October Unprocessed: The End

I did it.  One month with no processed foods.  Ok, ok, there was a two day span with highly-processed foods, but I was sick on those days, so I think that is alright.  But other than that, it happened.

Surprisingly, this was a much easier challenge than I thought it would be.  Not that it was always simple, but it was fun to see what I was capable of and so it wasn't difficult.  And being only one month long, there was nothing that I craved and couldn't have. Sure, I wanted my Skippy on an English muffin in the morning, but I enjoyed my fresh bread from the bakery with butter on it just fine.  Yeah, I would have liked to make a tuna sandwich but was too lazy to figure out how to make mayo from scratch (which I have seen done and do plan to learn, btw).  So I just put those things away and focused on what I could eat.

Honestly, I think that other thirty day challenge back in June helped me learn how to change my habits easier. 

The question people are asking me is this:  How did I survive?  Here are four things that made a big difference in my life this past month:

Having a completely homemade, solid base is key.  It wasn't always beans and rice, but maybe mashed potatoes or risotto (made with homemade vegetable stock).  Beans and rice, however, were great because you could make a lot and use it for several days.  And as you know, my husband LOVES beans and rice.  He truly is Brazilian when it comes to that.  He never complains when we don't have these two on our plate, but if we do have them a smile is sure to show up as well.  (The second pot has garlic and salt cooking, waiting for the rice to be added.  Brazilian rice is much more than just rice and water thrown into the rice cooker... and it tastes so good!)

Take some good oil (like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil), add something acidic such as lemon juice or vinegar, and some seasonings and salt, and BAM! -- you've got dressing.  It sounds so simple, but it tastes so good.  My favorite was the above ingredients with a small spoonful of whole grain mustard.  YUM.  Any veggies thrown in tasted good. 

  



My poor husband.  He hates the baking sheet now.  Why?  Because he wound up washing it every single day.  It was used to make cookies (with raw sugar and unbleached flour -- no worries!), roast veggies, make snacks (kale chips, potato chips), and almost anything else that needed to be done.  Two days ago he had enough.  "No more.  I am not washing any more.  You want to use it, then you wash it," he proclaimed.  Seeing as he was washing a LOT of dishes with all of this cooking, I thought this was a fair request.

Ah, creativity... what would I do without it?  Yes, I put it to use.  Random things were put together and new "dishes" were created.  Most turned out good.  Some didn't turn out at all.  But in the end, this came in handy.  Especially when I had the munchies.  I couldn't just reach for pretzels or grab ice cream out of the freezer, I had to create something.  Luckily between my brain and ideas I have seen around, it happened. 

Craving a salty snack?  Take some collard greens, rip them up into big pieces, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast on the aforementioned baking sheet.  You instantly have a healthy snack.  Tasted like seaweed.  I love seaweed.

Wanting something sweet?  See this little treat:

I cannot personally take the credit for this one.  Before I had a Brazilian husband I had a Brazilian roommate (what can I say?  This culture was destined to be a part of my life!).  My roommate made this a couple of times, but I never had any of it.  But it is so simple and so delicious!  Just take the ingredients, throw in it in the microwave for 1 min. 30 sec. and viola!  Your sweet, and fresh, treat!  (Obrigada, Katie!)

The next question people ask is this:  Do I plan to continue? 

Yes, and no.  Yes, I plan on learning and growing in ways to bring fresh, healthy food into my life.  No, I do not plan on being so anal about it.  I am A-OK with buying bread from the grocery store.  I miss Silk soy milk.  I want to use cream of mushroom soup again.  But I will be much more aware of the ingredients in these items.  What I do plan on doing is trying the recipes I didn't get the chance to try, like homemade Cheez-its.  The day I make Cheez-its will be the day I know that I have arrived, in the cooking world at least.

There we have it.  I did it.  I learned a lot, my eyes were opened to new ideas, and I proved to myself that I can cook -- not just put things together -- but can COOK. 

Thank you Caiti for telling me one day that my future children would have mac-n-cheese for dinner every night.  That little comment changed my life, and I will forever be grateful to you for it.

October Unprocessed: Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Real Simple.  Love this magazine.  I don't actually buy it myself because I wait for it to show up in the staff room at my work.  I may be looking at it one month late, but whatever.  I am getting the same money saving tips, decorating ideas, and fresh recipes as the rest of you. 

Last month I changed my tune and actually purchased the magazine.  Why?  Because it had twenty fresh and easy dinners -- one month of easy and healthy meals.  WIN!  Knowing that the October Unprocessed challenge was coming (this was in September), I shelled out the 5 bucks for the magazine.

Yes, I think about spending five bucks.  I am cheap like that.

Anyway, the point is that I finally tried some of the recipes this week.  Two, actually, and I am planning on another one tomorrow.  I thought I would be all over this magazine for the month, but mostly I have been cooking things I already know how to make, but learning how to make it all unprocessed -- like tacos with my homemade tortillas or soup with with made from scratch vegetable stock.  And I have been baking, a lot.  But finally, a new recipe! 

It was worth the wait.

Before we go on, two things:

1. If you want to smell something good, go cut some sage with your kitchen shears.  WOW.  I have never actually smelled fresh sage before.  WOW again.
2. When I googled "how to chop butternut squash" the link I found said, "Once you figure out how easy it is to cut up butternut squash you will want to use this versatile vegetable again and again."  Um, once I figure out how easy it is?  If easy means a stabbed finger, a bruised toe, and butternut squash all over my kitchen, then sure... EASY.  (I think I need to read the directions again.)

I had never heard of Fontina cheese before.  I am a simple girl, really. I know my cheddar, jack, and colby.  Now I have added to my cheese vocabulary.

The tortellini you see below is not homemade.  However, I found one that was preservative free (hip hip horray for Trader Joe's!) and with all ingredients I own, meaning it fits the qualifications for the October Unprocessed challenge. 

(Out of curiosity, I checked out the "fresh" tortellini being sold at my local Lucky, under a brand name we all know.  LOADED with things I do not have in my kitchen nor can I pronounce.  And more expensive, too.)

In true Real Simple fashion, this took about 10 minutes of my time, 35 minutes from start to finish. 

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound fresh cheese tortellini (2 packs if from Trader Joe's)

2 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

COST: $10.48               PER SERVING (4): $2.75



October Unprocessed: Homemade Pizza

Easy, fast, and you can make it anyway you want it.  It's a triple-win. 

October Unprocessed: A List I Can Feel Proud Of!

I went shopping last night, my last trip to the grocery store before the month is over.  I love my list.  It is so fresh and you know what?  It also came out so inexpensive.  Two adjectives I want to describe my grocery list all the time, not just during October Unprocessed.

The truth is, I feel like Super Woman when I have these ingredients on the conveyor belt and the guy or girl working the lane asks, "What are you making with all of this?"  If I had thrown just pasta and sauce on there, she would have known (and yes, I do throw pasta and sauce on there quite a bit -- I am not really Super Woman).  But these ingredients, so simple all by themselves, can lead to something so magnificent when combined.  It is truly a beautiful thing.

Two years ago this list would not have made me feel like Super Woman, however.  It would have made me feel inadequate.  "What I am going to do with things?!"  That would have been my response. 

Two years ago?  Shoot, who am I kidding?  More like six months ago...  Yeah, you would have seen some veggies: onions, garlic, spinach.  Maybe carrots.  And a few years ago?  Good luck finding the veggies.  Except for frozen peas, you would have needed to look elsewhere if you wanted something "fresh". 

But today, my list is different.  It is a short list, just enough to last for four days until the week is over, but it is a good list.  A healthy list.  My list.



** Yes, you see tortellini up there.  No, I did not make it, as you can tell.  But I think it counts in my October Unprocessed challenge because when I look at the ingredient list I have all of those exact same things in my kitchen, unlike when I check the ingredient list of the package of tortellini at Lucky.  (One of the many reasons I love Trader Joe's.  That, and the fact it is only $1.99 per pack, as opposed to $3.49.)   So, fresh pasta that is preservative free counts for me as unprocessed -- because really, could I make tortellini?  Probably.  But am I gonna?  Not right now.  But maybe someday.  Send me some recipes and let's see :)

October Unprocessed: Baking Up Some Love

I have overcome my fear of baking. 

"Fear of baking?  What?!" 

Yeah, yeah.  I hear you.  But here is the thing: every time I bake, it never comes out right.  I comes out OK, but it might be too dry, too fat, too skinny, too whatever.  And that has been alright, because I have not needed to bake because I have had Joe-Joe's around (Trader Joe's Oreo cookies) or another sweet treat.

October Unprocessed, however, means that I cannot just go out and by cookies whenever I jolly well feel like.  Nope, if I want something sweet, I need to get my butt into the kitchen and make it happen.  Which ultimately means I need to bake.  With my raw sugar and unbleached flour, of course. 

You know what?  This looks like success to me!  I think in a match Baking v. Tiffany, we know who the winner is.

Sweet.

Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.               

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
3. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

October Unprocessed: I am a Tortilla Maker!

It's true: I made flour tortillas from scratch!

They may not have been the most beautiful tortillas I have ever seen, but they sure were delicious!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup warm water (may possibly need to add more, up to 3/4 cup) or 1/2 cup milk (may possibly need to add more, up to 3/4 cup)

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, salt & baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
2. Into the dry ingredients cut in the shortening, or add oil if you are using this option, & mix with your fingertips to combine.
3. Add the milk or water, working the liquid into the dough until a sticky ball forms.
4. Wrap in plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
5. Divide into 8-10 little balls.  Keep a damp cloth on top of them so they don't dry out.
6. Lightly dust a counter or pastry board w/flour & roll out each ball of dough into a circle or oval approximately 1/4" thick. If you want nicely rounded tortillas, trim off any ragged edges & discard. Don't roll the dough out more than once or the tortillas will be tough.
7. Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Cook the tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until the dough looks dry & slightly wrinkled & a few brown spots form on both surfaces. Do not over cook or they will be hard.

COST: 40 cents              COST PER TORTILLA (8): 5 cents

How's that for a money saver???

Cooking With Friends: Melanee & Bonnie (Crepes)


COST: $8.46                   COST PER SERVING (3): $2.82
(including one avocado and two tomatoes)