Racconto Winner and.... my status until May 13th

Hey all, Finals are literally around the corner and I am definitely stressing out. I will not have time to post regularly as evidenced by last week. But, come May 13th, things should go back to normal :)

I finally got around to RANDOM.ORG and used it to pick the winner of the giveaway and the winner is SWEETLIFE! congrats hun. 

Please email me your address and contact info and I will forward it to Judi at Racconto so she can send the gift basket your way.

Healthy eats and Racconto Review

A simple dish of chicken and broccoli served with brown jasmine rice, along with a side of Constitutional Law in the background...

Ingredients

Chicken breast ( boneless skinless, washed and diced)
Fresh broccoli spears
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/8 cup Trader Joes Soyaki
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth


Simply spray a sautee pan with Pam, add some red chili flakes and the washed and diced chicken breast. Let the chicken slightly brown on all sides, then add the chicken broth and soyaki. Cover the pan, bring it to a rapid simmer and let it stay this way for about 10 minutes or until liquid dissipates.  Lastly, toss in the fresh scallions and soy sauce, warm through for one minute. Ready to serve :)

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Sometimes last week I finally got around to trying some of the Racconto products. I chose to make the Organic 8 whole grain pasta with sprouted wheat grass, and serve it with a vegetable Ragu i made from the San Marzano tomatoes, onion, fresh basil and bell peppers.

I have to admit, the tomatoes tasted slightly acidic to me, but I think that is only because I was anticipating a very sweet tomato ( like the kind you get in Maggianos gnocchi entree). Nevertheless, i balanced out the situation with a pinch of sugar, a dash of white wine, and a handful of sweet bell peppers.

Along with the sauteed onions, salt/pepper,  5-6 fresh cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup of sliced basil the sauce came together beautifully.

Best of all, the pasta itself was AMAZING. Personally, I have had my share of whole wheat pastas, and generally they are fine, but you have to admit, regular pasta has something special. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this one surpassed all whole wheat pasta varieties I have tried thus far!  Not only was the texture perfect, but the flavor was unassuming -- it was just right, not too bland and not overpowering. 
I am SUPER excited about trying the rest of the organic whole grain pastas, especially if they are just as impressing as this one.

Speaking of Racconto-- today is the last day for the giveaway. If you havn't entered yet, please do so you can have a chance at winning a basket of these inspiring products.

Racconto Giveaway

This week has been going fabulously with the help of my pre-prepared meals. They have been supplementing as both lunch and dinner... and its kind of like a restaurant, but only with three choices. We each eat whatever we are in the mood for that day and are both happy with the results.

However, tonight, I think I will delve into the box of samples Racconto sent me :

It is an amazing offering of products I am eager to try:
1) Glycemic Health Rotini

2) Organic 8 Whole Grain Rotini with Flax Seed
3) Organic San Marzano Tomatos
4) Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
5) 8 Whole Grain Capellini/Angel Hair
6) Organic 8 Whole Grain Pasta with Sprouted Wheat Grass




In fact, Judi from Racconto has made two generous offers. First, if you ( my wonderful readers) visit the Racconto site and comment on this post letting me know what products you are most interest in, Judi has offered to run a special on the most popular products for a whole month!  Second, and I know you will be excited about this one, Judi has offered to send an Easter/Spring basket to one lucky winner!

To be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is comment on this post letting me know what your favorite products are on their site. I know I couldn't pick just one. This entry will increase the likelihood that your favorite product will be on sale very soon, and of course give you a chance at the gift basket. ( THIS ONE IS THE MANDATORY ENTRY FOR THE OTHER ENTRIES TO BE VIABLE)

The following are other ways you can earn an entry in the giveaway ( make sure to let me know about it):

1) follow my blog 
2) Add me to your blogroll
3) Tweet about the givewaway
4) Mention the giveaway on your blog

Originally, I was planning on hosting this giveaway 2 weeks ago, but as you know, due to a family emergency I have been away for a while. As a result, you will receive the "Easter basket" after Easter. 

This giveaway will run through Wed. April 7th .

Best of Luck! I can't wait to hear which products you find the most interesting :)

Comment and Giveaway winner

Hi all,

Sorry for my absence lately - we are going through a family emergency of sorts and it is taking a physical and emotional toll on us both. Cooking is pretty much an afterthought, or nonexistant as we cope.

However, I did want to announce the winner of the AMAZING GRASS GIVEAWAY - Ashlei. ( if you don't receive my email to you, please email me your contact/address so I can ship it out ASAP)

I used random.org and generated the number "4" . Congrats!

Anyhow, posting may be slow for a while. Please keep us in your prayers. 

AMAZING GRASS and Giveaway

I came home last night to find a UPS box sitting on the front porch.... and look what was inside! Samples from AMAZING GRASS for me to review :)  I was super excited to give these a try, and I will be posting reviews  throughout the next couple of weeks as I try the different products.

In my haste to make it to school on time, I packed a quick salad of mixed baby greens, cucumbers, carrots and avocado -- and grabbed the AMAZING GRASS "GREEN SuperFood Berry Whole Food Energy Bar" to have for breakfast.

  I have to admitt, the first bite took me by surprise. I had no idea what it was going to taste like, and honestly, I have never had such a power packed bar before. The ingredient list is amazing - inspiring in fact :

Organic Dates, Organic Cranberries, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Organic Goji Berries, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Organic Cashews, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Cashew Butter, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Almonds, Organic Cranberry and Raspberry Flavor, Organic Vanilla Extract.
Allergy Information: Contains Almonds and Cashews 

At first, the bar reminded me of Chinese herbal teas -- i soon realized it was simply the taste of pure unadulterated goodness  (ingredients not really prevalent in most other bars).  I gave a piece to my friend Esther to try, and she enjoyed it as well, commenting that it tasted " fruity" and had a slight "alcohal flavor- like rum". I'm guessing this may be from the extracts, or the concentrated flavors of so many ingredients.

I started out nibbling at the bar slowly, curious at the flavors, trying to fully absorb the palate. I loved it! It definitely doesn't taste like any other bar I have had.... BUT I truly  feel more awake  and energetic now -- like I actually fed my body a breakfast it can use wisely.  I can not wait to try the rest of the stash.

I know you too must be curious and excited about this product, so thanks to the generosity of the great people at AMAZING GRASS I will be hosting a giveaway of the below pictured items:

There are several ways to qualify to enter the giveaway (open to US readers only), though each entry must be made through a separate comment for numbering purposes as the winner will be chosen by a random number generator:

1.   MANDATORY ( in order to benefit from the remaining possible entries, this entry must be done first):  Visit the AMAZING GRASS website and let me know one new fact you learned about the company/website, or if you have already tried their products, which one is your favorite and why.

2.    Follow my blog ( let me know )
3.   Add me to your blog list ( let me know)
4.   Blog about my giveaway on your site and link back (let me know)

EDIT: I have extended the giveaway deadline till March 9th -- in hopes of having a few more participants. I promise though winners will be announced and I may add a few more goodies to the stash! Love- 

Bertolli to the Rescue!

Well, the Bertolli came in handy sooner than expected! I decided to stay at school and study in the library for a few extra hours with Esther. By the time I got home, I was definitely ready to eat and I did not want to spend too much time prepping. 

So, I set to work  making half and half pasta -- half whole wheat, half regular. I started the whole wheat first since that takes much longer than the cappellini I decided to use. While the pasta was boiling away, I cooked some fresh broccoli and sliced crimini mushrooms along with 1/4 tsp of garlic salt and 2 tbsp of chicken broth. I only cooked it just long enough to be warmed through, ensuring the broccoli kept its lush green color.

Once the pasta was cooked, I simply tossed 1 cup of pasta with 1/2 cup of BERTOLLI Arrabbiata, and folded in the veggies. I topped mine with freshly shaved Parmesan but truly, the sauce had enough flavor as it was and the cheese almost ruined it. Next time, I'm going to keep it simple and enjoy the flavors of the sauce itself -- reminiscent of childhood homemade pasta sauce.

SIDENOTE:

I received another box from UPS today, I have a hunch it is my samples from AMAZING GRASS to review. I am super excited to see how the nutrient packed drink influences my energy level and overall mood. 

Giveaway announced tomorrow :)

Let there be light

WOW. what a difference natural light makes when taking pictures. Let's just say I got picture/camera happy when taking pictures of my breakfast.

Yes, I think im going to post a more than one of my favorites here.... sorry!

Initially I was going to make eggs with some sort of bread or potato. The concept then metamorphed into  " Hey, why don't i make a  breakfast quesadilla except add eggs or eggs whites in the filling -- afterall I have almost an entire bag of flour tortillas sitting in the fridge"

That thought lasted just long enough for me to garner a glance at the nutritional facts on the back of the bag.

One measly medium sized tortilla was 150 calories. Yes 150 calories on its own isnt much, but combined with all the ingredients it would be a "splurge" of a breakfast to say the least.

"Well", I thought, " omlettes sorta of look like quesadillas." In fact, If I only used egg whites ( three to be exact) I could get the perfect size for the maximum nutritional value, and minimal caloric expenditure.

So, that it exactly what I did!

Remember the Bruschetta I made a little over a week ago? Well, we liked it so much, I made it again this weekend. As per usual, we had leftover topping and it is just too good to go to waste --  I decided to use it as my filling .

Topped with about 3 tablespoons of quattro formaggio, it made for the perfect healthy alternative to my original breakfast musings.

Some time later in the day, I had a cup of coffee to get my study mojo going, followed by a glass of soymilk -- i think i'm addicted.

Lunch was late in the afternoon. A nice salad of mixed organic baby green, green onions, crimini mushrooms, grape tomatoes, persian cucumber and 1/4 of an avocado. Trust me, if I could, I would add the entire avocado to the salad but you have to be careful with those -- one fruit has nearly 300 calories and 30 grams of fat. Yes it also has an amazing list of benefits, but everything in moderation is the best route, no?

There are only two circumstances which make me cringe at the thought of a salad:
1) A really bad cold/flu
2) Freezing cold weather

Thankfully, neither of those circumstances happen all that often :)

Since I had a cold last week and this weekend, it was fiance's turn this week. So, in an effort to help him recoup faster, I decided to make a cold-fighting soup packed with vibrant ingredients. Here is a glance inside the pot as I layered the ingredients: a bunch of dill, a bunch of parsley, a bunch of basil, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 lemon ( halved), 1/2 cup baby carrots, 2 small onions ( quartered), a chunk of anaheim pepper, and a chunk of jalapeno.

Here is a picture after I add the water and two chicken breast halves. (Vegetarians beware)

I think i like the first picture a bit more....

Anyhow, once all the ingredients have been placed in the pot, a dash of salt here and twist of fresh cracked pepper there, you are good to go.  Simply cover the items with water and boil for a good 80 minutes. 

However, at about the 40 minute mark, I opted to remove the lemons. I figured they had imparted their vitamins already and was worried the lemon flavor would over power the soup.

Technically, once the chicken starts to fall off the bone, you are ready for the next step -- this may happen before 80 minutes, so feel free to check. Once the chicken is about ready, remove all the greens, garlic etc.  The next step is to remove the chicken off the bone, and pull it into chunks or bite size pieces. Return the chicken to the pot and let it continue to boil so the soup continues to evaporate, deepening the flavor.

At this point I added the following spices: 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp turmeric, and about 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 2 garlic cloves, diced. Remember to salt and pepper to your preference.  Simmer for about 5 minutes. Then toward the very end add about 1 cup of grape tomatoes. Top with torn basil and enjoy.

Almost forgot, I had some leftover cooked basmati rice which I add to the soup at the last minute -- apparantly this made his day. If you decide to use diced potatos or pasta instead, make sure you give it enough simmer time to cook through.

Finally, the rest of the meal. I served the chicken I used to make the soup alongside some freshly sauteed spinach with garlic ( encore appearance) and some barley I made with sauteed onions and mushrooms.

The barely may not look too appetizing, but I promise it tasted great. I simply sauteed one small onion,10 sliced crimini mushrooms, and 1 garlic clove in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. When the onions became translucent I added another 1/2 tbsp of butter and 1 cup of barely.

Let the barley sautee for about a minute or so, then add 2 1/2 cups of broth . Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 40 minutes or until barley is cooked/ moisture is absorbed.







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UPDATES:

As part of the foodbuzz featured publisher program I received two jars of Bertolli's new pasta sauces today. I'm sure both sauces will be appearing as dinner soon -- especially on one of those nights where i don't have much time to put together a more complicated meal. ( Yes, I know as a law student, this should describe every night but I LOVE cooking and baking -- so i make time)

Also, I have three giveaway's planned for the coming weeks so stay tuned -- you may end up being a winner!