Tasty Bite – a revolutionary packaged food

Jun4

When I was offered to review the Asian noodle dishes by Tasty Bite, my first thought was, “Yuck! A sodium and chemical heavy, overly processed product that barely resembles food? No, thank you.” But before writing it off completely, I decided to browse their website, which pleasantly surprised me and changed my mind. I learned that Tasty Bite has been around since 1995, and their current inventory includes dozens of Indian and pan-Asian products. While their products require no cooking or refrigeration, they are preservative and MSG-free, not to mention vegan and kosher. The secret is in the package: the food is first prepared and placed into retort pouches (the material used for space food); it is then sealed and cooked under high pressure, which sterilizes it and keeps it fresh for 18 months. To reheat a meal, you simply place it in the microwave or a pot of boiling water for one minute. That’s it!

When my package of samples arrived, the first thing I did was read the ingredient list and I was happy to learn that there was indeed nothing but noodles, vegetables and spices in the meals. Taste-wise, the noodles did not disappoint either. The noodles are savory and satisfying and do not lend themselves to any of that guilt that comes along with eating take-out or a frozen dinner.

Although nothing can replace a homemade meal, the Tasty Bite products are perfect for when you need to work through lunch or when you simply don’t feel like cooking dinner. They’re also easy on the wallet, coming in at less than $4 per meal.

Check out their website for more information and to locate a retailer near you.

Introducing the Sandwich of the Month series with a classic – pulled pork!

May31

Lately, I’ve been trying to think of ways to enhance my blog content. I want to challenge myself – to broaden my cooking horizons, if you will – and I want you, my readers, to have something to look forward to. (Way back when, I had a short stint with soups but quickly grew sick of making them, especially since I insisted on posting one recipe each week). The answer came to me in a rather organic way and it excited me much more than soup. I love sandwiches and chances are you love sandwiches, so why not write about some fricken’ sandwiches?!

Pulled pork has been on my “recipes to try” list for several years now. Seriously. I put it there because it is one of my very favorite foods ever, but it has remained there so long for two reasons. The first being that every recipe I seemed to come across called for a slow cooker, which I don’t have. The second being pure fear. Because I love it so, I was afraid to mess it up and be forever disappointed in myself (I do not take failure lightly). But alas, a ray of hope appeared, by the name of Melissa Clark, no less. A few weeks ago, a recipe and video for pulled pork was featured on the New York Times’ Diner’s Journal blog. Clark made it look for easy and delicious, and I just knew my time had come. And the best part – no slow cooker needed!

Inspired by this Melissa Clark recipe from The New York Times

(Yield: 6 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

2 lb pork butt

Store-bought barbecue sauce

6 hamburger buns or potato rolls

Dry rub:

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Procedure: Rinse pork, pat dry with paper towels and place into a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients. Massage the meat generously with dry rub and let stand at room temperature for one hour.

Heat oven to 300F and roast pork for 3 hours. Remove from oven. When the meat is cool enough to handle yet still warm, shred it using two forks or your fingertips.

Toss the pulled pork with about 1/2 cup (or more if desired) of your favorite barbecue sauce.

Divide the meat evenly amongst the rolls and serve immediately.

Now tell me, what is your favorite sandwich?

8 tips for eating healthy without driving yourself crazy

May28

For a short time in the beginning of high school, when I started to care what I looked like, I had a love-hate relationship with food. I loved food but hated calories. I wasn’t technically overweight but I wanted to be skinny.

I never reached the point of an eating disorder, but do remember feeling guilty after most meals, even if they weren’t particularly indulgent. I pored over photos of Victoria’s Secret models, hoping that if I could just ingrain their forms into my brain, I too, would be a size 0; I attempted skipping meals and opted for coffee, water or gum instead; I worked out obsessively and even had a phase where I would write down everything I ate each day, thinking it would curb my appetite. The craziness took some time to get over but eventually I realized that what I was doing wasn’t healthy and that I wasn’t any happier doing it. I realized that there was nothing shameful or wrong about eating and learned to control myself and to love food.

Here are some rules I’ve been adhering to since that phase ended:

1.) Don’t drink your calories: Soda, processed juices and other sugary drinks are enemy #1. Processed sugar, especially in liquid form, has zero nutritional value and only means one thing – weight gain. Yes, if you’re a daily soda drinker, it may be hard to quit cold turkey but try to slowly wean yourself off of it. Drink water or unsweetened green tea instead. Adding more water into your diet will speed up your metabolism and cleanse your blood as well as your skin. (And don’t try to take the diet soda route, either! The sugar substitute used to sweeten diet soda causes cancer in rats. Think about it.)

2.) Fruits and vegetables: Eat them. A healthy diet consists of 50-60% fruits and vegetables since they provide most essential vitamins and minerals. And if you choose to cook your vegetables, do so minimally. If a vegetable doesn’t retain it’s natural crunch after cooking, you can be sure you’ve gotten rid of all the good stuff in them. Recommended cooking methods include: blanching, steaming, sauteing and roasting. Also, always have a package of cleaned greens on hand. Green foods are super healthy so try to sneak some kale/spinach/arugula into every sandwich, soup, pasta dish and, of course, salad.

3.) Keep healthy options at eye-level: Re-organize your fridge and cabinets so that when you open them, the first foods you see are not guilt-inducing – and by these I mean fruits and vegetables, lean proteins like hummus, Greek yogurt and organic peanut butter, whole wheat crackers and granola bars, etc. If you see them first, you are more likely to eat them.

4.) Don’t buy junk food: This may seem kind of obvious and redundant but it is not. When shopping for groceries, just skip the cookie, chips, cake and soda aisles. If there is no junk food around, you won’t eat it. It’s that simple.

5.) Come to work prepared: And I don’t mean with a PowerPoint presentation. Most people spend most of their waking hours at work, which means that most of their meals are had at work, too. To avoid trips to the vending machine or pizza parlor, keep a few healthy options at work at all times.

6.) Limit your meat intake: Carnivores are used to thinking that each meal needs to revolve around an animal protein, but it is just not so. Eating meat a few times a week or once a day will provide sufficient nutrition. It’s an arduous task for the human body to digest meat (ever wonder why you get sleepy after a meat-heavy meal?) so it’s best to skip it most of the time. As for all those other meals, substitute with non-animal proteins, like beans, chick peas and lentils.

7.) Moderate, not eliminate: I would never tell you to cut doughnuts, burgers, creamy pastas or other soul foods out of your diet. However, these delicious foods ought to reserved for special occasions and enjoyed in moderation. If a colleague brings in doughnuts from your favorite shop, have one – not three. If you plan to go out for pizza with friends on Sunday night, eat light throughout the day in preparation. You get the point…

8.) Don’t eat in front of the TV: Studies show that hunger, appetite and consciousness are closely intertwined. If you’re eating with your mouth and concentrating on the TV with your mind, that fact that you’ve just eaten will not register in your head so you’ll still feel hungry after a meal. Don’t check your smartphone or computer either, and I guarantee you will eat less.

What tips would you include on this list?

Pan-fried pork dumplings (Potstickers)

May21

I find any food that’s comprised of dough stuffed with meat – be it a pork bun, wonton or Russian pirozhok (chewy yeast dough stuffed with minced meat and deep-fried) – irresistible. Foods like this allow you to have your protein and starch in one bite and I’m all about that efficiency. I wonder who was first to try this cooking technique because frankly, she/he deserves a monument.

Store-bought dumpling skins and a few pantry staples make this recipe a breeze. If you have kids, feel free to recruit them to help fill the potstickers.

(Yield: 30 dumplings)

Ingredients:

2 scallions, chopped

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sriracha sauce (optional)

1 garlic clove, crushed

A pinch of salt

1 lb ground pork

About 30 store-bought dumpling skins

Vegetable oil

Procedure: In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir and add pork. Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients until homogenous. Do not over-mix. To form a dumpling, place skin on a flat surface and add a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center. Dip an index finger into water and moisten half of the circumference of the dumpling skin (like a half moon). Then fold over and seal edges, making sure to seal out all air from the dumpling.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

To cook, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom. Place 6-8 dumplings into skillet at once – do not overcrowd the pan. Fry 1-2 min, until dumplings are starting to brown. Then add about 1/4 c water into skillet, reduce heat to low and cover tightly with a lid. Let steam for about 5 min. When the water is almost entirely evaporated, remove lid and turn heat back up to medium. Cook 1-2 extra minutes, until the bottoms are brown. Remove dumplings from skillet and repeat with remaining pieces. Serve immediately.

How I learned to bake, and the best brown sugar cookies you’ll ever have

May14

When I was a kid, my mom baked all the time. There were layered cakes, crispy cookies, sweet breads to accompany our tea, and so much more. But when I watched her bake, I never once saw her measure a single ingredient – we didn’t even own measuring cups or a scale. She would just scoop ingredients into a bowl with a little ceramic teacup, stir them while balancing the bowl between her hip and forearm, put whatever it was into the oven and soon, the smell emanating from the oven alone would leave us speechless and drooling. I don’t remember her ever messing up a dessert so I assumed she was some sort of magician with a sixth sense.

So, when I started baking, I didn’t take measuring seriously, especially since I’ve been cooking for a while already and had gotten used to eyeballing ingredients. I understood recipes and directions like, “butter at room temperature” and “gradually add flour” to be guidelines. I guess I thought I could outsmart the recipe and if my intentions were good, the dessert would somehow just work out. But unsurprisingly, it didn’t. I couldn’t make a single edible cookie. I remember how my mom would stand next to me, scraping the burnt bottoms of cookies with a butter knife after yet another failed attempt, comforting me and saying that next time, I would certainly do better.

It wasn’t until I started reading and re-reading the recipe before baking and following measurements and directions exactly that anything worked out. I learned that if a lemon bars were advised to be cooled before being cut, I should do just that, and that if a recipe calls for brown sugar, substituting with white just won’t do. It is now that I realize that despite how amazing my mother is, she is no magician. She’s just made so many cakes and cookies by the time she had me, that baking became second nature to her – she, as they say, just felt it.

Whereas cooking is about intuition, instinct and pleasure, it is careful attention, precision and patience that matter in baking. I’ve still a long way to go til I can flawlessly frost a cake, but these cookies (and these!) are proof that I have finally mastered at least one type of dessert.

This recipe from Epicurious (click HERE for the recipe) is incredible. The cookies are quick to prepare and bake, and they don’t dry out, even days after baking. They’re soft, chewy, fragrant and ideal for minimalist dessert lovers like me. I strongly advise you to make them!

What is your experience with baking like?

Roasted garlic bean dip: take 2

May9

Almost exactly three years ago, I posted a recipe for roasted garlic white bean dip. That dip is not unlike hummus except that hummus calls for chick peas instead of beans. Last week, I was craving that dip again but wanted to change things up. I added tomatoes for tang and sriracha for heat, and thus, this fragrant, irresistible hors d’oeuvre was born. I’m not going to go as far as saying that this recipe will replace guacamole in your party snack repertoire but it will certainly make a valiant try. And I assure you, no one will even miss that green standby if you serve this.

The best part is, served alongside some Finn Crisps, this is a healthy vegan snack, full of fiber, protein and other essential nutrients.

(Yield: 1 bowl will serve about 4 people)

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 head of garlic, roasted*

3/4 tsp sriracha

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divide

1/2 c finely diced tomatoes

1 tbsp finely chopped shallot (red onion also ok)

Salt + pepper

*How to roast garlic: Heat oven to 400F. Peel the papery outer layer of garlic head, leaving the cloves intact. Cut off 1/3″ off the top of the head and discard, exposing the flesh of the cloves. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil, and using your hands, coat the head evenly. Wrap in foil and roast for 35 min. Cool completely before handling.

Procedure: Squeeze garlic cloves out of the head and add to food processor along with 2/3 of beans (reserve 1/3 beans for later). Puree. With the motor running, add sriracha and oil. When fully incorporated, stop motor and remove the blade. Using a spoon, stir in tomatoes, shallot and remaining beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What is your standby party snack?

The best dumplings in the city may also be the cheapest.

Apr16

Some women seek to be wined, dined and ordered for in fancy-pants restaurants with white tablecloths. I am not one of these women. I am perfectly content eating cheap dumplings out of a styrofoam countainer on a park bench together. A date like this can only be made more perfect if followed by a walk across the Manhattan bridge. What’s more romantic than that?

Last week, I met up with Rene in Chinatown after work and he took me to Prosperity Dumpling – a literal hole-in-the-wall on Eldridge Street. There’s about five square feet of space to stand in while you wait for your order and a slightly bigger kitchen area towards the back. In the kitchen stand several people, a few making fresh dumplings by hand, a few handling the stove and one on the cash register. They don’t wait until someone orders the dumplings to put them into the frying pan – they just fry them as soon as they’re made, because the fact that someone will come in and order them in a minute is a sure thing. The pork and chive dumplings cost $1 for five pieces, and no, you are not misreading, they are actually this cheap. The filling is juicy, flavorful and fresh, and the wrapper is delicate and melts in your mouth. Since spring has finally sprung, the ideal place to eat them is at the park a block away. Grab yourself a Heineken in a brown paper bag and then you’re really in business.

Another popular item at Prosperity is the sesame pancake, which, as you might’ve guessed, also costs just $1. The pancake is warm and crispy; the dough has a wonderful aroma and yeasty chewiness. It is the perfect street snack.

NY-ers, what is your fave dumpling place?

Chick pea, tomato and basil pasta

Apr12

I’m not gonna bore you with the story of how I came up with this recipe or go on and on about how easy it is to make. I’m also not gonna tell you that tomatoes and basil are a fail-proof flavor combo (duh) or that chick peas boast quite an impressive nutrition panel. I will, however, tell you that chick peas make this sauce sinfully rich without any help from our good friends butter and heavy cream. And, I will also gonna strongly suggest that you make it. ASAP.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 20 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt + pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c basil leaves, gently torn

1 lb penne or another short cut pasta, cooked just short of al dente

Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Procedure: Divide chick peas in half. Puree one half using a potato masher or food processor. Set all chick peas aside. Heat olive oil in large saute pan or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Then add chick peas, tomato cause, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then turn the heat off and stir in basil leaves (if not serving immediately, hold off on adding basil until right before serving).

Combine sauce with pasta; taste and re-season if necessary.

Mango and chicken quinoa salad

Mar20

By now we all know how healthy quinoa is – here’s a quick recap: it’s a seed, not a grain, and it comes from South America. It is gluten-free, and high in protein, magnesium, iron and fiber. The only downside is that on its own it tastes like bird food and needs quite a bit of assistance from other, more fun and exciting ingredients to really shine. I had previously shared this information along with a Quinoa Garden Salad w/ Feta Cheese recipe in a post last year.

Mangoes are currently on my list of favorite foods. And although it seems that this sweet, tropical fruit really belongs in a blender with tequila or in a fruit salad, it actually makes a fantastic addition to savory dishes, like this Malaysian mango chicken, for instance. And turns out, it is also the perfect thing to liven up the lackluster stuff that is quinoa.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 c red or white quinoa

1 mango, peeled and cubed

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken* (preferably roasted)

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt + pepper

*To keep this dish vegan, swap out the chicken for chick peas.

Procedure: Cook quinoa according to package directions and let come to room temperature. Then combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

My phone, the gastronome: 7

Mar9

Cover your keyboard ’cause you’re about to drool.

Scallion pancake at Nom Wah. If you’ve never had a scallion pancake, you are missing out. This treat is crispy, chewy and has a surprisingly complex flavor considering the few ingredients of which it’s comprised. It is safe to say that this is my newest edible obsession.

Without fail, every Asian restaurant I find myself at, the first thing I do is scan the menu for steamed pork buns. Sometimes they’re the small, dumpling-like type, but sometimes, they are the gorgeous, gluttonous type like this.

The pocket of sticky steamed dough holds a treasure of sauteed pork and onions in a sweet thick sauce. These pork buns at Nom Wah are what pork addicts like me lay awake and dream of at night.

Roast duck and wonton soup at Sammy’s Noodle Bar and Grill in the West Village. This diner-esque, depressingly-lit Chinese restaurant is famous for its giant bowls of authentic soup. Of the 20 or so soups on the menu, this one seems to be a great choice, especially if you’ve had a particularly rough day or froze your ass off while looking for a place to have dinner. The wontons are chewy, the duck is rich and salty, the broth is simple and there are stray pieces of baby bok choy. This bowl (which came in at less than $10) could easily feed a small country in Africa. Not surprisingly, I recommend the steamed pork buns here as well.

The dish below is called ‘Bahn Mi Bo Kho’ and it’s from a Vietnamese place in my ‘hood called Pho Hoai. I ordered this dish (which was classified as an appetizer at a generous $6.25!) because having eaten a few bahn mi’s in my life, I came to understand them as sandwiches, but what arrived was a giant bowl of spicy tomato soup with succulent pieces of beef and a warm baguette on the side. At first I assumed that I was to make a sandwich with the beef and bread, but settled for a fork-the-beef, sip-the-broth, dip-the-bread scenario. At the end I was glad this wasn’t a sandwich. This place is known for their noodle soups (pho); I also recommend the summer rolls and beef cubes over rice.

And here is what Rene and I had on Valentine’s Day. I was dying to go to Cuba, one of my very the favorite restaurants in the whole of NYC, but they were all booked, so we settled on another Cuban place a few blocks down – Havana Alma de Cuba. We started with a red snapper ceviche, with shrimp, octopus, tomatoes, onions and peppers, all marinated in zesty lime juice. It was perfect.

Next arrived another appetizer, something called Fufu de Camarones – plantains and garlic shrimp mashed together into a cake-like formation and served with some sort of gravy. This dish was so simple yet perfect. I can’t wait to recreate it at home.

Lastly there was the Lechon Asado – shredded suckling pig served with boiled yucca and garlic mojo. This dish is a sophisticated Cuban version of pulled pork – again, highly recommended for the pork-obsessed! The succulent savory pork is lightly dressed in a garlic marinade, and the starchy yucca is plays the role of the silent but necessary partner.

And here’s more Cuban goodness – Vaca Frita with an egg and fried yucca from Agozar. As you may recall, I first went here with the NYC food bloggers for tapas. This time, I went here with my friends for a celebratory birthday brunch. In spite of this unsightly presentation, the charred steak hash was incredible. I highly recommend brunching at Agozar. Not only do they have a great atmosphere and an amazing menu, but $25 gets you a brunch entree and unlimited sangria! Yes, you read right. Unlimited. Sangria. Just imagine all the daytime drunk fun you can have!

Living with my cousin in Paris who is a dedicated juicer and smoothie-drinker really rubbed off on me. Since getting back, I have really bonded with my blender (I don’t have a juicer). I literally throw everything in there – fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and even flax oil on particularly adventurous days. Tip: freeze smoothie ingredients before blending to eliminate need for ice, and always serve smoothies in a chilled glass.

Another habit I’ve picked up is being more adventurous with my toast. It’s easy to fall into a breakfast rut of coffee, oatmeal and eggs, but if you take extra time to plan your meals, you’ll have plenty of reasons to want to get out of bed in the morning! Use your imagination – try baby kale or arugula, tomatoes, avocados, eggs and/or lox as toppings, and always, always use a great base (none of that ‘Wonderbread’ crap).