Quote of the Week - Reichl

“When a person has lived generously and fought fiercely, she deserves more than sadness at the end.” 

~ Ruth Reichl, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

I love Ruth Reichl. The way she writes about food as life and life as food - it's as though everything she writes is a good meal - simultaneously comforting, enticing, inspiring, tantalizaing and satisfying.

It's Monday - stay in the fight; get what you deserve.

Be unapologetic.

The First Taste: Turkey Dirty Rice

by Alicia Ying

This weekend was incredibly gloomy for LA. Pouring down rain several days in a row got me missing the soul food I used to eat when I was living in Atlanta.  I always loved soul food because it was hearty, satisfying, and full of spices that tingled my palate. Memories of corn bread, fried okra, hush puppies, and dirty rice rushed into my mind causing my tummy to yearn for the taste of that delicious comfort food.  I sprinted to the store to recreate a soul food dish to soothe my soul as the rain kept on beating down around me.

I decided to make a satisfying turkey dirty rice! In the South, they tend to use chicken bits, livers, and gizzards, but I wanted more meat, so I opted for some ground turkey.

YES TO THE YING TIP: You can also use ground beef if you’re craving more sustenance! I always recommend getting organic grass-fed beef as those animals are not injected with hormones. Bonus-- it tastes so much better! You can actually get a pound of organic ground beef at your local supermarket for only $7.99/lb. One pound of beef will make 4 servings of my dish. Affordable and healthy!

Add any extra veggies you’d like for flavor and crunch!

YES TO THE YING TIP: For a paleo version of this dish, skip the rice and spoon the meat and veggies on top of a salad or into romaine lettuce cups for a clean and powerful protein snack!

Please enjoy and let me know what other veggies you added by commenting below.

Stay warm and dry!

Much love,

Alicia

Turkey Dirty Rice Recipe

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic minced

1 small red onion chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ red pepper chopped

½ yellow pepper chopped

2 cups broccoli chopped

1 package of rice (I use Trader Joe’s Organic brown rice)

Directions

1. Place some EVOO (extra virigin olive oil) in a large pot to cover the bottom of the pan and heat it up.
2. Add the onion and garlic to start caramelizing, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey. Break it up into chunks so it cooks evenly. Allow it to brown for 1 minute.
4. Then add the spices and stir it into your turkey. Keep stirring every few minutes until the turkey has been almost cooked through, about 9 minutes.
5. Toss in your broccoli, red peppers, yellow peppers, and any other veggies. Mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. While your meat and veggies are cooking, pop your package of rice into the microwave for 3 minutes.
7. Once cooked, toss the rice into the pot and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Enjoy!
   
   
   
   
   

   Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

   
   

   Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.

The First Taste: Iced Coffee Ice Cream Float Recipe

by Alicia Ying

Today my friend visiting Australia posted a photo of her afternoon snack: an iced coffee ice cream float.
OMG -- it looked SO GOOD! It was just like a root beer float, but with coffee instead. Why didn't I think of this??

Root beer floats take me back to my childhood days when my dad would always make them for me on those hot summer Saturdays when my mom was out shopping. They were our secret delicious treat that I thoroughly enjoyed, each and every sip.

My dad always preferred to make them at home himself rather than order them in restaurants. He claimed that the restaurants were stingy with the amount of ice cream they gave you. I had to agree. The proportion of ice cream to root beer is essential! "2 scoops of ice cream!" I would always squeal. My dad would scoff. "Only 2?? No!! Must have 3!!" Hey, if you're gonna splurge, SPLURGE.

As an adult now, and knowing how many calories are in a pint of Haagan Dazs (and how much a pint costs-- $4.49?! For ice cream?!), here's my take on a healthier and more affordable way to create your own Iced Coffee Ice Cream Float!

Ingredients:
Coffee
Ice cream
(if you make my vegan version: coconut cream, honey, ripe banana, vanilla bean, vanilla bean extract, almond extract)

Step 1: Brew your own iced coffee at home
- I make coffee everyday, so I always have coffee on hand. I get an organic bean from Trader Joe's. Costs about $5.99 for a whole can. Makes at least 30 cups of coffee. 20 cents a cup? I can do that!
- I personally use a slow drip or french press to get the highest quality of coffee and flavor from the beans. Use a coffee maker if you have one.
Refrigerate the coffee overnight or for at least 4 hours until nice and chilled.

YES TO THE YING TIP: Pour the remaining coffee into an ice cube tray and stick in the freezer. That way you won't have watered down coffee when you stick the ice cubes in!

Step 2: Make your ice cream
- Option 1: buy your favorite ice cream from your local grocery store
- Option 2: make your own. My vegan ice cream recipe is my favorite and it's so easy! You don't even need an ice cream machine! Just blend coconut cream, frozen bananas, truvia (or agave or honey or whatever sugar substitute you want), and your choice of flavoring (for this recipe I used organic vanilla beans, vanilla bean extract, and almond extract). Put it in the freezer until frozen.

Step 3: Build your float
- Put 2-3 of your coffee ice cubes at the bottom of the cup
- Scoop your ice cream into the cup. I fill the cup up 2/3 of the way
- Pour your chilled iced coffee on top til it reaches the top
- Grab a spoon and enjoy!

YES TO THE YING TIP: Drizzle some chocolate syrup on top for an extra depth of flavor! To make, simply put 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds. Stir melted chocolate until a smooth consistency. Pour over ice cream. Devour!

Step 4: Grab a spoon and dig in!

What's your favorite summer drink?

Much Love, Alicia

More recipes on my blog: yestotheying.com

Alicia Ying is a professional baker, born and bred in sweet, southern Georgia. A world traveler, Alicia enjoys eating delicious global cuisine and savoring a good cup of coffee. Also a blooming actress and producer, she has been seen on "Days of Our Lives," "Young & The Restless," independent films, and multiple web series.

Alicia's passion is to create dishes that are healthy and affordable. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. More adventures in food and travel on her blog: yestotheying.com.More adventures in food and travel on he

Quote of the Week - The Good Wife

"When you control the food, you control the people." 

~ The Good Wife*

Beautifully succinct, from a sub-plot about the re-planting of GMO seeds (which is currently considered a crime by seed companies, even if you bought them in the first place).

As someone self-healing through nutrition, I sometimes wonder how other people's bodies work on the foods they ingest. Can a body work optimally on KFC or McDonalds?

We all worry about the Orwellian state, the Huxleyan globe, the seemingly inevitable medicating of the population.

What if it's already here?

Do we need drugs to be mood or mind controlled when the foods we eat contain chemicals that send our bodies and minds spinning in bit torrents we cannot control?

Try spending a week off sugar. Go into an average super market in your neighborhood and try to buy foods that don't contain it. See how you do. We know what sugar does, how harmful it can be, yet we seemingly have no control over how much of it is in our diets. As you stand there and read ingredients from cereals you thought didn't have sugar (Cheerios) to breads to soups, you might find yourself shocked.

Who controls your food?

Who controls your body?



*Episode "Dear God" written by Luke Schelhaas, original air date October 5, 2014