Recipes for the Dancer 1

I've recently had to face the fact that next year, I'm going to be cooking for myself. 24/7. No mother, cafeteria, or take out to bail me out (well, take out sometimes). This series will be my attempt to gather my thoughts on healthy, simple recipes that I can use next year, and I thought maybe some dancers out there would benefit too! I'll share some of my own creations, some of my mom's, and (of course) good links that I find on the web.

Breakfast: Healthy Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes
If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, may I suggest doing 1/2 all purpose 1/2 whole wheat? Happy Father's Day! Sorry it's a little late.

Lunch or Dinner: Ground Beef & Shallot Lettuce Wrap
This is actually my mom's creation. She doesn't have any specific measurements, so basically do everything to taste. It looks a bit like a taco with a lettuce shell, but it's much healthier, trust me.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 small shallots, finely chopped (pieces the size of your pinky nail)
• salt to taste (we stop here, but you can also add pepper. Don't be fooled by the simple and short ingredient list - this dish offers lots of flavor)
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil (enough for a pool a little smaller than your palm)
• 5 (or so) leaves of lettuce per person (we use romaine hearts)
• extra add-ins: diced tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, onion

1. pour the olive oil into a pan and heat until just before the oil starts to smoke. Add in the salt and let it dissolve evenly for a moment.
2. add the ground beef and stir fry into small pieces.
3. when the beef is almost cooked through, add the shallots. Stir fry until the shallots are about to turn brown and a little translucent.
4. if you are adding in any colorful, raw veggies (peppers, tomatoes), take the pan off the heat, transfer the beef into a dish and stir in the veggies now before serving.
5. serve in a dish with a spoon and scoop the beef mixture into each lettuce leaf as you eat it.
6. *makes enough for about 3-5 servings (3 5oz servings or 5 3oz servings)

 Dessert: Dangerously Delicious Microwave Chocolate Pudding
A few notes on this recipe: you can substitute in rice milk for a vegan option, just use the teeniest bit more because rice milk has more water in it. This recipe is a little tough to make (it's very picky about the microwaving and stirring), so make sure you're patient with it and always watching it. I had to microwave it for an extra 20 seconds 3 or 4 times to get the pudding to the right consistency. If you're doubling the recipe for more servings, be very careful with your measurements - I accidentally added more cornstarch once and ended up with an inedible gel!