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Appetites and Adventures

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

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Stuffing has never excited me.

Who knows what possessed me to decide to make it for last Saturday’s catering event!  Never say never – this stuffing was by far the crowd’s (and my own) favorite at the party.

At the height of the party, I couldn’t replenish these plates fast enough!

Sweet and savory always wins.  Apple with the chicken sausage and fresh herbs was the perfect combination.  The balance of flavors was impeccable.  The ciabatta bread gave the dish a rich chewiness, and the occasional walnut crunch was a pleasant surprise.  Next time I’d probably add even more walnuts!

As I was making this on Friday night I could barely keep myself from eating the whole pot!  A little “tester” bowl won’t hurt…

This made a TON of stuffing.  As in, I stuffed 210 fillo shells.

Halve the recipe for a smaller group.

Kroger is now OUT of fillo!

I’d love to make it again for a holiday sit-down meal to be served as a side dish!

Recipe at the end.

I haven’t forgotten Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday!

As this is getting lengthy (and this stuffing is 100x better than anything I ate today), my day of eats are lumped in collage form.

Don’t forget to hop over to Peas & Crayons to see what everyone else has been indulging in this week!

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

  • 3 C bread cubes (I used 2-day old ciabatta bread)
  • 6 T salted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 C celery
  • 1 C parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 T + 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 C roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 apples, chopped (I used red delicious)
  • 1/2 C fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 6 links chicken apple sausage
  • Fillo shells (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Prepare sausage by sautéing in a skillet until outside becomes browned and temp reached 145 degrees.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from the bread and cut  into small cubes.

On stovetop, melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat.  Add the celery, onion, parsley, herbs de provence, nutmeg, and pepper.  Sauté until tender.

Add in black pepper, chestnuts, walnuts, garlic, apple and 1/4 C of the sage.  Sauté until tender.

Stir in vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer for 2-3 mins for flavors to combine.

Gently fold in bread cubes.  Add these in gradually, adjusting amount depending on the dryness of your bread. You can always add more cubes or broth if it’s too watery or dry.

Finally, fold in your sausage bits and the remaining sage.

If using fillo shells:

Allow mixture to cool before spooning 1-2 T of the stuffing into each shell.

Stuff the shells directly in the containers.  You can re-cover and box them for storage in the freezer.  (These are great to have on hand for impromptu parties, or as a make-ahead option!)

Pre-heat oven to 325.  Place stuffed fillos on baking sheet, sprinkle each with a bit of parm, and back from 15 mins.  Serve warm.

***

 If you haven’t solidified your holiday meal plans yet, consider making this stuffing.  Trust me.  My only regret is that I didn’t get better pics!

Do you like stuffing?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal + WIAW

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“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

This was the drama club’s “quote” in high school.  You know, the one that everyone had written some where.  I think there is even a video of the club reciting it in unison post-curtain call.

Yes, I was a drama dork.  Not the cool kind that was the lead in musicals.  I did make up backstage.  Secretly, I wished I could act.

Having given up on drama (as an art and a personality trait I avoid like the plague), on Jenn’s infamous What I Ate Wednesday I use this quote in reference to breakfast.

Breakfast:

A breakfast soooo good I didn’t want to take the last bite because that would mean it was over.

Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal is by far my new favorite winter breakfast.  It was like having dessert for breakfast.  If only I’d had marshmallows on hand to top it off properly!

Recipe at the end!

Lunch:

In preparation for the Christmas party catering gig this weekend, I’m focusing on making as much room as possible in my fridge and freezer.

No grocery shopping.  Eating frozen meals and cookie muffin creations to clear freezer space.  Thai food.

Lunch today was a Chicken Enchilada Evol Bowl.  It wasn’t too bad – especially with the Tabasco I “borrowed” from the office fridge.

The bowl microwaved evenly and wasn’t as salty as many frozen meals out there (just over 500).  They used corn tortillas – far superior to flour, IMHO – making it gluten-free.

Speaking of salt, did you hear that the FDA is considering putting a limit on the amount of salt restaurants use?  Apparently the average American eats 11 CUPS of salt in a year.  Gross.

Dinner:

Next to my kickboxing gym there is danger a Whole Foods.  As a treat I sometimes stop in after class for a Hot Bar  Trash Can (a hodge podge of food that exemplifies my inability to choose just one or 2 thing from any menu).

I know it included kale-apple salad, sweet potato-cashew hash, buffalo-garlic tofu, seitan in some tasty red sauce, eggplant-zucchini-asparagus-onions in another tomato sauce, bowtie pasta, ancient grains, lemon-roasted carrot slices (these were REALLY good)… and a ritual… I always reserve a little corner spot for a teensy scoop of that glorious iced chocolate brownie.

Snacks:

I only managed pics of 2 of today’s snacks.

Multi-Green Kombucha on the drive in to work.

Late-night chocolate chip cookie and almond milk (see earlier remark regarding the necessity of clearing out my freezer).

Unpictured: peanuts (I eat like I’m on a plane even when I’m not), Pure Protein bar, coffee, and a pre-workout FRS drink (which I swear does work!).

Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal

  • 1/2 C oatmeal (I used Bob’s Mill gluten-free)
  • 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (a la So Delicious)
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 T sweet potato puree 
  • 1/2 tsp chia seeds (optional)

Cook the oats according to package instructions, adding spices and extract once boiling.  

When almost done (1-2 mins to go), add sweet potato and chia seeds.  Taste (careful not to burn your mouth like I did) and adjust flavors as needed.

Topping ideas: pecans, walnuts, marshmallows, maple syrup, brown sugar

Makes 1 serving.

***

Most of today’s pics were tricked-out thanks to my new love – Instagram.

What is your favorite photo app?  Do share!

Do you concern yourself with salt intake?

Rockstar Riff On Spaghetti + WIAW

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My sister is a rockstar.

Which is the goose and which is the fox?

Alli played a local venue on Monday night with her boyfriend, Noah.  It was an open mic contest (well-known for launching John Mayer’s career).  They didn’t win but I think they were one of the best.  There is just SO much talent in Atlanta.

Alli and Noah’s band is called Goose & Fox.  Check them out on YouTube!  Shameless plug of one of my favorite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-gxzyUd51U

 

Given that we have a huge food-focused holiday one day away, it seems funny to be posting a tame WIAW… but at least it involves balls!

Check out Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else pre-gamed Thanksgiving on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Pre-Breakfast:

I made a late-night post-concert trip to Kroger for melting chocolate so I could coat more Red Wine Cake Balls!  They looked so pretty and smelled so good… they were calling my name!  So I may have pre-gamed breakfast with balls…

Don’t judge me.

The winner so far has been these Red Wine Balls, but the Sparkling have received a ton of votes.  It comes down to preference.  Do you prefer your… desserts… sweet and white or dark and rich?

Pass the dark and rich over here.

Breakfast:

In preparation for the Thanksgiving Half, I’m loading up the carbs and protein.  This morning’s oatmeal with egg whites hit the spot.

Check out that nut butter good-ness!

In my Oats:

  • 1/2 C oatmeal
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 C water
  • Shake of salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 C blueberries
  • Scoop of Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter

Prepare oatmeal according to package instructions.  When almost done, quickly whip in the egg white.  Add blueberries.  Transfer to bowl and top with nut butter – I used Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter I made yesterday.

Delicious and super filling thanks to the protein and “good” fat.

Lunch:

Just before lunch, I jogged to the Thanksgiving Half Expo to get my number.  Only 1 more day – eek!  I signed up with the 1:45 pace team.  In hindsight, that may be a little ambitious.  Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

On the way back I passed Evos, a small chain that claims to make a healthier burger.

Their fries are air baked, burgers are made with naturally raised beef, milkshakes use organic milk and sugar – they even offer fruit shakes!

I settled on a Veggie Garden Burger.  The vegetarian patty was pretty good (they also offer a vegan variety) – plenty of veggie and bean chunks in it (a must IMHO).

I really enjoyed the avocado spread, but the BEST part was the ketchup.  They make their own flavors – Original, Cayenne,  Mesquite, and Garlic.  The garlic was pretty fantastic. 🙂

The problem was the bun – it was one of those sticky, chewy grocery store buns with the sesame seeds on top.  Change the bun and I’ll come back, Evos.

The lady at the counter was really patient nice and let me sample an air baked french fry.  I didn’t order my own, but they were pretty good!  They tasted a lot like McDonald’s (which I haven’t had in years… but they remain my favorite)  but only have 170 calories and 5g of fat.  No, it’s not a health food but it is a healthier option when you want to indulge.

Dinner:

One of the most creative bloggers I know, Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen, created this vegan, “adult” version of Spaghetti-O’s.  Sarah is also the queen of repurposing items to create the coolest dishes (airplane bottle of V8 –> tomato-vegetable soup?!).

Eying the last of a carton of Trader Joe’s Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, I channeled my inner Smart Kitchen and went to work.

See my bastardized modified version at the end of this post.

Snacks:

Lucky (pre-race moment of brilliance?) me scheduled a late-afternoon massage!  It was one of the best I’ve had in a loooong time.

I made a quick pre-massage protein shake to tide me over until dinner.  It was my basic: spinach, protein powder, almond milk, almond extract, and banana (trying to get the potassium in).

This is all that was left when I remembered to take a pic.

A massive Asian Pear and pomegranate made up a great “dessert.”  I cut the pear into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled it with fresh pomegranate seeds, freshly ground cinnamon, and a teensy bit of paprika.

Normally I scoff at the idea of fruit for dessert, but this was shockingly satisfying.

Saucy Soup & Spaghetti

  • 1.5 C TJ’s Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 servings pasta (I used a veggie-laced fettuccine)

Prepare pasta according to the package.

Meanwhile, combine first 6 ingredients in small pot and warm over med-high heat.

When pasta is cooked, drain and pour into 2 bowls.  Top with soup-sauce, garnish to taste with red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

***

Things will probably be slow going in the blog world over the next few days.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled family, food, and fun.  Safe travels and successful turkey runs!

What are your holiday plans?  Travel?  Races?

What dish are you most excited about tomorrow?

Cinnamon Coffee and a PSA

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The Atlanta Marathon is this weekend.

I am supposed to relay it with a team of 4, running a 7.2 mile leg of it.  Wellll… I went for a run on Thursday thinking if I could do 6 then I could certainly do 7.  It was going really well – I felt good, no knee pain.  Was my running mojo back?!

Celebration penalty.  Around mile 5.5 I felt a little pop in my heel/ankle area.  I stopped to stretch it out… and kept going only to have to stop again due to the pain.  More stretching followed by a limp-run back home.  Lots of ice and rest.  Still pain.

 

Friday I had an appointment with my PT to continue therapy on my knee, so I asked him to take a look.  He thinks I may have a pull or small tear in my Achilles area.  Apparently there’s a muscle group back there (he said a bunch of big words I didn’t absorb) that feels jacked up.  He put some electro-thing and ice on it to try to calm the inflammation… but it still hurts like a b*tch.

I’m really concerned that I won’t be able to run at all tomorrow and I need to make that call this morning.  Backing out last minute sucks, but I would rather do that than hurt my relay team (and myself) worse by failing to finish.  So I’m going to try a short jog in a minute to see what I can do.  *sigh*

First I need coffee.

 Peet’s Coffee sent over some delicious roasts for me to sample as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker’s program (but you know I’ll give my honest, unbiased opinion).  I like to use cinnamon in my coffee, so I selected the Cafe Domingo to try first.  I love adding cinnamon to (almost) anything with Latin flavor!

I prepare the coffee pot to make 4 cups.  Before I hit start I add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the grounds.  It adds a little extra taste and smells amazing while brewing!

Peet’s Cafe Domingo was delicious – it was more smooth than many I’ve tried without compromising flavor.  This is important to me because I drink my coffee black.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Speaking of drinking…

…in case you are planning to drink this Halloween weekend, I have a little PSA for you.

Eat a lot of strawberries before and after indulging.

A European study done on rats concluded that strawberries can protect the stomach mucous membrane, which is harmed by drinking.

You’re welcome.

***

May I suggest Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal this morning? 🙂

What is the most cleaver Halloween costume you’ve seen?

Would you back out of a relay team or try to tough it out and run?

Tortilla Pizza

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Where do people come up with this stuff?

The search terms that lead my blog crack me up!  *Not that I’m not happy to have new visitors!  I’m just baffled occasionally.*

My Recent Favorites:

  • Rotating deodorants (I do… my body gets immune!)
  • “Love my stylist” short hair cut (go see Karen at Lava)
  • My black coffee and breakfast to go
  • Things that make me go mmm (click here for those)
  • Sweet bikini bellies
  • Pumpkin dumbbells images
  • Herbs that go well with cottage cheese (they all do)
  • PMS salty sweet (I hear you, sister… make these)
  • Schweddy balls (tee hee)

You guys know I’m on an airplane right about now (thank you, wi-fi).  Since the trip has begun, I can officially declare victory over my quest to only use what I have this week.

I haven’t dined out since Sunday – this is no small feat for me!  I’ve probably saved $200 (which I promptly spent on trip stuff).

My fridge is a wasteland of crumbs and stuff that never expires.

Some of the odd creative concoctions I haven’t shared yet:

Use-everything-in-my-fridge pizza(s):

Customize pizzas as you like!  The one above is chronicled at the bottom of this post with instructions.

Tortilla pizzas sound like such a silly thing to eat before getting the “real” thing in Italy.

Working lunch 

Pizza #2 (above) consisted of pressed tofu, sheep’s milk cheese, artichokes, marinara sauce, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes.

There was a dinner saute:

Pressed tofu, edamame, jalapeno, garlic, shallot, salsa, and liquid smoke.  Side of sauteed zucchini I’ve been eyeing here on Rufus’ Food and Spirits Blog… it has a twist of something you’d never guess: Peach Schnapps.  I followed the recipe, except I used olive oil instead of butter.  It was awesome.

And my favorite – Overnight Oats in a Jar.  Yep, I even used all the peanut butter.

PB jar with the “dregs” on the bottom, oats, sunflower seed milk (so glad to see this gone!), cinnamon, Biscoff granola, vanilla, and a shake of salt.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Since I’m gone, the weekly recap is early!  Slacker, I am not.  At least not while in the U.S.

Workout Recap (9/19-9/24)

  • Monday – Biceps/Back, 6 min plank sequence, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – 7 miles run, P90X Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Kickboxing, 3 mile run, Shoulders
  • Thursday – Tris/Chest (click link for the workout!), Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – 5 mile run, 6 min plank sequence, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – Rest/Travel
  • Sunday – I’ll be biking through Verona 🙂

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tortilla Pizza

  • 1 tortilla (I used Ezekial)
  • 1/4 C tomato sauce
  • 1 handful fresh spinach
  • 1 T fresh thyme
  • 1 chicken sausage (I’m loving Bilinski’s from Whole Foods!)
  • 1/4 C artichoke hearts
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to high broil.

Lay tortilla on baking sheet or pizza stone.  Layer ingredients on top of tortilla.

Place in the oven, watching very closely (broil is no joke!).  Cook until just beginning to brown, ~7-8 mins.

***

The next two weeks will be filled with an all-star line up of guest posts!  Please stop by, say hello, and discover some new bloggers.  I’ll also be inserting a little commentary about what Italian region the Wandering Wine-os  are terrorizing touring… and will try to write a few full-length posts as time/wi-fi allows.

What is your favorite pizza base?

Would you have added the schnapps to the zucchini?  I’m glad I did!

Biscoff Granola

By

I’m primed by Whole Foods.

Did you know that stores are priming you to buy certain things?  They use store layout, temperature, displays, dewy mist on fresh veggies… they even leave the cantaloupes in the cartons at WF to make then feel more “rustic” (read: farm fresh).

Bananas and apples have “ideal” colors for sales.  Despite the beautiful color, the average grocery store apple is actually 14 months old according to this article.  Gross.

Unfortunately, you can look at my grocery bill and see that Whole Foods‘ visual merchandising works on me.  And I majored in advertising!

Funny how logic tells you one thing, yet impulse still takes over…

It seems I’ve also been primed by Delta and Biscoff.  Impulse took over and I am posting an airplane-inspired delicacy today because I’m leaving for Italia tonight!!!  I thought this trip would never get here.

Well, it’s almost here.  I have a 730am meeting that is 30-45 min north of the city.  Why didn’t I take today off?!

We are flying Delta, which means I will be enjoying more than my fair share of Biscoff.  And I will be praying for an upgrade.

Naturally, I made Biscoff Granola to take with me.

Crunchy, cinnamon-laced, cookie-inspired.

These are filled with raw oatmeal, sunflower seeds, and cashews as the base.  The coconut give it a little chew and the cacao nibs bring a cocoa-coffee-laced flavor (coffee + Biscoff = perfection).

It’s fantastic on it’s own, with yogurt, on ice cream, and atop a bowl of oats with PB.

Click here to order your own Biscoff spread from their website.

Biscoff Granola

  • 1/2 C sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted)
  • 1/2 C cashew pieces (raw, unsalted)
  • 1/2 C oatmeal (uncooked)
  • 1/4 C unsweetened coconut chunks (shredded would work too)
  • 2 T cacao nibs
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 T Biscoff spread
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Flax egg (1 T ground flax + 1 T water)

Preheat oven to 325F. 

Combine ingredients in a large bowl, mixing to combine.  Add wet ingredients and stir until well-blended.

Press mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30-35 mins.  Let cool completely before breaking apart.  Store in air-tight container.

Note: this is a “crumbly” granola.  I use a flax egg as a binder, but if you want yours to stick together in more clusters, try adding a tablespoon of maple syrup or agave.

***

During my travels, I’ll try to find the perfect wine to pair with Biscoff. 🙂

Are you a knowing victim of visual merchandising?

What is the best trip you’ve ever taken?

Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

By

Cinnabon.

Can’t you almost smell it through your screen?

That smell kills me when I’m walking through Terminal A in the Atlanta airport.  It’s absolutely intoxicating… and all I can do not to stop and order a dozen cinnamon rolls.

I nearly attacked the man behind me last night… he brought one on the plane and didn’t offer a bite.  Cruel.

The only thing that saved this man’s life is the fact that I’d had Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats for breakfast.  Post-run.

Cinnamon Roll Extract was the discovery of a lifetime.  I found the teeny bottle (seriously – this pic is true to size) in a cook’s supply store.

It is made by LorAnn Oils and is referred to as a “Super Strength.”  If you use this, know that it’s VERY concentrated – 3-4x a regular extract.

I only needed to use a couple of drops to achieve that buttery cinnamon roll taste!

These oats pack a ton of protein and nutrients that will keep you full until lunch!  They will also provide you energy as your brush up on wines of Italy… one more week!!!

 

Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

  • 1/4 C oatmeal
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals)
  • 1/4 C Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 6-7 drops Vanilla NuNaturals Stevia
  • 1/16 tsp cinnamon roll extract (a little goes a long way!)

In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Place in fridge overnight.  Remove in the morning, stir, and enjoy!

Note: These were great cold after a workout, but the same flavors would be fantastic in a warm oatmeal on a cool fall morning.

***

I haven’t tied to get oats through airport security yet… I wonder if they count as liquid?!  Will test it out and report back. 🙂

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Have you found any unique extracts that you love?

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