World’s Best Broccoli

Oct 162012

Heyyy there! I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday so far! Mine has been pretty fantastic…I woke up with a ton of energy today, got a great work out in, and am having a good day at work. Can’t ask for much more, right?

Also as a side note- I am trying to figure out my vacation schedule for the rest of the year. I have 4 more vacation days and am thinking of using them up during the week between Christmas and New Years. Fabio has to work Christmas Eve (?!) so he is going to request that day off for sure, especially since he generally opens gifts with his family on Christmas Eve at midnight. Hopefully he will get off!

I think I also have to request off for January 1 because I think my office is open (?!). Yes, open on January 1. Isn’t that nuts?? Who wants to go to work after staying up to celebrate the new year at midnight?? Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what my manager was telling me today. Ugh. What days do you all usually take off for vacation? Do you save them for the holidays or do you use them up throughout the year? This year I did a little of both, which I think was a good way to go

Workout

I tried a new workout this morning!! Yay!! Well, to be honest it’s not exactly new (I have done it before) but it was with a new teacher in a new place, so to me it counts! Can you guess what it was??

Spinning!!

Check out my neon-tastic shirt in that black light lol.

I have taken spin classes before, but not in a really long time and never at the gym I belong to now. This morning Fabio and I got out of bed bright (more like dark) and early and made it to the gym in time for the 6:00 a.m. class.

Our gym has a policy where you have to make a reservation before the spin classes and good thing we did- it was packed! Despite the chilly weather and dark sky outside, there were plenty of dedicated fitness fanatics ready to get their spin on this morning.

And spin we did! The workout was tough and included a ton of speed intervals with varying levels of resistance. I definitely worked up a sweat.

In 51 minutes I burned 465 calories with an average heart rate of 153 and maximum heart rate of 179. Not too shabby for a quick morning workout!

I really liked the class and will definitely be incorporating it into my weekly workout plan from now on

Recipe

Ok so I know I left you all hanging on my broccoli recipe last week so I wanted to finally give it to you guys!

Yummmm! This broccoli is so good, I wonder if I’ll ever make it another way again.

It all started when I was feeling bored last week and couldn’t decide how I was going to use up all the broccoli in the fridge. I could have made broccoli fritters but I was feeling lazy, and plain roasted broccoli sounded too boring.

So, after a quick Google search I found this awesome broccoli recipe and adapted it to fit my ~~laziness~~ needs This recipe is awesome because it combines all of my favorite flavors: sweet, salty, and spicy. Anything that combines all three makes me irrationally happy. I don’t know what it is about the salty/sweet combo, but it definitely gets me excited!

Here’s how it came together.

First I took a large head of broccoli and chopped it into bite-size florets.

This is Jack’s favorite part because I let him gnaw on the broccoli stems. He loves this but then I always wind up finding soggy bits of broccoli on the carpet later on in the evening. Fail. Gross.

Anyway. After chopping up the broccoli, I added it to a large nonstick pan set to medium-high heat. I drizzled a bit of olive oil in the pan and gave the broccoli a quick stir. Then I season the broccoli with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. This is where the spice comes in so add as little or as much as you want!

Then I covered the pan and let the broccoli steam up for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I got the delicious topping started. Gah!

In a small bowl, I combined three tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese and one teaspoon of light brown sugar. Then I mixed up with a fork until it was combined.

This is the parmesan cheese that I bought back from Italy and it is still so delicious!! And in case you were wondering, I had Fabio grate up the cheese for me because 1. I’m always afraid I’m going to grind my finger in the grater and 2. I needed to take a picture and didn’t have a third arm. Duh! Haha.

Anyway. Again.

Once the broccoli was a nice vibrant green and the broccoli was tender-crisp (please please please don’t let it get soggy!) I removed the broccoli from the heat and sprinkled on the cheesy sugary topping.

At this point, the hot pan melted the cheese and caramelized the sugar, giving my broccoli a salty and sugary coat. Add in the red pepper flakes from earlier and the flavor will seriously wow you!! It is that good. Really!

Then I gave the broccoli a quick toss to coat each piece in cheesy sweet goodness, and I was left with this awesomeness.

So good!!

Wrold’s Best Broccoli

Recipe type: side dish

Author: Chelsea Eats Treats

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 3

This broccoli will blow you away with its spicy, sweet, and salty flavors!

Ingredients

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese (I mean it- don’t skimp!!)
1 tsp. brown sugar

Instructions

Add olive oil to a large pan and set to medium heat. Add the broccoli florets and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Cover pan and let cook for about 3 minutes or until broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp (do not overcook or broccoli will be mushy).
In a small bowl, mix parmesan cheese and brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
When broccoli has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese/sugar mixture.
Toss to combine.
Serve.

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I know I raved a lot about this broccoli but I really thought it was delicious and it will definitely be one of my new veggie staples. I hope you all like it as much as I do and try not to be weirded out by the whole cheese + sugar thing. It’s delicious I promise!

Anyway, what have you guys been making lately? Any new recipes that you can’t stop telling everyone about? Feel free to link up below!!

Crispy Broccoli Fritters

Recipes 12 Responses »

Jul 122012

Hi everyone!! How is your day going?? Mine’s going well, but I did something scary. Well, maybe not something you’ll find scary, but something that I definitely do. I booked an appointment for the dentist and the doctor.

Growing up, my family was never the type to schedule regular checkups. Sure, I visited the doctor to get a physical before school or sports started each year, and I went to the dentist every now and again, but it has never been a routine in my life. It has gotten to the point where I haven’t been to either in so long, that I am scared of what they will say. I’m really not looking forward to the part where they scold me for waiting so long to come in (it’s been like, years, since I’ve had a real check up at either the doctor or the dentist). Gah!

Honestly, I think I am a pretty healthy person and am not too worried about what the doctor and dentist will say. Mostly I’m worried that I’ll have cavities (I’ve never had one before) or that some of my moles might look suspicious and need to be checked for skin cancer (if the regular doctor doesn’t check that I will schedule a dermatologist appointment). Also, that cough that I had ~~a few~~ 4 weeks ago is still lingering way longer than it should. So hopefully, I will get some helpful advice (and maybe some antibiotics) and be on my healthy way. Here’s hoping!

Workout

My workouts this week have been going well! For the most part I have run with Jack in the mornings and afternoons and have completed part of an Insanity DVD almost every day.

Speaking of the dog park, when we went yesterday with Jack we saw a notice saying that the dog park will be closed starting THIS MONDAY until SPRING 2013!! WHAT?!? The city of Arlington is apparently not aware that Jack is a very spoiled pup and goes to the dog park practically every day. We run there together and it’s a great exercise that I really enjoy.

Apparently they will be “creating a new park,” which is rumored to involve a playground and less room for the dogs to frolic. This is obviously very sad news Oh well, life goes on. At least they helpfully listed a few other Arlington dog parks to check out. None of them are very close to me, but it’s better than nothing!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, my workouts. They have been pretty good this week, so I am happy about that. Also, thanks to all of you who responded to yesterday’s post about my workout habits! It seems like a bunch of you were interested in the Insanity videos so I thought I’d link to some other helpful information about insanity here and here. Also, feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions!

Recipe

The recipe I’m sharing with you all today is a great one!! It transforms regular old broccoli into a delightful, comforting fritter. The good news is you can use a wide variety of veggies for this fritter including shredded carrots, squash, or cauliflower. It’s a great way to sneak veggies into the diets of ~~kids~~ boyfriends who are picky about what they eat (not that I would know anything about that ). I have made these before with cauliflower and alluded to the broccoli version in other posts, but I thought I should finally share this great recipe with you all! Here’s how the fritters came together…

First I cut half of a head of broccoli into smaller florets. Then I steamed the broccoli just until it was bright green and tender crisp (so just for a minute or two). Then, I cut the florets into small pieces using my Slap Chop, although a regular knife would work too. You probably don’t want to put this in the food processor or the pieces will be too small.

Next I got the batter ready. Into a large bowl went some whole wheat flour, some regular all purpose flour, parmesan cheese, an egg, garlic, salt, and a few red pepper flakes.

I love the combination of whole wheat and white flours so the calories aren’t as high, but you still aren’t overwhelmed by a wheat flavor like you would be if you limited the recipe to only wheat flour.

Next, I added in the chopped broccoli and stirred everything together to make a batter.

Then I heated a large nonstick skillet to medium heat and dropped just a tiny bit of olive oil into the pan to give these fritters a nice, crispy crust. You really don’t need a lot of oil though, so be careful to just use a couple drops!

Next I formed the batter into fritters and placed them on the hot skillet.

Cook the fritters for a few minutes on each side and then flip them over. Continue cooking until they are crispy, firm, and lightly browned.

When the fritters are done, remove them to a plate, allow them to cool for a minute or two and dig in!

These are so delicious and make a great side dish to an easy weeknight meal (I served mine with grilled chicken). They also reheat really well in the microwave!

Yum!

Crispy Broccoli Fritters

Recipe type: Side dish

Author: Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 8 mins

Total time: 13 mins

Serves: 5 fritters

These crispy broccoli fritters make a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal. They are a great way to get picky eaters to eat their veggies!

Ingredients

1/2 medium bundle of broccoli
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 whole wheat flour
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (reduced fat if possible)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Dash of olive or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Cut broccoli florets into pieces and steam until just tender. Allow to cool and cut into tiny pieces.
Mix next seven ingredients together in a large bowl (through pepper flakes). Add in chopped broccoli. Stir to combine.
Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of oil.
Form the broccoli mixture into fritters and place in the pan.
Allow to cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until fritters are firm, crisp, and lightly brown.

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Lastly, I want to say happy birthday to one of my best friends, Britt. She has always been there for me and is such a dependable friend to have around in a tough situation. Plus, she reads my blog, so I thought she might like the shoutout. Happy Birthday Britters! See you in a few hours for happy hour (woot woot!)

Mexican Veggie Quinoa

Recipes 2 Responses »

May 172012

Hey people! Happy Thursday!! I always feel so drained on Wednesdays, but when Thursday comes around I’m picked right back up again! I think I spend too much energy on Mondays and Tuesdays trying to get a million things done and then by Wednesday I’m just beat. Oh well, now it’s almost the weekend and I have some fun plans in my future so I’m definitely in a good mood.

Workout

My workouts for the last two days have been fantastic! Yesterday morning I went for my run with Jack and then did Insanity afterwords. During our run, I ran into one of my coworkers and I stopped to chat. Jack, however, was not feeling the pause and kept pulling me to continue. He has so much energy! Eventually I said bye to my friend and we quickly ran off again. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm out. It was a great morning and pumped me up for the day!

Then yesterday afternoon, Jack, Fabio, and I ran up to the dog park (1 mile) and walked him home (it was hot and we worried Jack would be too tired. It had nothing to do with the free pizza sample we got ). It was a great workout indeed!

Today’s workout has been good so far, I had another fun run with Jack this morning (we saw lots of baby bunnies!) and then did Insanity after. Now I’m happy because if I feel like working out later I can, but there’s no pressure! It’s a good feeling.

Recipe

So I have teased you guys a couple of times now about this Mexican Veggie Quinoa. Well today I am finally giving you guys the recipe! Hooray!

I served this side dish with my fish tacos and I really loved that it packed a ton of flavor and included a good variety of veggies. I usually find that I’m a carb-loving girl by nature (bring on the pasta, rice, and potatoes!) so whenever I can get some extra veggies in with my carbs I am a happy camper! This side dish was super simple and tasty, so try it out! Here’s how I made it…

First I cooked the quinoa according to the package directions, but used slightly less water. I’ve said this before, but I think it deserves repeating. When I used to make quinoa with 1 part dry quinoa 2 parts water, it would always come out mushy. Now I use 1 part quinoa to 1.5 parts water and it comes out fluffy every time. I think this is probably because I rinse the quinoa first to remove the bitter taste, and that extra water was enough to make it mushy. That’s my theory, anyway! While the quinoa was cooking, I reheated some corn that I had left over from my Chicken Burrito Bowl in a small skillet.

While the corn was warming, I steamed some broccoli. When it was ready I mixed it in with the corn. When both veggies were heated through, I added some Mexican salsa to the mix.

Then I stirred in the cooked quinoa until everything was combined.

It was delicious! This side dish came together so fast and was incredibly easy to put together. The spicy salsa gave the veggies and the quinoa a good tomatoey kick and I loved it! If you’re looking for a healthy and filling side dish to accompany your Mexican meal, this is it!

Mexican Veggie Quinoa

Makes two large servings

Ingredients

½ cup dry quinoa
1 ½ cup water
½ cup corn kernels (could use more or less, depending on what you have available)
1 head of broccoli, chopped into smaller florets
¼ cup salsa

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, warm corn kernels in a skillet (you could add butter or oil but I chose to omit).
Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, and mix in with corn.
Add salsa and stir to combine.
When quinoa is cooked and fluffy, mix it in with salsa veggie mixture.

Eat, and enjoy!

I always have a hard time thinking of side dishes to accompany meals. Chicken by itself is just so boring, so I try to liven things up with my side dishes. This was one that I thought was really flavorful without being too strenuous to pull together.

What are your favorite side dishes? Do you usually eat side dishes or do you just mix all your flavors together in a big bowl? My mouth gets bored if I eat too much of one flavor, so I love having other items on my plate to switch to!

Turkey Sausage Bowl

Recipes 1 Response »

Apr 192012

Good evening! I hope everyone had a great day! My day was ok…not awesome but good enough Smile

Workout

This morning’s workout was a little tough. Fabio, Jack, and I went for our normal one-mile jog but it rainy and cold out so we were pretty sluggish getting started. Those few nice days really spoiled us! I can’t wait until summer when everyday is warm and sunny. Darn you April showers. Once we got up and got going though, the jog was great! We saw some bunnies and birds, and as usual Jack did everything he could do to catch them. It never ceases to entertain me when he jumps on a tree and looks up longingly. Next time I’ll try to snap a picture of it!

This afternoon’s workout seemed like it was going to be awesome. It was rainy again so Jack and I went on another quick one-mile jog and then I popped in an Insanity DVD. Because we have been running to the dog park so much lately I haven’t been doing the entire Insanity workouts for a while. I was really starting to miss my favorite circuits and was ready to jump right into this workout. My body, it seems, had other plans. On the third round of the warm-up I was doing some power squats and I felt my back cave in in a weird way. I immediately hobbled to the couch and stretched my back for a few minutes. I had some trouble standing up and spent the next half hour simply stretching my back out to try to fix the problem. It was clear that the rest of my workout was not happening Sad smile So frustrating!

Now, this is really interesting to me. I have never had any back problems. Ever! However, I will say that my mind was not completely focused on my workout (I was excited to cook dinner and work on the blog!) so when I was speeding up the moves for the last round of the warm-up, I wasn’t focusing on my form. What do I always hear the Insanity trainer, Sean T, saying? “Form over speed!!” He means make sure you do the move correctly and don’t rush through it. Well, obviously today I didn’t do a good job of that. Now I know to really take him seriously and pay attention to my form. Because I wasn’t careful, my workout was cut short and now I’m in pain! Ow!

Oh well, lesson learned.

Recipe

Tonight’s turkey sausage bowl dinner was delicious! It was super easy and tasty and I will definitely make it again soon! I also already had most of the ingredients on-hand so it didn’t take a whole lot of planning. That’s a win-win in my book!

First I defrosted some lean, Italian turkey sausages we had in the freezer.

I’ve used turkey sausages like these in the past and always really enjoy them! They have tons of flavor with a lot less fat than regular sausages.

Next I salted a pot of water and brought it to a boil. Once the water was boiling I added in some pasta (I used regular angel hair but if we had some whole grain pasta I would have used that). I let the pasta cook for a few minutes while I got everything else ready.

While the pasta was cooking, I heated a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. While it was heating, Fabio chopped up some broccoli and onions.

One of Jack’s favorite treats is broccoli so he may have eaten a few of the stalks Winking smile

By this time the pan was hot so I went ahead and put the defrosted turkey sausages in the pan. I cooked them until they started to brown and firmed up, flipping them a few times to cook each side.

Once they were mostly cooked I removed them from the pan and Fabio sliced them into smaller pieces. Meanwhile, I cooked some onions and bell peppers until they softened up. Then I added the sliced sausages back into the pan.

Close up:

When I buy bell peppers I usually buy a bunch at a time and cut them all up as soon as I get home. Then I put all the bell peppers that I don’t need right away into a zip-top bag in the freezer. That way whenever I need peppers I just pull out a few pre-sliced peppers from the freezer. It’s so easy! You must try this!

Anyway, I let the sausage, peppers, and onions hang out for a bit and turned my attention back to the pasta. At this point it only needed a few more minutes, so I went ahead and dumped the broccoli in with the pasta. This way I could cook them both in one pot! Less dishes to wash at the end of dinner is always a plus for me.

When the pasta and broccoli were done I drained them and added them to the yummy sausage, peppers, and onions mixture.

I seasoned the mix with some salt, pepper, and olive oil and then stirred everything up. Fabio begged for some parmesan cheese on top so we added some of that too. Then he wanted to add some tomatoes and though we were already serving up our dishes, I let him throw some in. I couldn’t turn down an extra veggie (although isn’t a tomato technically a fruit?). Both the cheese and tomatoes added just a little bit more comfort to this bowl of yumminess. De-lish.

Turkey Sausage Bowl

(serves 2-3, we had one medium-sized bowl for me and one LARGE bowl for Fabio)

Ingredients

Whole wheat pasta
1 bunch broccoli florets (we used about 2 cups)
3 lean Italian turkey sausages
1 cup red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers
Half a medium onion, chopped
Olive oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning
3 small cut tomatoes (optional)
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. When pasta is almost complete, add broccoli florets and let it cook with the pasta for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, brown the turkey sausage over medium-high heat until almost cooked through (sausages should be firm). Remove from pan and slice. Set aside.
In the same pan, cook onion and bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or until they become soft.
Reintroduce sliced sausage into pan.
When pasta is cooked, drain pasta and broccoli and add to sausage and onion mixture.
Toss the mixture well to incorporate. Season with a small bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add tomatoes and parmesan cheese if desired.
Eat, slurp, and enjoy!