Veggie Paella

Paella in the making!

Quick, easy and delicious! Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form on the east coast of Spain.
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces seitan strips (vegetarian "white meat")*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups butternut squash cubes (frozen)
1 cup yellow squash (1 medium)
1 cup zucchini (1 medium)
1 cup carrots, chopped (2-3 carrots)
1 cup asparagus, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 can diced tomatoes (14-ounce)
2 cups green beans (frozen)
1/8 teaspoon all-spice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

*Or substitute 8-ounces of chicken sausage!

Directions:
1. In a large pot or skillet heat oil and add seitan, garlic and garlic powder.
2. Add butternut squash, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, all-spice and paprika. Simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add rice and vegetable broth and cook for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Season to taste and serve!

Food Highlights from Shanghai

Eariler this month I was in Shanghai and Beijing, China for work and a to present at a global conference on metabolism. During my stay, checking out the local food scene was part of my focus. The food was delicious!

An interesting Chinese staple that I learned about quickly is congee (picured right), which is basically a simmered rice dish. It's traditionally eaten at breakfast and from what I can tell as far as toppings, anything goes: fresh cilantro, peanuts, chili paste, pickles, fish, vegetables or just plain. Personally I enjoyed it just plain, although I do want to try it with diced pickles because a local woman I met said that is the best way to have congee.

Here's a Congree recipe to try:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup long grain rice
9 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Direcitons:
1. In a large pot, bring the water and rice to a boil.
2. When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low. Place the lid on the pot, tilting it to allow steam to escape (the same as you would do when making cooked rice).
3. Cook on medium low to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has the thick, creamy texture of porridge (1 - 1 1/4 hours). Add the salt, taste and add seasonings if desired. Serve with garnishes such as crushed peanuts if desired.

Visiting a famous Shanghai Restaurant, Lvbolang

Lvbolang Restaurant

I had the chance to eat dinner at Lvbolang restaurant a famous Shanghai restaurant. This restaurant has hosted world leaders including: President Bill Clinton and President Fidel Castro.

The menu was most impressive and had a large variety of options from braised eel to purse pasteries (pictured right).

My meal was tofu with black beans and steamed rice with the purse pasteries! The pasteries were almost too cute to eat. Everything tasted wonderful. While I can usually eat well with chopsticks it was a little challenging tying to eat the tofu dish! I have to say we would probably eat less at a meal if we ate them all with chopsticks, it certainly slows down the speed of eating!

Stay tuned for more highlights!

The SIGG Water Bottle Controversy

I am a huge proponent of taking a water bottle with you on road trips, around town, shopping, etc... it's a perfect way to stay well hydrated. If you're tired of plain old water, add a splash of lemon juice for a flavor boost.

Now, typically I would suggest to purchase a eco-friendly bottle like a SIGG Water Bottle. Come to find out, if you bought a SIGG prior to August 2008, the bottles liner contained a liner, which had BPA! EUGH! Good news, if yours was purchase after August 2008, the company claims that they are BPA-free. Lucky for me I purchased mine after August 2008 but if you didn't... upgrade to a newer BPA-free version! OR Swap to a Nalgene which are now BPA-free.

For more information on the SIGG Water Bottle Controvesry: http://www.shape.com/health/your_health/preventive_strategies/the_sigg_water_bottle_controversy

tasty meatloaf recipe

Tonight my husband and I made our favorite meatloaf recipe. Try it!

Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion, 1 egg beaten, 1/4 cup beer, 3 tablespoons ground flax seed, 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (panko preferably)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients together. Press into a 9 X 9" baking dish and bake in a pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until it is thoroughly cooked.

Serve with a drizzle of barbecue sauce!

To complete the meal serve with corn on the cob, beets, and green beans!