Feeling Green Salad

20 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by in dressing, salad

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

We eat alot of dark greens at our house, kale, collards, spinach, and arugula. So yesterday with lunch I wanted something a little lighter in the green department, so I was glad to find some bright crisp greens (butter lettuce, red leaf lettuce, sprouts, celery) in the fridge to whip up this salad for Billy and me. Light and bright and perfect for spring weather.

-Feeling Green Salad- Serves 2

4 c. butter lettuce and red leaf lettuce, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 c. sprouts, micro greens, alfalfa, broccoli
1/2 avocado, sliced or diced
1/4 c. leafy celery, chopped

-Dressing-

3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. agave
salt and pepper
Bragg’s seasoning (optional)

1. Divide the salad fixings between to bowls. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Whisk the apple cider vinegar and olive oil together in a bowl, then whisk the rest of the ingredients in with the olive oil/vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Dress the salad with the dressing and serve. Enjoy!

Weekend Roundup

07 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

I think that the people around me are sometimes overwhelmed with how much I cook, and worry that for them in their lives it just seems unattainable. Not the case! It certainly goes in peaks and valley’s for me, at times I have more time on the weekend and at times I have more time during the week. Whatever the case is I just dip into the reserves, whether that is leftover soup in the freezer or making something like Marinara Sauce for a meal during the week. This weekend I had Saturday to be in my kitchen, Billy was off helping Big Mike ALL DAY. In anticipation for their arrival, I just kept on playing in my favorite room in the house. Wait till you see what I was up to, Enjoy!

It all started Friday night-
Dinner: Roasted Spaghetti Squash w/ Vodka Sauce (Vodka Sauce is on my blog) to be honest I had some leftover Vodka Sauce but I just didn’t think it was fresh enough to eat, so I made a quick version of the Vodka Sauce- minus the bacon and vodka and I added mushrooms.

Saturday-
Breakfast: Hot Cereal w/ ‘Sausage’ and Kale (both recipes are on the blog)
Lunch: The Soup (on the blog) just the broth and soba noodles
Dinner: Leftover Tortilla Soup, out of the freezer (on the blog) this was a last minute fix, I’ll explain later!

Just because: Homemade Vegetable Stock, here’s the deal I probably make this once a month. It’s a great way to use whatever is leftover at the end of the week. Celery, carrots, onions, garlic, stalks of kale, stems of broccoli, greens, sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, peppercorns, always a piece of kombu. Throw all your leftover scraps and veggies into a huge pot, add a gallon of water, bring to a boil. Boil for about 2-3 hours, let cool, strain, divide into freezer bags and VIOLA! you have your own stock for the month to come.

Snacks: Vegan Chocolate Pudding (on the blog)
Herbed Vegan Crackers (on the blog)
Muesli Scones, find at Elana’s Pantry.com (these are going in our lunch bag this week)

What I was going to take to a party Saturday night…we didn’t make it. Family stuff! Thank goodness for frozen Tortilla soup-
Homemade Guacamole, fresh avocado’s, lots of lime, salt, garlic salt, onion powder, DELISH!
Jar of my Homemade Canned Salsa, blended
Laurie’s Buffalo Tortilla Chips, local company

For dinner during the week- Marinara Sauce, I’m going to use this for Lasagna Rolls for dinner Monday and Tuesday night.

Sunday-
Breakfast: Gingerbread Waffles (on the blog)
Lunch: out with family
Dinner: No dinner, to full from breakfast and lunch ;0)

For our protein shakes: Homemade Almond Milk (on th blog)

PHEW! I’m tired! Thank goodness I have some recipes to carry us for the week.

Fabio’s Lazy Tuna- Cosmo Hippie Chef Alert!

20 Sunday Feb 2011

Posted by in Fish

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

I didn’t realize until this morning that this dish is like a one dish fish cake! Fish cakes are like crab cakes that have potatoes in them, and probably the reason this is called Fabio’s Lazy Tuna is because you make it in one big dish instead of individuals cakes. Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking Dirty Martini’s when I’m eating dinner, these things would come to me sooner.
Anyways this dish comes from one of my favorite shows on the Cooking Channel, David Rocco. David and his wife live in Florence, Italy and sometimes he’s at home cooking or sometimes they are out road tripping and he’ll make a dish the is special to that region. I saw him make this this twice and thought it looked interesting, and it is.
I think this dish would be a great to entertain with, it’s easy, fresh, lighter than a traditional fish cake, delicious and something new and fun. I hope you’ll try it. Enjoy!
-Fabio’s Lazy Tuna-
6 potatoes, boiled, peeled and finely chopped (mine were organic, local cal whites, similar to russets)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T. chili peppers (I used dried)
bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped (I used about 1/2 c.)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2c. olive oil
1 T. fennel seed, crushed (I used my mortar and pesol)
2 T. lemon rinds or zest
bunch of basil, torn (I know basil is not in season but I was able to find organic basil at the store)
8 peeled plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I used my own canned tomatoes, but I used a little less because I added 1/4 c. roasted red bell peppers as well)
1 1/2 lb. fresh tuna, thinly sliced (Lucky for me my buddy Dave owns a sushi restaurant- Sushi Groove, so I was able to get a pound of fresh ahi from him. But you can just hit up your favorite fish shop)
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used a baguette that was leftover, I pulsed it into crumbs in the food processor and then toasted it for a minute in the oven to make them extra dry)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add potatoes, garlic, chili peppers, half the parsley, salt, pepper to taste. Add 3/4 c. olive oil and mix well. Spread the potato mixture on an ovenproof pan, packing the mixture so it serves as a solid bed for the tuna.
3. Spread half of the fennel seeds, lemon rinds, basil and pieces of the plum tomatoes sparingly (roasted bell peppers ,if using) on top of the potato mixture.
4. Add the tuna slices on top covering the baking dish.
5. Spread the remainder of the fennel seeds, lemon rinds, plum tomatoes (bell pepper, if using)
and the rest of the parsley on top of the tuna.
6. Generously sprinkle the bread crumbs, and drizzle the remaining olive oil on the top.
7. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. (Depending on how well you like your tuna) Serve!

Tomato Vinaigrette

19 Saturday Feb 2011

Posted by in dressing, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

This is one of my go to dressings for salad, marinades or whatever you want. It’s great when your craving tomatoes in the winter, you can use organic tomato sauce or your own canned tomatoes, pureed and strained. It’s easy, throw all the ingredients into a jar and shake. Enjoy!
-Tomato Vinaigrette-
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 t. dry thyme, basil, oregano
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1/4 c. tomato sauce
*optional- fresh chopped garlic
1. Pour all the ingredients into a jar with tight-fitting lid. Place the lid on the jar and shake all the ingredients together until well blended.
2. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Ready to use!
with the garlic
In the summer when fresh herbs are available you could swap them for the dry herbs.
P.S. I use my mortar and pestle to grind all the herbs, salt and pepper and onion powder together before adding them to the other ingredients.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake- For My Love

13 Sunday Feb 2011

Posted by in dessert

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Everyone knows how spoiled my husband (Billy) is when it comes to the food department at our house. I take full responsibility for the monster he has become, but all the cooking I do for him is out of pure love. I warned him when we started dating that I was a handful, but I also said I would be worth every bit of it. Cooking for him is my way of saying I love you, I cherish you and thanks for putting up with me. I think he would agree it’s a perfect trade off. When Valentine’s rolls around I usually make him something naughty, this recipe definitely doesn’t fall under our eating for health plan but Valentine’s is about showering those whom we love with a little extra love. So honey, this ones for you. ENJOY!

-PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE-

*base:
1/2 (14 oz) box graham crackers (2c.)
1/2 c. salted peanuts (I used macadamia nuts because I have a surplus of them)
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet vegan choc chips)
4 T. soft unsalted butter

*filling:
2 (8oz) bars cream cheese
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 c. superfine sugar (I used sucant)
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. creamy peanut butter

*topping:
1 c. sour cream
1 c. milk chocolate chips (I used the semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips)
2 T. light brown sugar (I used sucant)

9-inch spring form pan

Cook’s Note: All of the ingredients should be room temp. before you start.

1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Process the crackers, nuts, chocolate and butter in a food processor. Once it comes together in a clump, turn it into a spring form pan and press into the bottom and up the sides to make a crunchy crust. Put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
3. Add all the filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it becomes a smooth mixture. Pour and scrape the filling into the crust and bake for 1 hour, checking after 45 minutes. (Iactually cooked mine for only 45 min.) The top should feel set and dry.
4. Take cheesecake out of the oven and set aside while you make the topping. Warm the sour cream and milk chocolate with the sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently whisk to blend in the chocolate as it melts, then take pan off the heat.
5. Spoon and spread the topping vety gently over the top of the cheesecake, being careful to not break the surface. Put back in the oven for a final 10 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely. Slice and serve.

**This recipe comes from Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson. As seen on Cooking Channel

Cranberry Relish

08 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in appetizer, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I was introduced to this delicious recipe at a recent book club meeting from my fellow Slow Food Utah book club buddy Kate Holbrook. I asked her permission to share the recipe with all of you and she told me she got the recipe from a friend- who got it from a friend. Isn’t that the way it always go?! Let me tell you that this dish was a big hit, and the fact that it is easy makes it even better.
It is very hard to find fresh cranberries at the market this time of the year, probably because they are in season during the holidays. Normally I would not do a recipe like this with produce that is out of season but I was able to find frozen cranberries at the market. I feel good about buying these because they come from a Sustainable Farm in Oregon called Stahlbush Island Farms. These cranberries are flash frozen, so they are super fresh and there is nothing added to them- just cranberries! This company also uses their remaining fruit and vegetables material to produce green energy, naturally chic. Enjoy!
-Cranberry Relish-
10-12oz fresh cranberries
1 green onion, chopped (I forgot this time to get green onions, so I used 1/4 chopped purple onion)
1 medium jalapeno, chopped (seeded for those who can’t handle the heat)
3/4 c. sugar (I use sucant*)
1-2 T. cilantro leaves (I actually used more)
1/4 tsp. cumin (I used 1/2 tsp)
pinch of salt
block of cream cheese, or log of goat cheese
1. Blend all the ingredients (except the cheese) in a food processor until blended, but still chunky. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
2. Serve over cheese of your choice with a fresh sliced baguette or crackers.
*Sucant- Minimally processed sugar made by pressing the juice from the cane, clarifying, filtering and evaporating it, then crystallizing the resulting sugar. Sucant retains many of the minerals, vitamins and trace elements found in sugar cane.

Pasta Alla Friends- Friday Night Hangout

30 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in pasta

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

We try and get together with our friends as often as we can, due to the fact that all our friends have kids this can sometimes be a challenge. But lucky for us we could all make it work this weekend. We all bring a dish and a libation of choice and the rest is history. I know these little get togethers really restore all our spirits after a long week. The dishes don’t have to be complex, so is the case in the pasta I brought. I really just made this up on the fly, I looked to see what I had on hand and all I had to buy was some whole wheat pasta. Good luck and I hope you Enjoy!

-Pasta All Friends-
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti (cooked according to the directions)
1/2 c. pistachio’s (shelled and toasted)*
1/2 c. pine nut’s (shelled and toasted)*
3 lemons, zested and reserve the juice
1/4 c. parsley leaves
1/2 c. olive oil
1-1 1/2 c. cheese (I used Peccirino and Parmigiana)
salt and pepper
*to toast nuts put them in a dry saute pan over medium heat just until they start to release there oils, you’ll be able to smell them become toasty. Shake pan occasionally, be careful not to burn.
1. Cook pasta according to the directions. Be sure to salt the boiling water.
2. After you have toasted the nuts, place them in the food processor with the lemon zest, pepper and parsley, pulse down to a fine grind. Use your best judgement on the size of the pulsed nuts.
3. Mix the olive oil and reserved lemon juice, whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When the pasta is done cooking drain and place back into the pot you boiled it in. Drizzle in the lemon and olive oil mixture, the nut mixture and the cheese. Using tongs toss all together and coat all the pasta.
5. Pour into a big bowl and garnish with any leftover cheese or parsley.
I liked the idea of this dish because we are getting whole grains from the pasta, good fats from the nuts and olive oil, and using fresh herbs and lemon bring a fresh flavor and take your taste buds for a ride. Parsley has a number of healing properties such as strengthening the liver, kidneys and the bladder. It’s also a immune enhancer and helps support the nervous system.
How cool is that? Food should always taste amazing but also be nutritional dense, using whole foods will ensure this.

Kale! It’s on sale at Whole Foods… Hurry Run!

18 Tuesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

I wanted to make a quick mention of this because Kale is a highly nutritious green vegetable. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals and when cooked right totally delicious. This would be a great time to try out a couple of my earlier recipes- Sausage and Kale and Kale Chips. Kale can be added to soups and can be juiced with other fruits or vegetables. So hurry, run to the store and pick some up today. Let me know what you think.

Pasta all Vodka- Rockstar Status!

18 Tuesday Jan 2011

Posted by in pasta

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

,

This recipe will make you look like a rock star in the kitchen. This is one of those recipe that I pull out when I want to blow someones socks off. My friend Kim laughs when I say “I swear it’s easy” when it comes to a recipe, but I SWEAR IT’S EASY!!! I wish I could give credit where credit is due but all I can tell you is our old friend Alan Daly gave me this recipe and I love it. This is a great dish to try out on your in-laws, a new love, and old love or maybe just for your friends. Enjoy!

-Pasta alla Vodka-
3 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 onion, chopped (this is not in the recipe but I like it)
1/2 c. chopped bacon, go for the meaty parts (I use Clifford Farms)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 T. chopped fresh sage
1/2 c. vodka
1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. veggie stock
1 lbs pasta
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan set on medium heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes.
2. Saute garlic, onion, bacon or prosciutto, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary and sage for 2-3 minutes, until the bacon is beginning to brown.
3. Turn off heat, stir in vodka, turn heat back on and scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the tomato sauce and chicken stock, stirring well.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Cook pasta according to the directions, once the pasta is finished pour the finished sauce over the pasta and cook, stirring over medium heat for 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle cheese over the pasta and mix well.

DIY- Herbed Crackers (Vegan and Gluten Free)

17 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in appetizer, Snack, vegan

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can’t, this one belongs to Elana’s Pantry. I have made these crackers more times than I can count, they are easy, taste fantastic and are probably not like any other cracker you’ve had. They are great with soup or with your favorite dip. I recently made these for my mom to go with this yummy, warm, spicy roasted squash soup after her last chemo treatment (YEAH!). This was a perfect combination because I wanted something delicious and comforting, but good for her. Did I mention these crackers are high in protein due to the fact that they are made with almond meal. Enjoy!
-Herbed Crackers-
2 c. almond meal (the last time I bought almond meal I bought it at Cali’s Market, but I’ve also seen it in the bulk section at Whole Foods)
3/4 tsp. real salt, or Celtic salt
2 T. Herbs de Provence (I use Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle)
1 T. olive oil
2 T. water
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together first. Then add the olive oil and water, mix again well.
3. Using a parchment lined baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 in size) pour the mixture into baking dish. Press the mixture into the bottom of baking dish, making sure to even out the mixture. Make sure the mixture is pressed down firmly and evenly.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top of crackers mixture is browned a little.
5. Take out of the oven and let cool 20 minutes. Then cut the crackers, I get 16 crackers out of my batch.