new year 2012 resolutions on food: um, kinda

it's the start of another year and that means another round of new year's resolutions.  let's be honest:  these promises to society, work, our family, friends and ourselves can either be far-reaching dreams or tasks that we just don't seem to keep to beyond valentine's day.  i have a few of such resolutions of my own, but most are related to food.  figures.

resolutions:

1. start a food blog and keep to it throughout the year, chronicling the food i make for myself and others. i guess i'm off to a good start here.  just don't expect much during project deadlines or final exams.  priorities, people...plus, i have a tendency to not have the best eating habits during those critical deadline events (e.g., crackers, cheese slices, soup, pizza, and LOTS of coffee).
2. try to make healthier choices about what i put in my mouth + chew.  i may be a pescetarian, but i still have to watch how much sugar and sodium is in the food i cook + eat.  this also means, i should try to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.  having this blog makes me not only accountable to my family and myself, but to a very public forum.
3. take my daily multivitamin and fish oil.  i'm awful about taking my vitamins.  since i don't eat meat, i try to incorporate enough protein in my diet without having to eat too much processed soy products.  fish oil supplements are excellent for skin, hair and cardiac (or heart) health.

i know these resolutions may not be much, but i am doing two things:  one, setting goals; and secondly, i'm being realistic about those goals.  especially, when it comes to food.

this past weekend, i've been feeling quite under-the-weather, so my taste buds have been outta whack.  the diet has consisted of very dry and bland food:  vegetarian erascaldo (the Filipino version of chicken noodle soup), hot lemon tea + honey, toasted english muffins, and lots of water.  nothing to really right home about.  

but last week (my first week back to school and the Midwest), i was able to make some simple dishes that are favorites, vegetarian (not vegan) and easy-to-do.

'S2V': simple spinach vegetable salad

• fresh spinach leaves (2 good handfuls)
• 1 persian (baby) cucumber -sliced
• 1/2 c. frozen peas (defrosted)
• 1/4 c. frozen corn (defrosted)
• 1/4 c. mixed finely shredded cheese (low-fat, preferably)
• crushed peppercorn to taste
• 1 tbs. dressing (i used Zia's caesar dressing:  65 cal; sugar 0g)

mix all in large bowl, that's it.  if you use a decent dressing (i prefer the thicker the better), a little bit goes a long way: i used only 1 tablespoon rather than the called-for 2 tablespoon (the suggested single serving).  i like Zia's since it's yummy and made from a local company right here in 'the HiLL,' an italian district in St. Louis.

'special K' casserole (my version)

vegetarian 'special K' loaf + side of fresh persian cucumber slices

• 4 1/2 c. Special K cereal (or generic rice flakes cereal.  i've tried a generic 'Rice Krispies' in the past, and it's worked well)
• 1 1/4 c. chopped walnuts (i grind mine in a food processor)
• 2 tbs. dry parsley
• 1/2 tbs. sage
• 1/2 tbs. cumin
• 1/2 tbs. paprika
• 1/2 tbs. crushed peppercorn
• 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (i use Campbell's)
• 1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese (any type you like; i prefer cheddar or mozzarella or combination of the two)
• 1/4 c. oil

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl.  mix all liquid ingredients in medium bowl, then combine with dry ingredients.  lightly spray a casserole dish and pour mixture evenly into dish.  bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until top is brown and toothpick stuck in center of dish comes out clean.  NOTE:  i placed dish to in the lower rack of the oven (at least 8 inches from bottom) for the first 35 minutes and in the top rack for the last 15 minutes to brown the top.

CaFeBustelo:  my favorite coffee EVER

a good friend of ours from MiaMi introduced us to cuban coffee, specifically this brand.  Café BusTeLo is made in MiaMi (i bought this vacuumed pack from a local Publix in SoBe) and you should be able to find it in any major supermarket.  unfortunately, i've been having trouble finding this in any sT. LouiS grocery store.  the fine grounds get put in an espresso coffee maker (mine is stove top one) and you have the strongest coffee imaginable.  my mini maker holds enough for 3 shots and i mix it with a bit of half-and-half and 1 packet of Splenda (or sugar).  a definite pick-me-up for those extremely difficult mornings, having to wake up.

best cuban coffee: fine grounds in espresso coffee maker