We can resolve these resolution problems.

It's January! Ah yes.  A new start, a new year, and another reason to jump back into that gym or high intensity workout routine that leaves your muscles twitching and your hands filled with tootsie rolls, trying to get that blood sugar back up.  I can't keep resolutions. I try, I really do, but by the time I've juiced the last bunch of kale I'm pretty much over the whole ordeal.
Instead, I've adapted a new way of eating that has taken months and months to hold on to. Less sweets (HA, well I try my best with that one...), no red meat, tons of fresh fruits and veggies, and NO soda. Is it a huge ground breaking ideology? Nope! Which is why I think it would work for absolutely everyone. You can substitute your own rules, maybe you don't want any sugar at all but absolutely love your steak and pork loin. Hey, that's cool! Just keep it healthy my friends.
I've also learned that when you start your day healthy, you're much more likely to keep it that way. So on that note:

I grew up with oatmeal and cream of wheat. Every. Single. Weekend.
 It was great and warm and I really appreciate that my parents allowed me to grow up in a household of minimal takeout and a plentiful amount of healthy meals, but now I'm at the stove, and we're about to switch things up.
Quinoa is new on the health food scene, new in popularity, and has taken center stage with big brand veggie burgers and salad enthusiasts everywhere. Why? It's gluten free, packed with protein, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, and dreams.
Why then are we stopping at salads and burgers? Let's get this "superfood" into the most important meal of the day! I'm talking about hot quinoa breakfast cereal, and it's awesome.
This cereal will help you relax the cravings that may attack you throughout your day, and satisfy the sweet breakfast desire that so many of us have. We can't all be bacon and egg people! Gosh.
On with it then.

Quinoa! The new breakfast of champions.
You'll need for 2 servings

2 cups of vanilla almond milk
1 cup of rinsed quinoa
2 tbs of brown sugar
1 tbs of real maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Fresh berries for serving. I used raspberries.

In a medium saucepan, heat the almond milk to a simmer. Stir in the quinoa, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I say stir, because I used a whisk the first time around and it was a nightmare. I test so you don't have to deal with the issues. You're welcome.
Bring this to a boil and then down to a simmer, cover for 15 minutes. You'll notice at this point that most of the milk has been absorbed, and that's exactly what you want to see. Stir in the vanilla and cook, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes. Your breakfast is ready! Woohoo! Serve with extra almond milk splashed on top and fresh berries.

Resolutions are doable! I think I can, I think I can...

Pasta Pasta

    Where have I been?! Sometimes it feels like it's been a few days since my last post, and then I look at the last date and realize it's been an entire month! Here's what happened. I'm a baker. It was Thanksgiving. There you have it! Next time you guys go to a bakery for your wonderful holiday treats, take a second to give a shout out to the bakers/ front workers/ owners, of that establishment. They (we) give your treats 100% of their (our) time and effort, and enjoy every second of it! However, it does make time fly and seemingly get away from doing things like updating our incredibly important blogs that tons and tons of people read. Right?
    After a holiday of feasting and gathering, most people go for the salad and water for their upcoming meals. Me? I go for the pasta and leftovers. Here's the recipe I promised you in my last post, the rosemary pasta which would be AWESOME in any holiday meal. Think about it for December... Everyone will say, "you made your own pasta?! Ooo!". Just like that.

Here we go!

Homemade Rosemary Taglietelle
6 servings for normal people. 4 for my family. 

1 cup cake flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp very finely chopped rosemary

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

Making your own pasta is super simple, but it does take a bit of know how. Pasta is generally made with 00 flour, which can be difficult to find. I subbed in cake flour for it's lighter gluten content and softer texture. Put the flours and salt together in a mound on a clean kitchen surface, and with your fingers make a well in the center. Crack the yolks, water, rosemary, and oil in the center of the well. With a fork, vigorously mix until flour starts to fall in from the sides and thicken. Then knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic in consistency, about 10 minutes. Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for an hour until you're ready to roll it.

Rolling is my favorite part, because I feel like I'm 5 years old again rolling out my play-dough pasta sheets. It's different though I guess...because you can actually eat it. Form the rested dough into a rectangle and set your pasta roller to the thickest setting. Pass your dough through the rollers 2 times before folding the sheets and setting it through 1 more time. Now you can start to set the rollers thinner and thinner, passing the dough sheets through about 2 times on each setting. I like to take mine to the thinnest setting, but that's up to you. Once you have very long sheets of pasta, fold the dough from the longest sides into a cinnamon roll shape, and gently slice the pasta into long thin noodles, each about 1/4 inch wide. 

These cook super fast, about 4 minutes or so. This dish is delicious with my chicken marsala, but give it a try with something like brown butter sauce, or with your family's secret bolognese recipe.