 15 minutes (make sure to keep an eye on them!)
9. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

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The apples cook perfectly -- even in the few minutes in the oven, creating great juices and flavors. Best part -- portion control is built in, so you won't eat too much and regret it later. Make these before friends come over, and you'll impress them with your cooking "skills" -- aren't you glad crescents were invented? Shh, I won't tell :)

xoxo n

Also -- if you didn't get a  chance to see my Instagram video, watch it here to see the step-by-step!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles w/ Cheesecake Centers

Remember when I said (when setting up this blog) that I would post the occasional unhealthy (yet wonderful) recipe? I wanted (and continue to want) Table Haven to reflect how a truly healthy life is. While even with the best intentions, anything (even healthy eating) followed 100% is unhealthy because it festers obsession and rigidity -- which, in my opinion, is mentally unhealthy.

Cookies filled with cream cheese? TO-DIE-FOR!

I came across this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles on Pinterest (link here) and I just had to try. They were absolutely wonderful, and I made enough to bring some to work and share with Austin and his housemates. A coworker of mine said "I don't like pumpkin, cheesecake, or snickerdoodles, but all together these are AMAZING!" This past week, Austin mentioned that his housemate is still talking about the cookies, and is asking me to make them again while she "will even buy the ingredients!"

The only change I made when following Alyssa's (the writer at therecipecritic.com) recipe is I found it hard to work with the dough and stuff with the cream cheese mixture -- it was way too sticky. What I did instead was roll the dough in the sugar mixture first, so i could flatten it into a circle, then add the cream cheese. Then I would do the same with the top circle, and it was then easy to roll the circles into a ball.

Either way, this recipe was a hit! I thank Alyssa and other experienced bloggers for posting such great content and being such great role models for younger bloggers. Happy fall, everyone!

xoxo n

Let's Talk!

This week, I was in Trader Joe's (so dangerous!) and before managing to not put pumpkin bagels in my cart (hear, hear! small victories are still victories,) I found myself stopping to think in the dairy section. I know, complete nutritonal nerd moment.

Being a health-conscious consumer today has shifted into who has the most "pins" on Pinterest, and how many skinny six-packs in bikinis we see on our Instagram feed (also known as "fitspo.") Yes, of course -- how many calories you consume and what quality of foods you choose to eat are very important. Having a sense of motivation is important. Please know that I agree with these conclusions. What's sad about this, though, is that we get caught up in the numbers. As someone who works in finance, I know first-hand that it isn't always the number that matters by itself -- but rather -- what that number means. So when you have X amount of calories to eat in a day -- that number matters -- but what you need to look at is what's behind that number -- what makes up that number. There's a huge difference in eating 1200 calories of french fries, and eating 1200 calories of chicken breast, asparagus, an egg white omelette, and some roasted tilapia with brown rice for dinner. Even better -- eating 1500 calories of what I just listed, and getting in a 300 calorie workout after work (so your calorie total would still equal 1200.) Does that make sense?

In the dairy aisle (where this epiphany placed itself in my head,) I was shopping for half & half. Ever since starting my health journey -- I've heard that eating "clean" includes drinking water (very important, I agree,) but if you must "indulge," you can drink unsweetened tea or black coffee. Umm, what? That's not indulging. Ever since starting a full-time job after college (quite frankly, even before that -- when I was a Wall Street intern) I've learned that not only am I more productive in the morning with coffee, but I really love the taste of it (it's so delicious, no?) I have to admit, its become a habit, but I like it. And I'm proud of the fact that I'm not one of those people that have to have a coffee at 2:30 pm too -- because by then -- I've started well into my daily 8 glasses of water and am full of energy. That morning coffee (note: singular) makes me proud that I can indulge in moderation, and yes, I add cream and sugar (Amen.) Anyways, instead of using the regular half & half they have on tap at work (literally on tap -- you pull the lever and watch it pour into your cup, not knowing how much you are actually drinking) -- I bring my own fat free half and half -- store it in the fridge, and put it in the coffee I buy when I return to my floor. Fat-free half & half has about 20 calories per 2 tablespoons, while regular has double that. Its only a 20 calorie savings, but if I'm going to have "my coffee," that sacrifice isn't much to bear.

Back to the story. I was reaching for the fat-free as usual -- and for some reason, I thought to look at the back label to make sure this brand at Trader Joe's was still the same 20 calories. It was -- but something else caught my eye -- the long ingredient list! What the hell is corn syrup doing in there? And dipotassium -- what? That doesn't even sound attractive -- and in cream? HUH?

 

Then I dared to look at the regular half & half -- surely I thought that if the "healthy" version had so many additives and just plain unnatural things in it (since I'm a baker, I knew that half & half literally was made from half milk, and half cream, hence the name.....) then the regular version MUST have crap in it too -- after all, thats what "extra" calories were made of.... right?

Well -- to my surprise:

As a well-informed person that is trying to eat better for yourself, its really important to know what you are eating, instead of just how much. Milk & Cream is what Half & Half is SUPPOSED to be! And those are ingredients that don't sound like a chem lab! That is what you want!!!

Let's just say -- my mind and my body feel alot better with the regular. My coffee has never tasted better. That "extra" twenty calories was made of the real stuff -- and that's better than cutting corners and eating a "fake number" any day -- whether in finance or in life.

Sometimes, it is true -- when it comes to ingredients -- less is more.

xoxo n

Israeli Cous Cous with Apples & Cranberries

Hi everyone -- made this the other day on a whim and I just had to share. Israeli Cous Cous (its like a happy medium between rice and pasta, and in a ball shape) is delicious! I simply cooked mine in chicken broth, and added in dried canberries and diced apples. It was SOOOO delicious. Sorry, usually I am better at describing the food I make, but literally that is the only word I can think of. I made another batch just a couple of days later, because Austin gobbled up what was in my fridge and it made me sad that there was none left for me! Hahaha. Not to mention -- it takes 20 minutes!

Servings: 4 (makes four side dishes, if you want it to be a main dish, it will only make two servings -- and add a protein like chicken -- yum!)

What You'll Need:

• 2/3 cup Israeli CousCous (sometimes called "Pearl CousCous" -- to get an idea of the price, I got a box of the stuff from Trader Joe's for $2.99 -- totally doable on any budget!)
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth (such as Swanson's)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisin's works!)
• 1/2 an apple
• Pinch of Salt, Pepper, & Garlic Powder
• OPTIONAL: Olive Oil, Crushed Garlic

The Step-by-Step:

1. Heat the chicken broth in a small pot  (the size appropriate for heating a can of soup,) then add the cous cous
2. Stir, and let cook until the liquid almost disappears (about 6-8 minutes)
3. While the cous cous is cooking, take the cranberries and cut them into small pieces, and then take the apple and cut it into small chunks
4. When the cous cous is done, turn off  the heat and let sit for 2 minutes
5. Add in the cranberries, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and stir
6. Optional: If the cous cous is sticking together, add a dash of olive oil
7. Optional: For more flavor, mix a little bit of crushed fresh garlic
8. When serving, top with some apple chunks!

This warm, comforting, yet fruity dish lends a nice change from the usual. The chicken broth adds a depth of poultry flavor that you would miss by cooking the cous cous in plain water... so all in all, this is kind of like a healthy cousin of thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce. Enjoy this clean eating!

xoxo n

side note

this past weekend, i reunited with lots of college friends at my alma mater's homecoming -- one of Austin's fraternity brothers came up to me and said they love my blog and made my breakfast avocado! it really touched me!! even though this blog is a labor of love, and i truly love writing about my cooking escapades -- your comments as readers really keep me going on those tough long days. i really appreciate your words, alex! :)

Help! I Want to Roast a Squash!



Butternut squash, uncut!

Fall is near, and I thought I would take a moment to address one of the season's most difficult yet easiest cooking skills! Aren't those the most frustrating things -- the easiest yet hardest? Drinking lots of water when you're trying to lose weight, going to sleep an hour eaerlier when you want to do better at work, etc.? Those things always trip me up. It's like the harder the obstacle, the easier it is to focus, and the easier the requirements, the more I underestimate them and therefore the harder of a time I have achieving them. Crazy how that works. Anyways, back to the topic at hand.

One of the best ways to eat this fall includes taking advantage of SQUASH. You know, those weird looking gourds of things in baskets at the supermarket for ridiculously cheap prices (y'all know I'm all about the cheap eats.) Once I learned to cook and eat them -- I loved them and have never looked back (and neither has my wallet.) Never again will I pay $4.99 for 2 cups of pre-cubed butternut squash -- when a whole squash makes about 5 cups and costs about $2! Proposterous. I guess they think we're stupid -- or don't have access to a blog post such as this. Since when does using a knife bring about more costs? I'll wait.

Anyways, the possibilities for squash are endless. I thought I would take a break from #THApplefest to answer this question I received via twitter (check us out -- @tablehaven!) -- How can I break down a squash and cook it? Well, here we go.

1. At the grocery store, pick a squash (any squash, even though I used a butternut squash for this post) that is firm to the touch.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Lie the squash on its side on a hard surface, such as a clean kitchen counter or a cutting board if you have one.
4. With a large knife, cut the squash in half, from top to bottom.
5. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
6. Now that you have two large (and seedless) halves, keep cutting each piece in half until you have chunks similar to the picture above.
7. Spray a pan with cooking spray and place the chunks on the pan. Then spray each chunk with cooking spray (If you have olive oil, feel free to drizzle some on the chunks.)
8. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chunks (optional: cinnamon! yum!!) and bake for 30-40 minutes.
9. Enjoy!!!

When you bake a squash, you can eat it as is, or cut it into smaller cubes and add it to a salad or soup for some depth. You could also heat some on the stove with spinach and garlic for a great (hearty!) side dish. It's also very filling for the "price" -- Butternut squash (pictured) has only 82 calories per cup!

I hope this answered your question!
Readers -- if you have any questions (ever,) feel free to shoot me an email at thehaventable@gmail.com or tweet me at @tablehaven!

 

Great Rule of Thumb

Follow the rainbow ~ if a food has a strong color, it's good for you! As you can see from the picture above, butternut squash is a deep orange, and is a great way to get in your vitamins and nutrients!

xoxo n

Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats

My obsession with apples this season continues!

This apple oatmeal was super easy to make (only 5 minutes of hands-on time) -- and steel cut oats are incredbily good for you, a great whole grain that's full of fiber and perfect for starting your morning. If you don't have steel cut, regular oats work great too -- just make sure you follow the instructions on the package.

Servings: Two

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 individual portion of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 an apple

Step-by-Step:

1. Heat water on the stove until it starts to bubble/boil.
2. Add oats -- lower heat and let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir, then let cook for 5 more minutes until water level has lowered significantly.
4. Stir again -- when there is barely any water left in the pot -- turn off the heat.
5. Stir in the applesauce and cinnamon. (If you have no applesauce, chop up some apple and mix it in the oatmeal with the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.)
6. Top with apple slices.

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Totally make-beforeable (I made that up,) this dish is perfect for evenings where you know your morning will be crazy, but still want something tasty and nutritious. Simply put it in some tuppleware in your fridge, and grab it on the go. Enjoy :)

xoxo n

Honey Apple Parfaits

This weekend I couldn't keep myself from making another vat of my homemade applesauce. Quite honestly, Austin wasn't complaining. I left the slow cooker on, bubbling with apple juices -- and headed straight to the thrift store for an afternoon with friends. I don't thrift often, but when I do (stay thirsty my friends?) I always find the greatest things. I ran across two great martini glasses --  and being who I am -- I immediately thought of how wonderful they would show off a parfait.

I used my applesauce for this -- but feel free to used store-bought (go unsweetened! you'll never turn back!) to make a quick, filling, and simple breakfast. I served mine with orange slices. Again, Austin wasn't complaining. Yum!

Servings: 1 (ingredient amounts below are for each individual parfait -- If you have company, just repeat!)

What You'll Need:

• 1 Individual Greek Yogurt (whatever flavor you have -- I used honey -- but I find that most yogurt flavors pair beautifully with applesauce -- think Mango Apple or Pineapple Apple, for instance.)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup granola (I used Special K's Low Fat Granola in 'Touch of Honey')

The Step-by-Step

1. I won't insult you guys with the step-by-step :) Just layer the three ingredients until you reach the top of the glass. Top with more granola.

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This doesn't keep very long -- so unfortunately, you can't really make it the night before or in advance. The moisture from the granola and the applesauce will make the granola soggy with time -- so I recommend this for weekend breakfasts when you're not in a rush -- and you can pair this with a steaming cup of coffee and a morning paper :)

xoxo n

Sweet Potato & Roasted Apple Soup

Please forgive my kitchen table with things on it.... I'm 23 and normal.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I went to happy hour with some work friends here in DC. Being that every restaurant seems to adopt "seasonal is cool" fad once October rolls around, their soup of the day was Pumpkin. Of course, I HAD to try some with my Sam Adams Seasonal Ale. It was pretty good, as most of the dishes at that restaurant are, but two weeks later, I was still thinking about it. Finally, after much back and forth, I decided to muster up my own kitchen confidence and put my own spin on it. It's not just for chef's right?

Creamy and filling, this Sweet Potato soup literally takes 2 minutes to come together on the stove once you have all the ingredients, and as corny (catch the seasonal pun) as it sounds, it "tastes like fall." When I poured myself a bowl and tasted it, the world literally faded away. Best part -- I did the math, and this has like 200 calories for a bowl. Amen.

Servings: 2 (1 & 1/2 cups each)

What You'll Need:

• 1 can sweet potato puree (or canned pumpkin if you can't find sweet potato)
• 1 can fat free low sodium chicken broth (such as Swanson brand)
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half
• 2 medium-sized apples (you want sweet ones, so don't use green ones!)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL: Plain Lowfat yogurt for topping

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line an oven pan with foil. Slice apples and place on pan. Roast apples for 25 minutes.
2. While roasting, do something else, such as cleaning your apartment (ahem.)
3. When apples are done (you can smell them wafting through the air while, say, cleaning your apartment) take them out of the oven and let cool while....
4. On the stove, combine chicken broth with sweet potato puree over medium high heat. Stir with a whisk until combined. Let heat for 5 minutes.
5. Place apple slices and half & half in a blender, and blend until combined (about 20 seconds.)
6. Add apple mixture to sweet potato mixture, and stir. Add the cinnamon, and stir some more!
7. To serve -- spoon into some bowls, and top with a spoonful of yogurt. Sprinkle some cinnamon or pie spice on top for decoration.

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Oh, did you think #AppleFest was a game?
Shame on you! I have tons of apples to use up, and like I said, I'm more than willing to get creative. I hope in the spur of my creativity, that I can inspire you too!

Based on how easy and delicious this soup was, I can tell I'm going to make lots more soup when it gets colder in the upcoming weeks. It keeps well in the fridge, and reheating is a no-brainer. Plus, I'm a sucker for things that make me feel like I'm wrapped in a blanket. Plus, its seasonal and healthy. What more could a girl want?

Remember -- I want to know what you're thinking! #THAppleFest

xoxo n

AppleFest! Spiced Applesauce

So -- after writing the last post..... I caught the case of apple-blog-mania.
I'd like to call it: AppleFest 2013, actually.

In the next month, I will be sharing wonderful recipes that have inspired me, everywhere from the cafeteria at work, to old cookbooks, to even my own imagination in the kitchen on a random Thursday. Look out for:

• Israeli CousCous with Cranberries & Apples
• Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats
• Personal Apple Pies
• Sweet Potato & Roasted Apple Soup

To start off, I decided to venture into making my own applesauce! First of all, its not only delcious, but it's so "school lunch" -- remember those sweet days? Plus, applesauce is so versatile -- in the past couple of days, I've eaten it plain, mixed it into some smoothies, or even topped it on some oatmeal! Not only that, but with my recipe, nothing artificial is added -- and if you're like me -- you'll be hooked on the purity of this recipe and taste, and never want to buy store applesauce again!

Servings: 4-8 (1 cup or half cup)

What You'll Need:

• 8 small apples (preferably pink or light red)
• A Slow Cooker! (can find them for $15 -- best thing you can buy for yourself)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2tbsp Cinnamon
• Optional: Pumpkin Pie Spice (sold this time of year, its cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc. bottled together in one)

Step by Step:

1. Cut the apples into slices and make sure to cut the peels off.
2. Put the apple slices into the slow cooker and add water and just a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Stir, cover, and turn the slow cooker to "Low." Let cook 6-8 hours while you sleep, you busy world-changer!
4. When the time is up, turn the slow cooker off and use a wooden spoon to mash the apples until the sauce is chunky. Add the remaining cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice and stir.
5. Let sit for 30 minutes, stir, then put the dish into the fridge. Let cool before serving.

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Who's excited for AppleFest? Instagram me at @natalieneilson with the hastag #THAppleFest to show me how you are engaging in the apple bounty this fall! Can't wait to hear from you guys!

xoxo n

Writer's Note: For those wondering "Where's the Sugar??" -- Many of the recipes I found online for applesauce required you to add sugar (sometimes up to a cup!) I decided to go against adding sugar, since apples are naturally sweet -- and I decided if I tasted my applesauce and it wasn't sweet enough, I would direct you readers to another sugar-adding recipe. However, my natural applesauce was just sweet enough :)

Maple-Glazed Salmon with Baked Apples

We all know the phrase "An Apple a Day..," but as soon as you decide that you want to attempt eating seasonally, you realize in that this is a serious phrase in October! Fall brings more apples than you can imagine, and if you don't act fast, they get brusied and gross in your fruit basket, despite your good intentions. Therefore -- you realize (like I did this week) that you gotta get creative. When i told my boyfriend (who is a self-proclaimed salmon hater) that I was thinking of incorporating apples into a salmon dish -- he looked at me (with a clear "I'm trusting you..." smirk) then asked "so will the apples be dessert?".

Less than an hour later, he was wolfing down the entire meal and commenting on how the apples complimented the salmon "unexpectedly and perfectly." He was right -- With the honey beautifully pairing with the apple's natural flavors, the fruit just melts in your mouth. I served mine over brown rice -- Try it out!

 

Servings: 4

What You'll Need: 

• Four (5-ounce) salmon filets (Target just launched a new collection of healthy foods called 'Simply Balanced' -- I got a bag of wild-caught Alaskan salmon filets for $10! --winning!)
• 4 tablespoons light maple syrup
• 1 cup microwave-in-the-bag brown rice (pick your battles!)
• Salt/Pepper
• 2 apples (any kind that's not green-- who wants sour roasted apples?)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Cooking Spray or foil
• Baking pan
• Optional: Slice some spinach leaves for garnish
• Optional: Marinade (see below)

For the Salmon:

Quick way: Take the salmon filets and season with salt and pepper (if you bought them frozen, let them thaw first.) Place the filets on the pan and let bake for 15 min at 400 degrees. After removing from oven, spread maple syrup over filets.

Optional "long" way: Place salmon filets in a plastic bag. Add olive oil, a little soy sauce, garlic powder, salt pepper, brown sugar, and honey to the bag and shake to coat. Let sit in the fridge for two hours. Take salmon out of bag and bake as instructed above. (This method allows the salmon to marinate and have deeper flavors-- but don't fret -- the quick version is also tasty!)

For the Apples:
Turn each apple on its side. With a good knife, slice off the top (the stem) and the bottom (the stub.) Then, with the apple still on its side, slice the apple into rings. Cut out a small circle in the middle of each ring (taking out the seeds/core.) Place on a pan with cooking spray. Mix together the honey and water in small bowl, and using your fingers, spread on the apple rings. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. (You can do this on a separate pan, but for the sake of the dishes I would have to wash, I baked these for 5-10 minutes then took them out of the oven. I spread some more honey water on the rings, moved them to the side of the pan, then added more cooking spray and the salmon to the pan. I put the one pan back in the oven for the salmon's 15 minutes -- genius, right?)

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Crisp apples, moist apples, juicy apples -- you name it, fall brings them. You can also use these same baked apples, adding some cinnamon -- and compliment some oatmeal in the morning, or even serve them warm with some whipped cream on top for a healthy dessert. It's apple season, so expect a multitude of apple recipes on Table Haven this month. Let's get crackin! err, slicing?

xoxo n

Bok Choy with Red Pepper & Ginger

Imagine a veggie that is stalky like celery, but white -- and has leaves so green, but doesn't taste like lettuce? Enter into the realm of Bok Choy -- a vegetable used for hundreds of years in China with a slightly sweet, yet light and crisp taste. (best part? low in calories -- holla!) 

A fresh head of bok choy came in my From the Farmer produce delivery this week, and I honestly had couldn't delay using it. This vegetable is actually a favorite of my father's -- but instead of boiling it (i'm not a fan of the texture) -- I sautéed it with some fresh ginger and red peppers for a fresh and colorful twist. Absolutely scrumptious. I packed it up for my lunch all this week -- after making myself stop reaching into the pot.

Servings: 4 (about 1 cup each)

What You'll Need:

• 1 head of fresh bok choy
• 1 small onion (or 2 tbsp onion powder)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger (or ginger powder)
• Cooking Spray
• Salt/Pepper

The Step-by-Step:

1. Chop up the onion and red peppers into small pieces.
2. Heat a large pan on the stove over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
3. Add peppers and onion, and let cook for 5 minutes. Every minute or so, give it a good stir.
4. While the peppers and onion are cooking, break a stalk off the bok choy head and cut it into slices (starting with the green side and working your way to the white.)
5. Add in the bok choy slices as you go.
6. Keep stirring :)
7. Take your ginger and grate it directly into the pan until you see the equivalent of about 2 big spoonfuls. (If you don't have a grater, cut the ginger into very small pieces then add.)
8. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir.
9. Serve immediately.

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Good on its own, or as a side dish -- and including the chopping and slicing, this bok choy only takes 20 minutes to prepare. Perfect for a fall day when you're rushing to get things done. Not to mention, its chock full of Vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. I think my dad would be proud. Sounds fantastic to me.

xoxo n

"Timberlakes" (Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars)

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The other day, I was in my dad's kitchen making a snack and singing an N*SYNC song completely out of key (hey, party like its 1997.) The only witness to my crime was my 7-year-old sister who was playing a computer game nearby, so I didn't care, and I "sang" to my heart's content. After bearing what she could, she stopped, looked up, and asked me what I was doing. I asked her (without thinking,) "What? You don't know who Justin Timberlake is??" Immediately recognizing her reaction, I quickly followed up with "The Justin Bieber I had when I was your age." No more words were spoken; she understood. I picked up my snack, turned around, and swag-walked out with my head held high, like I just addressed the press Obama-style, after announcing that Bin Laden was no longer an issue.

Anyone that knows me well knows I truly believe that other than Jesus and my dad, there are very few men that can do no wrong, and JT is one of them. (Amen) Let's admit it -- not only does he have the looks, but he has the humor, the girl (omg,) and the voice. 15 years after I was singing "Tearin Up my Heart" with my friends in the parent-pick up line at my elementary school, the man is still making hits. Part 2 of "The 20-20 Experience" is due to be released tomorrow (Monday,) but some music blogs made my life complete and got a hold of it early. Therefore, it goes without saying that after being "enlightened" this past Friday, I spent all day at work with my headphones in, listening to the album (<---that was a link, thank me later) and cranking out deliverables. Trust me -- nothing could get me down. The album in my opinion was fantastic -- again, no wrong.

Justin Timberlake has very little to do with pumpkin in my mind -- but speaking of "Amnesia" (my favorite track on this album,) I had run across a picture of "Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars" when I searched for "pumpkin" on Pinterest (hey, cut a girl some slack, its officially fall.) I was super excited to try them out with what I had stocked in my kitchen. While baking, I was tuned into a certain album (cough, cough) hoping the perfection would fall from my speakers, through my apartment air and into the pan -- and sure enough, no wrong was done.

Trying out a new format this time, so here it is in PICTURES:

For this recipe, you'll need 1 twelve oz package of chocolate chips (I used half of a bag of mini chips that I had left over from a previous recipe -- use less like I did if you don't like too much chocolate!), 1 egg, 1 cup (or two sticks) of butter (leave it out for an hour or so, so its room temp when you're ready to bake), 1 cup of pumpkin puree (its canned and available everywhere these days!), 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice (on the spice aisle!), 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (while nothing beats the real thing, imitation vanilla will still make a yummy end result), 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon of salt (a canister of sea salt from Trader Joe's costs like $1.50 and has lasted me for a year!), and 1 1/4 cups of sugar.

Line a 13x9 oven pan (typical rectangular brownie size pan) with foil -- or my personal favorite -- parchment paper. It's right next to foil in the supermarket. Line the pan so there's extra foil/paper on the sides -- that way the bars won't stick to the pan :)

In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a bigger bowl, add the butter and sugar. I combined white sugar and granulated brown sugar. Maybe I'm superstitious, but I've been halving brown and white for years -- I think they blend well together and intensify flavor -- so after combining, I only used about 1/4cup less than the recipe calls for. But that's just my opinion :)

With an electric mixer, "cream" the butter and sugar.

Should look like this afterwards.

Add the egg and vanilla.

Mix together, then get a spatula.

Wipe down the sides. You want to do this to make sure everything is mixing evenly!

Next, add in the pumpkin.

Yes, the glorious pumpkin.

Mix together. It should look a little curdled.

Next, mix in a little bit of the flour mixture. Repeat until all of the flour mixture is mixed into the pumpkin bowl. (If you add in all of the flour at once then try mixing, the flour will fly into the air/the walls of your kitchen-- so much fun to clean up... not.)

When the flour mixture is completely incorporated into the pumpkin mixture, it'll look like this.

Next, add the chocolate chips. Fold them in instead of stirring them, so you keep the fluffiness of the batter in tact. (Folding is merely dragging a spatula down the center of a bowl, then scooping up what's on the left then flipping it over into the center. Then you rotate the bowl a little and repeat. That was my best attempt at explaining. If you want to see a Youtube video of how to do this, click here.)

After the chips have been folded/completely incorporated, it should look like this.

Bring back the pan with the paper, and use the spatula to pour the batter on top of the paper.

Spread evenly in the pan, and bake for 40 min at 350 degrees F.

Let cool for an hour before lifting out of the pan (using the sides of the paper) and cutting into bars.

BAM.

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I do admit.

This recipe is not healthy. But neither is this guy's greatness:

Sorry, not sorry.

xoxo n

Recipe Pictures: N.Neilson
JT: Pinterest