Author Archives: healthycookingcamp

Welcome to Wonderland

Reply

Quinn recently had the major honor of being featured on The Wellness Wonderland Radio show hosted by the amazing Katie Dalebout, who we admire and adore.  She is an absolute doll who is has immersed herself in the world of wellness and walks her talk at every step.

This girl has built an incredible website, started a rad radio show, AND created a web series called Two Peas in a Pod with her bestie, Jess (they credit us as one of their inspirations [we're beaming with pride])

Quinn and Katie chatted about a bunch of stuff like what’s next for {Healthy} Cooking Camp, self care, weight loss, acne, cooking, the dalai lama, building a holistic business, Ayurvedic medicine, farming, flirting, fashion-show-dance parties and more!

Listen to the radio show below, and check out Katie over at the The Wellness Wonderland.  We recommend that you get to know her now, because this girls’s gonna to be a major wellness power player.  Pretty soon, we’ll all be living in Katie’s Wellness Wonderland and loving every minute.

Stream it live

or

download and listen later

mp3-download

Let us know what you think in the comments below.  Where do YOU want to see the wellness world 5, 10 or 20 years from now?

Like this interview?  Share this with your tweeps!

quinn-quote

Classic Bran Muffins

1

by: Robyn Youkilis

I always say I learned to cook as a baby and that is in thanks to my incredible chef of a mom.  My mom would cook a huge family dinner every single night and put me down for my nap in the bassinet beside her while she made each meal with love.  Coq au Vin, Chocolate Souffles and Chicken Piccatta (all from scratch) were regular nightly occurrences.  You’d think she was born in the kitchen but that certainly was not the case!  Before my mom met my dad she could barely boil water!  My dad’s favorite thing in the world was to eat (I come by it honestly!) and so she figured she’d better get cookin’!  She enrolled in some cooking courses with the famous chef Paul Martin, found her love of cooking and the rest is history.

As soon as I could hold a spoon I was begging to mix whatever she would allow me to and this was the recipe I was typically mixing (while she begged me to stop mixing so I didn’t ruin her creations!).  I followed my mama everywhere and it seemed that these classic Bran Muffins did (and still do) too.  They’re her favorite breakfast, toasted with a little jam and butter, a perfect treat for Mother’s Day.

So Happy Happy Mother’s Day mama and thank you for being my biggest cooking inspiration, fan and best friend.  I can’t thank you enough for all the hours we spent together in the kitchen while I sat on the counter mixing away just talking about our days.  I wouldn’t have any of this without your patience, and love, inside and outside of the kitchen.  Love you always.  And I promise to make you a healthier version of these muffins ASAP.  :)

This recipe uses traditional baking ingredients but I’ve included some swaps in parentheses below if you’d like to make it a little more {Healthy} Cooking Campified.  They contain a lot of fiber, perfect for busy moms.  ;)
Bran-muffins-1024x686

Classic Bran Muffins
Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Dry Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar (swap for coconut sugar)
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cranberries, raisins or chopped dried apricots (Robyn’s favorite) -Optional
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup All Bran cereal
  • 1 cup of milk (cow’s, almond, soy or coconut would all work)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (swap for melted coconut oil)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Take one large bowl and mix your dry ingredients together.  In another bowl mix the cereal and milk and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to soften.  Add remaining wet ingredients and dried fruit if using and combine.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just barely combined (don’t pull a baby Robyn and over mix!).Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (we recommend coconut oil) and divide muffin mixture evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Pull from oven cool and serve.

Southwest Sweet Potato Falafel

1

by Quinn Asteak 

For mothers day, I wanted to share one of my mom’s favorite recipes, my Southwest Sweet Potato Falafel.  Moo, this one is for you! (Yes, I call my mother “moo”)

I’ve been making this for years and finally posted it on my website a couple months ago after I made them for a big meeting.  The person we were trying to impress said (and I quote), “these things are stooopid delicious”, which still ranks as one of my favorite food compliments ever.

Since my mom checks my site literally every 2.5 seconds, right after the recipe went live she called being like “I WANT THOSE!”.

The Southwest Sweet Potato Falafel are awesome because they have a great mix of unexpected flavors.  They’re perfect in a pita, on a salad or on their own, dipped in some great cilantro yogurt sauce (recipe below).

You bes’ believe that the next time I was at home I whipped up some of these spicy, sweet balls of goodness and my whole family noshed in delight.  I don’t think my mom called them “stooopid delicious” but they are definitely one of her favorites.

So, Moo, if you weren’t off on a business trip somewhere I’d be coming home on Mother’s Day to cook you anything you desire!  Thank you for feeding me my whole life (even if all I ever wanted was peanut butter on a spoon or chicken teriyaki).  When I’m teaching a newbie cook I always use your classic line “if you can read, you can cook”.  And let me just say: woman, you can READ :)

It goes without saying that as a perfect Jewish mother you made the best Jewish food, but watching you whip up things like Moroccan Tagines, Indian chutneys and roasting a whole goose like it ain’t no thang still serve as my inspiration to get bold and creative in the kitchen.

As I started really learning to cook, you were my first guinea pig and I never would have learned without your constant encouragement and constructive feedback.  These days, you are my favorite sous chef, dish washer and diner.  Not only that, but you’re also my my role model, biggest supporter and best  friend.  I love you like crazy.  Happy Mother’s Day!

And now…FOOD.

166512_482433298469653_372538173_n

Southwest Sweet Potato Falafel
Total Time: 2 hours
Active Time: 15 minutes
Yield: about 18-24 (serves 4-6)

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes/red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup sheep’s milk yogurt
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.  Scrub the sweet potatoes and stab in them the aid the cooking/heat venting.  Place them on a baking tray in the oven and let them cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender.

Allow the potaoes to cool, then peel off the skins.  Put the flesh in a mixing bowl with all of the other ingredients and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth (no large chunks).  Take a little taste and adjust accordingly.  Maybe it needs more garlic?  More salt?

Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies big time).

Reheat the oven to 400F. Using a couple of soup spoons or a tablespoon scooper, place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for around 15-25 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.

To make the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Our Favorite Cookbooks Right Now

Reply

As constant cookers (is that a word?  Quinn’s grandma says it, so let’s roll with it) we are constantly looking for new and fresh ideas.

Sometimes divine inspiration strikes when strolling through the grocery store or farmer’s markets, but sometimes we need to take it up a notch and seek it out at a stellar farm-to-table restaurant or in a kickass cookbook…

And our video below is all about the latter!  Watch to see our current faves for getting our “foodbrain” juices flowing and make sure to stay tuned until the end because we have a special announcement.

We created our own cookbook!

We are SO freaking excited to announce the arrival of our new baby, {Healthy} Cooking Camp’s {Healthy} Basics Cookbook!

It includes over 30 of our most tried and true recipes for mind-blowingly delicious, healthy food, and features some of our signature dishes that can only be found in this cookbook, like:

  • No-Bake Brownie
  • HCC Grab-n-Go Bar
  • Gorgeous Glazed Salmon
  • Mmm mmm Miso Pesto
  • Free Up Your Fridge Frittata

This is the perfect cookbook for someone who wants to start cooking healthier food but needs to know exactly where to begin. 

We totally break it down so you know exactly how many servings each recipe yields, how long it will take AND for each recipe we include 5 suggested “swaps” so you can play around with the ingredients and really make these recipes feel like your own.

paperbackfront-243x300

To purchase our brand new cookbook, click here!  

We hope you’ll add {Healthy} Cooking Camp’s: Healthy Basics Cookbook to your list of favorites too.

And a quick lil favor, we would reeeeeally appreciate if you could help us spread the word about our new cookbook so click here tell all your tweeps!  Think of all the recipes you and your friends can make together!  (And as we can tell you, together is oh so fun.)

We’d also love to know, what are your other favorite cookbooks for culinary inspiration?  Please share in the comments!

 

 

Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen: What to Keep and What to Toss

Reply

Spring cleaning your kitchen is as important as cleaning out your closets.  We both recently underwent a big spring clean and are happy to report it felt amazing! Robyn did a big sweep before her apartment swap and temporary relocation to LA for 5 weeks. Quinn cleaned out everything as she moved from her home of 3 years and into her own apartment in Brooklyn.

Clutter can take up a lot more than just space in your home.  It can block the flow of creativity and leave you feeling a stifled rather than inspired.  Amazingly, the same is true for your refridgerator and kitchen cabinets.  When you have only what you need in your cooking space (and are reminded about some of the items you may have forgotten about!) you will feel more organized and inspired to create.

So how can that kitchen cabinet start feeling all shiny and new?  Here are some simple guidelines for clearing the clutter and getting a fresh start for spring…

img19b
1) Take everything out of the kitchen cabinets and drawers.  To make an omelette you have to break some eggs.  i.e. you first need to make a mess before you can give your kitchen a deep cleaning.

2)  Start to make 2 piles – what to keep and what to to toss.  You should do this for all perishables, non-perishables and kitchen gadgets.  Heck even your silverware drawer would benefit!

 What You Can Keep:

  • Grains
  • Beans
  • Pasta
  • Canned goods a year under purchase date

What To Toss:

  • Spices (if they’ve been sitting around for more than 8-12 months)
  • Dried items ie. tomatoes, dried olives, fruit etc.
  • Nuts and seeds older than 6 months (unless you’ve been keeping them in the fridge or freezer)
  • Anything that you’re not 100% sure what it is or when you got it :)

3) Asses how your food is stored.  You want to make sure that everything is securely closed up to keep our critters and the light if necessary.  Now might be a good time to invest in matching storage containers.  Bed, Bath & Beyond, The Container Store and kitchen supply stores all carry great options.

4)  Check expiration dates.  This goes for every packaged product in the cabinet and fridge.  If you can’t find a date, toss!

5) Clean out all the storage spaces using a quality organic cleaner.  We don’t have any favorites as they all work pretty well but feel free to let us know your favorite cleaner over on the blog!

6) Once everything has thoroughly cleaned put all of the items back in an organized way.  Keep what you use most on a daily basis within arms reach and store less often used items behind them or on higher shelves.
 
Enjoy your newly refreshed an invigorated kitchen!  Now get cookin’ good lookin’!