raw can be tasty, i swear!

remember how i mentioned last time that i sometimes mimic recipes from my amazing co-op? well, i was able to do it again, this time with a raw vegetable salad that has only FOUR ingredients. indeed. it goes like this:

Raw Beet & Carrot Salad

4-5 medium to large carrots

so delicious!

3-4 medium to large beets

agave syrup -approx. 3 tbsp

apple cider vinegar - approx. 2-3 tbsp

keep in mine that this recipe is not exact, nor does it have to be. it is entirely up to you how much you want to make and what your tastes are. i prefer the sweeter, more vinegar-y taste so i went heavy on the agave and vinegar.

grate the beets and carrots into a large bowl, either by hand or by food processor. then add agave and vinegar to taste. keep in mind that if you grate by hand your fingers and hands will turn very pink from the beets.

that's it!

see, i told you that was easy. it's raw, vegan, and very healthy. beets and carrots are extremely high in vitamins and when eaten raw those vitamins are better able to absorb into the bloodstream. i used the amount of veggies listed here and we still have some in the fridge (its been about a week). the vinegar helps preserve the veggies so it will last a good 7-8 days in the fridge. easy to pack for a lunch or snack!!

                                            

meal prep for next-to-nothing

a few weeks ago, i bought some super delicious chicken curry salad from the Wedge co-op in Minneapolis (as most of you know, i am a HUGE support of co-ops). as i checked out the ingredients, i realized i could probably make something similar and just as delicious at home. it's so easy to grab something that's already been made when you're heading off to school or work, so it was a no-brainer to try and imitate the recipe.

at our local Eastside Food Co-op, they sell whole rotisserie chickens from the deli on Sundays for only $7.99. compared to a $17 raw whole chicken we could've cooked ourselves, this was a steal. the original salad was made with mayonnaise, but i wanted to keep it healthy and use Plain yogurt instead. Trevor and i decided to make the salad slightly different than the original one we tried, and the results were absolutely perfect. see here how i did it:

whole chicken, being cut
for salad

1. cut and cube (or shred) 2 breasts or 2 legs of a chicken
2. chop 1 bunch of celery
3. add 1 cup of dried cranberries and 1.5 cups of raw cashew bits to chicken and celery
4. in a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with LOTS of yellow curry powder (powder will absorb into the yogurt better than a curry paste, but do as you like to). we also added sugar and salt to taste.
5. mix all ingredients and the yogurt sauce together, then package for the fridge.

et voila! there you have it. in total this recipe cost about $12 and fed us for a number of days (it was best at lunch). meal prep and healthy eating has never been easier!

the finished product!

winter detox

every so often i like to do a cleanse for the body, primarily for my liver. i'm not necessarily a heavy drinker, but i can be if i want to. i always feel great after i do a cleanse and i decided to do one this week and Trevor decided to join me.

i don't juice cleanse. some people swear by it, but i know that my body cannot sustain any energy without the proper nutrients. before i even did research about the different cleanses out there, i made my own. for 7 days, i avoid alcohol, meat, dairy and gluten. i focus most of my attention on vegetables and fruit, and still allow myself eggs for lots of good protein. basically its like being a wheat-free vegan for a week (if you drink coffee, switch to green tea!). it's definitely challenging and your body will feel tired out, but the results are worth it. trim a little off your belly while also cleansing your system of toxins.

one of my favorite websites for all things holistic, nutritious and conscience-minded is www.mindbodygreen.com. i even found a page with links to a plethora of articles about cleansing, juicing, detoxing and healthy eating here. i HIGHLY recommend doing research on any cleanse you plan to try, and seek out advice from people who have done them before. talk to your friends, family, yoga teacher, or any other mentor for guidance and you will surely find the right way to detox for yourself.

enjoy and be a healthy Betty!!

                                            

                                                                                                      

the best thing i've ever cooked

OK, so by now we've established that i have a deep love for eating, vegetables, cooking and all things food-related. the other night, i made the best thing i've ever cooked. in a decade of living independently and learning how to cook delicious and nutritious food for myself, i swear this is the best thing i've ever made. and it was super easy! 

the other day, i got some organic chicken legs to roast with winter vegetables, and i found a couple of fennel bulbs in the fridge that were about to go bad. i looked up recipes with fennel and found myself this one. i made a few adjustments to the recipe, like i cooked it in a large skillet on the stovetop, so that the house would smell more like fennel and bacon, and so the oven wouldn't be crowded (the chicken and vegetables were roasting away already). instead of using spinach, i substituted chard that we had in the fridge from the other night. i meant to include the chard stems, like i've mentioned before, but i forgot and they can be used for something else delicious. 

the finished product: sweet, salty, fatty, crunchy, garlicky,
tangy goodness. 

maybe it was the organic, thick-cut bacon i used that i get from the co-op, or the slow simmer of the stovetop, but this dish became an instant classic that i will now cook many times in my life. 

to top it all off, we used the leftovers in our egg scramble, such as we love to do, this morning, with avocado slices and Udi's gluten-free toast. if you are vegetarian or vegan, you'll have to use a bacon substitute, and for your sake i hope it's comparable (because only bacon is as good as bacon). 

enjoy!!!

    

use every last bit

cutting the "spine" out of the leaf: make sure you
cut along the inside of it!

one of the current trends in restaurants right now is "nose-to-tail" eating, wherein the chefs use every bit of the animal possible to cook different dishes for your meal. i like to take this concept one step further to my use of vegetables. in the summer when we compost outside, it's easy to let go of a few leftover bits of fruits and veggies. in the dead of winter, we eat a lot more hearty greens like kale and chard. since the greens make up the majority of the leaf, it usually means throwing away the "spine" of the plant. i choose to instead buy chard over kale (Rainbow Chard for the fun colors, to be exact), and then use the tasty spine bits like any other vegetable in my dish. they can be sauteed, blanched, or fried, and will absorb any flavor you add to it (it can be bitter, so err on the side of extra flavor like garlic or ginger). 

cut the spine completely out and cut the greens
as you like

enjoy!!

save the chard stems for other dishes!! (optional
to store in a reused gelato container)

co-ops are the best ops

you may not know much about the co-operative movement that's happening in our world, but it's probably best if you get to know about it. these organizations are popping up in different industries, including grocery, fashion, and art, and in every way they are beneficial to all parties involved.

our bag of goodies after joining EastSide Co-op:
includes a book about founding co-ops,
dark chocolate, tea, coupons and recipes!

my first co-op experiences were here in the Twin Cities about 6 years ago when i learned about the place where my sister Erin did all of her grocery shopping. she had moved from Seattle and introduced me to the world of holistic wellness, yoga and local/sustainable food. soon after i realized how awesome Erin's co-op was, i immediately joined the one in my neighborhood in Minneapolis called the Wedge (it's well-known amongst foodies and co-op supporters around the country). yesterday, Trev and i bought our lifetime membership at the EastSide food co-op in our new Minneapolis neighborhood.

co-operatives have grown popular in the past decade with the advent of the local and organic movements, but some have been around much longer. they are perfect venues for small, local farmers and producers to sell and promote their goods. when we buy local we have a great impact on our community and the environment. co-ops provide a space for the producers and also reward member-owners with special coupons, discounts and yearly dividend returns. one year i got a check for $87 from the Wedge!! it's all pretty special if i do say so myself.

betty roots run deep

last week, i moved back home to Minneapolis from Truckee to get settled before i start my graduate program at the U of M. living with my parentals again as an adult will surely be a challenge, but luckily my mom and i have lots in common, primarily that we are super resourceful betties. my mom is the original; she taught Erin and i how to make the most of what we are given and to do it well. here in the midwest, gardening comes more easily than in the mountains. the other day, my mom made lunch for me, Trevor, her husband Gary and herself, using home and locally grown ingredients (primarily).

     

chilled Cucumber-Avocado soup, made with homegrown cucumbers

Tortillitas with shrimp and scallions; yellow
cherry tomatoes and cucumbers from
mom's garden

not only does my mom have a garden full of massive cucumbers and squash, but she has both curly and lacinato kale plants that are as big as small trees. having these resources readily available makes us more likely to put them to use and not waste what we already have. as a kid i was not totally excited about all of the vegetables in our garden, but now that i am older i thoroughly enjoy eating every kind of homegrown vegetable i possibly can. not only is it healthy, but eating this way is good for our environment. along with the chilled soup, my mom made tortillitas with shrimp and scallions (imagine small pancakes with savory goodies inside). to complete this perfect summer lunch, she picked yellow cherry tomatoes from the garden and served them with freshly cut cucumber slices.


now that i'm home in Minnesota i will certainly miss the mountains and the incredible friends i made in Tahoe, but i am excited to begin a new chapter with graduate school and reconnect with my Midwestern roots. soon enough i'll be back to visit Tahoe and snowboard like crazy, but until then it's family, school and work here in the Twin Cities.

delish home taco bar

earlier this summer i discovered a quick and easy meal to make, that is also healthy and almost entirely gluten-free. Trevor and i were in a rough financial state but needed to make a late lunch for ourselves. i mentally scanned all the recipes i knew of that could make a great lunch but none seemed to fit our budget or tastes (it was a really hot day so we didn't want anything too heavy). i decided that fish tacos would be a quick, easy and delicious solution to our problem; made with pre-breaded, frozen fried fish. it may not be the healthiest or locally made, but its sure easy and yummy. of course, with fish tacos one must have cabbage, so i got the pre-made and bagged chopped red cabbage, for about $1.99. 

condiments

grilled zucchini and summer squash

since that first discovery of the easy fish tacos, Trevor and i have made the same when we have friends over, since its affordable and healthy. we also then buy some pre-marinated carne asada, so guests have 2 choices of protein. i also have been making a spicy cucumber salad to accompany the tacos, and last night we decided to include grilled vegetables also. the cucumber salad is super easy to make, with 1 cucumber, the juice of 1 lime, salt and a little Hot salsa fresca.

spicy cucumber salad

the taco bar also includes chopped onion, cilantro, 2 kinds of salsa, avocado, lime and 3 hot sauce options (Cholula brand is best - Chili Garlic, Chili Lime and Chipotle). last night when we made this for some friends, we also grilled some zucchini and summer squash to add just one more healthy side dish. et voila! everyone ate well (mind you, this includes 5 men and myself) and healthy before our bonfire in the backyard. it was a perfect evening!

full taco bar set up, complete with warm corn tortillas, carne
asada, fish and condiments

shopping for fresh (like, really fresh) produce

last week Trevor and i missed the Tuesday farmer's market here in Truckee, so we made sure to hit it up this week for the freshest produce around. though the majority of northern California is great for growing fruits and veggies, Tahoe is of course mountainous and thus most plants will freeze overnight. luckily, lots of organic and sustainable farms are right down the hill or even a few hours further in the Central Valley. lots of these farmers come to Truckee, Tahoe and Reno for business so we try to make the most of our local resources. 

"Music" garlic from a local organic farm within
30 miles of Truckee

L to R: artichoke, summer squash, yellow onion, green onions,
yellow squash, leeks, nectarines, strawberries, heirloom tomatoes

this week, we found some of this AMAZING garlic from a local farm just outside of Truckee in a small valley. it is fragrant and soft, just like a perfect clove of garlic should be. its as if every slice of this garlic could be eaten raw and taste better than if it were cooked. at $.75 per pound, the cost is reasonable and in better quality than anything you'll find at the local supermarket (even if its organic).  delicious garlic aside, we picked up a few staples, including green onions and leeks (i love leeks - read about how much i love them here and how to properly clean them). leeks and fresh chevre in an egg scramble is probably my favorite thing to eat for breakfast. we found a giant artichoke for $3 and organic strawberries for $4, from the same farmer out of Watsonville, CA, the berry capital of the U.S. a little fresh summer squash will be perfect as a side dish to our fish tacos this week, nectarines are a great snack, and the heirloom tomatoes will be used for a fresh tomato and balsamic basil salad.

i chop the green onions immediately and store
in a container, to maintain freshness and use only
what is needed at one time

every place i visit, whether in the U.S. or abroad, has markets, and i always try to check out at least one. now that the food supply of the general public is causing more harm than good, the reasons to buy local are more numerous than ever. your health, your childrens' health and the economic well-being of our country depend on fresh, locally grown food sources. if you haven't done so yet, please do yourself and your community a favor and research the importance of locally grown food. "Food, Inc." and "Food Matters" are 2 great documentaries, and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Berkeley biologist Michael Pollan is an incredible book that describes different ways of eating and the benefits of each way. let's all eat local and save the Earth!

tiny carbon footprint

Trevor and i planted some Black Krim tomatoes about 2 months ago -- and tonight they were ready to eat! they grew quickly but took a long time to ripen, which made the entire process that much more fascinating. since we also have a Basil plant that's doing really well, we decided to make a caprese salad to accompany our vegetarian meal, since we are both fighting a cold.

raw green beans

i walked to Safeway for the mozzarella (hence the small carbon footprint) and included the salad with butternut squash soup, green beans with butter, and a baked sweet potato that we shared. the green beans were grown within 100 miles and we bought them from a co-op in Grass Valley, about an hour from our house in Truckee. i steamed the green beans and served with butter and kosher salt. it was tasty!

baked sweet potato, butternut squash
soup, green beans and caprese salad

we are so proud of the fact that we grew 2 of the ingredients for our dinner! it makes eating that meal very enjoyable and satisfying. eating locally means helping our planet and maintaining what resources we still have. ideally, we'd all be able to grow all of our own vegetables in the summer months, though living in the mountains makes that much harder. until the next time i can do that, i am resourceful with what i have: a lot of hot sun during the day and a safe place to keep the plants at night when it's too cold outside. growing tomatoes and basil is easy. and super yummy!

Black Krim tomatoes and Basil from our plants, Mozzarella
sourced from Wisconsin (my home state!)

for the love of leeks

some of you may still be wondering what exactly leeks are, since reading my post about the breakfast scramble I made with leftover sauteed leeks. part of the onion family, leeks are kind of like a giant, mild-flavored green onion. I prefer mine sliced and sautéed with olive oil, salt and pepper. before slicing and dicing those leeks up though, be sure to let the stalks soak in cold water so as to clean them properly. since the leeks are ultimately made up of many thin layers, sand and dirt can live in there well past harvest. it should look like the photo here. once cleaned and cut, the leeks will only take about 5 to 7 minutes to cook, until almost transparent. et voila! there you have a yummy and very healthy vegetable for any meal. Bon appetit!