Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad

Holy hell of a long salad name, amen! I can't imagine saying the name of this Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad three times fast.

Anyone want to try?

Seriously, though, this salad is packed with all the good stuff. Cucumbers are dirt cheap right now, as are tomatoes, which makes this an easy recipe to feed a crowd. The recipe itself makes ten servings, which is perfect for a big BBQ or a summer picnic, but it can easily be halved or portioned to whatever size you want. Plus it is easy to make. SO easy! I basically cut stuff up, threw it in a bowl, poured the basil-lemon mix over it, and then tossed it in the fridge to sit and marinate for about an hour.

It's a strangely complex salad, in the best way? You get some bright acidity from the tomatoes and lemon juice, and then a cooling crunch from the cucumber, which balances it out nicely. The mozzarella adds just a touch of richness, while the garbanzo beans add some much-needed texture. And of course, what is summer without basil and lemon?

Not summer, that's what.

(On a side note: cucumber-lemon water is my drug right now. I am chugging that stuff by the gallon).

I got in the mood to make this because it is finally, finally getting warm here. And it's probably going to rain tomorrow since I just declared it to feel like summer. Colorado is sassy and likes to go against whatever weather anyone predicts. Wasn't there a Garfield comic once where the weather forecaster said that the estimation was between negative 50 and 1000 degrees? Well, that's Colorado. So I'm taking advantage of the nice weather while it lasts, and making a ton of summery food!

Hope it is just as nice where you all are (and if not, I'll send some good weather vibes your way! It's not like Colorado would listen to them anyway)

Basil-Lemon Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Garbanzo Bean Salad
Serves 10

Ingredients:

• 3 large cucumbers, washed and cubed (a bit larger than dicing)
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15 oz) can no salt added garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces part skim mozzarella, diced 
• 1/4cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• zest of two medium lemons
• juice of four medium lemons
• 1/4c. olive oil
• 1/2t crushed black pepper
• 1/4t kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Combine cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and mozzarella in a large bowl. Toss to combine, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Whisk thoroughly for one minute. Pour lemon-basil mixture over the cucumber mixture.
3. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to 24 hours. Serve cold. Best served within four days.   

Nutritional Information:
Sodium: 209mg
Total Fat: 10g
     Saturated Fat: 3g
     Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
     Trans Fat: 0g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 10g
Calories: 197

Update (Where I've Been) and some Pearl Barley Salad

Wow, long time no write!

I am so sorry about the almost month-long hiatus. I could give you a detailed list of exactly why I've been lacking in my normal weekly updates, but none of you really want to hear about that! Instead, I'll give you a fun little story: I've been working on a student-body political campaign for the last two weeks.

And guess what?

WE WON!!

So all of the sweat (literally), tears (literally), and blood (ok, maybe just a little of this one) were completely and totally worth it. But helping to run a campaign, even if I was just volunteer coordinator, really sucked up a ton of my time. My eating bills this month skyrocketed, because I was on a tight schedule that left no room for actually making food. I would get up at 5AM, bustle around getting all the campaign stuff ready, be on campus by 7, have classes and work from 8-4, go to campaign meetings from 4-6, and then head to the nearest coffee shop and do all my actual school work until about 1AM. Rinse and repeat.

Needless to say, I ate a lot of pre-made food. Even in Fort Collins, which is super granola and all about fresh/local, I felt so weighed down after about the first week. There's something about making a huge plate of vegetables at home, the way you like it, that is immensely more satisfying than scarfing down a bagel or even a pre-made salad. It just tastes better and lighter and all-around more fantastic.

Today is the first day I've really been able to sit back and get all of my daily routines and chores back on schedule. I ran a 5k this morning with a close friend called The Flying Pig, which was great, and then I came home and cleaned everything (I just get in these obsessive moods sometimes where I have to clean?? Does anyone else experience this?? The kind of mood where I-have-to-clean-before-I-can-even-think-of-anything-else?).

And then I cooked for the first time in two weeks.

When I was looking in my fridge I was trying to figure out what the heck I could do with all the random (almost dying) vegetables, and so I naturally moved to the pantry. The Pearl Barley was found, and voila. Introducing a chilled pearl barley salad with tons of vegetables.

This is totally customizable, y'all. It's wonderful. You can throw in whatever vegetables you like. Personally, I always have mushrooms, carrots, and spinach on hand, and then I grabbed some frozen peas in to add a tiny bit of a pop and some more beautiful green color. When I tasted it initially, it was lacking some salt and zing, so to make it more interesting I added feta cheese and lemon juice (which, I admit, it my go-to. If something isn't perfect, cheese and lemon juice usually fix it). The pearl barley adds some awesome texture. It's so close to being like rice but with a bit more substance, almost chewy but no exactly?

Words are hard.

But yes, feel free to mix it up in any way you want. I made enough to last me the whole week, which is awesome because HOMEMADE FOOD. I've been missing it. Cooking and I used to be tight, but the past two weeks strained our relationship. So, clearly, I just need to make all the delicious things that way we can be friends again.

That's how it works, right?

Chilled Pearl Barley and Vegetable Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 5 large carrots, sliced into rounds
• 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced in half
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup cooked pearl barley
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1/2c. reduced fat feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Steam the carrots and mushrooms, either by microwaving them with 1 tablespoon of water for approximately five minutes or bringing them to a simmer in a large pot with 1/4cup water and then removing from heat and sitting, covered, for ten minutes. (Or until tender).
2. Meanwhile, combine the peas, barley, and spinach. Add the steamed vegetables, and immediately squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Move to the fridge and allow to chill for at least thirty minutes.
3. Before serving, sprinkle with feta cheese. 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 383mg
Total Fat: 2g
        Saturated: 1g
        Trans: 0g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 10g
Calories: 198

Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

Today is feeling so much like spring, I can't even handle it.

Colorado has the tendency to completely do 180s on the weather, which shouldn't surprise me considering that I've lived here for nearly two years. But every single time we have a week of cold and then a week of warm, I become weirdly infuriated but thankful at the same time? My thing is that I am the poster child of first-world, lazy-person problems and the switching weather means that I have to alternate between spring and winter wardrobes.

I'm the worst.

But I also have a kind of legitimate reason for hating this time of the year, and that's geese. I hate hate hate geese, with a burning passion that can be ignited by the simple sound of one honking outside my window. They are so mean (I have a friend who was attacked by a goose once. No joke) and messy (and therefore smelly), and serve no purpose in my mind but to eat all the pretty green grass outside my apartment. Also someone told me that they have sharp teeth?? Is this true? Are there any geese experts among my readers who can tell me whether or not a goose would draw blood if it bit me? I'm going to stick with caution and believe it until someone tells me otherwise. It fuels my irrational perfectly reasonable and accurate fear and disgust. 

Blah, blah, blah, I know. I'm a ruiner. I should be outside jumping for joy, shrieking "It's warm! It's warm! I can eat bright spring things with lots of green without feeling completely and totally strange!" I haven't been running around, but I have been eating a lot of bright greens and daydreaming about spring foods. For me, spring usually reminds me of fresh fruits and lots of bright green vegetables, because it's so alive and happy. Plus yellow, which obviously means cheddar cheese. It also brings to mind Easter (even though my family isn't technically Christian, whoops!), which reminds me of eggs, which reminds me of quiche. So if I combine all of the above fresh thoughts and greens and yellows, it's pretty easy to come up with something that perfectly captures that mood.

Quiche.

Crustless quiche, to be exact. I've never actually been a fan of traditional pie crust?? I like it more raw (I know, it's gross, but I seriously could eat an entire package of refrigerated pie dough and be super happy. It doesn't happen often), so it seems pointless to me to add it. taking the crust away also hugely cuts down on fat, which therefore means we can add more cheese, which isn't even a question. I also use a mix of whole eggs and egg whites, to get more protein (one serving of this is about 25% of your daily value!) but less cholesterol, while not sacrificing flavor.

Quiche is actually one of the few egg dishes I will contemplate eating sometimes, especially if it is packed with veggies. I'm a sucker for anything broccoli-cheddar, and this recipe is especially suitable for any non-vegetarians or vegetarians who do eat eggs. It's easy to make and has familiar flavors. Warm, gooey cheese and tender broccoli, baked with eggs into a light, fluffy cloud of deliciousness. Half and half adds a splash of richness, complimenting the bold flavors of the sharp cheddar. The cheese melts and bubbles to create a golden crust that adds "wowza" to the dish. Every bite is packed with broccoli and sharp cheddar.

Drool.

Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 4                Serving Size: 1 (12-oz) ramekin

Ingredients:

• 12 oz uncooked broccoli florets
• 2/3c chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4c. skim milk
• 1/4c. fat free half-and-half
• 3/4c shredded (3oz) reduced fat (2% milk) sharp cheddar
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/4tsp pepper
• 1/8tsp paprika
• 4 (12-oz) oven safe ramekins

Instructions:

1. Cook the broccoli (I prefer to steam it). Allow to cool, and then chop into small bite-sized pieces. In a small pan, saute the onions until slightly tender (about four minutes on medium). Remove from heat. Put the broccoli and onion into a medium-large bowl, and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites. Slowly add in the milk and half-and-half, whisking as you do so. Add in the broccoli-onion mixture and the cheese, along with the salt, pepper, and paprika.
4. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle broccoli mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. You can test the doneness by gently poking the top of the quiches; they should not leak any milk when touched.
5. Remove from oven and serve!

Nutritional Information:
Sodium: 360mg
Total Fat: 9g
      Saturated: 4g
      Trans: 0g
Protein: 14g
Sugar: 4g
Calories: 180

Green Chile Cheddar Biscuits

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! I debated not posting today, in honor of his legacy and the lives and dedication of those who took part in the Civil Right's Movement, but I realized that I wanted to write a little dedication in the end. Although this country is far, far away from being equal in many respects, it honors me to be able to learn about those who have stood up against oppression and unfair treatment, even when risking their own lives in the process. Due to sacrifice and hard work from people who were willing to give up every physical and emotional comfort, things are not as bad as they once were. We, as individuals, need to come together and continue the wave of civil rights legislation and mindset that those before us have fought for.

So, Happy MLK day.

We are going to do a complete turn-around now, and switch topics back to the blog. Hang onto this train of thought with me, ok?

Going back to CO was rough.

How can someone easily transfer from 65F weather to just 10F?? If any of you internet friendsies have advice on how you got insane enough to live in a cold state, shoot me a message.

Seriously, though. I've been curled up in a heated blanket with so many layers on, drinking copious amounts of tea, and attempting not to catch the sickness that every single one of my friends seems to have. Soup and sauteed vegetables have been my go-tos this entire week. It's not even snowing, currently, and this weather is apparently "warm." I missed the coldest weeks of negative degree days, thank goodness, when I was in CA. I'm pretty sure all my Coloradan friends think I'm pathetically below average temperature. There are girls walking around in short sleeved shirts, and here I am barely able to leave the heated apartment.

Such first world problems.

But! Do you know what isn't a problem?

Biscuits. So many biscuits, I can't even begin to describe the pure biscuitness (making this a word now) that I am filled with currently. They're helping me keep warm, and require very little effort which translates to more time that I can spend wrapped in my heated blanket. Those beauties above (look at them again. Look at that cheese!) combine whole and all-purpose flours, rich green chiles, and sharp cheddar to basically make heaven on a baking sheet. In all honesty, I ate about three of these before they even cooled down? Burnt tongue= totally worth it.

These aren't your traditional flaky biscuits, because I've never found those kind enjoyable in cold weather. At Thanksgiving or in the summer with a BBQ? Heck yes! But not in January. When it's cold, all I want is something to dip in soup or to slather with some type of spread (read: butter). You just can't dip those other biscuits in soup. You can with these. I really love drop biscuits, because they are a bit more crumbly and (in my opinion) have more flavor than just butter biscuits.

These kind of have a southwest feel, but aren't spicy because of the balance between the cooling yogurt and the mild green chiles. They are also a lot lower in fat (particularly saturated fat), calories, and sugar. They also pack 6g of protein each! I basically took my standard biscuit recipe and added some pops of color and deliciousness, because I knew that I would want to eat a few a snack just on their own. It works perfectly. Flavor isn't sacrificed just because they are healthier, that's for sure.

Check out the recipe below.

Green Chile Cheddar Biscuits

Serves 6                 Serving Size: 1 large biscuit

Ingredients:

• 3/4c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4c. whole-wheat flour
• 1/4c. light margarine 
• 1/2tbl. baking powder
• 1/8tsp. baking soda
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp honey
• 1/2c. nonfat plain yogurt
• 3/4c. (3oz) finely shredded sharp 2% cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons diced green chiles, from the can, drained
• cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the margarine into the mixture a little bit at a time until the mixture is coarse.
3. Add the honey and yogurt into the dry ingredients, mixing until nice and moist. The resulting mixture should be a little bit sticky, but not incredibly so.  Add in 2 tablespoons of the chile, and 1/2c. plus 2 tablespoons sharp cheddar.
4. Coat a medium baking sheet with cooking spray. Divide the mixture into 6, making each 1/6 a biscuit dollop (I divide my mixture in half, and then take that half and split it into 3). Make sure to space them apart, as the biscuits expand a lot during cooking.
5. Gently press down on the biscuits with the back of a spoon so they look prettier in the end with a smoother top.
6. Take remaining 2 tablespoons cheese and divide evenly among biscuit tops.
7. Bake in the oven for 16-19 minutes (or until cheese is melted and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out completely clean).

Nutritional Information
Sodium: 927mg
Total Fat: 6g
       Saturated:  2g
       Trans: 1g
Protein: 6g
Sugar: 1g
Calories: 151