The Style Up

G O O D  M O R N I N G and happy Monday! 

Today I'm featured on The Style Up's blog!  The Style Up is a free service that offers daily fashionable outfit suggestions based upon your location, lifestyle and style sense.  Every evening The Style Up sends an email with tomorrow's weather, and suggestions.  Couldn't be any easier, right?  

I met the founder and CEO, Kendall Herbst, and she is sweet as can be.  She's also super smart, with an MBA from MIT.  This girl knows what's up.  Kendall asked me a number of questions -- we talked life, fashion, food and entertaining.  All the good stuff in this world!  Here's a sneak peek: What five items do you get the most use of in your closet?  If someone wanted to cook a romantic Valentine's meal what would you suggest?  Read on to get my answers. 

here's the leather jacket I gush about

I look forward to their emails every night; you should give it a try too...

Hope you enjoy the write up and using The Style Up!  

xx,
Mrs. Wolf.

Meatless Monday Garbage Bowl

After a busy weekend, with too many meals eaten out of our apartment, we had many a vegetable in need of consumption. 

This is the epitome of garbage bowl. But in the best way possible... 

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and dried

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated into 1tbsp + 1/2tbsp (for the croutons)

1/2 head garlic 

1/4 jar sundried tomatoes, sliced

1C cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained 

1 oz ricotta salata, shaved 

Day old bread (amount of your liking)
Garlic powder (for croutons)

Smoked paprika (for croutons)

Salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400, slice off the very top of the garlic so that the cloves are visible, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes 

2. Using the same technique as the challah croutons, prepare the day old bread 

3. Roughly chop rabe and place in a large sauté pan with 1 tbsp olive oil, cook about 10 minutes or until wilted

4. When the garlic and croutons are finished -- the garlic should be golden brown -- remove the garlic from its peel by gently pressing each clove until it pops out, roughly chop  

5. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl, stir to combine

6. Serve in two smaller bowls and top with ricotta salata 

Ricotta salata - so salty, so good:

Details of the finished product:

You can swap any and all ingredients in for things you have on hand or things you like better.  This is perfect for Meatless Monday, but I imagine it would be good served with a simple roast chicken. 

How do you use up produce?  If you make this, I'd love to hear how you like it!

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

Homemade Hummus

Bad Wolf!  I know I promised you this recipe from a while back after it was featured at our Super Bowl party.  Sorry for the delay...the den has been busy. 

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained*

1tbsp tahini

1tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1tsp garlic, minced

1/2tsp smoked paprika

Salt + pepper 

*Did you know that rinsing canned and jarred foods can remove more than 40% of their sodium? Wash those beans! #NutritionNerd.

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry chickpeas

2. Place chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and garlic in the food processor

3. Juice the lemon, and add juice to food processor

4. Blend the ingredients in processor until smooth

5. Taste the hummus and add paprika, salt + pepper to your liking, whir hummus until spices combined 

6. Serve with pita chips and fresh vegetables, or schmear on bread as a mayonnaise replacement for sandwiches (it's good...trust me!)

What you'll need:

Crushed black pepper -- he's a beauty in his mini stainless canister:

Washing the chickpeas:

Chickpeas in the food processor:

Filled with goodies:

All mixed up and ready to go:

Ready for chips and veggies:

What's your favorite way to season hummus?  If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

How-To: Quinoa

Quinoa is one of those really easy dishes that may not even qualify as cooking.  But, I'm into labels.  So today, friends, we are cooking!

Quinoa is an interesting creature, loaded with protein and fiber and it's gluten free!  How timely for Passover... 

When making quinoa, I use a 4:1 ratio of water:quinoa -- 4C water:1C quinoa or 2C water: 1/2C quinoa for example.

However, sometimes I do an extra 1/4 or 1/2C of water (4 1/2C of water for 1C quinoa)...because I get busy when I'm cooking.  Sometimes I need to run to my studio and spray paint a random bauble (it's hygenic...I promise I scrub my hands after).   And this way, if you happen to forget that the water is boiling, and let it sit on the burner for a bit longer than you intended, you will still have plenty of water for the cooking if you added a little extra beforehand. 

And who says you can't DIY and cook and plan a wedding all at the same time?  Multitasking at its finest...

Anyway, back to the recipe!

Ingredients for 4 servings:
4 1/2C water
1C quinoa

Directions:
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat
2. Once you have a rolling boil, add quinoa and a drop of olive oil (this helps with the fluff-age -- we are really technical here on The Domesticated Wolf)
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 15 minutes, or until the water has cooked off, checking after 15 to be sure the quinoa is cooked to your liking, then fluff before serving

You can overcook quinoa (the taste doesn't change, just the texture) so just watch it to make sure you aren't going to eat mush.  Unless you want to eat much...then by all means overcook it!

Raw quinoa sort of resembles couscous:

My attempt to show you "rolling boil":

Once the quinoa is in the pot, give it a good stir -- I like to use a slotted spoon...really there's no reason for this, just a habit:

Almost ready for plating:

 Fluff quinoa (as noted above) in a big white bowl:

Nutrition information per 1/2C serving:

159 calories, 28g carbohydrates, 2g fat, 5g protein, 3g fiber

I like to serve my quinoa with a vinaigrette of olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon and salt + pepper.  But, it works perfectly as a base for many different dishes, even sweet ones.  Plus, when I make it, I make a lot of it.  Leftovers, anyone?

Have you ever tried quinoa?  How do you serve yours?  Hope you enjoy...

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

What's In Our Cart -- Grocery Shopping

I've received a few questions recently along the lines of "what do you buy at the grocery store?"  Yesterday, you saw a few shots of my Whole Foods trip...but I didn't show you nearly enough detail! 

I made a few stops yesterday: Whole Foods and Trader Joe's -- they are very close to each other in NYC, so it's a quick stop from one to the other. 

From left to right:

All Whites egg whites
Chobani: 0% plain, 0% apple cinnamon (oh, how I love you so much!)
Trader Joe's tomato sauce
Jarred roasted red peppers
Trader Joe's high fiber penne pasta
Reduced fat Triscuits
Chocolate chip macaroons 
Skim plus milk
Whole Foods' blue cheese
Whole Foods' Parmesan cheese
1 loaf ciabatta bread 
White albacore tuna
Bag of raw walnuts (from Whole Foods bulk bins)
Bag of quinoa (from Whole Foods bulk bins)
Whole eggs 
Baby portabella mushrooms
Whole carrots
Green beans
Baby spinach
Jazz apples
Grapefruit
Red onion
Avocado
Friendship 1% cottage cheese
Morningstar Farms Asian veggie burgers
Dr. Praeger's spinach pancakes

Second shot, couldn't fit everything in!

Round two:

Peanut butter

Green apples

Skinny Cow vanilla sandwiches

Weight Watchers cookies and cream bar

Dunkin' Donuts Hazelnut coffee

Daisy low fat sour cream

Laughing Cow cinnamon cream cheese

Aria vanilla protein powder

Trader Joe's giant white beans in tomato sauce

Tumaro's multigrain tortillas

What do you often buy at the grocery store?  Do we have any of the same items in our carts?

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

Wild About Walnuts + A Giveaway

This post's title is not just hyperbole;  I really do love walnuts.  A lot.  In fact, just recently I posted a sweet recipe (very nutty protein pancakes) and a savory recipe (brown butter sauteed sole) using this special nut.  Walnuts are a perfect, crunchy topping for yogurt and cottage cheese, and also perfect in savory garbage salads or chopped salads.  How diverse she is! 

You can imagine my excitement when I received a bag of California Walnuts.  Oh yes.  There was cheering.  Lots of it!  

How sweet is this burlap bag?  Theses walnuts are well dressed: 

The walnuts are sealed for freshness: 

 And a hand written note, personal touch!  

From a nutritional standpoint, walnuts are a superstar!  They are rich in healthy, unsaturated fat, which is the type of fat you want to eat.  While most other nuts are full of monounsaturated fat, walnuts are chocked full of polyunsaturated fat (always loved that fun fact, I know, I know...nutrition nerd).  Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels.  Big up for walnuts! 

Fat, like those contained in walnuts, helps us to absorb nutrients - specifically fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) found in the foods we eat.  Fat also helps to delay stomach emptying, which is a good thing because it allows us to stay full for a longer period of time.  Fat also tastes good!  How bland and boring would food be without a little fat?

Walnuts are also naturally gluten free.  So for all of you wheat (gluten) avoiders out there...these are your boo. 

Nutrition information for a one ounce serving of walnuts: 180 calories,  4g carbohydrate, 18g fat (2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5g of plant based omega-3s), 4g protein, 2g  fiber

1 ounce is about 14 walnut halves, if want to reap the benefits of walnuts for fewer calories, try 1/2 an ounce (7 halves)...it's OK to count them out! 

California Walnuts launched their #NaturalDefender social media campaign featuring a gallery depicting healthy-living tips.  The images were inspired by ideas from their fans, and illustrate ways to be a #naturaldefender (simple ways to keep your body and mind happy and healthy). Who can argue with that? You can browse the images from their gallery through their app on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cawalnuts/app_275874302493929, or from their website:   http://www.walnuts.org/about-walnuts/healthy-living/natural-defender-health-tip-gallery/

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the #NaturalDefender gallery (talk about inspiration!):

California Walnuts hopes that these images will encourage people to enjoy a healthful life - and also put a smile on their faces.  Their goal is to inspire people to live healthier lives, and in the process, to remind them that walnuts can play an important role when it comes to maintaining a healthy body.

For more info on California Walnuts you can visit their website: http://www.walnuts.org/. 

But here's the exciting part...there's something in it for you!  The kind folks at California Walnuts offered to provide one lucky winner with a goodie bag!  

Here's what's included in the giveaway:

- mini spatula

- heart shaped cookie cutter

- chip clip

- flexible cutting mats

- water pouches (plastic and collapsible - great for on the go, or on hikes, etc!)

- walnut tins  (great for portion control, to keep those calories in check!)

- 1oz snack bags of walnuts

- burlap walnut bag

In order to enter, please leave a comment on the blog with your favorite way to eat walnuts!  Be sure to include your name (and email address in the comment submission form) so that I can announce the winner on Friday!

Good luck and enjoy...

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

Disclaimer: California Walnuts sent me a complimentary bag of walnuts, but I was not compensated for my time or for this blog post.  All opinions are my own.  Additionally, I have never received any money from the spraypaint manufacturers' union, though perhaps I should have.

Very Nutty Protein Pancakes

You may remember my protein pancakes post from a few weeks back.   Today I updated them a bit with the addition of PB2.  For those unfamiliar with this product, it's a de-fatted peanut powder which mixes well into baked goods, smoothies and of course...protein pancakes! 

Ingredients:

1/4C liquid egg whites

1/4C rolled oats, chopped*

2 tbsp PB2

1 tsp cinnamon

A dash of salt

Cooking spray

Optional: Splenda packet (Splenda is a good choice because it is heat resistant, unlike aspartame which the main ingredient in sweeteners like Equal and cannot be used in cooking because it loses its sweet taste)

*You can "chop" the oats by placing them in a food processor or blender, but I decided to chop them by hand using a santoku knife to be sure this recipe would work for someone who doesn't own a food processor or blender - and it did...so you're in the clear. 

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix egg whites and chopped oats until combined

2. Add PB2, cinnamon and a dash of salt to the oats mixture and let sit to thicken, about 2 minutes

3. Heat a good nonstick skillet and coat with cooking spray (be sure to use a good nonstick product, because there is minimal fat in these pancakes, you do not want them to stick)

4. When the skillet is hot, pour the oat batter into the pan and cook until a crust starts to form, about  2 minutes (when the skillet is shaken back and forth the pancake move, if it sticks, it is not ready to flip yet) 

5. Flip and cook the pancake another 1-2 minutes 

6. Serve with your favorite fruit or nut - I choose 1/2 ounce of walnuts!

Hand chopped oats:

Egg white and oat mixture:

PB2, cinnamon and oats:

Almost ready to flip:

After one flip:

Finished product:

Nutrition information per serving with no added sweetener:

200 calories, 13g carbohydrates, 12g fat, 14g protein, 4g fiber

Now that I am properly fueled, I'm off to make food for the Super Bowl tonight...

What do you top your pancakes with?  Who are you rooting for tonight?  Hope you enjoy...

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf

Egg Salad on the Skinny

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm big on eggs.  I also really love cold food.  As in all food that has ever existed is tasty to me when it's eaten cold... especially foods like egg salad -- "I love luke warm egg salad" - said no one ever.  

I am going to be frank, and apologize now for the photo heavy post...but we're learning here, people!  So if seeing 10 photos of hard boiled eggs is not your thing (is it really anyone's thing, though?) then you might not be interested in going further with this one.  Let me put it this way: if you are a visual learner, I imagine you will get an A in egg salad.  I also have to apologize for the wording in this post.  But, let's be honest - there is just no dainty way to talk about yolk removal.  I'm baring it all for you.  And by "all" I mean, my skinny egg salad technique.  

Ingredients:

4 eggs, hard boiled then cooled and peeled (I use Eggland's Best - they are tasty!)

1 tbsp light mayonaise or Chobani plain yogurt

Salt + pepper to taste (lots of pepper - remember, we are going for high flavor, low fat!)
Option additions: curry powder, chives, red onion, scallions, dill, red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Cover eggs with water in a sauce pan, then bring water to a strong boil and cook for 2 minutes

2. After 2 minutes, turn off the burner, cover the saucepan and let stand for 10 minutes

3. Pour out hot water from sauce pan, refill with cold water and ice cubes

4. Let eggs sit in cold water until they are cold (some of the ice will melt during this time)

5. Remove the eggs from cold water and peel them, keeping 1 egg whole and removing the yolk from the other 3 eggs*

6. Mix in light mayonaise or Chobani plain yogurt and season with salt and pepper, then mash to combine

*A note on peeling hard boiled eggs:  I find that eggshells are more easily removed when the eggs are cold, so eating cold egg salad really does make the most sense (just kidding...).  To begin peeling your eggs, dry them so that you don't get water into the egg salad, then gently press each egg on the counter to crack the shell.  Remove each eggshell, making sure not to leave any pieces of the shell on the egg.  Slice the eggs in half with the back of the knife (meaning the serrated side is up).  There are two techniques - you can either gently squeeze the white to see if the yolk will pop out on its own, or you can run the back of the knife around the white to remove the yolk.  

After I rolled the egg on my counter, the shell cracked and the top began to separate:

A shelled egg, yours will look like this too:

The back of the knife cutting into the egg:

A clarifying shot:

I had to document the "yolk removing itself from the white" moment because this almost never happens.  So please don't assume that this will happen for you and then be mad at me when it doesn't:

If the above scenario doesn't happen, here is how you run the back of your knife around the egg:

The yolk-free egg white:

The eggs with yolks removed plus one whole egg:

Pre-mashed eggs plus seasoning of your choosing:

If you are uncertain you can measure a level tablespoon, try weighing your measure - most kitchen scales weigh in ounces and grams, use the measure that makes the most sense (typically what is listed on the nutrition label).  Here are some available at BBB (coupon eligible!) 

The final product:

Skinny egg salad nutrition information per serving with light mayonnaise:

153 calories, 1 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 18 g protein, 0 g fiber

Skinny egg salad nutrition information per serving with Chobani plain yogurt:

127 calories, 1 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 19 g protein, 0 g fiber

Skinny egg salad nutrition information per serving with half light mayonnaise and half  Chobani plain yogurt:

140 calories, 1 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 18 g protein, 0 g fiber

I served my skinny egg white salad with roasted green beans (sorry to be boring, but I love them and we have 2 pounds to use!) and homemade blue cheese dressing.  Check back soon for that recipe! 

Entire meal:

363 calories, 23 g carbohydrates, 20 g fat, 23 g protein, 7 g fiber

Do you try to lighten up favorite recipes?  Please let me know if you try this egg salad, I'd love to hear how you like it!  Hope you enjoy...

xx,
The Future Mrs. Wolf