FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Austin Tomorrow, In Pictures

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Breakfast: Impatient “Overnight” Oats

Lunch: Leftover Spicy Salad with Avocado

Dinner: Soup & Salad & Brownie @ Junior League

Today wasn’t a very hungry day.  The awesome townhouse in Austin that I wanted is going to have to be someone else’s awesome townhouse.  Thankfully, I’m heading there tomorrow to check out places in person and hope to find the place where I’m supposed to live.  You know, cause things happen for a reason.

And going to Austin tomorrow also means getting to hang out with Skylar!!  I haven’t seen Skylar since August 2010 (when I had very long, very red hair) and I’m super excited about exploring the city with her.  We’ve been scheming about yoga, Body Pump, and Mexican martinis.  I can’t wait!

Have you ever been to Austin?  What are your favorite veg-friendly spots?

Spicetastic Salad

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Salads are so much more satisfying with cheese.  Spicy cheese.  Like…  Hot habanero cheese.

I stopped at the market on my way home from running on Bayshore Blvd and wandered the aisles hoping for inspiration.  We never really found one another, me and inspiration, but a simple salad started sounding really darn good when nothing else came to mind.

Over a bed of mixed greens (super greens according to the package), I layered 1/3 can of black beans, a generous portion of fresh salsa, one serving of shredded hot habanero cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  Now that cheese and I are friends again, I have a feeling that fun salads are making a come back in my life!

As far as the run, I got a tad closer to gauging 3.1 miles and a tad farther from a pace in the 10’s.  Perhaps I shouldn’t take three weeks off next time!

Did you take a break from working out during the holidays?  How was your first workout of the new year?

Detox

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I recognize that most people wait until after the new year to get back into the swing of real life, but I just couldn’t wait.  I’ve been off of work since the 23rd and after seven days of acting like a college kid, I’m done.  I was getting lazier by the second, changing out of one pair of pajamas only to jump into another.  It was a problem, this laziness.

I went to Rollin’ Oats last night and stocked up on everything and anything that looked blend-able.  Yup, in pajamas.  Pajamas that I graciously disguised as yoga gear.

Let’s just be thankful that I made it out of the house.

FoodFash Jump Start Smoothie

yield: 32 ounces

2 kale stalks, de-stemmed

1/4 papaya, seeds removed

1/2 lemon, seeds removed

1-2 inches of ginger, skinned and sliced

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup of pure aloe vera juice

1 cup of water

1 cup of ice

I blended the aloe vera, honey, ginger, and lemon (with peels) first to make sure they were completely pulverized before adding the remaining ingredients.  The lemon was definitely potent, but it completely masked any signs of papaya – which is a good thing because I find papaya to be… SO gross.  This smoothie wasn’t delicious by any means, it was merely OK, but with the following health highlights there’s no complaining going on here!

Kale – Contains over 45 flavonoids.  Studies show that flavonoids that have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer properties.

Papaya – Contains papain, which is an enzyme that helps digest proteins.  They are also a rich source of vitamin C, flavonoids, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

Lemon – Contains flavonoids that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Ginger – Has numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

Raw Honey – Contains phytonutrients that have been shown to posssess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties.

Aloe Vera Juice – Aids with digestion.

Source: WHFoods.com

Sriracha Kale Chips

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Watching the incredibly cute video below reminded me that kale chips were on my baking to-do list.

Cute, right?  I love when he says “it seems to me that we can either pay the farmer or we can pay the hospital”.  So true!

Knowing that I’d want a spicier chip, I added a hefty amount of Sriracha.

Foodfash Sriracha Kale Chips

8 ounces of kale, de-spined and broken into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of Sriracha

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the olive oil and Sriracha in a small bowl.  Dry the kale completely and then drizzle the olive oil and Sriracha mix over the kale.  Use your hands to massage the kale, making sure that every piece has been coated.  Place the kale on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the kale is crispy.

The kale chips were exactly what I was expecting taste-wise: crispy, spicy goodness.  However, I did not anticipate how addictive they’d be.  I placed the bowl of chips next to me as I was editing photos and by the time I was finished with the photos, the kale chips were finished as well.  Oops!

Do you find kale chips addictive?  Have you tried any surprisingly good flavor combos?