By: Sammy Harris
Hi everyone! My name is Sammy Harris, and I am so excited to be a food beat writer for Greenhawks Media! I am a sophomore Finance major with a Chinese minor and a strong passion for health and wellness. As a matter of fact, I have had a foodie Instagram account for a couple years named @foodie_from_anotha_doodie! I am from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and some of my hobbies in addition to food (obviously!) include running and scoping out trendy, new coffee shops with friends and family. Well, enough about me, and now on to my latest foodie endeavors during the last couple weeks, from the lovely kitchen of McCracken Hall to the hip streets of Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati!
To the left is my take on a “Chipotle burrito bowl” at Maple Street Station Dining Hall. I went straight to the allergen station and filled up my bowl with kale salad in a lemon vinaigrette. Then, I topped it with sweet potato, grilled chicken, brown rice, pico de gallo & a little guac! My biggest tip would be to walk around the entirety of the dining hall to scope out the food available before choosing your meal, and in your head, plan out a recipe/meal while doing so! Fun Fact: my diet is 80% plant-based. I try to eat meat no more than once a week.
Next stop is uptown Oxford! Here we have avocado & beet toast from Kofenya Cafe. && I cannot forget about their delicious almond milk iced coffee (sadly not pictured)! Definitely the best coffee I have had in awhile.
Now, many of you are probably in the same boat as me; last year, I learned the hard way that uptown meals are a treat and not a habit! So, I went into sophomore year knowing that I wanted the supplies to make yummy, cost-effective meals at home (or in the dorm).
Here, I did just that in my sorority suite’s kitchen: a blend of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, a banana, coconut water & flax seeds topped with coconut shavings, cacao nibs, granola, banana, all natural almond butter & local honey from Louisville! I brought all of these ingredients from my favorite stores at home (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.), and then the fruit is from McCracken Market!
I have been dreaming about Brassica since my trip last year to Columbus, so I knew I had to return when I was close by again. Brassica’s story starts with an ode to “a family of vegetables known for serious nutrition. We prepare them simply, so their beautiful flavors and colors can shine.” This was perfectly represented through my meal to the right which consists of greens with organic falafel, hummus, cucumbers & radish, pickled red cabbage, cauliflower, spicy carrots & a fabulous duo of tahini sauce and Brassica’s special sauce drizzled on top!
Over Dad’s Weekend this year, my dad and I took a day trip to Cincinnati, and it surprised me from all angles! To begin, the number of second-hand stores was incredible -- such a good way to benefit the local environment while getting CUTE & trendy items.
The restaurant & bar scene was also awesome, especially in Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton District, which is where I ate this delicious meal at Nation Kitchen and Bar! Nation was one of the many restaurants that actually encouraged dogs to join, which was so friendly of them. I ordered a house-made spicy black bean patty with lettuce, sriracha, avocado & cilantro mayo on a bed of greens with sweet potato tots (not pictured) that my sis & I split! When I want to treat myself to fries (which I always do), I leave out the bun. Honestly, buns usually take away from the flavors and yumminess anyways for me!
Feel free to reach out to me (via my Instagram) and/or GreenHawks Media with any suggestions, requests, questions, etc ... I cannot wait to keep sharing my love for whole, organic, mostly plant-based foods that make us feel good while helping out the environment A LOT.