Tag Archives: Spicy

More Kale Chips!

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So I have a pinterest board for Cookies to Kale. My most popular recipe is for my Kale Chips. I’m not surprised. Kale chips are one of my favorite healthy snacks. They are quick, easy, and you can make them in a variety of flavors. Another plus? KALE IS AWESOME.

This green leafy veggie has gained popularity in the more recent years. It used to be that you could only find it in health food stores. Now, kale is sold at just about every grocery store! This stuff is a miracle vegetable.

  • It is jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients
  • It has more vitamin C than an orange
  • it has more calcium than a glass of milk
  • it is high in iron
  • it is an anti-inflammatory
  • If i keep going this is going to be a LONG list…

again…KALE IS AWESOME

How to make it even more awesome? Make it into a Kale chip :)

Here is my most recent favorite Kale chip recipe…

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Spicy Garlic and Parmesan Kale Chips

  • One bunch of kale
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 TBS parmesan cheese

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees (depending on oven) First wash the kale. Next, DRY it COMPLETELY (I used a salad spinner). Tear chip sized pieces of kale off of the stalk. Place the pieces into a large bowl. Take one tsp of olive oil and massage it into kale (make sure that each piece has oil on it.)

Next add all of the spices (mix them through out with your hands!) Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread kale out evenly (they can overlap). Bake for 10-15 minutes. Take out, and move them around with a spatula. Continue baking for about 5-10 more minutes (keep an eye on them).

Let them cool for a few minutes and ENJOY! I like to dip them in a little catsup :)

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I love these because the cheesy garlic flavor really comes through, and you get a nice kick of spice as an after thought. They are incredibly fast to make and are a wonderfully crunchy and HEALTHY!!!!

On another note, tomorrow is our first performance of Big Fish!!!! It is such a special show, and I feel so honored to be a part of it. COME CHECK US OUT!!!

xoxoSYN

Fast and Easy

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People say that they don’t cook because they don’t have time. It is much easier to pick up the phone and order, or to get in the car and drive through. Eating out doesn’t have to equate to unhealthy food. Sometimes, there are considerably healthy options when you are ordering from an establishment. In my opinion, it is absolutely alright to order out once in a while, but it is crucial that we cook our own food the majority of the time.

For one thing, eating out is EXPENSIVE. It is really east to spend $15.00 on a single meal. A home cooked meal will more than likely cost you half that amount.

When we cook our own food, we have complete control. We know exactly how much of each ingredient we are putting in. We can add extra greens, omit excess salt, and make sure that the dish has JUST enough spice :)

If time is of the essence, make sure you are prepared! Here are a few suggestions on how to make home cooking easy and fast :

  1. Frozen vegetables: Open the bag, spray a pan, cook…Voala! Veggies cooked in under 5 minutes
  2. Pre-cook grains: Whenever I cook quinoa or brown rice, I make enough to last me for the week. Put it in a Tupperware and store it in the fridge. It re-heats really quickly, and you don’t have to waste your time making and remaking the same thing.—-(Use About 3 cups of water to 1.5 cups of grain when cooking)
  3. Easy Proteins: When I’m in a rush, my go to proteins are: eggs, black beans, and frozen shrimp. Eggs can be cooked in a mug (spray with cooking spray, pour 1/2 cup egg whites and microwave for 1 and a half minutes). Beans can be thrown on anything, and frozen shrimp cook in about 5 minutes.

Here is my favorite quick meal. It is satisfying, fast, and extremely cost-effective :)

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Vegetable “fried” Quinoa

  • 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (or 3 whole egg whites)
  • 1/2 bag of frozen veggies (I used asian blend)
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 2-3 tbs soy sauce
  • 3 tbs water
  • optional: fresh chopped ginger, sriracha sauce

Spray a pan with Non-stick spray. Cook veggies and garlic with 3 tbs of water (cover for about 3 minutes). While veggies are cooking, spray a coffee mug with non-stick spray, and microwave eggs for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Chop the egg whites into small pieces and add along with  soy sauce and quinoa to pan and stir. (Add optional sriracha).

Transfer to a bowl, stir in sesame oil, use chopsticks (because they are fun) and ENJOY!!!

Food cooked at home always tastes better :)

xoxoSYN

SRIRACHA Chips

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So, one morning,( a couple a months ago) I was watching the Today show. I was enjoying a healthy breakfast, and suddenly they presented the “Lays Your Flavor” contest. To my HORROR, the Lays company was going to be making their already unhealthy chips worse.   The final three flavors  were :

Chicken and waffles

Cheesy Bread

and…

Sriracha….ku-xlarge

Sriracha hmmmm… I LOVE SRIRACHA!!! That flavor actually didn’t horrify me!

I quickly forgot about this little contest, until yesterday.

A friend of mine (who reads this blog, and is a fan of all things chips hehehe) was talking about the Lays SRIRACHA chip. I instantly decided that I was intrigued by the idea, and wanted to make a healthy version of the snack.

image-88Veggie Sriracha Chips

  • Veggie of choice (I used Jerusalem Artichoke, but I think Carrots, Parsnips, butternut squash or sweet potato would work best)
  • 1 tbs sriracha  (more or less depending on how spicy you like!)
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • pinch of salt and garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees (depending on your oven). Slice veggies thin. In a bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, and olive oil through out veggies.photo-29

Bake for about 25 minutes or until brown (keep an eye on them). Remove from oven, add some more sriracha if needed. ENJOY!!!

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Ok, time for bed… rehearsal in the am!!!!

xoxo SYN

New Beginnings

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Tomorrow marks the start of a new beginning for me. Big Fish begins rehearsal for BROADWAY!!! If you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up,  I would have told you very sincerely, that I was going to be on Broadway. These past few years have been more than I ever could have hoped for, and I feel so incredibly lucky.

…SO that was deep.

Something that is LESS deep, but still crucially important is: Mexican Food

(Yea good intro I know)

I love mexican food. Unfortunately, restaurants tend to serve grease dripping, cheese lathered, sour cream drenched food (god that sounds so delicious). Since I can’t have that in my life, I love to make my own mexican food at home! I’ll often times make salads, or veggie tacos (i’ll post some recipes another time). Yesterday, I had some left over zucchini in the fridge (from the farmers market) and decided I would come up with some random skillet dish… what resulted was ridiculously tasty and satisfying!!!

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Mexican Veggie Skillet

  • 1 zucchini chopped
  • 1 Portobello mushroom chopped (I used the big kind, but baby bellas would work too)
  • 1/2 small eggplant chopped
  • onion (as much as you want)
  • 1 fresh tomato chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped (depending on how garlicy you like your food)
  • 1/4 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used non dairy)
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (I love cilantro, but if it’s not your thing, don’t use so much, or any at all)
  • 1/8 cup water
  • Optional: Chilli powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder (I used them all but I didn’t measure)

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Spray skillet with cooking spray. Add water and ALL veggies and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Next, mix in cilantro and salsa. Add your spices, mix well, and cover to cook until veggies are soft (about 10 minutes). Once the veggies are cooked, stir in cheese and quinoa. Gently stir and allow the cheese to melt in with the veggies. Transfer to plate, and add more cilantro on top.

ENJOY!!!

I love love love this dish, and will be making it often.

Well, I hope you have a fantastic Sunday Night… I will be sitting on my couch watching BREAKING BAD with the boy!!!!!!

xoxo SYN

Spice up your life!

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I used to hate spicy foods. To me, they were absolutely inedible. Fast forward about five years and I can’t get enough of spicy food! It’s probably due of the influence of my spice loving native Texan boyfriend. Or maybe it is that whole “your taste buds change every 7 years.” Regardless, I love it.

Spicy foods are not only awesome because they give your food a kick, but they rev up your metabolism. The capsaicin in hot peppers (the source from which hot peppers get their heat) is a natural anti-inflammatory.

I was totally in the mood for spicy yesterday  and wanted to come up with some awesome recipes. A couple of weeks ago, Keith (the boyfriend) and I went to a restaurant called Westville. Westville is a fantastic restaurant with TONS of healthy options (If you are in the Manhattan are, totally check it out.) They offered something called “Kimchi Kale Slaw” which instantly peaked my interest. Unfortunately, it was made with Mayo (a no-no for me). I made a note in my mind “I MUST MAKE THIS MYSELF”.

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Kimchi Kale Slaw

**Kimchi is a Korean spicy pickled cabbage.

about 4 servings

  • 1 cup Kimchi chopped (I got mine from Trader Joes, they sell it at whole foods, wegmans, or any Asian market)
  • about 2-3 cups chopped raw kale (start with less and you can always add if needed)
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 pear chopped (leave skin on)
  • 2 spears chopped celery
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 2 tbs plain greek yogurt (I used So Delicious brand, but any plain yogurt will do!)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

Chop and combine all ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate. serve cold.

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Next I attempted to make a spicy salsa, but then blended it too much. I decided to add some pepper, and cucumber and make some GASPACHO!!

(It may look disgusting, but it tastes amazing!)

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Summer Time Gaspacho

  • 8 roma tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 large onion  (1/2 small)
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1/2 pepper
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1 jalepeno (more if you want more spice :) ))
  • 1/2 cup water (or more depending on how thick you want your soup)
  • salt and pepper to taste

cut vegetables so that you can easily fit them in your blender (I use a vitamix). Put EVERYTHING into the blender and blend until you get a soupy consistency! I really eyeballed all of the ingredients so taste yours and see if you need more of something! (I also added some hot sauce)

Serve COLD

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Again, it’s not the most beautiful soup but it sure tastes amazing.

I hope your weekend is happy and healthy!!!

I just got a new kitchen gadget that I am super excited to share with you guys!!!

Hint: It makes spaghetti :) :) :) :)

xoxo SYN