Happy October!

By ellen on October 1, 2009

Happy October! I love fall, and October just screams fall to me. There are still beautiful days and it’s not too stinkin cold… In honor of this first day of October, I have some special and exciting announcements for Keepin the Pace!

  1. Keepin the Pace is going vegetarian! Yes, I’m going veg for the month of October (maybe longer – who knows?). Throughout the month I’ll be documenting the process, and sharing lots of tasty vegetarian dishes.
  2. Twice a month (starting next week), I’ll be featuring a special twice monthly series featuring fabulous local foodie markets and neighborhoods around the city. In New York City, there shouldn’t be any shortage of great spots, and I’ve already gotten my field trips mapped out through January!
  3. Cooking classes! I’ll be taking a different cooking class monthly ranging from technique courses to specific cuisines. I’ll share what I’ve learned, and show you some of the dishes I’ve come up with.

As you can probably tell, I’m really excited about these upcoming events and have spent the last few weeks planning and scheduling them. What are your goals for the month?

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My Favorite Fast Meal

By ellen on July 10, 2009

When I’m in a pinch, or just looking to unload some leftovers, this is the meal I go to. It’s fast, easy, versatile, and delicious (not to mention very good for you). It’s an easy three-step process. It may take a whopping 5 minutes to make. Seriously. 

There you have it. My black bean soup. All you need are black beans, salsa, and chicken broth in its most basic form. Add all three (no need to use more than 1/3 or so of the salsa with a whole can of beans) to a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet (my tool of choice). Mix it up. You can eyeball it to see if you’d like it more creamy or more soupy (for more soupy just add more chicken broth). Then heat and eat. It is super tasty in this barebones form. Note: This would also work w/ veggie broth for any vegetarians out there. 

On Tuesday I made this for lunch and added chopped onions and leftover shredded chicken on top. Sometimes I add milk to it, a cheddar cheese cube, or a clove of garlic before I toss it in the Bullet. 

I’ve even used other bean combos… like a more Italian-style soup using white beans, garlic, onions, rosemary, and chicken broth. This version is great with some crusty bread. No matter how it’s prepared, it’s always fast tasty, and nutritious. 

Are there any delicious easy combos that you’ve come up with in a pinch?

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Running and Eating

By ellen on July 3, 2009

On a long run, I looooove thinking about what big meal I’m going to have when I finish. (At around mile 22 of this year’s NY Marathon, I began to set my sights on a burger and a nice cold beer). 

Recently, the NY Times blog Well (one of my faves), featured an article and video with Mark Bittman and Deena Kastor. Mark Bittman, of whom I’m a HUGE fan, is a NYTimes foodie. Apparently, he’s also a runner who is training for this year’s marathon. Deena Kastor is a super US marathoner. The two paired up for a run, and for some cooking. 

Check out the article and the video here. 

Happy Fourth of July!

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Recipe Review: Kale Pie

By ellen on July 1, 2009

Yes, kale pie. Sounds strange, I know. I received a massive bunch of kale last week from my CSA. It was more than I knew what to do with. Luckily, Mark Bittman and his “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” did. Hence, kale pie.

Kale or Chard Pie

adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Preheat oven to 375. Heat butter in skillet, add onions and kale. Stir until the kale leaves wilt (like cooking spinach). Add salt, pepper, herbs and remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, and eggs. Add flour and baking soda.

In the bottom of a glass baking dish (I think mine may have been 8×8), butter/grease/Pam the inside. Smooth half of the dough mixture across the bottom. Add all of the kale mixture. Top with the remaining dough.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Verdict: The pie was tasty. Definitely something a little different than our usual sauteed kale. It was best served at room temp. My only gripe was that the dough seemed a bit dry or bland. That may have been my own fault. In all, if I am again hit with loads of kale, I may try this again but play around with the dough a bit.

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Asparagus

By ellen on April 14, 2009

It’s asparagus season. Yes, exciting, I know. I only recently began to like asparagus, I think those sexy spring asparagus displays at Whole Foods reeled me in. At any rate, with this next recipe, I really began to love it. Generally I prepared asparagus either roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, or steamed. Pretty standard, really. 

I had checked out a recent Cooking Light issue that featured information on the green machine. I watched an asparagus demo on the website (an asparagus demo? Really? It’s true) and it showed a recipe at the end for raw asparagus with cherry tomatoes and goat cheese. 

I was skeptical of the raw asparagus, but the dish was amaaaazingly delicious. I paired it with crab cakes and that was meal enough for us. Husbo loved it and ate all the leftovers that night.

It was so good I may:

a) make it again

b) attempt other “new” uses for asparagus

c) explore other strange veggie vids on Cooking Light

d) all of the above.

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