PDA Mentoring Mixer and Fondue Fun

To kick off the year (better late than never!), Jessica (Career Services Chair)  and I (Mentoring Chair) of the Pittsburgh Dietetics Association (PDA) decided to host a networking mixer! This allowed for a comfortable environment where the students and dietitians could get to know eachother. We had a wonderful turnout and lots of fun! We enjoyed tasty not-so-clean treats  (FONDUE Fun!) and played a  "speed mentoring" game to get to know eachother. The fondue and the unexpected dip-Ables were a work project; I had a chance to gather lots of feedback on what actually tastes good together. To my surprise, some favorite combinations included chocolate/pickles, chocolate/ peppers, asparagus/chocolate, and actually almost everything. 

Left ro right: Sam Calderone, Erin Long, Erin Pover, Leeann Hessler, Elizabeth Smith, Jessica Dugan, Kristin Meyer, Julia Gilbert, Marla Jacobs and Allison Ballina.



Brie and Prosecco Fondue with Multigrain tuscany bread, salami, mozzarella, tortellini, grapes, cocktail weiners, olives, pretzels, and asparagus



Roasted Fall Veggies

Cheese of course!

Dark Spiced Chocolate Fondue with bacon, potato chips, pasta, pepperazzi, cubanelle peppers, pizzelles, chocolate chip cookies,  and turnips

Here we are again- I'm in it this time (Julia kindly volunteered to take the pic!)

Fabulous Spread

And more chocolate dippers: asian pears, persimmons, orange segments, blackberries, pickles (yes, dill pickles!) strawberries and melon

Puffed Quinoa in my Treats

I grew up eating this tasty Andean grain/seed; mom made it into Sopa de Quinoa (Quinoa Soup) or simply cooked it up like pilaf! Yum. When I was a kid, my aunts in Bolivia would send tasty little sweet quinoa cakes; like rice crispy treats! I’ve always wanted to make something similar to these. This weekend, my friend Julia made trail mix-like quinoa balls to share; they were delicious, and soft like cookie dough. This got me thinking about the little Bolivian treats I never quite figured out.

I’ve never thought about puffing quinoa. I suppose if corn can be puffed, or maybe I should say popped, so can quinoa. Since quinoa is much smaller than a corn kernel, the size of the popped seed does not increase in size very much. Instead, a fun, crispy texture develops, with a toasty nutty bite!

Try these...they remind me of my childhood, my Bolivian family and of course my mom!

Puffed Quinoa and Cherry Cakes

½ cup quinoa
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. PB 2 plus 2 Tbsp. water (or 3 Tbsp. peanut butter)
¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup chopped dried apricots (or cherries)
¼ cup sliced almonds

Coat a 12 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to press mixture evenly into cups. Bake for 18 minutes.

Follow package directions for washing quinoa; some varieties have a bitter coating and require washing and some do not. Dry well or allow to dry in a low heated oven.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat a heavy skillet or Dutch oven (will need a lid) over medium high heat. Place dry quinoa in skillet and cover with lid. Heat for about 3-4 minutes, shaking skillet (use oven mitts to hold), until quinoa begin to pop. Quinoa with be nicely browned and have a crispy texture (yes, taste it with caution, as it will be hot!).

Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add maple syrup, pb 2, dried fruit and almonds. Stir well.

Coat a 12 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to press mixture evenly into cups. Bake for 18 minutes.

I actually decided to bake these last minute, once I saw that they would not stick together unless the maple sugar carmelized a bit. It was a learning experience.

I am pretty proud of the end result! Crunchy and chewy at the same time!

What Kind of Blondie is that??

Almond Butter Blondies Surprise

15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sucanat or brown sugar
¾ cup almond butter
½ cup white whole wheat flour
 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cups Dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a medium (11x7) baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place beans, eggs, vanilla, sugar and almond butter in a food processor. Pulse until pureed. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse again until combined. Spread mixture in pan, top with chocolate chips and bake for 23-26 minutes or until center is set.

Pumpkin Mac, Vegan Style

Everyone is almost pumpkin-ed out! But, you may still have some pumpkin puree in your fridge (if you made the pumpkin scones on Monday night) that needs used (yes, that's Pittsburghese!). If so, make yourself some vegan mac (or just stir some into your regular ol' mac). I was also trying to find a way to incorporate Nutritional yeast (in our house, we call it "crack" lol), 'cause the hubby loves it! Let's see if he likes this little side dish...

Pumpkin Mac, Vegan Style

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. arrowroot
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp.  olive oil
 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsp. raw coconut  aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce
4 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni

Combine milk, arrowroot, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth.  Heat oil over medium heat. Once melted, add mixture and heat until thickened. Stir in pumpkin and aminos. Heat through and stir on cooked macaroni.

Wow, I just ate a whole of this stuff...oops..just gettting my winter layer going!

Got Green Tomatoes?

When life gives you green tomatoes, make green tomato salsa! and Invite a neighbor over to help...and drink champagne while you are at it:) why not...life is short!!

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

¼ cup olive oil
1-2 large onions, chopped (about 5 cups)
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-4 hot peppers, such as jalapenos or cayenne
3 lbs. roughly cut green tomatoes
½ cup roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves, packed
½ cup roughly chopped parsley
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat; sauté onion, garlic and peppers for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring for 15 minutes until softened. Add herbs, spices, seasonings and broth. simmer for 35-45 minutes. Pulse in processor until desired consistency or use an emulsion blender.

Serve over eggs, with enchiladas or anything cheesy and Mexican!

We have lots of green tomatoes in the garden and unfortunately, then wont have a chance to ripen in time.



Homegrown peppers!!





Quote of the evening: while chopping onions, Leann says, "I'm going blind with emotion!!"

We had the sauce over homemade burritos (from my freezer) and Greek yogurt-I like mine extra saucy!!!

The sauce is also amazing on eggs and egg dishes, like breakfast chilaquiles! as a dip over goat cheese, as a soup base, for making green chile pork for tacos...the list can go on!

Protein Packed Pumpkin Scones with Maple Pumpkin Icing

Protein Packed Pumpkin Scones with Maple Pumpkin Icing

2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour (plus about ¼ cup for dusting)
½ cup pumpkin protein powder (or vanilla)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
4 Tbsp. chilled coconut oil or cold unsalted butter
2 eggs, divided
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. sugar crystals, optional

 Maple Pumpkin Icing:
1 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
¾ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Combine dry ingredients in food processor; add coconut oil and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk together 1 egg plus 1 yolk (reserving 1 white for brushing), pumpkin and milk in a medium bowl until blended. Add mixture, along with cranberries to dry ingredients and mix until soft dough forms. Place on a floured surface and knead a few times, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Divide dough in half and shape each into logs, about 10 inches in length; flatten to 1 ½ inch thick. Cut each log into 11 wedges and transfer to 2 greased baking sheets, placing them about 2 inched apart. Brush each scone with egg whites and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk together icing ingredients in a small bowl. Carefully drizzle icing (or use a small pastry bag) over cooled scones. Makes 22 scones.

Tasty Nutty-Fruity Bites for Snacking

Almond-Apricot Power Bites

6 oz. pkg dried apricots (about 1 cup)2/3 cup sliced raw almonds
¼ cup vanilla whey protein powder
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. honey

Optional coatings-or try them naked! (not you, the bites!):
wheat germ, almond flour, ground or whole chia seeds, cocoa, or cinnamon

Makes 25-27 bites.

Nutrition per 3 bites: 160 calories, 9 g total  fat, 1 g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 30mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 7 g protein.

These little treats are not only a yummy snack, but can also serve as a fun gift for friends and family.

Place apricots, almonds, and protein powder in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

My favorite almond butter!

Add almond butter and honey; pulse until well combined.

Use a small cookie dough scooper or a tablespoon to shape mixture into bite sized balls.

Roll in coating as desired or do a few in each type for a beautiful snack.

And now they are packed and ready to take to work for sharing!