Chef Belle

Veggies Galore

2012-02-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ways to add extra servings of veggies into my diet. I love salads, and try to eat one salad a day, chock full of fresh veggies.

Here's my recent favorite combo: (I measure my salad ingredients by hand, so the measurements are not very precise)

2 big handfuls of lettuce, I use a mix of romaine, field greens, and spinach
1 carrot, shredded
1 small handful shredded red cabbage
Half of a small red bell pepper, diced
Handful sliced mushrooms
1/4 avocado, diced
1 small tomato, diced or a handful of grape tomatoes
2-3 strawberries, sliced
1/4 cucumber sliced
Balsamic vinaigrette

I drink a smoothie for breakfast or an after workout snack at least twice a week. I have recently discovered that adding fresh spinach to my smoothie adds an incredible nutrient boost.

Spinach is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Manganese, Folate, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium, Potassium, Tryptophan, Vitamin E, Dietary Fiber, Copper, Vitamin B1, Protein, Phosporus, Zinc, Choline, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin B3, and Selenium. Wow! That's a mouthful!

It may sound kinda gross if you haven't tried it, but you really can't taste the spinach when you mix it with berries, banana, and whatever else you like in your smoothie. Here's what I like to put in my smoothie:

1 cup milk, either fat free milk or light soy milk (depends on my mood whether I buy soy or dairy milk)
1 scoop whey protein, vanilla flavor
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen fruit (berries, peaches, mango, or whatever I'm in the mood for)
1-2 Tbl ground flax seed
1-2 cups fresh spinach (really I just grab a really big handful!)

Baked Strawberry Banana Oatmeal

2012-01-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

This Made my whole house smell like heaven! Yummmm!!!

Baked Strawberry Banana Oatmeal

1 1/2 very ripe bananas, cut into 1/2" slices
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 8"x8" baking dish with baking spray.

Spread banana slices in single layer in dish. Top with frozen strawberries. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and drizzle 1 Tbl honey over fruit. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix oats, remaining cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a second bowl, mix milk, remaining honey, vanilla, and egg.

Remove fruit from oven. Top with oat mixture. Pour milk mixture evenly over fruit and oats.

Bake 30 minutes, or until top is golden.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 161
Fat 2 g
Carbs 34 g
Fiber 3 g
Sugar 19 g
rotein 4.5 g

Baked Avocado Fries

2012-01-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

Warning: Extreme Yumminess!!

I just made these for my employees, and they were gone in less than five minutes.

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe avocados
Flour, for dredging
3-5 eggs
Bread crumbs (I make my own with sliced whole wheat bread. Just toss it in the food processor.)
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Set up your breading in three bowls. One with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with bread crumbs.
Peel and slice the avocados into 1/2-inch strips.
Coat them in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.
Lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some salt on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Serve warm with whatever dipping sauce you like. We all agreed ranch is where it's at.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

2012-01-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it sounded so delicious. We were really slow at work the other night, so I decided to make it. Well, wouldn't you know it, I didn't have a loaf pan, or a muffin tin. So, I used 8 oz porcelain soup cups to bake cupcake sized tea cakes.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Cakes

For the cakes:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin (or soup cups :P) with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing cakes to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops of the cakes. Brush the tops with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each cake. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yumminess!

2012-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

I got bored the other day and really wanted a soft pretzel. I've been on this serious nutrition and exercise plan since August, and have been looking for healthy alternatives for my favorite foods. So, I made Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/4	ounce active dry yeast (1 packet)
1	tablespoon honey
3 1/2	cups whole-wheat flour
1/2	cup all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon sea salt
	Cooking Spray

Directions

Combine 1½ cups lukewarm water (110 to 115 degrees), yeast and honey in a large bowl; stir to combine. Add the wheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Mix in stand mixer until dough is mostly together.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 12 to 15 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup all-purpose flour if needed, until the dough is soft and smooth but not sticky.
Spray the inside of a bowl with cooking spray. Shape the dough into a ball, seam side down, and transfer to the bowl. Spray top of dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm spot for up to 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 pieces. With your hands, roll one piece into a snake with thinly tapered ends, about 16 inches long. (Cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap while working.) Transfer to prepared baking sheet, looping one end, then the other, over the midpoint of the roll, making a pretzel shape. Repeat with remaining dough. Let the pretzels rest 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing two racks in and above the center of the oven. Meanwhile, bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot. When the pretzels are ready, stir about a tablespoon of baking soda into the boiling water. Gently lift 2 or 3 pretzels, depending on the surface area of your pot, and slide them into the bath, knot side down. Poach for 30 seconds, turn them over and poach 30 seconds more. Using a long-handled mesh strainer, transfer the pretzels to a kitchen-towel-lined sheet tray to drain, then return them to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle freely with course sea salt. (I skipped this step since I don't like my pretzels so salty.) Repeat with remaining pretzels.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, until dark brown. Transfer to a cooling rack until just cool enough to eat. Serve with mustard.

Moody Blues

2011-04-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

I am going to see the Moody Blues again tonight. I called the last concert the best birthday present ever. I think tonight will top that. Thanks to my family, my dad and I got second row seats right in the middle. I am sooooo excited. More about it tomorrow!

Balcony Gardening

2011-04-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start a garden on my apartment balcony. I have no idea how to do this, so any pearls of wisdom are greatly appreciated. I have found a few cool blogs from other people that might give some good info. I'll keep you posted on how this is going. (I'm actually probably going to wait until next month to begin this as I am about to move, and see it completely pointless to start my garden now and then move it in a month.)

I'm Back!

2011-04-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been 2 1/2 years since my last post. Jeez! That's a long time! I'm really going to make an effort to keep up with it from now on. Life just gets in the way sometimes, ya know?

I'm a Bad Blogger

2008-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, I have not blogged in a long time. SO Sorry. Life's been busy. I started a new job this week, and am having a blast. However, I am Utterly Exhausted. My sleep schedule is just a little whacked right now. I've been switching back and forth from breakfast to late night to dinner to lunch shifts. I haven't been able to acclimate myself to a new schedule because it keeps changing. But, the next two weeks should be easier to handle...I have all morning shifts. I am very relieved about this.

Last weekend was ACL (Austin City Limits Festival) and I had a blast! My BF and I went with my good friend Malla and experienced ACL her way, which I must tell you is the way to do ACL. My favorite shows were Gogol Bordello, David Byrne, Manu Chao, and of course the Foo Fighters. (I just love Dave Grohl. He is so delicious!) I was really disappointed by Gnarls Barkley. That was one of the shows I was eagerly anticipating, and it really left me with a blue ball sensation. (I'm only guessing on that, really, as I lack the proper equipment to really know how that feels.) They had been on tour for four straight months, and their ACL gig was the last show on the tour. Cee-Lo basically had lost his voice and could barely even sing, let alone hit the high notes on Crazy. And aside from that, they really lacked any energy at all. But, it was still a fun show.

Strange Name Coincidence

2008-08-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have a very unique name. Anja Louise. In fact I have never met anyone with my same name. I know there are people out there with this name, but most of them pronounce it differently, and at any rate, I haven't met any of them. So, my best friend Amber forwarded me this excerpt:

From PerezHilton.com...

And there's another beautiful baby born.

This weekend, Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio gave birth to a baby girl in Brazil.

Alessandra and her businessman boyfriend have been dating since 2005.

This is their first child together.

In a statement, Ambrosio says, "To all of our family and friends, we are pleased to announce that our little princess Anja Louise Ambrosio Mazur was born on Sunday Aug 24 at 7:32 p.m. She is 6.3 lbs. and absolutely perfect."

So I thought that was a pretty cool coincidence that they picked my first and middle name for their child. Well, I was speaking with my dad today about the fact that he is going to be a Grandpa in April (see post below) and we were talking about what names my sister and brother-in-law have chosen for the baby. If it is a boy they like James Weil (James after my bro-in-law's middle name, and Weil after my Grandpa's middle name). I like that name. If it's a girl, though, they had already decided on Alessandra Elise. Before Alessandra Ambrosio had her baby, Anja Louise.

Isn't that an interesting connection? I thought so.

Auntie Belle

2008-08-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

So I just found out that my big sister is pregnant!!! I am so excited!!! I am going to be an aunt!!!

Swimming

2008-08-22T13:04:00.001-07:00

So, I have taken up swimming laps at Deep Eddy Pool to try and work my way back into shape…it’s slow going. I have no (and I mean NO!) endurance. I have been using http://www.swimplan.com/ as a way to create beginners workouts so that I can maximize my time in the pool. Unfortunately, the easiest workouts they will give me are still pretty tough. But considering I haven’t swum laps in like 10 years or so, I think I am doing pretty well. I have been trying to go every other day and swim around 800 meters a day. Which takes me between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on what strokes I am doing…Freestyle is obviously faster the Breaststroke…well, obvious for anyone who swims I guess. The good thing is that at Deep Eddy, they have around 8 lanes set up all day long in a separate pool from the free swim area so you don’t get bothered by kids splashing around. The bad thing is, it’s a really popular place to swim laps, and the lanes are usually full when I go after work so I sometimes have to share a lane. I suppose that’s not too bad, but when you’re just getting back into it and not as well conditioned as some of the other swimmers, it can be intimidating. Most of the folks I have met there are really nice though.

Dark Knight...what a night!

2008-07-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

So, as everyone knows, the newest Batman movie Dark Knight just premiered at midnight Friday morning. The museum where I work holds the only IMAX theatre in Austin, and we hosted the premiere starting at 10pm Thursday night. So, while everyone was waiting in line to go into the theatre, my boss and I set up a concessions table out in the Rotunda and sold treats. I personally made around 300 "Bat Signal Cupcakes," dozens of "Batarang Cookies" and "Kapow! Cookies," and lots of "Batwing Truffles." I, of course, didn't have a camera on me, and wasn't able to take any pictures of these delectable goodies. Luckily for me, Fox News here in town thought my handiwork was cool enough to put on their Good Day Austin news cast on Friday morning. There is a nice story about the museum, very informative, and then right at the very end, you get to see my handiwork for about 3 seconds. I will post the link, and I expect everyone to check it out!!! This is the first time anything I have crafted made it on to the news, so I am really excited!!!

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=7011289&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

Sugar Cookie Madness!!!

2008-07-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 is National Sugar Cookie Day!!!

So, naturally, we had to celebrate at the Cafe where I work. I took on this project all by myself, and ended up making something like 24 dozen sugar cookies. It was a bit over the top, but I had a little fun doing it. I took a hint from my sister, and shot some pics along the way. I will not, however, go into step-by-step detail on how I did every little thing. Enjoy!

Saffron Rice Pudding (aka Sholeh Zard)

2008-04-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

I belong to a book club, and we had our monthly meeting this evening. We each bring a food or beverage of our choice and enjoy the goodies while we discuss the book...among other topics. We've been on this kick of reading books that take place in the Middle East (ie Afganistan, Turkey, Iran, India) and some of us like to bring food or beverages that go along with the theme or location of the book. This month's book was Persepolis, which if you haven't read it, I stongly recommend that you do. Anyway, this is an autobiographical graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran in the 1970s and 80s. So I wanted to make some Persian dish. Never having made Persian food before, and only having eaten it once in my life, I didn't know where to start. So I turned to my trusty friend Google for the answer. It came in the form of Saffron Rice Pudding. I whipped this up today, and I have to say, it was a fairly exciting and enlightening experience. I took one look at the recipe and thought, "There is no way this is going to turn out right." It was a recipe for 8 servings of rice pudding, but it only called for 1 cup of rice. Hmm...something doesn't quite add up for me. I've never made rice pudding before (I know it's shocking, right?) so I wasn't quite sure of the mechanics. I know that rice usually doubles in volume when cooked, and I have eaten rice pudding before so I know that you over-saturate the rice with water and it grows a bit more than twice in volume, but that was the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Let me tell you, I was flabbergasted when, after all was said and done, I ended up with an enormous bowl of this pudding. It has to be nearly a gallon. Which makes sense when I think of how much water goes into it. But I just didn't realize it was physically possible to get 16 times the amount you put it! So I've got 16 cups of rice pudding now (apparently a serving size is 2 cups! RIGHT!) Don't get me wrong, this pudding is really yummy. But since only 4 girls showed up for book club this month, (really poor showing, by the way to any clubbers out there) I am swimming in rice pudding. We hardly made a dent in the giant bowl of ooey gooey goodness. What do you expect when there was also a delightful array of cucumber-yogurt dip, delicious stinky cheeses and other yummy goodies?! So, anyone want to try some Saffron Rice Pudding? I'd gladly send some your way for just $17.95 Shipping and Handling. (Hey, someone's gotta pay for all that Saffron!)

The Best Birthday Present Ever

2008-03-23T13:17:00.001-07:00

So, for my birthday this year, (which isn't for another month btw) my daddy gave me the best present ever. He took me to see the Moody Blues at the Austin Music Hall. They have been his favorite band for over 4 decades, so naturally I grew up hearing them. In all honesty, the Moody Blues is the first band I remember hearing in my childhood. I grew up loving their music. Some of my friends may make fun of me for loving a band comprised of men older than my father, but I can't help it. They Rock!

So, Dad and I went to see them on Friday, and I can still hardly contain myself. I had SOOO much fun. The crowd was a very interesting mix of hippies with long hair and tie-dyed shirts, former hippies trying to remember all their old glory, folks who never were hippies and truly regret it now, senior citizens, twenty-somethings, and small children. All with one very important thing in common: Love of the Moody Blues!

The anticipation hung in the air like 40 years of pot smoke. Growing thicker with every breath we took. And then the lights go down, and a disembodied voice says, "Ladies and Gentlemen...The Moody Blues!" They run out on stage (except Graeme, who suffered a knee injury and had to be assisted onto the drummers' platform) and they crowd went absolutely nuts. Honest to God, I had tears in my eyes as the struck up "Lovely to See You Again." I've never experienced that before. You always see girls in the crowd at their favorite rock bands' concerts (picture the Beatles or Led Zeppelin) teary eyed and star struck. That's never been me. Mind you, if I saw either the Beatles, or Led Zeppelin, I would be a friggin mess! But I finally understand what it feels like to be so happy to finally see a band that has meant to much to my life, live and in person. To feel the notes flowing into my soul. To feel my heart beat in time with the music. It was overwhelming.

I cannot put into words how wonderful the evening was, but I will never forget it. And I could not have asked for a more apt companion than my daddy. It means so much to me that we were able to share such a beautiful experience together. Thanks Dad!

Introducing... Me!

2008-03-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. My first attempt at a blog. I don't really think myself interesting enough to write a blog that anyone will actually enjoy reading, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway.

So let me introduce myself. I am a 24-year-old Chef from Austin, TX. I love to cook. Though if you only know me outside of work, you wouldn't know it from first-hand experience. I hardly ever cook at home. I am in the kitchen all day at work. I cook a lot. When I get home, I'm not so much feeling like spending my time in the kitchen. But on occasion I will whip up a great meal for everyone. Which makes me feel good becuase I know they like what I make because they come back every time I say "Hey I'm cooking tonight!"

I also love being outdoors. Camping, hiking, tubing the river, BBQing, hanging at the pool. You name it.

I would love to own my own restaurant someday. I would love to own my own restauarant today. I would if I had the money. Which, of course, I probably never will since I don't know how to save money. I try. I really do, but it just disappears. What can I say?

I've had this realization lately that I want to own a vinyard. I would hire someone to come make the wine, since I don't know how to make them. I sure know how to drink 'em though! But I would open a restaurant on the vinyard. It would be perfect. But, alas, that would take even more money that I don't have. Boo.