What's on your plate?

[lylysa]

Hello there, ladies and gents!

Keeping in line with all the fun and interactive threads asking about your most recent halls, items you have your eyes on, what you're currently wearing, what's your hair routine, and more, I've decide to branch out and ask:

"What's on your plate?"

The beauty world doesn't just stop at skin care and cosmetics, it also goes hand in hand with your overall health and well-being, so with that, I'm curious to see what we're all chowing down and snacking on be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or inbetween!

For those with apps that help count calories or to those who just want to keep a log, here's a place to share, possibly find and share some recipes, and even tips on maintaining a balanced diet.

Don't just share food items, but even drinks! I'm a huge fan of tea and at least have a cup of green tea a day (anti-oxidants) and drink plenty of water.

For lunch today, I had:

-Brown rice

-Steamed egg

-Steamed red snapper with green onion, sesame oil, and black pepper

-Gai lan (it's a type of Chinese vegetable/greens)

Now, tell me, Beauty Talk world, what do you have? 😄

[lylysa]

Commence the Paula Deen butter memes!

[lyravega]

[lylysa]

What's the steps for the garlic butter? Looks whipped up!

I normally just finely dice up garlic cloves and add them to butter I have slowly simmering on the stove top, but I'm always up for new methods!

[lyravega]

I simply leave the butter out on the counter until it's all soft ( few hours ). And, then I squeeze this roasted garlic ( in the photo above ) in it, and "whip" it all together with a fork. The roasted garlic is soft, and cream like, so it is easy to mix it with butter with just a fork. Friggin' delicious!!! You have to try to make this yourself. I know you're gonna love it. 🙂

Have you ever tried/made roasted garlic? If not, you just have to try it! It is divine! ( Very easy to make. ) Plus, it can be used for so many things: spread on bread, pizza or crackers; mashed into salad dressings; mashed into hummus, baba ganoush, or other spreads; used in place of raw garlic in soups, casseroles, and sauces... I "fry" eggs on it ( scrambled eggs are so yummy when prepared on garlic butter )... basically, you can use it for/in/with whatever you want/like. Possibilities are endless. 🙂

Oh, and just in case you didn't know it already - roasted garlic has mild flavor. When you roast garlic like this, its flavor mellows and sweetens. So, don't worry, you can't possibly put "too much" of it in anything. 🙂

"How to roast garlic in the oven" "recipe" is in the spoiler tag.

Spoiler

What you need:

1 or more heads of garlic ( I use one medium-large head of garlic for what would be one stick of butter )

knife

aluminum foil

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position.
2. Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic: Use your fingers to peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic. Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
3. Trim the top off the head of garlic: Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves. ( as in my photo above )
4. Wrap in foil and bake: Wrap the garlic aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. ( I bake mine for an hour )
5. Begin checking the garlic: After 40 minutes, begin checking the garlic. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife. Even once soft, you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavor ( I like it when more deep golden! ) — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.
6. Use or store the garlic: Let the garlic cool in its aluminium wrap, then open and serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. ( Just squeeze it out as you would squeeze a cream out of its tube. 🙂 ) Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

[lylysa]

DROOOOOOL

I love garlic so this is perfect and I bet with the whipped consistency it's so much easier to blend into soft goods. Funny enough, I need to get more garlic. Two nights ago I did garlic butter and parm mashed potatoes and used up the remaining cloves in my last bulb. I actually made a bit too much garlic butter for the potatoes so I poured the melted mix into a container to keep in the fridge. Last night when I went to begin my lamb loin chops I got super sad thinking I had no garlic to add into the pan before the meat.....then I remembered that last bit of garlic butter. SAVED! 😄

[lyravega]

😄

Nicely done.

Now, go get some garlic, and make this asap! 😉

It really is a (life) saver. 😄

I'm crazy about garlic, so of course I always have this garlic butter at hand. I just have to have it! I'm panicking if I realize I'm all out! 

[lylysa]

GARLIC ALL THE THINGS!!!!!!!!!

I need a surplus of rolls now because that whipped garlic butter is just BEGGING to be spread on bread!

[malday]

Okay, I'm sorry I didn't take a better picture, but tonight I roasted some cauliflower and parsnips with a little olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes , S&P and rosemary. I then put that on top of a kale salad with some homemade lemon garlic vinaigrette.

[RandeeBT]

That looks delicious! Roasted cauliflower is so delicious! I love roasted broccoli too! 

[DiVWA]

This looks like something I would make! Photo looks fine with me... I love meals like this.

[lyravega]

Quinoa chicken ( skinless, boneless thighs ) pilaf.

[lylysa]

Yesterday my allergies kicked my butt, I was going to make salmon but it would not have been pretty with as much sneezing and nose blowing I was doing. My bf was a sweetheart and got us pho. Had enough for leftovers for lunch today, guess who was chugging pho broth from the container.....THIS CHICK!

[knuevekm]

Chicken and broccoli stir fry tonight

[jisub89]

I had a lighter meal today-- salad consisting of baby kale and collard greens, barlett pear, tempeh (so good...), carrots, chicken breast, and hummus with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was paired with mini whole wheat pita bread and a cup of carrot juice.

Am I the only one who doesn't shake up my salad before eating? The dressing doesn't get evenly distributed but I still never feel the urge to mix it before eating.

[jisub89]

Today, I made blended cauliflower soup, topped with home-grown chives for garnish. I also been on a mozzarella cheese kick lately so my friend and I made this Korean fusion dish--spicy chicken covered with melted cheese. The leftover mozzarella was used to make a garlic cheesy ciabatta bread topped with chicken/bell pepper and drizzled balsamic dressing. 🙂

Spoiler

Recipe if anyone is interested in the Korean dish

maangchi dot com/recipe/buldak

[lylysa]

Can you share the soup recipe??? That looks delish (like all your photos)!

[jisub89]

Thanks lylysa! The cauliflower soup is one of my favorites to make in a huge batch and freeze in portions--makes for a easy, heathy meal when you have no time to cook! 🙂 In addition to the recipe, I added a whole bunch of freshly cracked black pepper to my soup to make a more warming meal. 

Spoiler

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic (about 2 cloves), plus more to taste
• 2 c. (200g) chopped leeks (white parts only, from 2 or 3 leeks)
• Natural salt
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 7 c. (1.65l) vegetable broth
• ¼ c. (35g) raw unsalted cashews or ¼ cup (35g) blanched slivered raw almonds, soaked*
• 3 Tbs. chopped chives or a grating of nutmeg (optional; choose one, not both), to garnish

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the garlic, leeks, and ¼ teaspoon of salt for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the cauliflower and saute for another minute.
2. Add the vegetable broth, increase the heat to high, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender. Stir the mix periodically and mash the cauliflower with a wooden spoon.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly; stir in the nuts. Pour the soup into your blender in batches and puree on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. (Remember to remove the plastic cap in the blender top and cover the opening with a kitchen towel so steam can escape while you blend.) Return the soup to the saucepan and warm it over low heat.
4. Stir in salt to taste. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with either chopped chives or grated nutmeg.

Notes

* Soak the cashews at room temperature in water for 2-4 hours, or boiled water for 10 minutes if you're in a pinch.

Read more at kitchenstewardship.com/2014/04/11/recipe-dairy-free-creamy-cauliflower-soup-excerpt-from-the-blender-girl/#o3ThT6ivUQ4FP81O.99

[lylysa]

Thank you so much for the recipe! ^_^

[DiVWA]

Today for lunch I had a salad containing chopped radicchio, kale leaf, parsley, jicama and dried currants. I massaged some lemon-infused olive oil into the radicchio and kale greens before adding the other ingredients. I used one small blood orange for some sweetness and then some raw sauerkraut juice for some sourness. Topped everything off with diced leftover maple-glazed ham.

[blackkitty2014]

I love lettuces, salad and green. I can eat them any time, all the time. You always know how to make a beautiful plate and yummy too. 🙂

[EvangelineDamon]

To any lingering guilt:

So this just might have been the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich I've ever had/made.

The ham was leftover from last night, thank you DiVWA (she came over and cooked my dinner!! ha ha....no, no, she just gave me a great recipe for ham cooking/glazing (that I had to alter a bit since I threw out some needed seasonings) along with tips on where to get the best ham. Hint: It's Trader Joe's)

What you need:

Sourdough Bread Slices (I love our local Raymond's) but use what ever tickles your pickle.

Butter (doesn't have to be softened)

Sharp Cheddar Cheese or something that melts nicely; I usually go for Monterrey Jack, but I like how ham and sharp cheddar play with each other.

Ham 

With the left over ham, I cut the non-sliced portion into thin slices, put aside.

Grated sharp cheddar cheese with one of those spice graters for extra, extra fine cheese, put aside.

Pre-heat pan, medium-high heat

Add a little more than 1/2 of tbs. of butter, slightly brown. 

"Dip" both sides of the bread into the butter, placing the side you want for the inner part down in the pan first.

Let "fry" for about 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.

Flip for about 5 minutes; while that side browns up, place ham around the outside of your bread pieces, to warm or ever crisp up the edges.

Add shredded cheese, then place ham on top.

Add more cheese and add the other piece of bread.

Use a spatula to flip to other side.

Let heat for about 2-5 more minutes.

Serve, let semi-cool, eat and sing.

Take it away, Judy