Not long after I moved to Dallas, I met fellow dietitian and blogger Dixya via twitter and we decided to have dinner. I never thought I’d be making actual friends via twitter, but hey, I met my boyfriend online, so why not friends too?!
Dixya posts some seriously impressive recipes (not to mention her photos!) and she recently tagged me in a foodie interview. Ever wondered what I keep in my kitchen? Here ya go!
What are the three fave things in your fridge/freezer right now?
1. Lactose-free milk or soy milk. Sounds seriously lame, but I couldn’t live without it. I’m a cereal and oatmeal FANATIC and if I don’t have it for breakfast that day, I usually have it later for a snack.
2. Fresh blackberries. They were 2 for $3 and I devoured a whole 6 oz container when I got home from work. Oops. Didn’t make my tummy feel great on my run afterward.
3. Quinoa pizza bites. Leftovers from last night’s dinner. Will post the recipe this week!
What’s the one thing you always have on hand in the kitchen?
I always have grape tomatoes, red or yellow, out on the counter for snacking (never put tomatoes in the fridge– it makes them lose their flavor).
What’s one thing you’d never have?
SPAM
If you had an unlimited supply of anything, what would that be?
Avocados! Or berries. Or fresh basil. Or dark chocolate, but that could get dangerous.
What’s your go-to market and what do you get there?
I go to Kroger once a week to do my bulk shopping, but I’m hoping to get out to the Dallas Farmer’s market or another local market more on the weekends now that the weather is nice. I also stop by Whole Foods and HEB Central Market often. If you have a Central Market near you and haven’t gone, it’s A m a z i n g. I feel like I’ve found my foodie “homeland” every time I walk in.
What ingredient are you currently loving?
I’ve been experimenting with different whole grains lately: quinoa, bulgur, and cous-cous, like in my recipe for Skinny Burgers.
What’s your favorite thing to whip up at home?
Quick flat-bread pizzas using whatever I have on hand. Whole-grain pizza crusts or flat-breads are ideal, but if I don’t have those I’ll use whole-grain tortillas instead. I spread on marinara sauce (because I always have some in the cabinet), sprinkle on the mozzarella, feta, Parmesan, ricotta or Romano cheeses, then add on the veggies and bake. Tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and spinach are my fave toppings.
Any songs you like cooking to?
I’m currently digging Jamestown Revival, Three Legged Fox and Jamie N Commons. They’re all laid-back rock with an old soul and a little edge. I also like listening to John Mayer’s Born And Raised Album while I’m in the kitchen.
What are the best items to have on hand for a quick and easy dinner?
Canned black beans and microwaveable brown rice. Or fresh greens, tomato, and peppers for a salad and add the (warmed) black beans and some low fat shredded cheese with light lime dressing for a quick and healthy southwest salad.
What are your favorite kind of leftovers?
Any. I always make enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Fill in the blank: If I’m cooking to impress, I make….
My stuffed peppers. Everyone loves them, and they’re VEGETARIAN! It was one of the first dishes I made when I was playing with taking the meat out of my diet and replacing it with veggies. It was a hit with me, and I made enough for my roommate at the time and a favorite coworker (shout out to Ms. Klebe) who loved them as well. I also made them for my housemates in Spain this past fall, most of whom were unfamiliar with the stuffed pepper concept but couldn’t stop raving about them during and after the meal.
What’s your condiment of choice?
Probably doesn’t count as a condiment, but I add avocado to everything, especially sandwiches. So much better for you than mayo but still gets you that creamy texture. And like Dixya, I’m pretty obsessed with sriracha right now.
What’s the strangest thing in your fridge at the moment?
I don’t really have anything strange, but I do have ELEVEN different types of craft brews in there, which is pretty cool. And I bought some different cheeses yesterday that I’ve never tried- Cotswald and Mahon.
When a midnight snack attack strikes, what’s the plan?
I really never eat at midnight, but when I have a snack attack at a more normal time, my boyfriend makes his specialty: wheat saltines with whatever sliced cheese we have popped in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, topped with a slice of avocado and a drizzle of sriracha.
And I’m tagging Leigha over at The Good Bites to see what she keeps in her kitchen!