The Importance of Freezing Food

Last week was a ridiculous week at work. I didn't arrive home until at least 9pm every night, which is far too late to start cooking anything (a dilemma I think many of you also face). When I get home that late from work, all I want to do is enter the kitchen and eat ASAP. I'm usually starving for food, but too tired to actually cook anything. There are seemingly few options for such a speedy and satisfying meal, so late at night:

1. Scrambled eggs with toast...breakfast for dinner? Sure, it's delicious and takes fewer than 10 minutes to whip up, but it's not something I want to eat multiple nights in a row.

2. PB & J - almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, honey, bananas, jam...yes, the combinations seems endless. However, the general pb & j concept is something I can only stomach once for dinner, since I usually also have it at least once for lunch during the week as well.

3. Take-out...It’s super easy to pick something up on the way home. In fact, when you get home, you don't even need to enter your kitchen; you can go straight to the dining room and chow down. But eating out more than once a week can rack up a hefty bill, and as a young professional, I'd rather save my dollars for a nice dinner out (that I comfortably savor), instead of a dinner brought in (that I ferociously inhale).

4. Frozen meals...store-bought frozen meals are typically loaded with added salt, fat, and other unidentifiable ingredients. However, freezing your own food is another story...

Take a look in your freezer. What’s in there right now? How much space is available? You probably don’t look in there all that often, unless you need to make ice cubes or store that pint of ice cream you “shouldn’t have bought”. For some reason, most people completely overlook their freezer space. In fact, you might even wish your freezer was gone, and instead you just had more space in your fridge. Your poor freezer...so unloved.

Well my friends, it's time to show your freezer some lovin'. Why? Because your freezer is an untapped resource that has the potential to make your life oh-so-much easier. Here’s what you need to do. Next time you cook a meal, don’t try to scale back the amount you’re making. For instance, if a recipe says “serves 6-8” you might usually scale back the recipe so that it only makes two or three servings (one lunch, two dinners!); especially if you’re only cooking for one person (yourself).  Don’t do this. Make the full recipe. Yes, make enough for 6-8 servings. Once you’ve cooked the recipe, divide about half (or more) of what you’ve made into individual size containers (I use 1 or 2 cup Tupperware containers). Stick the containers in the freezer and PRESTO! you just made homemade frozen dinners. I do this with soups, pastas (like a big batch of mac ‘n cheese), casseroles, homemade vegetable broth, even tomato sauces and pesto. And I don’t just use these meals for dinner. On days when I’m too lazy to make lunch, rather than waste $8 on a sub-par sandwich from the local café, I reach into my freezer before I leave for work and TA-DA! my homemade frozen lunch is there. Who needs lean cuisine or Amy’s frozen meals anymore? Not I! And if you heed my advice – not you!

A helpful hint: put a piece of tape on each container. On the tape, use a sharpie to write down the date that you put the container into the freezer. This way, if something gets shoved to the back of the freezer and doesn’t pop up for who knows how long, you’ll know when you froze the darn container and therefore, whether or not the food is still okay to eat. And using tape means, once you've eaten the food in the container, you can rip off the tape and start fresh!

So, go to a supermarket, Target, or even the dollar store, and buy yourself a bunch of individual size containers. Next Sunday night, make a big batch of chili. Freeze half of it. Then, watch how your world gets turned upside down with the new availability of food (real food, not just ice cream) in your freezer. On nights when cooking just isn’t an option, you’ll reach inside your freezer; in 5-10 minutes you’ll enjoy a delectably satisfying meal. You’ll realize the importance of freezing food; and you’ll be grateful you read this post :)

Organic or Not?

In a perfect world, the produce that we eat grows pesticide-free on the farm of someone who we know, or better yet, in our own backyard. Ha. Ya right. Clearly we don't live in a perfect world. We eat fruits and veggies that do not naturally grow in the region where we live (newsflash: pineapples are NOT native to New England). We rely heavily on supermarkets for our produce selection (though local farmers markets are becoming increasingly more available). And unless you live in a house with decent yard space, you probably aren't growing much of your own food. So where does that leave the quality and state of the produce we consistently put into our bodies? Should we buy organic produce, or not?

There are two sides to every story, and the story of organic produce vs. non-organic produce is just one example. Personally, I tend to lean toward the side that says putting pesticides and chemicals into your body can be harmful. Does this mean I buy all organic produce? No. I'm not made of money. Organic food is always more expensive than the regular ol' stuff, but there has to be a happy medium. Luckily, there is: the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen". 

The "dirty dozen" are the fruits and veggies with the most amount of pesticide residue (why? because they require large quantities of pesticide usage in order to be mass produced without bugs and pests getting inside of them). These are the fruits and veggies I prioritize to buy organic. The "clean fifteen" are the fruits and veggies with the least amount of pesticide residue (why? they require less pesticides to grow - one reason being that a lot of these fruits and veggies have thick, outer layers of skin that bugs and pests do not attempt to penetrate). I rarely buy organic varieties of these fruits and veggies. 

Honestly, even if you have the funds to buy all organic produce, don't. I encourage you to spend your money buying organic dirty dozen fruits and veggies, and save your money on non-organic clean fifteen produce. Buy some truffle oil or lobster with the money you save...just kidding (kind of). It is ultimately your choice as to whether you agree that pesticides can be harmful to our bodies. And it is up to you how you spend your money. All I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to write down these two lists of fruits and veggies on a post-it note, so just in case the next time you're in a grocery store you ask yourself, "should I buy this organic or not?"

DIRTY DOZEN (buy these organic):

1. Apple

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines (imported)

7. Grapes (imported)

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries (domestic)

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/ collard greens

CLEAN FIFTEEN (don't bother buying organic):

1. Onions

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloupe (domestic)

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

What To Do With a Head of Cauliflower

To some, this post may be incredibly random. Well, it kind of is. I had no intention of dedicating an entire post to cauliflower; but this past week I found myself with an excess of the pearly white vegetable chillin' in my fridge. So, after making four incredibly delectable dishes (five, if you include the soup Brendan made for my birthday), I thought that I would share my newfound appreciation for the overlooked, easily forgotten, wannabe-broccoli, that is cauliflower. For those of you who insist that you hate cauliflower, I have one thing to say to you: come on now, are you 5 years old? Seriously, what mature, intelligent, adult pulls the "mommy, I don't like it" line (said in a whiny voice) anymore? Grow a pair, and start opening your taste buds up to new experiences. Who knows, perhaps trying new foods will inspire you to be more adventurous in other parts of your life...just saying ;)


In order to explain why I had so much cauliflower at my house, I need to quickly tell you one awesome aspect about my job. As you know, I work for a program that coordinates and teaches healthy cooking courses for low-income families. We have a relatively small office, with not nearly enough pantry or refrigerator space for the copious amounts of ingredients we use for and bring back from these classes. So on Fridays we do a clean-out of the office refrigerator, and anything that is going bad or won't be used the next week, we get to take home. Last Friday, I called dibs on the cauliflower - no recipes in mind, no concrete plans of how to use it. I brought my bounty home, but quickly realized I wouldn't be doing any real cooking over the weekend, as it was my birthday - I was either eating out, or others were cooking for me. For the time being, cauliflower had to be put on the back burner.


Then on Sunday, Brendan cooked a wonderful three-course meal for my birthday. The first course was a Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil (snazzy, I know, and DELICIOUS too!). 

But Brendan hadn't seen the large amount of cauliflower already in my fridge, and therefore bought his own head of cauliflower in order to make the soup. The leftover cauliflower, not used in the soup, was added to my stockpile of the crunchy white vegetable. Even more cauliflower with which to experiment...


I doubt that many of you find yourselves with an overflow of cauliflower in your refrigerators. As I referenced above, cauliflower is not a go-to veggie for most people. But take it from me, the recipes I discovered - while trying to use up my cauliflower supply - are mouth-watering and easy to make. For those of you who are intrigued, here's what you can do with a head of cauliflower:

Dinner #1: Cauliflower Steaks with Olive-Relish over Sauteed Kale 

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

It looks complicated because there are so many components, but I promise this is actually a rather quick meal to make!

Serves 1

For Olive Relish:
-5 cured black olives, pitted & minced
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 tablespoon capers
-handful of parsley, chopped finely
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-1/2 tablespoon olive oil
...Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl



For Cauliflower:

-1/4 cauliflower head, cut into thick pieces (i.e. "steaks")
...Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
...Sautee cauliflower in pan with a little bit of olive oil, until golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes each side
...Transfer cauliflower to baking sheet & bake in oven for 20 minutes



For Tomato Sauce:
-1 plum tomato, diced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
...Sautee garlic cloves (use same pan from cauliflower) with a bit of olive oil for about 1 minute
...Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes become a sauce-like consistency (10-15 minutes)
...Keep warm over low heat 


For Sauteed Kale:
-2 cups kale, chopped
-1 small shallot, minced
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
...Sautee shallots in pan over medium heat, until translucent (about 5 minutes)
...Add red pepper flakes, stir for 1 minute
...Add kale, cook until wilted

To Serve:

-Layer 1: sauteed kale

-Layer 2: tomato sauce

-Layer 3: cauliflower steak

-Layer 4: olive relish

Top with fresh grated parmesan or pecorino cheese!

Lunch: Cauliflower Tabouli Salad

(Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook: Cooking for Health)

Serves 1

Mix together: 2 cups cauliflower (chopped), 1/2 plum tomato (chopped), 5 cured black olives (minced), 1 clove of garlic (minced), large handful of parsley (chopped), 1/4 avocado (chopped), 1-2 scallions (chopped), 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or more to taste), pinch of salt & pepper

Eat with pita bread!

Dinner #2: Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta

(adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Serves 2

...Cook penne pasta (or any other kind of your choosing) according to package - reserve 1/4 cup pasta water after pasta is cooked

...Sauté  1 garlic clove (minced) and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium heat (about 1 minute)

...Add 1-2 cups cauliflower (chopped - small pieces) and small handful of golden raisins to pan; sauté until cauliflower is cooked through (7-10 minutes) 

...Add 1/4 cup parsley (minced) and 1/4 cup basil (minced) to pan, cook for 1 more minute

...Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to pan; combine everything well

...Serve with fresh grated parmesan/pecorino cheese

*try adding toasted walnuts or pecans!

Breakfast: Cauliflower Egg Scramble

Serves 2

...In medium skillet, combine 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 2 scallions (chopped), cook for 2 minutes

...Add 1 1/2 cups cauliflower (finely chopped), cook for 5 minutes (until cauliflower becomes tender)

...Add 1/2 plum tomato (chopped), cook for additional 2 minutes, then add small handful of parsley (minced)

...Whisk 4 eggs together, then add to skillet and cook until eggs are done

...Add a pinch of salt and pepper, optional garnish of extra parsley and/or fresh grated cheese

*Tastes great when served with cheesy grits or toast & jam!

Brunch for Birthdays

Today marks a very special day in my life...it's my birthday! As most people my age do, I've been honoring my day of birth pretty much all weekend long. I started with a pre-birthday sushi dinner on Friday night (with some awesome bitches!), followed by tasty libations at a tequila bar last night with Brendan. But what did I do for my actual birthday? Well, it's become standard practice that on the day of your actual birthday you go out to a fancy restaurant of your choosing, where you feel entitled to order a few glasses of wine, an appetizer, the most expensive (upwards of $30) entree, and dessert...after all, your birthday only happens once a year, so you should do whatever you feel like doing. However, the traditional birthday dinner can be an incredibly expensive endeavor, especially if you live in a city, like wine, love chocolate dessert, and have an affinity for entrees involving pricey cuts of meat. And of course, there's always the awkward end-of-meal question: how are we splitting the bill? What starts off as a relaxing and indulgent meal with easy going friends, becomes a tense atmosphere of tight wallets and accusatory statements based on the number and types of drinks everyone ordered, who got an appetizer, whether the group is paying for the birthday girl/boy, etc.


So rather than go out to a swanky restaurant for my actual birthday, I decided to skip the headache and do something just as exciting, just as tasty, but much less expensive: I went out out for birthday brunch. In my very first blog post - Why Bitches and Brunching - I give a detailed explanation as to how and why brunch is by far the most superior meal of the day. So naturally brunch should be the meal of birthday celebrations. The food at brunch is just as delicious (if not more so) than dinner, and the cost of brunch is more accommodating for a large group of people. Obviously, you should treat yourself for your birthday and spend a bit more money than you normally do when eating out. All I'm saying is that going out for brunch for birthdays, especially if you're someone who invites lots of people to your birthday event, makes more sense - monetarily, emotionally, and mentally. Let's compare:


Drinks...at a fancy birthday dinner everyone will probably order a couple glasses of wine, each priced at a minimum of $9. As the birthday girl or boy you may start off with a cocktail, but for right now I'll take it easy on you and just say you only indulge in two glasses of wine. That's $18 for drinks, per person. At birthday brunch, everyone will order a celebratory mimosa or bloody mary, priced at a minimum of $8. Some people might be hungover from the night before, or know they'll be drinking some wine later in the evening, so most everyone only orders one drink. That's $8 per person. 


Appetizers...at a fancy birthday dinner, as the birthday boy or girl, you will definitely want to treat yourself to some sort of app. Others may join, some may pass - complication numero uno regarding the bill. Whether it's the fried calamari, roasted beet salad, or artisanal cheese plate, minimum cost will be $12 per app. At birthday brunch, no one will order an appetizer, but you and a few others may get a side dish to go with your main course. Whether it's the exotic fruit bowl, two maple sausage links, or short stack of chocolate chip pancakes, the minimum cost is only $5 - people who don't get sides are willing to let $5 come and go. 


Main course...at a fancy birthday dinner you want the most expensive thing on the menu:  Filet mignon with truffle mashed potatoes, wild Alaskan salmon with grilled organic vegetables, or seared sea scallops over saffron risotto. Some of your friends will "go big or go home" as well, but others are going to start tightening their wallets by ordering the chicken salad, no side. Minimum cost will probably be $28 for the tightfisted orderers (and that's aiming low). Your steak is going to be closer to $35. At birthday brunch, most meals are similarly priced, whether it's coconut crusted french toast with real maple syrup, eggs benedict with smoked salmon and avocado, or a three-egg omelet with asparagus, wild mushrooms, and goat cheese. We're lookin' at $10 minimum for the "two eggs and toast" eaters, and $15 minimum for house specialties.


Dessert...at a fancy birthday dinner you're getting the chocolate molten lava cake with raspberry sauce, homemade vanilla bean ice cream, and whipped cream. No one will judge. It's your birthday so go at it. Others may split a dessert - it's not their birthday and they don't want to be seen as gluttonous - whereas your cheap friends are going to decline dessert and then nibble at other people's orders. $8 minimum per dessert. At birthday brunch, you probably won't get anything for dessert because you'll all be too full from the surprisingly large quantity of food that was on the main course plate, plus the side dish you ordered, which will only be half-eaten. No dessert, no additional cost. 


Splitting the check...at the end of a fancy birthday dinner you get to see your friends' true colors. "I only ordered a salad, so I don't think we should split the check evenly", "Susie Smith and Jenny Jones both had appetizers and desserts, so they should pay more". Beware of the cat fight that may occur. The bill will get paid, but someone will pay more than they should have, someone with be super stingy and leave the table before he/she can be asked to put in more change, and as the birthday girl/boy you may end up having to throw a few quarters in for the tip. At birthday brunch, everyone usually orders the same amount of food, since appetizers and desserts aren't really in the equation. So, splitting the check evenly is a relatively civil experience. Plus, it's early in the day, people are feeling refreshed, so even if they didn't order a beverage they're not going to make a big deal about splitting the check evenly. Your waiter/waitress might even end up with an extra large tip because your friends are feeling so generous in the morning. 


The final score: fancy dinner = $66 minimum per person, not including tax or tip, and possible broken friendships; brunch = $23 minimum per person, not including tax or tip, and a satisfied stomach to start your birthday off right. There's a clear winner here folks. And the best part about going out for a birthday brunch is later that evening your friends, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, or even you, can make a homemade birthday meal - complicated or comfort food, it doesn't matter. No fancy restaurant can beat the experience of sharing a bottle of wine at home (which costs as much as one glass of wine at a restaurant), with people you care about, eating homemade food that was made with lots of love, listening to your own Itunes, not worrying about paying a check. So, for your next birthday, start your day with a special meal out, and end the night with an intimate meal in. Have brunch for your birthday.

My Birthday Brunch!

East Coast Grill

Make your own bloody mary at the largest bloody mary bar!

My bloody mary: vodka, tomato juice, fresh tomato salsa, horseradish, hot sauce, celery stick, carrot stick

My entree: Smoked Duck & Jack Cheese Tortilla Rellana with sweet potatoes and garlic-seared greens

Brendan's entree: Ancho-Molasses Grilled Skirt Steak with chimichurri, cheesy scrambled eggs, potato-poblano hash, griddled corn bread, and guava butter

Shared side order: Fried Sweet Plantains with queso-fresco and banana-guava ketchup