Another Year, Another Adventure

Between welcome week, classes starting, rush and adjusting to junior year, I'll admit I've been slow to writing a post.

In order to celebrate being back in Ann Arbor, Julie, Sam and I decided that Seva was appropriate for the occasion. Although I've written about Seva before, I knew that one post would not be enough to give this restaurant the much needed attention it deserves.

A vegan and vegetarian's delight, Seva's food is so good that it can convince any meat-eater to put aside their carnivorous cravings for the evening. Every time the three of us go, we always say that we'll venture outside of our regular orders and explore the other delicious looking options on the menu...and every time we give into old (but good) habits and order the classic dishes we love most.

Here's some of our favorites:

ENSALADA

[romaine, tempeh, corn-cilantro-lime salsa, cheddar jack cheese

guacamole, sour cream, pepitas, corn tortilla strips]

CILANTRO PEANUT STIR-FRY

[broccoli, red & yellow peppers, mushrooms, mung sprouts, green onions, carrots, brown rice, roasted peanuts, cilantro-peanut-ginger-lime sauce]

RENNIE'S PEANUT KALE SALAD

[hearty kale, carrots, butternut squash, red peppers, peanut-cider marinade]

Cost? Most dishes range between $10-15 dollars and are very filling - you won't be missing the meat. If you want a heartier meal, I'd suggest adding a tempeh patty for an additional $4, it's worth the cost.

Atmosphere? My true favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor - a hip, relaxed crowd that never falls short of any expectation.

Best dish? See our favorites above, I'll let you be the judge.

Seva
314 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor MI

And to top off our delicious and satisfying meal, we caught a ride home on The Conference Bike - a red circular apparatus that has seating for six and a round handlebar in the middle, with one man steering. The owner hangs out by the restaurant, Mani, right down the street from Seva. For $5 per rider, this bike is worth every penny - just make sure to have a camera on hand.

Easy Asian Cuisine from our DC Kitchen [DC Summer]

Now that the DC "summer" has officially started and consistent 100 degree days are in full-swing, the only suitable way to end a long work day is by relaxing in an air-conditioned apartment. Still determined to live on a college, working budget, Stef, Laura and I decided that even on the hottest of days it was necessary to cook in.

We came up with a quick and easy meal that helped to clear out our fridge and was one of our best meals yet. Although this Asian inspired meal was meatless, you can replace the main protein, tempeh, with chicken or beef and it will be equally as easy to prepare.

Here's the ingredients we used...

-Frozen vegetable dumplings (we liked Trader Joe's)

-Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles

-Broccoli Stirfry Mix

-Pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

-Soy Tempeh (tempeh will be packaged in a long strip)

-Soy Sauce

-Soy Ginger Sauce

And here's what we made...

Asian Noodle Stirfy

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add noodles.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat 1 tbsp. of canola or sesame oil in a large sauce pan. Add stirfry mix and mushrooms. When vegetables are almost cooked through (they will be soft and beginning to brown), add 2-3tbsp. soy sauce. Mix well.
3. ***Before draining the noodles, set aside 1/4 cup of pasta water*** After draining the noodles, add the pasta water back into the pot of noodles. The starch water will help to break up the noodles so they don't stick together of become gummy.
4. Add noodles into pan with vegetables and add 2 tbsp. of soy ginger sauce and 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Stir until sauces, vegetables and noodles are mixed thoroughly.

Soy Tempeh

1. Slice tempeh into 1/2" wide cubes.
2. Add tempeh to frying pan with 2-3 tbsp. of soy sauce and allow to cook until tempeh has turned dark brown and is beginning to char. If tempeh is not cooked through, it will be flavorless.

Vegetable Dumplings

1. Place dumplings in frying pan with 5 tbsp. of water. Cover and allow to steam until heated through.

These recipes are quick, easy and will satisfy both your hunger and your budget. Enjoy!
 
What's tempeh? Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake used as a protein. A more flavorful and more filling alternative to tofu.... And this place prepares the best tempeh I've ever had.

A Healthy and Delicious Twist on Two Italian Classics

Nothing beats a dish of homemade tomato sauce and pasta, or a sauté of sausage and peppers. But with summer right around the corner, I created a healthy and delicious twist on these two Italian classics – and I promise you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

At home, I have access to plenty of fresh ingredients, as well as plenty of time to prepare a dish from scratch. However, I know that living on a college budget and a college schedule doesn’t always allow for both – so I’ll show you how to make a delicious meal that’ll satisfy a college lifestyle.

I’m replacing the pasta with spaghetti squash, the sausage with chicken sausage, and adding in tons of vegetables to create a sauce that’s packed with flavor.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized spaghetti squash

Fresh basil

1 jar of tomato sauce (your healthiest choice would be Emeril’s Home Style Marinara, only 90 calories per serving and no added sugars)

2 large peppers (red, orange or yellow)

1 medium onion

1 package of chicken sausage (Italian Style – Trader Joe’s makes a great sausage at a reasonable price)

Seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano)

Grated parmesan

Olive oil for cooking

Preparation:

"Spaghetti and Sauce"

1. Slice spaghetti squash in half (width-wise). Fill microwavable dish with about 1" of water and place spaghetti squash seed-side down. Microwave for 20 minutes on HIGH. Scoop seeds out of squash and continue to microwave for 4-6 additional minutes. Squash is finished when you can easily scrape out the inside with a fork - if not, continue to microwave. Set squash aside once it has been scraped out - it will resemble cut spaghetti. 

2. Heat sauce in medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in fresh basil, onion powder, garlic powder. 

3. Once sauce is heated, pour on top of spaghetti squash and top with grated parmesan.

"Sausage and Peppers"

1. Slice onions and peppers into simliar sized thin strips, set aside.

2. Slice chicken sausage into 1/4" pieces, set aside.

3. Heat 2 tsbp. olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. 

4. Once oil is heated, add onions and peppers and sauté until onions become clear and peppers start to brown, being careful not to burn either vegetable. 

5. Add in chicken sausage pieces and cook until lightly browned. 

6. Remove from heat and season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!

Quick spaghetti squash vs. spaghetti comparison:

According to the USDA nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, .4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.2 grams of fiber. 

Compare that to 1 cup of cooked enriched spaghetti which yields 221 calories, 1.3 grams of fat, 43 g of carbohydrate and 2.5 g of fiber.

Aspartame, Saccharin, Tartrazine oh my!

I came across an interesting article this morning from the EatThisNotThat twitter feed on food additives. Proposing that all of the 11 food additives listed are "controversial", this article is definitely worth looking at. As someone who tries actively (and usually has trouble being successful at) avoiding chemical food additives, this article was extremely eye-opening.


Here is what Women's Health Magazine believed to best the 11 Most Controversial Food Additives:


1. Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)
2. Artificial Flavoring
3. Aspartame
4. BHA and BHT
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (...should be considered the worst in my opinion)
6. Interesterified Fat
7. Monosodium Gultamate (MSG)
8. Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
9. Red #3 (Erythrosine) and Red #40 (Allura Red)
10. Saccharin
11. Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)


With an abundance of links drawn between consumption and cancer, seizures, tumors and weight-gain, it seems like there is no benefit from consuming any of the above listed food additives. But with the way food is prepared, packaged and preserved, it is nearly impossible to buy and consume all foods that are free of any of these chemicals. I'm sure if you look close enough, even those frozen meals you buy at Whole Foods contain at least one of these "controversial" food additives.

Take a look at the article, and take from it what you may - who knows, maybe it'll change the way you buy and consume some of your favorite foods.


http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/content/11-most-controversial-food-additives?article=7&page=1

Brain Food

In an effort to reach out to another category of readers, I’ve decided to expand the areas that my blog covers and incorporate another one of my passions: food studies.

So what exactly does food studies mean? Well as defined by Wikipedia (which we know is always extremely reliable), food studies describes the critical examination of food and its context within science, art, history, society and other fields. While I have not had the opportunity to have extensive academic exposure to food studies, I have been lucky enough to have taken some classes and read some books on the topic.

If you’re reading this blog, it means that you have some interest in food. So if you’re even remotely interested in taking this interest to another level, I’d suggest checking out these books and websites. All of these books are extremely eye-opening and will really give you a different perspective the next time you go out to eat or go to the grocery store.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollen

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Food Politics by Marion Nestle (brilliant woman, leading the modern-day food politics movement)

The Ethics of What We Eat by

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Chew on This by Michael Pollan

And here are the websites to check out:

http://www.foodpolitics.com/ (Marion Nestle’s website)

http://www.letsmove.gov/

Look out for articles and news stories I’ll be posting in the new few weeks. I’ll be keeping my eye out for one’s that are sure to appeal to readers of all ages. 

Jill's Sweet and Crunchy Peanut Butter Wrap

Cereal for breakfast. Sandwich for lunch. Salad for dinner. Lack of variation in the dining hall has come to define the end of my freshman year.

Luckily, Jill saved the day by creating an absolutely irresistible and easy to make wrap. After trying this, a traditional peanut butter sandwich will never taste the same.

Here’s how she did it:

-1 12” whole wheat wrap

-3 tbsp. creamy peanut buter

-1/2 tbsp. honey

-2 tbsp. granola

-1/2 apple sliced into 1/8” slices

1. Spread peanut butter over one side of the wrap.

2. Spread honey on top of peanut butter.

3. Lay apple slices along the middle of the wrap on top of the peanut butter and honey and sprinkle granola over the top.

4. Fold two ends of the wrap inwards and roll then rest of the wrap to seal.

Now here’s the best part:

1. (If available) Place wrap in a panini press, close lid on wrap and allow to press for 2 minutes.

2. Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: If a panini press is unavailable, you can place wrap in a skillet over medium heat for one minute on each side.