Radishes and Excuses

Blogosphere... I have failed you.

I only posted twice in March and twice in February.  Not only poor blogging practice, but one of my 30 Before 30 was to blog three times a month.  Oops.  I could give you a butt-load of excuses, but that's not my style.  So instead, I start this month anew.  And no, this isn't an April Fools joke.

I'll tell you what is a joke though.  Radishes.

True to form, I waited until the last day of March to try my new food.  Ironically, very similar in appearance to beets (my new food from February), but decidedly MUCH cuter.

I can't say the same for the taste.  I'm not going to sugarcoat it... although I did sprinkle some salt on them before I took a bite.  The first bite was uneventful.  The second bite was gross.

And there you have it!  No fancy recipe, just good old fashion taste-testing.

The Beets

Regardless of how awesome the band was on Doug (Killer Tofu, anyone? #90sKid), there was nothing you could've done to make me want to try beets.  While the color is beautiful, it's not a typical color of natural food, and the consistency REALLY weirded me out.  I knew one day I would try them, but every time I considered it, I wasn't ready.

Along came February, and with that, the need to try a new food.  Nothing was really inspiring me.  I seriously considered okra, but after some research, it seemed like a better food to try in North Carolina when I visit my parents during Easter.  We were back to square one, with literally five days left in the month.

Then Rachel, Mistress of Weird Foods, mentioned that she had made herself some deeeelicious beet hummus.  Hummus?  I thought.  I like hummus!  And this got me thinking... I MIGHT be ready to try beets, if I could transform them into one of my favorite Greek condiments (are there any others)?

So on February 29, as if I could've waited any longer, my friend Ashley (Mistress of Vegetarian Food) came over and we made Rachel's Beet Hummus recipe.

Ladies and gentlemen... it was indeed DEEEELICIOUS.

Enjoy!

Beet Hummus

Prep time:  5 minutes

Cook time:  1 hour 20 minutes

Total time:  1 hour 25 minutes

Yield:  14 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients:

2-3 large beets, roasted, peeled, and chopped

1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seed)

5 T of lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

2 t ground cumin

1 t salt

2 T extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

To roast the beets, cut off the leaves and roots and wrap them loosely in tin foil.  Cook at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  When they are finished, let them cool a bit before taking off the foil.  To peel them, simply rub the beets with a wash cloth under cool water.  Works like a champ!  Chop the beets (if preferred.)  Place all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil into a food processor and puree.  Finally, gradually puree the olive oil into the mixture!

You can see Ashley isn't used to taking selfies while eating.

Very pleased with the final product!

Calories (per serving):  94

Total Fat:  5.1 g

Saturated Fat:  .7 g

Cholesterol:  0 mg

Sodium:  248 mg

Carbs:  10 g

Fiber:  2.8 g

Sugars:  2.4 g

Protein: 3.2 g

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

With January comes New Years Resolutions for a lot of people.  As you probably know though, my "resolutions" started on the day I turned 29 with my list of 30 Before 30.  This meant that January required that I try a new food!

Usually, I aim to try the new food in it's most unadulterated form.  That way, I really know how I feel about it before I start mixing it into things.  This time, though, I was inspired to try butternut squash during my search to find a healthier version of mac and cheese.

My friends on Facebook suggested the following recipe that is originally from the Team Beachbody Blog.

I got all ready to start, and realized I had no idea how to even CUT a butternut squash.  No worries, that's what google is for.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  61 minutes
Total Time:  1 hour and 16 minutes
Yield:  10 servings, about 1.5 cups each

Ingredients:
1 lb. dry whole wheat macaroni (or any kind of pasta shape)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1¾ cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
2 Tbsp. low-fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.  While the pasta is cooking, I cut up the squash and chopped up the onions and peppers.  Next, heat the olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and bell peppers.  It should take about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, for the onion to cook to translucence. Set aside.  Combine the squash, broth, and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; gently boil for 22 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender.  The milk might curdle a little, but that's not a big deal.  Be careful not to let it overflow!

Once the squash is done cooking, place squash mixture in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth.  I actually blended it in three separate batches, just to make sure it didn't overflow from my food processor.

Combine all the ingredients (squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt, and cheeses) in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.  Pour pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish that has been coated with spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling.

We decided to eat this macaroni concoction with our favorite Buffalo Chicken Burgers (baked, since we were decidedly snowed in from two feet of snow).  I didn't realize how... orange our meal was going to look.

I was definitely apprehensive, as I usually am when trying a new food...

Final thoughts:  I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it.  I felt the same as when I tried spaghetti squash... it didn't taste like the original.  Even though it was orange and had some cheese in it, it really didn't taste a whole lot like mac and cheese.  And frankly, it took forever to make.  Cutting that squash was no picnic either.  Dan loved it, so that's good, but I don't see myself making it again soon.