oh-my-omelet.

I have wonderful news my friends, I am officially getting a university degree in domestic goddess-try. 

 every week I attend a food theory class, and for 2 hours I learn so many fun blog-able facts, that by the end I am racing home to try out my new tricks.

food theory = cooking class

+ functional foods and nutraceuticals = nutrition class

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fact-filled blog posts!

so bear with me as I try out new tricks, techniques and recipes... and then explain the science behind it all.  yippee.

now, I've posted this with enough time for you to get your ingredients ready for the weekend.  bring it on brunch!

the goodies:


- 1/4 c. veggie broth
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. chipotle puree (optional)
- 1/4 c. onion
- 1/4 c. (green onion)
- 1/4 c. yellow pepper
- 1/4 c. cabbage
- 1/2 c. kale

- 2 egg whites
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp. milk
- s & p

* I am notorious for eating "veggies with eggs in them" rather than "eggs with veggies in them".  please feel free to switch up the veggies depending on what you have on hand, or reduce the amount to balance out your egg:veggie ratio!


the fun part:


#1.) heat broth, oil and chipotles in a small skillet.  add the veggies, starting with the onion, stirring for a minute before adding the next... give them each their chance in to shine.  (fyi, this isn't to be annoying - it's so each of their individual flavors will come out!)

#2.) separate the eggs, putting the whites in a glass, metal or ceramic bowl and the yolk in another bowl (I won't be as picky about the kind this time). beat the yolk, milk, salt and pepper together until lemon-colored.  beat the egg whites until stiff and foamy.  fold the two together.*

#3.) pour the eggs mixture into the skillet with the sauteed vegetables. don't stir the eggs, but allow the uncooked egg to flow beneath the cooked egg by tilting the pan.  cover the skillet with a lid, lower to medium low heat, and let cook for 7 minutes.

#4.) fold your omelet in half, transfer to your plate, pour a cup of coffee and think about what a wonderful start you are getting to your day! oh, and you can serve it with delicious spelt bread - recipe courtesy of my fellow blogger mary from delightful bitefuls!

*this entire separating and whisking the eggs step can be skipped.. I may have had mine separated for me already, and wanted to try out one of the methods I learned about at school.  it yields a much fluffier omelet, and is worth the extra step if you ask me. take a look at that plump-puppy!

what your body will like:


#1.) color: I have some myths to bust.  eggs ain't rice: brown?  white?  it makes no difference.  color has no effect on the quality or the nutrition of the eggs.  now go and laugh at all the hippies who are paying twice as much for all their brown eggs.

#2.) protein: attention body builders and mathletes alike, 1 egg = 12-14% protein, which means  about 6 grams each is hiding for you under that shell! also note that these are complete proteins, so I'm not going to tell you to match it up with your favorite legume or grain.  you've got the real-meal-deal in these guys!

#3.) cholesterol: "and an the angel said to them, 'fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" luke 2:10. okay, maybe the news that angel had about jesus was a little better than the news I have about cholesterol. regardless, and without stealing the spotlight from jesus, the additional good news: recent studies have shown that egg consumption has little effect on blood cholesterol levels (and I am quoting my nutrition textbook here!).  reason 1: blood cholesterol levels are raised more by saturated fats in our diets than the actual cholesterol we ingest - and a majority of the fats in the yolk are unsaturated fats.  reason 2: other fatty substances in the yolk interfere with cholesterol absorption.  so just because you indulge in eggs today, doesn't mean you need to to restrict yourself for the rest of the week!

apple appy.

so in my functional foods a nutraceuticals class, I learned that there have been studies done which prove eating an apple prior to a meal will lower your subsequent caloric intake.  that sounds like a food with a function to me!

apples.  appetizing.  appetizer. 

the best part?  no culinary skills required! 

the goodies:

- 1 apple (I used a delicious ambrosia that was about the size of my head)

- optional: cinnamon

the fun part:

#1.) chop your apple.

#2.) sprinkle your cinnamon. (or don't.)

what your body will like:

#1.) sensory specific satiety: the SSS, as I will fondly refer to it, is just about the neatest thing ever.  here we go:  foods with fiber are harder to chew, and therefore take longer to eat: fact.  the SSS refers to sensing the specific repetition that occurs as you slave away, chewing your fiber filled foods (hard life, right?)... as you continuously chew, you salivate less, which sends a signal to your brain that you are full, or satiated.  

#2.) gastric emptying: this is also really fun.  viscosity is also referred to as water holding capacity.  foods that are high in soluble fiber can, and will, hold a lot of water which makes them move slowwwlllyyy through your body.  the longer it takes for your food to move from your stomach to the intestine, the longer it'll be before you're hungry again.  hunger and thirst go hand-in-hand, so eat an apple, and drink some water.  magic (or science)!

india is delhi-cious.

I'm happy to report that their dal ain't dull, and the land of lentils puts anything ever posted on picnics and pantries to shame.   with a newly acquired indian cookbook (self proclaimed as 'the only indian cookbook you'll ever need'), now that I'm home I aspire to recreate a meal half as delicious as the ones I was served in india.  don't worry, regardless of the outcome I'll keep you posted with any attempts.  yippeee!

in the meantime, enjoy the food related memories I made, and small selection of foodie-photos I took while I was away.

everyday our team would go over our dt (don taylor) highlights of the day. example: having a small child burst in on you using a squatter and then drawing a portrait of it later (documented here).  in honor of the tradition, I thought I would outline my top 3 dt blog-related highlights of the trip:

#1.) christmas dinner = vegetarian feast devoured sans cutlery in the market square.

#2.) masala chai tea, masala chips AND masala omelets.

#3.) shamelessly promoting picnicsandpantries.blogspot.com at the top of my lungs while marching through the manali market.  (ooops!)

stove + chapatis.  

walls of produce + burlap sacks of veggies + pots of cabbage = mmmmmm.

if rice and lentils aren't up your alley, how else can you nourish yourself for two weeks?

#1.) snickers bar (in this case, divided 11 ways - sharing is caring).

#2.) tom-tom's raghu (sound it out... applicable for those with english AND french as a second language).

* a special thanks to my ever so supportive team members sir brook jones and sir jesse st. mars for accessing my blog from delhi and paris respectively so that I could claim full international blogging status!