I'm Back!

After seven months of a chronic blogger's block, I'm back!




It has been a crazy summer, this is what I have been doing:

I finished my internship in Huntington, West Virginia, and moved back to Lexington. What a great relief. Best news of all, I passed the registration exam and became a registered dietitian! Years of school and hard work finally paid off.

I went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and watched the 150th Gettysburg Anniversary Reenactment. It was quite a scene, watching 3000 plus men marching on the field.

Oh, meanwhile I got married and became the MRS.  It was the best day of my life.

Photo by Adam Padgett Photography

With all these happenings this summer, time flies. I am already collecting new fall recipes, and here's one for you. This is Jamie Oliver's Store Cupboard Lentil Soup. All ingredients are staples in a cook's pantry and with an hour of prepping, voila, here's your hearty soup for cool autumn days. I found a ham steak in the freezer, which made it into the soup instead of bacon. Not going to lie, last night we had this soup with the AC (with a hunk of bread, as ordered by Jamie Oliver) on but it was delicious.

Hearty Lentil Soup
Adapted from Jamie Oliver Store Cupboard Lentil Soup

6 slices bacon or 1 ham steak
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 cup dried beans, cooked prior)
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
5 cups vegetable stock (or more if you like it soupier)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat, add bacon. Cook until bacon gets crispy, remove bacon, drain grease until you have 2 tablespoons left in pot. Add dried thyme, dried chili, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. If using ham steak, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add ham and onion, cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent, add remaining vegetables.

2. Cook vegetables with lid on for 15 minutes, add lentils and stock. Bring to boil and simmer until lentils are soft. (Add cooked cannellini beans here if used dried beans to start with)

3. Add cannellini beans, bring back to boil and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and ground pepper as needed. Serve with hunk of bread.

Guinness (Extra) Stout Cake

Feeling Irish? This is the cake to make.

Ever year around March, I always buy a six-pack of Guinness and see what creative recipes I can find. This year, the I opted for the Extra Stout Guinness and Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake. There's something about the taste of stout in food that makes meals hearty for a cold day, wondering when winter is going to end. Especially Beef Stew with warm buttered homemade bread.

Two more days, then we embrace the First day of Spring.

Two weeks ago I began the clinical part of my dietetic internship. I started with the pediatrics unit in a hospital in Huntington, WV. Last week, I saw a baby who died because of his parents negligence. It was the saddest case I have encountered as a dietetic intern. I guess that's a part of life, especially living in West Virginia. Twelves more weeks of the internship, counting down to the end...

Guinness (Extra) Stout Cake
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake

Cake:
1 cup Extra Stout Guinness
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3oz cocoa powder
14 oz (2 cups) granulated sugar
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 medium eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10oz all-purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder

Frosting:
11oz cream cheese
5oz powdered sugar
4oz (1/2 cup) whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 350, and butter and line a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the powdered sugar and then beat them both together. 
5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.
6. Enjoy cake with left over Guinness.
   

The Art of Slow

The art of slow is the length of time for me to update this blog. Seven weeks fo food service management rotation for my dietetic internship came and went like a flash. My big project for the rotation was to come up with Wizard of Oz theme food for more than 2000 people. Another intern and I came up with the following snacks: Follow the Yellow Brick Road Rice Krispie treats, Over the Rainbow Fruit Salad, Munchkin Donuts, Melted Witch Green Punch, Ruby Red Fruit Punch, Rainbow  (M&M) Cookies, and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. See a trend here?

During the two days of the Wizard of Oz event, I was working 12+ hours cutting up rice krispie treats and refilling endless trays of cookies and donuts, in a lullaby league costume. That's right, the ballerina munchkins with pink ruffle skirts and pointy hat.

The art of slow is also me falling in love with my new slow cooker that I got for my birthday last month. There are numerous discussions on whether to use a slow cooker or dutch oven. Here's my take:

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalya

Dutch Oven:
Besides from durability and the feeling of like a real cook, dutch oven allows that searing to brown the (mallard reaction) protein which adds flavors to the meal. One pot does it all. Dutch oven slow cooking can be done on stove top or in oven, but increases the chance of fire hazards if you plan on leaving it to cook for hours . Cooking in dutch oven allows the liquid to reduce and becomes a nice thick sauce for stews. You can cook everything in one pot, reduce the number of dishes you have to wash. Moreover, dutch oven is such a versatile cookware, especially when I make Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread once a week.

Slow Cooker:
This is very much a common household appliance, can't go wrong with this when you got a busy life like me. The only drawback is that some ingredients need to be seared/cooked prior to adding back to the slow cooker. Otherwise, the fancy ones allow cooks to set cooking time, control the cooking temperature, and keep warm. Plug it, forget it.

Although I love cooking in my dutch oven, still hands down to the new slow cooker. Can't beat the convenience when it comes to busy life. I have made many slow cooker recipes since its arrival in my apartment, so far, my favorite recipe is this easy pulled pork. Next slow cooker recipe, corned beef and cabbage. 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless pork butt or shoulder
¾ cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Place onions in crock-pot. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Rub mixture all over roast and place the roast on top of the onions.

3. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. Drizzle about 1/3 of vinegar mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.

4. Cover crockpot; cook on low for 10-12 hours. Drizzle about 1/3 of reserved vinegar mixture over roast during last ½ hour of cooking.

5. Remove meat and onions; drain. Chop or shred meat and onions. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture or your favorite barbeque sauce.

Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb

I stated the dietetic internship food service management rotation two weeks ago. Hairnets and the smell of oil in deep fryer, it only gets better. Seriously. I didn't think I would like food service at all, but turns out I look forward to going back to the kitchen. First day at the rotation at a local Huntington Hospital, the food service director asked an intern and I to create a 5-week menu for the cafeteria. This sounds like a dream project for foodies/cooks/chefs out there, planning menu for 500+ people everyday for 5 weeks? Heck, yes! At least that was what I thought it would be like.

Here are some of the "criteria" and "must haves" for creating menus targeting a West Virginia population: deep fried liver, something deep-fried everyday, something cheesey or covered with cheese, a healthy entree would be nice but also offer a not-so-healthy one as well, leafy greens are cooked to preferably the color of green olives, and ranch dressing. Oh and friend chicken every Sunday because church goers stop at the hospital cafeteria after church for lunch (who would think a hospital is known for friend chicken after church?)

Hmmm....my wonderful dietetic intern partner and I came up with menu for the first week fairly quickly, then we ran out of ideas. I suggested we have a themed week, like Italian, Latin America, and Asia for rest of the weeks.  Thanks to big recipe websites out there, we managed to come up with a 5-week menu within deadline. First week of dietetic-intern-made-up-menu trial went well since we chose "standard" American comfort food. This week's theme is Italian, the executive chef already made several changes to our proposed menu...I will keep you posted on how this week's menu goes.

On to a different subject. This delicious Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb is made in yours truly's tiny apartment kitchen. No deep frying involved.

With the ease of accessing all sorts of recipes on-line with a click, I hardly buy cookbooks now. This book Rustic Fruit Dessert by Cory Scriber and Julie Richardson has great recipes on my favorite type of dessert. I love fruity desserts, and this book described the difference between buckle, cobblers, crumbles, etc...perfectly. The recipes are grouped by season, which is great for all the fresh cranberry I stocked up after Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb
Recipe from Rustic Fruit Dessert by Cory Scriber and Julie Richardson

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan
1 cup Vanilla Crumb
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (5 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) cranberries, fresh or frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

2. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer withthe paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. 3. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

4. Fold in 1 cup of the cranberries. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan.

Distribute the remaining 1 cup cranberries over the cake and sprinkle the crumb topping over the cranberries. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

It's not secret that I love breakfast food. Lately, I have been posting more breakfast recipes (here and here), especially pancakes. Am I overdoing it? I think not, because if pancakes (and oatmeal!) were to provide all the vitamins and minerals, I would have them for every meal. There are millions of pancake recipes out there, each one claims to be the fluffiest. I tried many of those recipes, and I found the Joy of Cooking pancake recipe to be the best one out there.

I began my Christmas break earlier this week. What a relief after 17 weeks of community rotation in Huntington, West Virginia. Although I longed for the break, the dietetic internship is not half way done yet. Food service rotation is next when I return in January, not the scope of dietetics I want to get into but I am curious to see what it will bring.

This recipe was adapted from Minimal Baker's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Oatmeal Pancakes. My version of these pancakes is not vegan, but they did taste like moist and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Cookie for breakfast? Yes, unlike certain name brand's breakfast cookies, these pancakes have substance. When made with love and care, topped with real maple syrup, now that's a real breakfast.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes 10 pancakes

1/2 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted and at room temperature
1 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned oats are fine, see special instructions below)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat a skillet to medium heat.
2. Combine apple sauce with baking powder, add eggs, butter, salt, vanilla, almond butter, milk. Stir to combine well.
3. Stir in oats. If using old-fashioned oats, let mixture stand for 10 minutes and add more milk as needed.
4. Stir in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
5. Scoop scant 1/4 cup measurements onto lightly greased skillet.
6. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. May take longer than regular pancakes.
7. Serve warm with real maple syrup.

Black Bean Tomato Kale Quinoa

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As crazy as it sounds, I never had quinoa (KEEN-wah, not qui-noa) until this summer. I only heard about it the last couple years, somehow this ancient grain made its comeback and became one of the "superfoods". Quinoa is not only a great whole grain (fiber!) alternative to the common ones like brown rice and barley, but also good source of protein. However, the price of quinoa is insane than its counterparts. I got a pound of quinoa in one box for $5. I do love the texture of and mouth feel of quinoa.

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Today is the last day of my week long rotation WI. I have learned more than I needed to know about the colors of babies' poop, how to transition from breast milk to whole milk, introducing infants new foods, and lots more about babies. I saw too many bare breasts during breast feeding sessions, and I now know the difference between colostrum and milk. Maybe one day all this information will make sense to me. Community nutrition offers such a variety. It's not just about nutrition, but also lots of social- and environmental-related issues. Regardless, I loved every part of this rotation. This definitely gave me more insight on what I want to do as a dietitian.

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The chili powder and green chiles gives this dish a bit of heat, but the kale gives the dish a more "earthy" feel. At least it was how I felt when I had it, I could never figure out how the judges on Top Chef come up with all the descriptive words for one dish. Note for this recipe, look for prewashed quinoa. I made the mistake of trying to wash these teeny tiny grains, needless to say, I probably wasted a good amount of it.

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Simmer, simmer, simmer...

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 Black Bean Tomato Kale Quinoa

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked), rinsed or prewashed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low sodium
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chilis
2 medium tomato, diced or 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup kale, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
Kosher or sea salt to taste

 1. In a large skillet add olive oil, turn to medium-low heat and saute diced onions until tender, about 4 minutes, add garlic and saute one additional minute. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above until tomatoes. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

3. Add in kale the last 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes covered before serving. Fluff quinoa with a large spoon and serve with cilantro.

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All Things Lost

Yesterday my worst blogging nightmare actually happened.

I lost ALL of my pictures.

ALL!

I was editing pictures on ViewNX2 (Nikon picture viewing and editing program) and all the sudden the program shuts down. When I reopened the program, the entire picture folder went missing. I searched every folder on my computer drive and even in the trash.

Nothing.

What should I do?!?!

On the bright side, I no longer have 20 pictures some dish that I made and never made it on the blog. 

Forget that thought, I want my pictures back! I posted a thread on Microsoft forum, and no helpful tips yet. I guess I should have used that external hard drive.

What's not lost is my appetite.

Last week I had some interesting dining experience. I went to an elementary in rural West Virginia to help out with the school's health fair. Some interns and I made smoothies for kids to try while we explained MyPlate to them. During lunch, I decided to be adventurous and try the school lunch. Well, lunch turned out to be large romaine lettuce, off green peas, boxed mashed potato, overcooked pasta with meat chunks, and half of an orange. Not the best lunch I ever had, but I was impressed that there was no fried food. At least half of the tray was vegetables and fruit.

The next day, Jake and I finally got to try Bourbon n' Toulouse over at Chevy Chase. I love love love the food. I had shrimp etouffee and Jake had white chicken chili. There was all sorts of hot sauce to try out, including local Kentuckian Sadistic Mistress Sauces. Yum yum. The only thing is thatI wish I had more rice (haha can you tell I'm Chinese). The Creole and Cajun spices reminded me of my trip to New Orleas and how I miss the food. This place definitely requires a second visit.

Creamy Chicken Salad

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This week I started Nutrition Education Program rotation, which means I teach MyPlate to school children. This program is run by Marshall University dietetics department and the focus is to teach nutrition to young kids. This week I taught the grain lesson to second graders. My nutrition education experience has always been with adults. It turns out I absolutely love teaching children! I felt so comfortable standing in front a group of children. Every student in the classroom is eager to see what I have for them. As I showed them plastic whole wheat bread and pasta and read them a book on breads, they loved it.

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When I asked how much exercise we need a day, some said 20 hours, 30 days, or even 60 days. If only we could take off days from work and exercise for 60 days.

School started mid-August, and so far I have yet to buy lunch meat (!!). Instead I had to get creative with what to make on weekends for lunch rest of the week. The only reason I never made chicken salad before was because of the smell of poached chicken. One of those weird food dislike I have, and I am not sure why. Probably because it just smells like meat. Canned chicken is out of the question, but I decided to give it a try.

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I replaced halfof the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt and added extra veggies.

Hmm...yumm definitely worth the "boiled chicken" smell.

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Creamy Chicken Salad

2 pounds chicken breast, trimmed, no thicker than 1-inch
1/2 cup sweet bell peppers, chopped finely
1/2 cup celery, diced finely
1/3 cup craisin
1 shallot, chopped finely
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Submerge chicken breast in 6 cups of water in a dutch oven. Turn on stove to medium high. Let water reach to boil, turn off heat, and cover pot. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes. Check the temperature of the thickest part of breast, chicken is done at 165 degrees. Bring water back to boil if temperature has not reached 165 degrees. Once chicken is cooked, remove from water and place on paper towel. Let chicken cool for 30 minutes.
2. Combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a large mixing bowl. Add in vegetables.
3. Chopped chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss chicken in mixing bowl with mayonnaise mix.
4. Enjoy!

Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wrap

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Yes, I realize it's about time I should blog something yummy.

Third week of dietetic internship went by fast. Earlier this week I traveled to out-the-middle-of-nowhere to Wheeling, West Virginia (north of West Virginia, almost near Pittsburgh), where I attended an in-service with the nutrition outreach educators of West Virginia University Extension - Family Nutrition Program. The interns and I stayed at a resort on top of a hill with gorgeous mountain views and lots of wild animal sight-seeing. I managed to squeeze in a morning trail run midweek.

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While I was at a beautiful location and felt like I was on vacation, I had to attend endless talks/conferences on nutrition education. On the third day of the in-service, I gave a presentation (or more like 5 presentations in a row for 5 different groups) on food packaging and marketing. It was the by far, most nerve racking experience of the internship. I was not sure how the other nutrition educators would response to my presentation, or what kind of crazy questions I would get. Luckily, by the 5th presentation I was a pro on food packaging and marketing. It felt good when some of the audience were making notes as I was speaking.

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On to my favorite subject, food.
Many people have a secret obsession with P. F. Chang's lettuce wrap. I have only had those lettuce wrap once, and it was delicious but I don't see the obsession. People often ask me where I go to get good Chinese food around town, and I always say there aren't any good ones. I stay away from Chinese take-outs and buffets, as I am kind of embarrassed that those are the only Chinese foods available. I envy those who live in large cities like New York City and San Francisco, where almost-authentic Chinese food is just around the corner.

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About 40% of my cooking is Chinese-borderline-American food. While I don't have rice everyday like my parents do, it's still a staple in my house. I have been following Asian-inspired recipes from cooking magazines that sometimes I forget how to make real Chinese food.

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Everything I learn about cooking was self-taught during college. But I know real Chinese food when I taste one. Hmm...dim sum, anyone?

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Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wrap
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 cup water (or more for thinner sauce)
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro 

Filling:
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
6 oz button mushrooms, chopped finely
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
6 thinly sliced green onions (about 2/3 cup), divided
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
1 cup matchstick-cut cucumbers
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
8 Bibb lettuce leaves

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallot, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and next 3 ingredients (through red pepper), and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Add more water as needed.
2. To prepare filling, place crumbled tofu in strainer and press down gently to release excess water. Let tofu drain for 20 minutes.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/3 cup green onions; sauté 1 minute. Add tofu; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and Sriracha; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cucumbers, carrots, and remaining green onions.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup rice into each lettuce leaf. Top with about 1/2 cup tofu mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with sauce.

It's Lunch Time! - Part II

"We Are Marshalls!"


It has been three weeks since I moved to Huntington, time flies! This week I began the dietetic internship rotations at a local diabetes center. I shadow with a dietitian while she does diabetes education and counseling. The first few days have been interesting, especially learning about the patient population and what problems they have in managing their diabetes. It's more than counting carbohydrates and insulin injections, a lot of the counseling have to do with psychological and family issues.

A while ago I talked about my dilemma with what to have for lunch. Now that I am busy with internship stuff and Jake is back to school, we needed some lunch ideas besides sandwiches with deli meat and cheese. Whenever I think about the amount of deli meat (a pound a week!) we went through last year, it kind of scares me. I can't stand to think about all the unnatural ingredients that goes into processed food. I guess that's what happens when you are in the food and nutrition field. I want something quick, no heating involved, and fulfilling.

Sandwiches are still my go-to lunch item, except now I replace meat with avocado, tomato slices, and crumbled feta. Yum yum...

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Last week for lunch I made a batch of tuna salad, and this week I got creative with the CSA vegetables and made couscous salad. As crazy as it sounds (especially being in nutrition and all), I have never had quinoa before. I can't find a bag of quinoa with decent price at the grocery stores and I have not had the time to venture out to health stores.

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I see magazines with pretty pictures of neatly packed and veggie-filled lunch ideas. Realistically, how many people actually have the time and effort to put together lunch like that everyday.

What are some easy lunch ideas you have?



Couscous Salad

1/2 cup chopped cherry tomato
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced sweet green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced sweet red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet red onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup feta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups dried couscous
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook couscous according to package direction
2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together, add into mixture.
3. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cheesecake

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First of all, I miss this place:
(Those who are familiar with Lexington area, guess where this crazy color horse is at)
Last Friday all the dietetic interns took a practice registered dietitian exam to see how much materials we remember. I did study for a few days before the internship started and probably due to getting a master's degree, I managed to get a barely passing score of 64%. Phew....but I still have long ways to go. I start off with community rotations next week and throughout the semester, I will be going to WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), different nursing homes, and other community-based nutrition programs.

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I have made lots of cookies, a few cakes, and many other baking experiment since I began to bake 4-5 years ago. But cheesecake is something I have never attempted to make. I associate cheesecake with dessert that you order at fancy white table cloth restaurants. At least that was how I had cheesecakes growing up (There is no Cheesecake Factory in Hong Kong). Finally the other night my roommate and I made this simple and classic cheesecake with graham cracker crust.

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My roommate and I were amazed how our first made-from-scratch cheesecake turned out. It was perfection. Not a single crack or discoloration.

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I was worried about cracking on top of the cheesecake. After some googling, I learned that cheesecakes require lots of love and attention. To prevent cracking, one can 1) bake cheesecake in water bath, 2) avoid over-baking, 3) after baking loosen up the cheesecake from the springform pan since cheesecake tend to pull towards the middle during cooling. And there are many more reasons.

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Buttermilk Cheesecake
Recipe from Edible Communities

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for crust) + 1 cup sugar (for cheesecake)
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
Zest of 2 lemons, grated
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 10-inch springform pan.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 ounces of melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for approximately 10 minutes until lightly golden. Reserve.
3. Cream the room-temperature butter and cream cheese with the lemon zest and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl occasionally, until well combined. Add the eggs and slowly beat just to combine. Do not over mix.
4. Pour into the reserved crust. Bake for 25 minutes, then turn oven down to 300° and bake for an additional 25 minutes, then turn oven to the lowest setting and bake until done.
5. Serve with strawberry jam or other fruity syrup.

Huntington

 

My first day of dietetic internship at Marshall University has finally arrived. I agonized about this first day, as the realization of the end of summer hits in. I made the final move earlier this week and started orientation today. I was nervous about meeting new people at a new place and uncertain about what will be happening the next ten months. 

My room in the apartment that I share with another intern looks bare, but the kitchen well-stocked (with Fiestaware and a KitchenAid stand-up mixer!) thanks to my foodie roommate. 

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My first taste of Huntington was last night at Black Sheep Burrito & Brew, a place everyone said I need to go. I had grilled fish burrito with pickled red cabbage and mango salsa with sweet potato salad side. Yum yum. I think I am off to a good start.

I brought my loyal canine companion with me to Huntington. This afternoon we explored the dog park and trails at Ritter Park.

f/8, 1/640, ISO 2000

My first day flew by. Although I am bit stressed about starting the internship, I keep reminding myself to have fun and explore the new city, try new food, and meet new people. Experience what the internship rotations have to offer me, challenge myself one day at a time.

f/4.5, 1/640, ISO 360