simple marinara and camp kudzu

It has been one hell of a week to say the least. No, I'm not back from the dead but I've been at camp for the past 7 days! I was part of the activities staff at Camp Kudzu, a camp for type 1 diabetic children in Georgia. I had to go as a part of my service hours for pharmacy school and it turned out to be a lot better and more fun than I expected it would be.

Learning about it in class and reading the disease state on a piece of paper is one thing but to experience it first hand is a completely different feeling. The misconceptions, bullying and physical endeavors these kids have to go through everyday is amazing. Can you eat this? Can you do this activity because you're diabetic? I can tell you now that yes, these children can eat foods that you and I enjoy and do any type of activity they wish to pursue. It was a great experience to be a part of my campers' lives for a week and I have a greater appreciation for how they cope with their disease.

Now for the food, my god the food at camp was absolutely. positively. hideous, disgusting, anemic and ghastly. I cannot believe the type of food they were feeding children who are still in their prime growth stage of their lives. The food was greasy, all simple carb sources, synthetic and loaded with sugar. Because the main food was so bad, kids just ended up eating dessert and sugar filled snacks to satisfy their hunger. Simple food doesn't have to take long and even the simplest pasta sauce can be made in minutes. This basic Marinara Sauce takes 15 minutes to make, maximum, and is delicious and nutritious without adding synthetic ingredients.

Simple Marinara
Original, Serves 2 for Pasta

Ingredients:
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 can (400g) of diced tomatoes
- chiffonade of basil
- splash of milk (optional)
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1) Add olive oil to a hot pan and sauté the onions until they start to turn translucent. About 3 - 5 minutes.
2) Make a well in the middle of the pan and add in the oregano. Sauté with the onions for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Add in the white wine and reduce.
4) Make another well in the middle and add the tomato purée. Roast the purée for a minute to take the bitterness out.
5) Add in the can of diced tomatoes and bring back to a boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
6) Add half of the chiffonaded basil and stir into the sauce.
7) At this point, add in a splash of milk to make it creamier and lighter. It'll turn from a bright red to a beautiful rosé color (I didn't have any milk on hand when I made this). Taste again if you added the milk and adjust seasoning if needed.
8) Serve over pasta of choice and garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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15 minutes. Maximum. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy.

strawberry banana smoothie and gym etiquettes

I'm tired of seeing all these "protein smoothies" that advertise they are healthy for you when they're loaded with synthetic sugar. Even worse, the nutritional value is PER SERVING and many times, the stuff you're buying at the stores contain 1.5, 2 or 2.5 servings per bottle. Making your very own protein smoothie is easy, fast, delicious and there's no need for extra sugar.

My strawberry banana smoothie contains 24g of protein and no added, synthetic sugar. A great pick me up snack or an after workout fix without paying $5.

Before I go into the recipe, let's go over some gym etiquette. Here's a list of the following things that you SHOULD NOT do at a gym:
1) Wipe seats and padding after use. Nothing is more disgusting than getting ready to do an exercise and seeing a sea of sweat drenched on the surface.
2) Hygiene. Yes, this is a gym and yes you will sweat but please do everyone a favor and wear deodorant!!!
3) Clean up after yourself. Put back the weights after you're done using them. Your mom isn't here to clean up after you work out. If you're strong enough to carry the weights, you're strong enough to carry it back.
4) Turn off the cell phone. No one cares about what you're doing tonight or how rad last weekend was. We're trying to work out hard and get on with our busy day.
5) Don't grunt like a pig and exhale air like a wind tunnel. No one wants to hear grunts and air from all the way from the other side of the room. Keep it to a minimum.
6) Don't stand in front of the machine blankly staring at the person. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Ask if you can work in with them but don't stand there staring or looking mad. It not only frustrates the person working out but hinders them from giving it their all during the work out.
7) Don't walk in front of people during their sets when they're standing in front of the mirror. The mirror isn't there for praising your own body, it's there to maintain good form.
8) Dress appropriately. Don't wear jeans, flip flops, etc. Quote Vitamin Water, "Spandex is a privilege not a right"
9) Don't fool around. Weights aren't toys. Someone can really get hurt in there.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
Original, Serves 1...Maybe 2

Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 5 to 6 medium-sized strawberries (use more if you want)
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon milk, or more to desired consistency

1) Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust consistency to your liking adding more milk to thin out the smoothie.
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We don't need any added sugar because all of the sweetness comes from the fruits, protein and our dairy products (yes milk and plain yogurt do have sugar added). Bye bye sugar crashes and so long added granulated sugar. Say hello to your beach body!

french toast with blueberry yogurt compote

I've been so busy with work this week that I've had a hard time trying to update. I haven't been able to cook much lately because of this but I did manage to this French Toast with Blueberry Yogurt Compote earlier this week.

A compote is usually a warm sauce made with fruit and sugar. The yogurt lightens the color of what would be a dark blue sauce and makes it a vibrant purple color. And blueberries this time of year are perfect for use in recipes. Sweet and creamy, this sauce goes so well with so many things, especially french toast!

French Toast w/ Blueberry Yogurt Compote
Original, Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 8 slices of wheat bread or brioche (at least 1 day old)
- 3 to 4 large eggs, beaten (depends on the size of your bread but normally I go 1 egg for every 2 slices of bread)
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 tablespoon sugar (for batter)
- 0.25 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for compote)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt

1) Beat the eggs and combine with the vanilla extract, sugar and milk. Lightly salt the batter and set aside.
2) In a sauce pan, add the blueberries and the sugar. Cook under low - medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the blueberries break and combines with the sugar to make the sauce. Add yogurt at the end to thicken and lighten the sauce to a creamy, purple color.
3) Under medium heat, add butter (a little won't hurt) to a frying pan. Meanwhile, dip both sides of the bread slices into the batter and fry for about 1 - 2 minutes on each side or until golden once the butter has melted.
4) Plate french toasts onto a plate, sift powder sugar over the french toast and serve with the blueberry compote.

orange rum rice pudding

I had a few oranges left in the fridge and decided to use them up. I could've just eaten them by themselves...but the rum sitting on the counter was too inviting for me to pass up on making rice pudding. Rice pudding is a pretty basic dessert that consists of simply rice, milk and sugar (or some other type of sweetener). Sweet, creamy, velvety, tender and very easy to make. It's similar to a risotto in that you have to babysit it and stir it to prevent the rice from sticking but once you've mastered it, it's so versatile.

This is a perfect dessert for a dinner party as it can be prepared in advance. Simply pour the rice pudding into serving glasses/bowls and chill until you need it for use. Garnish later on with orange segments and a sprig of fresh mint. Orange Rum Rice Pudding...what can be better than fruit and alcohol in a dessert? (actually I can think of a couple right now...LOL)

Orange Run Rice Pudding
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
- 5 cups of milk
- 0.6666 cup Arborio or short grain rice
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and deseeded
- 0.5 cup vanilla sugar (regular sugar is OK)
- 1.5 tablespoon rum
- zest of half an orange
- orange segments and fresh mint sprig for garnish

1) Add milk, rice, vanilla bean seeds and the bean to a pan. Bring up to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. DO NOT WALK AWAY - milk will boil over and leave a mess if left unattended...
2) Stir frequently to prevent rice from sticking and cook for about 25 minutes until rice is tender.
3) Add sugar, rum and the orange zest to the pan. Take out the vanilla bean and cook for 5 - 10 minutes longer until the rice softens even more and the mixture thickens.

Because the pudding thickens up when cooled, I like having mine at the consistency of a risotto. However, you can adjust the consistency to your liking by cooking it more or adding a little more milk if too thick.
4) Pour rice pudding into serving glass/bowls, cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
5) Garnish with orange segments and a sprig of fresh mint.

paprika cheddar drop biscuits

It's been 6 years since I first discovered the soft, light, buttery biscuit. Biscuits weren't that popular in Canada and it was only when I moved to Georgia these delicious breads entered my life.

Let's be honest. Eating too many of these won't be too kind on those love handles especially with beach season around the bend. However, the taste and deliciousness of biscuits are unique and unmatched by many breakfast choices. As always, I'm a firm believer that as long as everything is eaten in moderation things like butter, chocolate and biscuits can be okay.

These Paprika Cheddar Biscuits bring something new to the table. The smoked paprika gives it that little kick to lift the flavor of the biscuit and the cheddar gives it a slightly sharp taste as well as a soft, chewy texture. Of course, regular paprika can be used in lieu of smoked paprika but the smokiness really does take these biscuits to a whole new level. Put grandma's recipe on hold for this Sunday and give these biscuits a go for Mother's day!

Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Adapted from Joy the Baker, Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:
- 2.25 cups AP flour
- 1.25 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.75 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika + more to dust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 0.5 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking powder/soda, salt, sugar and the smoked paprika in a bowl. Whisk together to evenly distribute the ingredients well and set aside.
2) Using a fork or, pastry blender (or if you're like me a food processor) cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
3) Stir in the cheese and mix again with a fork.
4) Add the cream and the milk and stir together until the dough just comes together. The dough will be very sticky but that's fine. The kicker here is to mix just until it comes together. Mix too much and too much gluten will form causing a tough biscuit.
5) Scoop the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and dust lightly with more paprika.

6) Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and let cool for at least 5 minutes.

chicken tikka masala

I love curries. I'm going to admit right now that those instant Japanese curries (the ones w/ the curry roux squares) is one of my favorites. Spicy, sweet, rich and full of great flavor. It is one of the ultimate comfort foods.

Chicken Tikka Masala is a type of curry that's light and creamy with a tomato based sauce. The tomato adds an amazing sweetness that goes well with the spiciness of the curry. Adding the yogurt at the end makes the sauce so velvety and creamy, it just melts in your mouth. I will warn now that this recipe contains turmeric (like almost all curries) and will stain your blender and/or countertops if spilled. There are various ways to clean up but I find that a solution with dish soap, bleach and hot water works best to remove these stains. This is a very simple and inexpensive dish that can be made in about 30 minutes. Give it a try on busy weeknights!

Chicken Tikka Masala
By Gordon Ramsay, Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, cut in half and sliced
- 1 to 2 green chiles (use 1 for a less spicy curry)
- 1" piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed - 0.5 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 heaping tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 4 to 6 tablespoons of plain yogurt
- bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped once

1) Add oil to a hot pan and throw in onions. Add in the deseeded and cut chiles, ginger and crushed garlic cloves. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onions begin to soften. 2) Make a well in the center of the pan and add in the spice mix. Dry roast the spices for a minute or two to intensify the flavor of the spices. Add in the sugar to enhance the carmelization of the onions even more. 3) Make another well in the center of the pan and add the tomato purée. Cook off the bitter flavor of the purée for about a minute and add in the can of diced tomatoes. Cook for another minute. 4) Transfer the sauce to a blender and blitz/blend until smooth. This is why the vegetables don't have to be finely diced, etc. because the blender does all of the work for us. Set aside. 5) In the same pan, add a little more oil and toss in the cubed chicken breasts. Get a good color on the chicken and add in the blended sauce back to the pan. Bring the sauce back up to a boil. 6) At boil, add in the yogurt. Add in more yogurt if you want a lighter and creamier tikka masala sauce. Stir in the yogurt until the sauce lightens in color. 7) Add in half of the chopped cilantro and stir in. 8) Serve over a bed of rice and finish off by garnishing with more of the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately. ______________________________________________  
A nice trick for removing the seeds of the chiles is to roll the chile in your hands, cut off the stem end of the chile and shake the seeds out. I do recommend using 1 chile if you're a curry virgin so the spiciness isn't overpowering.

rum bananas

I can't begin to describe how awesome it feels to be done with my 1st year rotation. After 3 weeks of long, tiresome, wage-free work, it feels good to kick back and enjoy the rest of my week. I have mixed feelings about that place. In some ways, it really helped me see what I don't want to do in my future and how I want to run things when I'm in charge. There are 2 real stars in that pharmacy and thanks to them, I was able to tough it out even in the rough. If you happen to stumble into this blog, thanks April and Kim.

Anyways, you can't end an epic night like today with your average dinner. House is coming to a close, there's 3 more episodes of 24 left and I just finished my rotations: Monday's are awesome (until season finales). Okay, this isn't rocket science but I'll try to simplify it as much as I can. Ready? Here it goes:

Rum + Bananas + Vanilla Ice Cream = Instant Food Coma

There are weirdos out there that don't like bananas *cough Val and Dom cough* but these Rum Bananas will convert the most extreme antibananians. The contrast between the hot bananas and the cold vanilla ice cream go so well together and the caramel flavored with rum is absolutely delicious. To top it off, this dessert requires a flambé which is pretty much my favorite cooking technique. If anyone knows of a way to flambé and take a photo of it at the same time by yourself, please comment below!

Rum Bananas
Original, Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 3 bananas slightly firm (not blackened like banana bread bananas)
- enough sugars to cover the surface of your pan
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- splash of rum
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of water
- scoop of vanilla ice cream

1) Slice your bananas into large chunks. I did mine in thirds. You don't want the bananas to be too small or they'll become soggy and fall apart.
2) In a pan, pour the sugar in and stir the pan around to evenly distribute the sugar. Turn the heat on and just let the sugar sit until the sugar starts to caramelize.
3) Once you're happy with the color, add in the butter and shake that in.
4) Add in the bananas and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes until the bananas are caramelized.
5) Now for the exciting part: flambé. Add in the rum, tilt the pan (if you have a gas stove) and watch the pyro show. Add in cocunut milk or water and cook out the alcohol for 1 - 2 minutes.
***Now, is the flambé necessary? No...you could just add in the rum and let it cook out but it doesn't look cool and it's no fun. If you have an electric stove, you can use long skewers or a strand of spaghetti, light that on fire and flambé into the pan. If you're worried about burning off your eyebrows or lighting your kitchen on fire, don't flambé***

6) Spoon the banans into serving glasses and scoop a generous portion of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle the rum caramel sauce over the ice cream and serve.

REAL mac & cheese

True friends are hard to come by. I'm not talking about those "friends" that just call you when they need something or a favor. No, I'm referring to the friends who are always there for you, support you and appreciate you for being who you are.

Friendship is something I take for granted a lot of times but when I really think about it, I truly do appreciate those special to me. The hand of friendship can only extends so far and there are some that will never extend their arms far enough to reach yours, regardless of how many times you aid them. I've met many personalities and characters in my 3 years of college and I'm so glad to have found a number of people that I hope to keep in touch with for the rest of my life. Ryne celebrates his 21st birthday today and I remember having numerous conversations with him about mac & cheese last year. He's still convinced that the synthetic, plastic stuff from the blue package is better than the real thing. Hopefully, I can convince him to change his mind next year with this Mac & Cheese.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my fair share of melted cheese but I hate how some mac & cheese come drenched in melted cheddar cheese that looks like it's been in a cheddary downpour. There are lots of flavors going into my version and it's quite rich. To balance out the richness, I simply grate a little bit of parmesan cheese over before I bake it rather then drowning the macaroni with a yellowy shower. A great comfort food for any occasion. Remember, steer away from that blue box with the freakish, yellow dinosaur. Also, happy birthday Ryne, thank you for being a great friend.

Macaroni and Cheese (that's not in a blue box)
Original, Serves 4

Ingredients: (Macaroni and Fillings)
- 1 box of elbow macaroni
- 4 strips of bacon, cut into lardons
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1.5 cups, sliced portebella mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- leaves of 2 to 3 thyme sprigs
- 0.3333 cup white wine

1) Cook macaroni per package directions until a little before al dente. Make sure the boiling water is salted and olive oiled. Drain (DO NOT WASH) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a baking dish.
2) Add bacon lardons to a hot pan and cook until crisp. About 5 - 8 minutes. Remove to a plate with paper towels to drain the excess grease.
3) Add some olive oil and when the pan is hot again, add in the shallots. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots turn translucent at about medium heat.
4) Add in the sliced mushrooms (make sure they're washed and cleaned...), thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Don't be shy with the salt, it helps draw out all of the moisture in the mushrooms. Add a couple tablespoons of butter and cook until mushrooms are browned and reduce in size. About 5 minutes.
5) Deglaze the pan with the third of a cup of white wine. Reduce the wine and set aside.
Ingredients: (White Sauce)
- 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons, AP flour
- 3.5 cups milk
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 egg yolks

6) Add butter and flour to a pan and cook out the flour. Make sure the pan isn't too hot, you don't want to brown the butter. Cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
7) Switch to a whisk and add in the milk in thirds, whisking vigorously to prevent any lumps from forming. After the last addition, the mixture should be a white, luxurious, lump-free white sauce. Add in the cream and a pinch of nutmeg. The nutmeg draws out the flavor of the white sauce and takes the sauce to a whole new dimension.
8) Add in the cheeses gradually, whisking to keep the smooth sauce.
9) After all of the cheese has been added, add in the egg yolks and whisk to prevent curdling.
10) Combine the macaroni, bacon/mushroom mixture and the cheese sauce together and pour into the buttered baking dish.
11) Grate some Parmesan cheese over the max & cheese and bake for about 15 minutes or until the Parmesan cheese is golden brown.
12) Serve immediately and enjoy REAL mac & cheese!