Inspiration In and Out of the Kitchen with Katie Lee Biegel
Katie Lee Biegel is an inspiration to us all on International Women’s Day on March 4, 2022. We’ve been to her house where she has cooked up some sensational meals in her kitchen, and now she is the cohost of “The Kitchen” on Food Network. We’re so happy for all her success including her marriage to Ryan Biegel, the birth of her daughter Iris, and her ambassadorship with Weight Watchers. She’s giving us a discount code to Weight Watchers to give us that push to get our beach bodies ready.
You are so busy…being a mom and filming your Food Network show The Kitchen. When did you realize you could turn your love of food into a career?
I was a journalism major in college and I wanted to be a writer for a magazine. I was always really into cooking, I worked in restaurants part-time, and it was about that time that food really became a big part of pop culture. I was reading Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, etc and I was always glued to Food Network. I started taking food science and decided I wanted to be a food writer. Life took some interesting twists and turns, and I still pinch myself that this is my job. I feel so incredibly fortunate.
We follow you on Instagram and enjoy your recipes and love of carbs. How do you stay slim?
You know I love my carbs! I am a firm believer in eating what you love and enjoying it. We need joy in our lives! For me, it is all about finding balance. I start almost every day the same way, with a big bowl of fruit, I usually have a giant salad for lunch, and at dinner we do a lot of roasted veggies, baked sweet potatoes, roast chicken, salmon, or pasta dishes. When I want to indulge, I do. I love food. I try to be active, but I don’t have the time the way that I used to before I had my daughter. I used to work out for an hour and a half a day at the gym, now I power walk with her in the stroller and I fit in an Obe Fitness online class whenever I can.
WW (formerly Weight Watchers) enlisted you as an ambassador after you gave birth to your daughter almost two years ago. How do you test your recipes while counting points?
I started WW a few months after I gave birth and it was just what I needed. It was like I had forgotten how to take care of myself and using the app like a personal wellness diary was a major help for me. When I am testing recipes, it is difficult to count points because I am sampling as I cook and not really paying attention to portions. That’s one of the things I love the most about WW though, just because one day isn’t perfect (when are the days perfect ever for that matter?), it doesn’t mean the whole thing goes out the window. On days that I am recipe testing or when I am filming The Kitchen, I just make sure that the meals I eat are heavy on fruits and vegetables. WW has a new Personal Points program and eating non-starchy vegetables actually adds points back into your budget, so it all works out.
March is Women’s History Month. You are a mogul—expanding your love of food to cookbooks and beauty. (Did we mention that you are an ambassador for Revlon!) Did you have a mentor or someone who inspired you to think outside of the box?
First of all, thank you, I think I am far from mogul status but so nice of you to say that. I do feel fortunate that I am able to incorporate other elements of lifestyle in addition to cooking into my career. Working with Revlon has been a dream! My mentor and role model was my grandma Dora. She was an incredible woman who was not only the best cook who ever lived, she was fierce, driven, and so motivated. She went to college when she was in her 50s, got her degree, and started a new career. I always think how much courage that must have taken and think of her for inspiration to take risks. She believed in putting her all into everything she did and she would always say to me, “Katie if you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t half-ass it.”
What’s next on Katie’s to do list?
I want to get back to having dinner parties. I used to have so much fun cooking and inviting friends over, and that has obviously not happened as much the last couple of years not only because of Covid, but being a new mom made doing anything like that hard. Summer is always my favorite season to entertain at home…how many days until Memorial Day weekend? I hope y’all will come over!
The code for WW is SCOTTOSISTERS10 with select plan purchase. Restrictions apply. Offer ends March 28.
And as a bonus…Katie shares her coveted recipe for pumpkin hummus!
“I’m a fan of just about anything pumpkin. It is a really pretty addition to any table, with its orange hue set off by hot pink pomegranate seeds and bright green cilantro leaves.”
Pumpkin Hummus
Two (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
One (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup tahini
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
Fresh cilantro leaves
Pita chips and crudites, for serving
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, pumpkin, tahini, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin. Process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream. Add the salt and pepper and process until very smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the chickpea liquid, a tablespoon or 2 at a time. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with oil. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and cilantro leaves. Serve with pita chips and crudites.
