Healthy Eating!

It's been a month since my last post - I've been getting summer ready!  Detoxing, eating healthy and working out six days a week, which means in general I prepare less complex meals and try out fewer recipes.  NOT to say that you can't make a creative and blog-worthy recipe while eating healthy!  But generally, I've been less creative and eating simple meals designed for their nutritional value over gourmet cooking.  However, I have come up with a few things I wanted to share that won't break your calorie bank!
This detox has been a bit of a challenge - I decided to cut out bread, refined flour, refined sugar, coffee, and stick to only whole grains, proteins, fruits and veggies!  After just a few days I was feeling amazing and seeing results.  After a couple weeks, I was extremely low energy, fatigued and cranky!  I definitely have had a few "cheat meals" on the weekends.  In fact it helps motivate me to keep going and hit the gym harder than ever on Monday morning.  I generally eat every 1-2 hours, so I've included everything I might normally eat in a day, in case you are looking for meal plan ideas!


Breakfast: Bananas with Quinoa
Ok, I know this doesn't sound that great.  But it's weirdly addictive!  This is something I threw together one day because I had some leftover quinoa and an old banana and I was trying to get out of my daily toast-and-peanut-butter routine.  Quinoa is a versatile grain that can go savory or sweet - I cook a whole box at once, keep it in the fridge and eat it throughout the week.  (Save yourself a hassle and buy the pre-rinsed kind! I get Ancient Harvest from the rice section at Safeway.)  A hot breakfast really fills me up before my morning trip to the gym and this has a nice sweet/earthy/crunchy combo that I enjoy much more than a plain old boring bowl of oatmeal.  Use a really ripe banana to get that delicious caramelized flavor and you will forget all about this being diet food!  Plus, it literally takes 60 seconds to prepare and I'm out the door.  It's so easy to change up depending on what you have in your fridge and pantry - try it with strawberries, blueberries, pecans, coconut, honey, agave, nutmeg, ginger, a dollop of greek yogurt... the sky's the limit!  (PS - I REALLY love the orange zest in this, but since I'm too lazy to zest a tiny bit of orange every single day, I add the zest of one or two oranges when I cook the quinoa.  It really adds a lot of flavor and it still works nicely if you're using the quinoa for savory dishes too!)

1/2 cup white or red quinoa, cooked (with orange zest, if you like)
1 splash milk (less than 1/4 cup)
1 generous sprinkle cinnamon (about 1/4 tsp)
1 very ripe banana, sliced
1 generous drizzle maple syrup (about 1 tsp)
1 generous sprinkle sliced almonds (about 1-2 tbsp)

Layer all ingredients in a bowl and heat in the microwave for about 40 seconds.  Stir and enjoy!

Cardio fuel.

Breakfast: Buckwheat Pancakes with Strawberries
This is a little more indulgent, and so tasty!  We made this over a weekend away at a cabin in the Delta and I have to say, I think I like them more than regular pancakes (don't tell my mother).  If you're in a hurry buy buckwheat pancake mix, but I like to make everything from scratch!  It's easy to double or triple, and I saved the leftover batter in my empty milk jug so I have it ready to pour.  The below will make 4-6 pancakes depending on size.

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
Butter, for serving

Whisk all ingredients except fruit in a large bowl.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium.  Chop the strawberries into small pieces and drizzle with the maple syrup.  Set aside.  When the pan is hot, melt butter in the pan and pour in batter, frying until the surface bubbles.  Flip and keep warm until ready to serve with butter and maple syrup.  Garnish with macerated strawberries.

Buckwheat, otay??

Lunch: Kamut Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, Parmesan and Crispy Fried Sage
I try to eat my carbs early in the day as much as possible.  Kamut (ka-moot) spirals by Eden is a whole grain pasta I picked up at the Sacramento Co-op.  Tastes just like regular pasta, not dense or grainy, and is relatively inexpensive.  This was also a great excuse to use some of my fresh home-grown sage leaves from my new patio herb garden!  See my past recipe for butternut squash puree and just add the rest.

1 serving kamut spirals
1 cup butternut squash puree (see recipe)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 fresh sage leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a small frying pan.  When hot, add the sage leaves until they cook and crisp, 30 seconds or so.  Allow to drain on a paper towel.  When pasta is cooked, toss with the puree until heated through.  Move to a serving bowl and garnish with the grated Parmesan cheese and fried sage leaves.

Mmmm carbs.

Lunch: Greek Salad
A great use for some of your leftover quinoa!  Make a big batch like this if you hate dicing veggies like I do :)

2 cups quinoa
3 tomatoes, diced small
1 cucumber, diced small
1 red onion, diced small
1 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup diced pepperoncinis (optional)
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fat-free feta cheese, crumbled

Mix all ingredients with the dressing.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.


Dinner: Salad Caprese
Another simple dish, but so good!  I started making this because my herb garden has three very productive basil plants and this is a perfect use for the fresh leaves.  Make it in advance or enjoy right away.

2 tomatoes, sliced or cut into wedges
2-3 glugs balsamic vinegar (about 2 tbsp)
2-3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
8-10 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tsp olive oil
Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper
Layer ingredients on sliced tomatoes, or toss wedges in a bowl so that all ingredients are evenly coated, and enjoy!

Mmmm lycopene.

Dinner: Sauteed Kale with Almonds
1 large bunch lacinto or curly kale, washed, leaves stripped from stalks and chopped
1/2 cup sliced almond or whole almonds, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
The zest and juice of one lemon

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan.  When hot, add the kale and salt and pepper and cover, tossing occasionally.  When cooked, remove to a serving dish.  Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice over top, toss again and serve.

Snack ideas between meals: 1 8 oz serving of orange juice, 1-2 bananas, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 8 oz serving Bolthouse Farms Mango Protein Plus, 1 8oz serving plain greek yogurt with honey, 1 handful unsalted nuts, 1 avocado sprinkled with salt and pepper, 1 8 oz serving lowfat cottage cheese, 1 or 2 pieces low fat string cheese, 1-2 cups fruit such as cantaloupe, strawberries or grapes, 1 sliced red bell pepper, 1 cup baby carrots with my white bean or romesco dip, 1 serving peanut or almond butter with an apple, or 2 cups salad greens lightly dressed.

Enjoy!

Red Posole

Because I have to use my leftover Easter hambone for something and there is so much more than split pea soup out there in the world.

Ingredients
8 or 9 dried New Mexico chiles
1 lb pork shoulder or diced pork stew meat
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 medium white onion, diced
8 cloves minced garlic
1/2 bottle Negra Modelo
1 ham hock from smoked bone-in ham
1 cup leftover ham, chopped
1 dried bay leaf
1 29 oz can hominy (drain but reserve the liquid)
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced in a food processor, optional

In a large glass bowl, soak the chiles in hot water.  Set a smaller bowl on top to keep them submerged for at least 20 minutes.

Put the diced pork in a plastic bag with all the spices and shake to coat.  Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the pork in oil, lightly on all sides.  Set aside to a plate.  Add more oil and sweat the diced onion until barely translucent.  Cook the garlic for one minute and then deglaze with 1/2 the beer.

Add the hambone, bayleaf and almost enough water to cover.  Simmer while you make the chile sauce, skimming any foam that rises to the top.

Remove the soaked chiles from the bowl, reserving the soaking liquid.  Remove the stems and the seeds if desired.  Chop in a food processor, adding the soaking liquid to make a smooth sauce.  Strain through a sieve if you want to remove the large chunks of chile skin.

Add to the pot with the chipotle peppers (if using) and hominy.  Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the bone.  Add the lid to the pot and put in the oven set to 300 degrees.  Cook for 6-8 hours, checking the liquid level regularly and adding the hominy liquid, more water or beer as needed.

When ready to eat, move to stovetop and simmer over medium heat, skimming any fat that rises.

Garnish with avocado, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, cotija and/or tortillas.  Enjoy!

Avocado Cheesecake (GF)

Truth be told, nobody wanted to eat this cheesecake. There were many jokes along the lines of "This cheesecake has gone bad!" and "Mmmm, moldy cheesecake!"

Except everyone shut up when they ate it. This is so easy and so good, and be secure in the knowledge that this is healthy(-er) for you.

This is made with a fabulous gluten-free nut crust, but would be wonderful with a graham cracker crust if you prefer. Enjoy!

Crust:
1 cup pecans
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:
2 8 oz packages reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 ripe avocados, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
Zest of one lime

Whip up the cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add the mashed avocados, sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the zest.

Pour into pie crust and bake at 300 for one hour.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for three hours.

Not moldy.

Party on a Budget

A friend sent me a group text: Happy hour on Friday at Cafeteria 15L?!?!?

At first I was all in, and then remembered: There is $13 in my bank account.  Even at happy hour, that's not going to go very far.  So instead I responded, "Love to, but I'm broke - happy hour at my house?"

Sure!

It was only after the fact that I realized I had just invited six or seven people to my house to drink all my wine.  With some creative use of items on hand combined with nine dollars in Target vouchers, I was able to throw a party for... $1.

First I took a look at everything in my cabinet - I knew I could make a decent cannellini bean dip with some leftover herbs I had on hand, but a single bowl of dip seemed like a meager offering for a "party."  With the discovery of a jar of roasted red peppers, I had a double dip plan!

I took my vouchers to Target and picked up a couple cans of beans (only .84 cents each, what a steal!), a bag of baby carrots, and a bottle of Barefoot Brut Cuvee.  This came out to around $10 and I parted with my one dollar.

Back home I whipped up the following in my cocktail shaker and food processor, respectively (luckily I was able to borrow a lemon at the St. Germain from my sweetheart).  I recommend making the dips the night before for the best flavor, and substitute with whatever you have on hand.

Ask your guests to bring the tortilla chips and you're set.  Enjoy!

Double dip the chip.

St. Germain 75s

Two ounces gin
Two ounces St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
The juice of one whole lemon
Champagne
Lemon peel, for garnish

Combine the gin and St. Germain in a cocktail shaker; chill until guests arrive.  When ready to serve, peel a strip of rind from the lemon and garnish each cocktail glass or champagne flute.  Shake the liquor with ice and strain into the glasses, then top with champagne.


Romesco Dip with Feta

1 8 ounce jar roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup walnuts (almonds or cashews may be substituted)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika

1 splash red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (as needed)

In a food processor, combine everything but the olive oil.  Slowly strain in the oil a little at a time, until well blended.  Taste for seasoning and chill until ready to use.

When serving, garnish with feta cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.


Mint & Canellini Bean Dip

1 can white beans
1 handful mint leaves
3 ounces goat cheese
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
Fresh dill, if you have it
1 cup kalamata olives, chopped

Combine everything but the oil and olives in a food processor.  Blend until very smooth.  Taste for seasoning.  Chill until ready to use.

Before serving, garnish the top with kalamata olives (or fold them in if you like).  Serve with baby carrots and tortilla chips.

Minty fresh.

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots

This is one I've been working on for a while.  I have been really falling in love with roasting Brussels sprouts, something my mother always served steamed.  (Which is gross.  Please don't ever do this.)  They are one of those vegetables that tastes even better the darker and more roasty they get.  I wanted a quicker way to cook them and get them really dark without completely overcooking them, and it took a few rounds of trial and error to perfect this one.

The champagne vinegar is something I threw in without planning to.  I always have it on hand - anytime I have a party or friends over and a small portion of champagne goes unfinished, I put it in a small jar and let it sit in a cupboard for a month or so.  It doesn't have a very strong or acidic flavor, so it's great for salad dressings.  (If you don't have champagne vinegar, just mix a little white wine and vinegar together and this will work just fine.)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
Salt and pepper
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup champagne vinegar

Coat a large saute pan with the olive oil.  As you trim and slice the Brussels sprouts, place them cut side down in the cold pan until it is completely full.  Set it on a burner at medium high heat.  When it begins to sizzle, season the Brussels sprouts generously with salt and pepper.  Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.

While they cook, chop the shallot and garlic.  After about five minutes the Brussels sprouts will begin to smell smoky (don't forgot to turn on your overhead fan and open a window).  Check one of the center sprouts to see if it is cooked to your desired color (mine is black, so I left them a bit longer). When they look almost done, sprinkle the shallots over the sprouts.  Return the lid.

After two or three minutes, remove the lid.  Add the garlic, and then pour in the champagne vinegar and quickly deglaze the pan with a spatula, scraping up the Brussels sprouts.  Toss until all the vegetables are well coated.  The Brussels sprouts should still be bright green (not brown) with very dark bottoms.  Add to a serving bowl and season with more salt if needed.

Enjoy!

Shakshuka (Eggs in Purgatory)

When I come across a dish I've never heard of before of course I have to research it, learn it, and then put my own spin on it when I try it myself. This recipe is a combination of my favorite parts of various recipes. You could add chorizo, or substitute other herbs for a different flavor profile, but I kept this kind of in keeping with a Moroccan recipe I made not too long ago (found here): a vibrant mix of spicy, sweet, and tangy that packs a flavor punch unlike anything I've had before. In the world of food there is nothing that excites me more than finding a completely new, unexpected combination of flavors and textures.

Enjoy!

Shakshuka (Eggs in Purgatory)

1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon (lately I'm addicted to putting cinnamon in my tomato sauce, but you can replace it with dried thyme if it sounds weird)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or Tabasco, to taste
5-6 eggs, depending on size of pan
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, for serving
2 oz crumbled goat cheese, for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil over medium. Chop the onion and red bell peppers in large pieces and add to a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds until just chopped. Add to the hot pan and sauté until lightly browned.

Mince the garlic and add to the pan for one minute. Chop the kale finely and sauté, deglazing with white wine if the pan is dry. When kale is wilted, add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper and the spices and allow to simmer, stirring, for ten minutes.

When sauce is cooked, make wells in the sauce for the eggs. Crack an egg into each well and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover the pan, cooking on low heat, until eggs are cooked through but yolks are soft, about five minutes.

Top the finished dish with chopped cilantro and crumble goat cheese. Serve alongside bread if desired.

Lamb Stew with Quick Rolls

I've been waiting for St. Pats to make this lamb stew since I've had a gallon of lamb stock hanging out in my freezer for a while now (see my post on Homemade Slow-Cooker Stock here).  We've been on kind of a lamb kick lately and the holiday seemed like the perfect time to try this recipe out!  I've kept the recipe super simple and traditional - no garlic, tomato paste, or sauteing the vegetables beforehand.  Just dump it into the pot and let it cook in the oven all day until you're ready to eat!

These quick rolls are the easiest thing to make on the side of a big pot of soup, chili or anything that just needs a little something to dip with.  The original recipe calls for just three ingredients (self-rising flour, milk and mayonnaise) but since I only have all purpose flour and this time didn't have milk, you can improvise and it still turns out the same.  It is also a great base recipe if you want to add a little something extra to it like fresh herbs, cheese or bacon.

Lamb Stew
2-3 pounds lamb stew meat (my butcher picked out a boneless leg for me and chopped it up)
1/2 cup flour, plus salt and pepper
1 bottle Guinness
4-5 sprigs rosemary
2-3 yellow potatoes, chopped into medium chunks
4 medium carrots, chopped into large chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped into medium chunks 7 cups lamb stock

Quick Rolls
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt and pepper

Place a cast iron Dutch oven on the stovetop and heat a small amount of olive oil over medium.  Dredge the lamb pieces in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper and brown in the hot pan, a minute or two on each side, and remove to a plate.  Keep browning all the lamb in batches, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

When all the lamb is browned, pour the Guinness into the hot pot and stir to deglaze.  Allow to reduce slightly and remove from heat.  Add the chopped potatoes and carrots to the pot, along with the rosemary.  Add the meat and cover with the onions.  Pour the lamb stock over the top and place in the oven.  Cook at 275 degrees for 3-4 hours.

An hour before serving, remove the pot from the oven and place on the stovetop.  Boil over medium heat without stirring.  Skim off the fat and foam that boils to the top until the stew juices are clear.  Allow to simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the liquid reduces and thickens and potatoes and carrots are cooked through and tender.

While the stew simmers, prepare six muffin tins by greasing generously with butter.  In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cream and water and combine with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.  Drop by large spoonfuls into the six muffin tins and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

When the stew is cooked to desired thickness, taste for salt and pepper.  Serve the stew with the rolls on the side and a glass of red wine or Guinness.

Enjoy!