easy recipe – Page 8

Breakfast Bagel

April 14, 2014 by Asharae 4 Comments

I’ve recently been playing around with my schedule during the day – when I wake up, what I do to start out my day, how I get going on the tasks I need to accomplish. I work from home and tend to lead a very unstructured life. I’m an INFP if you know anything about Myers Briggs – and Tim is nearly the complete opposite being an ESFJ. If that means anything to you, great! I could talk all day about it! And if it doesn’t mean anything to you, then you need to go take a Myers Briggs test right now.

Some people don’t like to be put in a box (I tend to be one of them), but this test helped make sense of SO many things in my life. It put words to how I think about conflict, how I go about organizing (or not organizing) my life, my communication styles and comfort levels in various situations, amongst other things.

All that being said, I know that I tend to get uncomfortable in super structured environments with lots of rules and regulations. Working from home suits me SO well because I can set my own schedule, goals, breaks, and such. The downfall of this is that it can easily lead to procrastination and I often get distracted since no one is watching over my shoulder to make sure I stay on task. I’ve thought about setting up our GoPro camera to record myself and see how I work on a given day. It probably looks something like – check email, check Facebook, sort receipts, start an email reply, fulfill a print order, drink some coffee, pet the dogs, check Pinterest, finish email, start a load of laundry, check Facebook, eat a snack… You get the idea. The end of the day rolls around and I often realize I avoided the biggest task I needed to accomplish for the day. I did a whole lot, but often it wasn’t truly what needed to get done.

While I tend to buck routine and having any sort of structure, lately I’ve found that adding the smallest bit of structure to my morning will often help me throughout the rest of the day. Here are a few things I’m learning – I’d love for you to join me in trying some (or all) of these!

– Get sufficient sleep. This is a hard one for a lot of people, but it’s SO very important. When I’m running low on sleep I get grumpy and moody, I want to eat all the things all the time, and my brain feels fuzzy and unfocused the whole day.

– Start out the day in a way that refreshes you. The past several weeks I’ve been waking up and doing a short yoga video each morning. I’m loving Erin Motz‘s free yoga videos – they’re nothing too intense, just enough to wake me up and get the blood flowing. Some mornings I think I’m too busy for a little 15 minute video, but those tend to be the days I get tired and lethargic around lunch time.

– Don’t check your email first thing in the morning. I JUST started this one. For a long time I’d check my email every moment of the day hoping for new wedding inquiries to be waiting in my Inbox. I finally got to the point a year or two ago where I had to protect my weekends from that – now it’s very rare that I even open my email on a weekend. That has been so good for me and it’s helped me to be more present with my friends and family.

Now I’m trying to put off emails till later in the morning. If I read them first thing when I wake up, I’m not mentally prepared to respond, so I spend the next couple hours thinking and worrying about what I should say and how I should answer questions. Not healthy. By avoiding my email all morning till I’m properly awake and ready to respond, I avoid stressing and over-thinking about something that will be simple once I’m fully awake.

– Eat something that will give you energy throughout your morning. Lately I’ve been on an Everything Bagel kick. I toast half of it up and spread hummus on it, maybe add some sliced bell peppers or red onions, add a fried egg or a couple slices of turkey, and top it with feta or a slice or two of cheddar cheese. That’s been my go-to morning meal the past couple weeks and so far has proven to keep me going till lunch. This breakfast quinoa dish is another great option for a breakfast that’ll keep you going throughout your day.

Do you have any morning routines that you stick to? Anything that helps keep you focused and productive throughout the day?

The recipe below is very much a guideline for you to take and make your own! I’d love to hear if you have any of your own great breakfast ideas that keep you energized throughout your morning!

Breakfast Bagel

Asharae Kroll

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Servings 1

Ingredients

1/2 - 1 bagel depending on how hungry you are
1-2 eggs or a few slices of turkey or both!
Bell pepper or red onion sliced thinly
Feta or cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toast your bagel
Fry up your egg - read my new favorite method on Top With Cinnamon. It's seriously genius and I can't believe I didn't think of it before.
Spread hummus on the bagel and add whatever toppings you like!

Cumin Roasted Carrots

April 2, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

I’m currently obsessed with roasted vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots are all delicious when roasted, and soon asparagus will be in season too! I much prefer the smoky, crispiness of roasted vegetables to soggy, mushy veggies that have simmered in a pot of water for too long. Those are what I grew up with – I never knew there were so many other (more delicious) ways of cooking vegetables!

These little carrot fries are just delicious. They’re a little smoky-spicy and a little sweet, and you can adjust the spice level to whatever you prefer! If you want them to really have a kick, add some cayenne pepper and maybe a tiny sprinkle of red pepper flakes. That’s up to you! They can be eaten alone or dipped in a sauce like the lime crema used in this recipe over on Two Peas and Their Pod. I made these carrots again yesterday for lunch and stood in the kitchen, hovered over the stove when they came out of the oven, and ate the whole pan all by myself. I even forgot to add the green onions and they were still delicious, especially with the lime crema. Mmmmm. Feel free to share. Or eat them all by yourself.

Cumin Roasted Carrots

Adapted from familystyle food

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Ingredients

2-3 large carrots peeled and cut into fries
1 Tbs olive oil or coconut oil, melted
Juice and zest from one lime
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse carrots, peel them, and carefully cut into fries. Try to keep them around the same size, but don't get worried about being perfect.
Pat dry and place the carrots in a large bowl and stir in with olive oil, lime juice and zest, honey, salt, and spices.
Place on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use aluminum foil or a silpat for easier cleanup) and roast for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through if you wish. Carrots are done when they start to color and are just tender.
Garnish with green onions and serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

March 31, 2014 by Asharae 2 Comments

This past week or so I’ve been learning so much about reaching outside of myself, getting out of my comfort zone, and reaching beyond my computer screen and the safety of my home. I’m naturally a very introverted person. I like a quiet home, I’m perfectly content to be left alone with my thoughts most of the day, I take great pains to avoid answering the phone when it’s a number I don’t know (and sometimes even when it’s a number I do know), and I need major time to recharge after being around people all day while shooting a wedding.

Don’t get me wrong – I love people, I love connecting with them, hearing their stories, and sharing my own. I love learning from others and looking back to see where my story intersected with someone else’s, the effect that had on both of us, and how we grew from it. If left to my own devices though, I would probably hole up in my house, drink my coffee, do my own thing, and in the end be rather selfish with my time. While I think it’s completely necessary to rest and recharge, I also think (especially for myself) that I often need more encouragement to get out, reach beyond the four walls of my house, and be okay with being outside my comfort zone.

This actually reminds me of a blog post my dear friend Lauren wrote recently (side note – you should go check out her blog! She has such beautiful thoughts!) She wrote about a quote she saw on Pinterest – “Taking time to live will only inspire your work.” I feel like that really embodies these thoughts that are rolling around in my head.

Lately, we’ve been going non-stop – meeting new people almost every day through a variety of opportunities that have come our way. And even though seeing and meeting so many people has drained this introvert of much of her people-energy, it has been SO so good for me. I’m learning that it’s okay to be uncomfortable at times, and to just roll with it.

Confession time: I HATE small talk. It’s not that I can’t do it, but rather I feel like I start rambling and I don’t do a great job at listening while small-talking. Give me your story though, and I’m happy to talk for hours. Share with me what you’re passionate about and ask me what I love to do – we’ll be best friends. But chat about the weather at length, the latest you-tube videos for too long, or give me one word answers to my questions and I won’t know where to go from there. I’d rather hear your life story and try to understand what makes you who you are than chat about something fluffy and gossipy any day.

Last week we met with a bunch of photographers who are local to our area. Tim and I don’t really follow a lot of local artists – we tend to do our own thing and not think too much about what others around us are doing or offering (maybe that’s a fault, I’m not sure.) I tend to compare myself to others easily though, and I get discouraged when it seems like they are doing more beautiful work, or doing crummier work and getting paid more, or they simply seem more “successful” than we are – whatever that means. That being said, we weren’t super familiar with the local photographer scene. We decided last week to get outside ourselves and go to a local meet-up we’d been invited to – it was such a good decision!

We loved chatting with everyone and sharing our hilarious wedding stories, but most of all I loved hearing about them. Why they became a photographer, what they loved most about shooting weddings, how they chose the name for their business. Those were the stories I wanted to hear. A few of us stayed late into the evening, after the group dwindled down to just us, and we laughed and sipped our drinks and nibbled on the crumbs of what was left of our fancy taco dishes and hummus plates.

We talked about life and owning our own businesses and working with clients and relationships and marriage and college and not getting jobs in our area of study and having dogs and planting gardens amongst many other things. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances, but we opened ourselves up to one another and shared our stories, the beginning of our fears and our struggles, the excitement of finding what we love to do, and the hopes we have for the future. We arrived mostly strangers or acquaintances and we walked out into the cool breezy night, exchanged hugs, and bid one other good night and exchanged “let’s do this again soon”s. It’s so hard to be vulnerable, to open yourself up to new experiences and new people, to get out of your comfort zone and ask about more than just the weather – but it’s so so worth it in the end.

If inviting people into your home to share a meal at your table sounds like “getting outside of your comfort zone,” then this recipe is for you. You don’t have to work too hard and you will be a hero at the next get together you host, I promise. This recipe is simple enough to throw together, and it will keep you out of the kitchen so you’re able to spend more time with your friends, chatting and munching on chips and salsa until you’re ready for dinner. The morning-of, sauté up a few veggies and then throw everything in the crockpot, set it on low for 8 hours total. Check on it around hour 5, take the chicken out and shred it, then toss it back in and let it get happy a couple more hours till you’re ready to enjoy it!

I made this when my college roommates came to visit a couple weekends ago – we tossed it all together and then went to the park for a picnic lunch and a little walk in the sunshine! We’ve been having the most glorious weekends lately, but pretty crummy wet weather during the week – I’m so ready for spring really arrive! Until then I’m going to keep making soup to keep me warm and happy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Asharae Kroll

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 15 mins

Servings 6 -8

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow onion diced
1-2 jalapeños diced (with seeds for spicy flavor, without for mild)
4 cloves of garlic minced
6 c chicken stock
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 15 oz can corn drained
1 small can diced green chilies optional
1.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 1-2 limes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
Garnish: cheese tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro

Instructions

Saute onion over medium heat until slightly tender 2-4 minutes.
Add jalapeño and garlic, sauté 1 more minute. Add to slow cooker.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except lime juice, cilantro, and garnishes.
Turn the slow cooker on low for 5 hours, remove chicken and shred it with two forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and leave on low for 2-3 more hours. (UPDATE: Depending on your slow cooker, this may go much faster! I've found that mine cooks hot, so it only takes 3-5 hours for the chicken to cook on low. I then shred it and place it back in for 30 minutes or so. Adjust your cooking time accordingly so you don't end up with tough, dry chicken.)
Add cilantro and lime juice right before serving.
Serve garnished with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, additional lime and cilantro, and even sour cream or hot sauce if you wish.

Notes

If you don't like spice, you can omit the jalapeño and the diced green chilies for a more mild flavor. This recipe is very adaptable to your flavor preferences and what you have on-hand - I'm not sure I've ever made it the exact same way twice. Sometimes I add more spice or less, use frozen corn instead of canned, or omit an ingredient or two because I don't have it in the cabinet that day. This soup is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover chicken or turkey - just shred it all ahead of time and toss it in the crockpot for the flavors to get happy for a few hours.

Quinoa and Veggies

March 20, 2014 by Asharae 1 Comment

I absolutely love this recipe I came across over on Reclaiming Provincial. Although it’s meant to be a breakfast recipe, I’ve eaten it for every meal of the day. I love that it’s wildly adaptable to suit your tastes, easily doubled or tripled depending on the number of people you’re feeding, and it’s super simple to make!

If you’ve never cooked quinoa, today’s your day! And if you’ve never dared to say the word quinoa aloud, well, today’s your day for that too – it’s pronounced more or less like keen-wa. Say it with me – keen-wa – keen-wa – quinoa. Easy. It’s pretty much like cooking rice – the first couple times you’re not entirely sure if you’ve done it right, but you’ll get the hang of it! And it’s totally worth it – quinoa is this wonderful, healthy blank canvas that you can adapt to suit your preferences! It’s perfect if you like to have a vegetarian night every once in a while because it’s incredibly high in protein too.

This particular recipe calls for broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and green onions, but you can use whatever you have on hand! It’s great if you have random veggies left in your fridge and aren’t sure what to do with them. My only tip is that you make sure you rinse your quinoa in a mesh strainer before cooking it – it can have a bitter flavor if you skip that step. Enjoy! Let me know if you adapt this recipe – I’d love to hear how you tried it!

Quinoa and Veggies

Adapted from Reclaiming Provincial

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
handful of broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
handful of mushrooms rinsed and sliced
handful of spinach
cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice
green onions diced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a little olive oil or coconut oil in a pan over medium high and sauté broccoli and mushrooms till cooked, about 5 minutes. (Mine took closer to 10 minutes.)
Add spinach, stir, and remove from heat once slightly wilted.
While the veggies are cooking rinse your quinoa in a mesh sieve and drain.
Then combine quinoa, water, and milk in a sauce pan and bring to boiling. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Let cook 8-10 minutes, or until done, stirring occasionally. Quinoa is done when you can see the little ring around each grain and it no longer crunches when you bite into it.
Once quinoa is finished, add veggies and combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve topped with cheese and green onions.

Notes

This recipe is wildly adaptable according to your tastes! Add onions or bell peppers or tomatoes if you like! Top with feta and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Add walnuts and dried cranberries. Top with a fried egg! The possibilities are endless - Let me know what you try in the comments!