Cilantro Jalapeño Pasta with Fresh Corn and Tomatoes

Happy last day of March! Although it means that graduation is now only a little over a month and a half away, I am ready to welcome April with open arms! For my last recipe of March I thought I’d share this ridiculously simple pasta recipe with you. Creamy, dreamy deliciousness is what it is!

Although this Cilantro Jalapeño Pasta with Fresh Corn and Tomatoes has only four ingredients and takes merely minutes to prepare, it packs a fresh and flavorful punch that’ll rock your taste buds! You can whip this up in a jiffy, so it’s a great dish that can be made after work or class, or prepped ahead and stored in the fridge!

Cilantro Jalapeño Pasta with Fresh Corn and Tomatoes

Serves 4

Inspired by Oh My Veggies

8 oz. of whole wheat pasta

1 10 oz. container of cilantro jalapeño hummus ( I used the Trader Joe’s brand)

1 cup of fresh or frozen (and thawed) corn kernels

1 heaping cup of cherry tomatoes ( cut in half)

Fresh cilantro for garnish

This dish is quick, easy and finished in three simple steps! To make this dish, first start by cooking the noodles in a medium sized sauce pan according to package directions.

Second, when the noodles are done and have been drained, return the noodles to the sauce pan and stir in the hummus until all noodles are coated.

Third, and finally, stir in the corn and the tomatoes. Finished! Enjoy!

Pasta fest,

Sydney

Cardamom Ginger Almond Meal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips

Happy Friday all! Hope your week has been swell and you’ve got fun things planned for the weekend! In case your forecast shows rain, rain, and more rain like mine does, you should cozy up inside and bake some cookies!

Like these Cardamom Ginger Almond Meal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips. Words cannot express how delightful these cookies are. But in an effort to try anyway, they are the perfectly textured, soft and chewy cookie.

And their slightly sweet and spiced flavors all burst with each and every bite! The cardamom and ginger combo is absolutely wonderful.

Really, whether it is rain or shine around your neck of the woods this weekend, you should make these simple, delicious and nutritious cookies. They are so. good. These are happy weekend cookies!

Cardamom Ginger Almond Meal Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips (vegan, and gluten-free friendly*)

Makes 12 cookies

2 flax eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil at room temp

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup almond meal (blended or pulverized raw almonds that have soaked in water overnight)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp vanilla

1/8-1/4 tsp ground cardamom  (use more for stronger flavor)

1/2 tbsp finely chopped uncrystallized candied ginger

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

*To make this recipe vegan, make sure to use vegan chocolate chips. And to make it gluten-free, make sure that the oats and ground flax you use are certified gluten-free.

To make these cookies, start by preparing the flax eggs and preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 6 tbsp of water in a small dish and place in the freezer for 5-7 minutes (until the flax egg becomes thick and gel-like).

While the flax eggs are gelling, combine the coconut oil, brown sugar, almond meal, oats, and vanilla into a large sized mixing bowl.

When the flax eggs are ready, combine the flax eggs along with the rest of the ingredients.

Next, stir in the ground cardamom.

And then fold in the candied ginger and dark chocolate chips.

When ready to bake, scoop 1 heaping tbsp of batter for each cookie and place on a greased baking sheet or baking sheet with a non-stick baking mat.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Enjoy!

With cardamom and ginger,

Sydney

 

What I Ate Wednesday #59

Morning! Can you believe it’s already the last Wednesday in March!? I’m kind of glad and kind of terrified that April is right around the corner…because that means May is right around the corner…which means graduation is right around the corner!

But anyway, now I’m just trying to take things one step at a time. And enjoy my last days of being a student. Monday morning I enjoyed a new-for-me breakfast item. A carrot ginger oat bran muffin from Trader Joe’s. I really liked it, and it was so filling that I ate some of it in the morning and some late at night after my last class.

Along with the muffin I also had a banana. Of course.

For lunch I had this tasty pasta! A cilantro jalapeño pasta with corn and cherry tomatoes (recipe to come).

I also had a piece of toast with this tahini spread, so good!

And a braeburn apple on the side. Unfortunately it was quite mealy, so sad when that happens.

Along with lunch I took a work/study break and watched an episode of Gilmore Girls. That show always makes me happy! And this episode was the one where Rory goes to visit Jess in NYC, right in my neck of the woods!

Later that night I ate my dinner in class, this was a delicious combo of arugula, quinoa, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots, green beans, peas and corn, drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar and some BBQ sauce.

Had some rosemary focaccia bread as well (picture was taken at home before I left).

And also had a nice side of fruit. Half and orange and some grapes. This second round of fruit for the day was much better!

Once home from classes I finished off the rest of my muffin, and also had a few pieces of this mint dark chocolate. Yum!

Hope you all have a fabulous week and make sure to stop on by Jenn’s page to see where this WIAW get together all begins!

TGIW,

Sydney

 

 

Lately

I haven’t done one of these types of posts in awhile, but since I’ve done a lot of fun things and eaten a lot of good food lately I thought I’d share with you all!

I had an amazing, relaxing trip to Florida to visit my Mom and Grandma (and sister!). While there I spent lots of time soaking up sun, breathing fresh air and searching for shells along the beach. Compared to living in the loud and dirty city, this was a welcome break!

I went to the botanical gardens on my trip and saw beautiful flowers.

I also experienced roadside citrus and produce stands. Heaven! This was my favorite display by far. Avocado, mango, coconut and papaya, what more could you need!? And look how enormous the avocados are. They’re the same size as the coconuts!

When I returned from my trip I was able to catch up with some friends. Yay! And I got to see my good friend’s new apartment and absolutely unbelievable view of Manhattan from her rooftop terrace. If I lived there I’d be spending all my time on that terrace!

I came across a brand new restaurant in NYC that was opened by a fellow Wisconsinite, and sells cheese curds, frozen custard and other Wisconsin specialties like Sprecher root beer. I didn’t stop in but I’ve got to go back with my brother and sister!

Also, my sister and I recently spent an amazing day strolling around Central Park. She captured this great shot!

Before and after strolling the park we had some tasty food, including a delicious juice from Juice Generation!

I love this shot of the inside of the shop where you can see all the fresh fruit and vegetables ready to be juiced! I had a juice called Tropical Lust, it was made with watermelon, apple, pineapple and ginger. Pure bliss!

Hope that lately your life has been just as swell!

Sydney

What I Ate Wednesday #58: Spring Break Edition!

This What I Ate Wednesday post documents eats from my spring break! I flew to Florida last week to surprise my Mom and Grandma and had a wonderful few days relaxing in the glorious sun. I graduate from my Master’s program in two short months, and thought I should take advantage of my last spring break as a student. So I booked a flight a few weeks ago and am so glad I did!

For breakfast one morning we made smoothies. I posted the recipe for this nutty tropical smoothie on Monday, you’ve got to try it! It’s made of almond milk, banana, mango, oats and peanut butter.

After breakfast I applied some aloe to my slightly sunburned shoulders. Have you guys ever seen an actual aloe plant? So cool!

You just cut off a piece of the aloe leaf and then slice off the green outer layer. The clear inside substance is the lovely soothing aloe gel!

Later that morning we headed for the beach, where I saw some amazing creatures like this crab!

Did a little reading on the beach as well. Great book so far.

And hydrated with some lemon sparkling water. Refreshing!

We took a break from the sun midday and had lunch. I made a delicious kale salad topped with guacamole stuffed cherry tomatoes, a little salsa and ginger sesame dressing. I lined my plate with some tortilla chips and a pickle! Yum!

Had a handful of grapes as well. Definitely one of my favorite fruits.

Once our lunch had settled my Mom and I headed to the boardwalk for some ice cream. I chose pistachio and toasted coconut. So. Good.

The winds were strong as we strolled the boardwalk, although it was 86 degrees outside my Mom and I still had goosebumps. Ha!

We enjoyed the sun some more and eventually went back inside for dinner. We had delicious mushroom and artichoke pasta.

And a fresh side salad.

Then we went for an evening walk along the beach, and I couldn’t believe all the man-of-wars we saw! They were so beautiful. Bright blue and purple and absolutely gorgeous!

The wind was still whipping across the beach and had created these beautiful ripples in the sand.

My Mom and I enjoyed the view as the sun was setting. Breathtaking.

And we ended the night with some key lime pie. I love you Florida, until next time!

Thanks to Jenn for hosting!

TGIW,

Sydney

Nutty Tropics Smoothie in a Bowl

Heaven. That is what this nutty and tropical smoothie is. Pure bliss!

Although it may be cold wherever you are, this fruity smoothie will whisk you away to a place with sunshine, palm trees and tropical breezes.

And serving it in a bowl with granola on top is just more fun to eat!

Nutty Tropics Smoothie in a Bowl

Serves 1

1/3 cup of old fashioned oats

1 small, ripe banana (chilled or frozen)

1/3 cup of frozen mango chunks

~1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter

Granola to top

To make this smoothie start by blending the oats for a few seconds in the blender to create an oat flour. This fine, powdery consistency is nicer in a smoothie than large chunks of oats.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients (except the granola) to the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour smoothie into a pretty bowl, top with granola and enjoy!

Smoothie living,

Sydney

Green Lentil, Bean and Veggie Burritos with Balsamic Glaze

Burritos! Another dish I love making with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Lately I’ve made burritos using beans and a whole grain as the base, but I ran out of brown rice, bulgur and farro so I decided to double up on the beans/legumes category instead! I used green lentils and kidney beans to make the base for these burritos.

I also had a vegetable mix from Trader Joe’s on hand that included carrots, corn, peas and green beans and I thought I’d throw that in the mix as well!

Topped with tahini and fresh cilantro and you’ve got yourself a delicious veggie burrito!

Green Lentil, Bean and Veggie Burritos with Balsamic Glaze

Serves 4-5

1/2 cup green lentils, uncooked

1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of frozen vegetables (I used a mix with carrots, green beans, peas and corn)

2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Fresh cilantro

Tahini

Whole wheat tortillas

To make these burritos start by cooking the lentils. Add the lentils and 1 and 1/2 cups of water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling stir the lentils, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the lentils are cooking, mix the beans, veggies and balsamic vinegar in a large mixing bowl.

Once the lentils are done, add the lentils to the veggie mix and stir to combine.

Pile the veggie mix onto a tortilla shell, top with tahini and cilantro, microwave to heat all ingredients through and enjoy!

Happy Friday,

Sydney

What I Ate Wednesday #57

Morning! Today I’m going to share a weekend version of my eats with you all, switching it up a bit from the usual Monday eats that I feature. This past weekend my sister came to visit (yay!) and we had some good food while she was here!

I started off my day with a banana. I ate this to tide me over until we went out to breakfast.

The main meal was this delicious toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with walnut raisin cream cheese. Delish!

And here is the adorable kitty that always hangs out at the bagel shop.

I enjoyed an apple in the car on my way home from grocery shopping. Love braeburn apples!

Later that day my sister and I made a Target run and went for a walk. It was in the upper 40’s and a bright, sunny day! We walked along the water and had a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.

Lunch was leftover peanut quinoa stir fry. So tasty!

And a whole wheat bun.

I bought these uncrystallized candied gingers from Trader Joe’s for the first time and tried one after lunch. A nice balance of sweet and heat!

Dinner was a frozen veggie pizza from Trader Joe’s, it was good, but was super small in size. It fed like two people…so not exactly what my brother, sister and I were hoping for. So I supplemented my piece with some carrots and mango!

And for dessert, while watching The Office with my brother and sister, I had a little dish of coconut cranberry granola with coconut milk, and a chunk of dark Peruvian chocolate (a delicious gift from a friend!).

Make sure to stop on by Jenn’s page to see where this WIAW party started!

TGIW,

Sydney

Pumpkin Cilantro Quinoa Burgers

One of my favorite dishes to cook is veggie burgers, so I’m often experimenting with all different kinds. The burgers are typically a combination of veggies, beans, whole grains and seasonings, but I don’t necessarily measure exact amounts. And the burgers normally turn out tasty, but don’t always have the greatest texture…But finally, finally, I’ve made the perfect veggie burger in terms of texture (and flavor)!

This Pumpkin Cilantro Quinoa Burger is thick, hearty and chewy. It holds together perfectly without crumbling apart. It isn’t too dry and it isn’t overly mushy. This burger had the perfect balance of ingredients to make it a delicious, satiating, and nutritious veggie burger!

Eaten on a burger bun or a toasted cinnamon raisin english muffin (my fav!), with a little bit of arugula and dollop of hummus, this burger is perfection.

Pumpkin Cilantro Quinoa Burgers

Makes 7 burgers

Inspired by Jenn at Peas and Crayons

1/2 cup red quinoa, uncooked

1 cup cannellini beans

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 clove of garlic, 1/2 tsp

1/3-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp chives

1 1/2 tsp dill weed

Dash of cayenne

To make these burgers start by cooking the quinoa according to package directions and preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

While quinoa is cooking, in a large mixing bowl add the beans and mash with fork until the beans have the texture of a smooth, thick paste.

Next, add in the pumpkin, oats, garlic and cilantro to the bowl and mix until combined.

Season the mixture by adding in the nutmeg, ginger, chives, dill weed and cayenne. Stir again.

Finally, when the quinoa is done cooking, stir the quinoa into the rest of the patty mixture.

Form the mixture into seven patties and place on a non-stick sprayed, foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the outside of the burgers are crispy and golden brown. Enjoy!

Burgers are back,

Sydney

What I Ate Wednesday #56

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope your week has been splendid and you are ready for another fun food-filled round of WIAW. Let’s get started!

On Monday morning I had something a little different than the yogurt bowls and pb toast and banana I’ve been eating recently. That particular morning I had a bowl of bran flakes, to which I added raisins, a banana, pumpkin, and cinnamon. I used coconut milk for this cereal bowl and it was a delicious combo!

Lunch that day was quite a tasty plate. I had an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and a homemade pumpkin cilantro veggie burger (recipe to come!), topped with BBQ sauce, a toasted cinnamon raisin english muffin, and some cucumbers. Delicious!

I snacked on this apple later on in class.

And for dinner (also eaten in class that night, but pictured at home), was a delicious bowl of arugula topped with a bulgur veggie salad. The bulgur salad included, you guessed it, bulgur, and also bell pepper, red onion, corn, edamame and cilantro. I drizzled a bit of stone ground mustard and tahini on mine, a winning combination!

I also had one of these mineola oranges, I got a whole bag of them at Trader Joe’s last weekend, and it was super sweet and juicy. Such a refreshing treat!

Desert later that night when I got home was some plain greek yogurt and coconut cranberry granola. This was really good. So I ended up having a bit more of the granola with some coconut milk after. I ate this desert while watching the West Wing season 6 with my brother, this show is simply amazing! Great way to end the night!

Thanks as always to Jenn for hosing this WIAW get together!

TGIW,

Sydney