Crookpot Thai Curry Soup

Anyone who knows me knows that it is no secret that I love Asian flavors. Particularly Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese (in that order). The flavors are fresh, bright and are feeling without causing too much chaos in our diet. I especially like that the flavors are easy to achieve with a few simple staple ingredients.

Because today was Mothers' Day, I wanted to enjoy those flavors without spending all day in the kitchen or having to spend a bunch of money going out (not to mention the crowds!). So, the obvious choice was to make it in the crock pot, which is especially ideal because you will get the slow development of flavors with little to no supervision.

What you will need (keep in mind that these are items I always have on hand and anyone who loves this flavor profile should invest in stocking the pantry with the same -- It will be money well spent!)

• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 TB red curry powder
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder
• 2 TB of Better Than Bouillon chicken stock base
• 1 TB fish sauce
• 1/2 TB soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic chili paste 
• 1" piece of fresh ginger grated
• 1-2 grated carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 half gallon carton of coconut milk (I used Blue Diamond)
• 1 bag of frozen peas
• 4oz of vermicelli noodles
• cilantro, scallion and peanuts for garnish

1. Turn your crock pot to high then halve your onion lengthwise (so slices look like arches) and thinly slice. Add to crock pot along with all your spices and still until well combined.
2. Add ginger, carrots and celery and stir again. 
3. Add all your coconut milk (you can use two cans of traditional coconut milk with two cups of water, but I find this easier and results in the same flavor and consistency). NOTE: I used the one that is only coconut milk, not the one that is half almond. I don't see why you couldn't but almond usually adds a sweeter and nuttier taste. 
4. Leave on high for 4 hours and stir occasionally. 
5. Reduce to low and add peas and cook for another hours
6. Add noodles (I use half an 8.8ox pack or two of the smaller 2oz bundles) and leave for 30 minutes. I then use kitchen scissors to cut into manageable strands. 
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, scallions and/or unsalted peanuts. 

This dish is so easy and is the perfect combination of salt, sweet and heat as well as creamy. Hope you enjoyed as much as we did!

Succulent Lobster Stew

Being a born and raised New Enlander means that there are a few assumptions that you could make about me and my family: we know a thing or two about cold weather, some of our "r's" sound like "ah's" and we know our way around seafood... more specifically, lobster. 

Though eating seafood in our region is normally synonymous with summer, this past Christmas I decided I wanted to do something different than the traditional ham but would still have the "comfort food" feel that the holidays are all about. This dish does take a some prep/sit time in order to develop the perfect flavors. This recipe also lends itself to some creativity by adding other seafood and even cream to make it a chowder. 

Being on the coast, I have the privilege of being able to get my seafood super fresh; literally as it is coming into the docks. However, that being said, I did not cook all of the seafood that I used myself, but it was still fresh. Though the price of live lobster was decent, it was more cost effective to get a couple live (for the stock) and purchase a knuckle and claw mix that the fisherman has packaged and flash frozen within the last day or so. Though this is borderline sacrilegious and I can heard the audible scoff from every "true," salt of the sea New Englander, I swear it is legit and you will thank me later. I used a 1# package in addition to the meat from my two lobsters. 

First thing is first, preparing the lobster. I purchased two 1.25# (chicken) lobsters. You can use hard or soft shell depending on your preference and your budget. I believe these were unbeaten... so had more meat that a soft but not as tender (supposedly). I steam mine so that I do not dilute the flavor of the lobster, plus there is less water in the shells when you open them. Any good Google search will yield proper handling instructions. 

After they are cooked, I set mine aside to cool while I prepare the stock. SIDENOTE: If you are not familiar with cooking lobsters, take care not to overcook them by watching for them to turn bright red. They will continue to cook while they cool. You will harvest the claws, tails, knuckles,and any other portion you have patience for, and put them in an airtight container to store in the fridge until the very end before serving. Reserve the bodies and shells for the stock. 

Using the large steaming pot that I used for the lobsters (if I were to guess, I would say it holds at least 2 gallons of liquid), I begin adding the ingredients for my stock:

• Large onion, quartered
• 6 stalks of celery, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 c water (will add more later)
• 1 tsp paprika
• heavy pinch of saffron (optional)
• 1 tsp onion powder (sweeter than onion)
• 2 TB chicken stock base (not cubes) *you are welcome to use seafood, if you can find it*
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, cubed

A couple things to note here: you will notice in the picture below that I have the steamer insert in pot to make it easier to remove the solids when the stock is done. Next, you may notice that I did not include salt or pepper. That is because the salt in the base will guide you when the soup is assembled later and too much salt will ruin the stew, trust me, and you don't want pepper to overpower the delicate lobster flavors. Finally, this probably goes without saying, but I have to. PLEASE was your vegetables. You don't need to peel them, but make sure that the dirt and sand don't make it into your final product. You won't be able to pass the "grit" as having come from the lobsters. They are too classy for that.

After all of these have been added to the pot, add the lobster bodies/shells to the pot and fill to the upper rim with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to half. You will leave this to cook for several hours/most of the day. Be sure to keep an eye on it an taste from time to time to see if it is missing anything. It is okay if the flavors do not have "depth" because it will marinate overnight to give it the married flavors in the finished product. 

Once it has cooked down enough, strain out and discard the solids. You are going to put it in the fridge so chill and develop flavors overnight. You are welcome to make and serve this the same say, but you patience will be rewarded if you can stand to wait!

The next day an hour and a half before serving, you will return your stock to the pot and add these ingredients to your stew in intervals after bringing to a boil:

• 2 large white potatoes cut into bite sized pieces - reduce to a simmer, wait 15 minutes before adding:
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds - Wait 15 minutes before adding:
• 3 stalks of celery in 1/4" slices - Wait 15 minutes before adding:
• 1 bag of sweet frozen corn. This will significant drop the temperature of the stew, which is okay because you do not want it to be scalding when you add the lobster. 

This is the time to taste and make final adjustments like adding salt or white pepper as well as test the done-ness of your vegetables. To prepare your lobster meat, pull out claws and set aside. Cut up your tails into decent sized pieces and halve your knuckles. Once the rest of your stew has the right taste and has warmed back up, add your prepared lobster (minus claws). Wait another 5-10 minutes and you are ready to serve! This makes AT LEAST 8-10 good sized servings. You may need more claws for garnish or forgo all together and include in the stew if serving a large crowd. Either way, this is guaranteed not to disappoint!

I plated mine, as seen below, by placing a claw across the top as a garnish. I know that this seems like a lot of waiting but this was by far one of the best stews I have ever had and it is too good not to share. 

The real fun part, is that you can make this recipe your own by changing the base, adding a milk based rue at the end to turn it into a chowder or changing up the vegetables. The options are endless!

ENJOY! - CRM

You scream. I scream, we all scream for Kimchi!

Today I had the pleasure of spending the day with my friend's mom, and she taught me how to make kimchi. Kimchi is a flavor similar to pickling but is fermented instead. Because it does not involve heat, the cabbage retains its crunch. In a word, it can be described as delicious!

I was first exposed to kimchi when I had bulgogi fries, which is a Korean BBQ beef dish served over french fries with kimchi and a creamy sirachi sauce. However, kimchi is delicious in all kinds of applications or on its own, but no matter what the application, I prefer mine cold.

Mrs. E took me out shopping for ingredients. We went to the Asian market and got a head of napa cabbage that was about the size and weight of a 5 pound bag of sugar. We also got a good size ginger root, head of garlic, and about 5 small chilli peppers.

Mrs. E told me about how she learned to make kimchi and how she had a special wooden bowl that she had been using for years . Even though the bowl had broken, she still kept it. To me, is what traditional foods are all about: telling a story She was also careful to explain to me that there is no real recipe, it is all about taste and preference.

To start, we took two bowls: one for the leafy part of the cabbage and the other for the stalk portion.The reason that they are separated is because stalks will take more salt and time in the next part. Take the cabbage and remove all of the loose leaves. Starting with the stalk, cut on a diagonal to get 0.25-0.5" until you reach the leafy part, then cut the leaf down the stem, stack on top of one another and continue down the diagonal in 1-1.5" pieces. Make sure to separate into respective bowls. Quarter the remaining cabbage, remove any brown core and cut on a diagonal width-wise starting at the leafy end. Once you get to the stems, cut lengthwise.

Bowls of cabbage leaves and stalks

In a non-reactive bowl, layer cabbage leaves with standard table salt, then toss to coat. Repeat the same with the stems, but this time use a bit more salt. Don't worry about over salting because you'll rinsing before the final step. Remember to toss each bowl regularly to ensure that it is uniformly coated.

While that is brining, peel and slice ginger and all cloves of garlic in the head. Place in a mortar and use the pestle to grind up. 

Once the it has been smashed up, add the chilli peppers and continue to grind until everything is in small, uniform pieces.

  

Add about 1/4c brown sugar and 1/8c of paprika. Mix well.

Note: Paprika is optional but it keeps the appearance appetizing and reduces browning.

Add 1/2 to 3/4c of white vinegar. Set the sauce aside to marinate. 

Mixture will be mostly uniform in size and soupy

You can combine the leaves and stems at this point, tossing well.

Let sit for several hours until wilted.

Notice that cabbage has wilted and has reduced in size nearly half
and there is quite a bit of water in the bag. 

Drain liquid and place cabbage in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Toss and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze the water out and transfer to another clean bowl. Test a piece of cabbage. You want it to taste salty but not overcome the palate. 

Rinsing cabbage on the left and squeeze out on the right.
Look how crunchy it is!

Taste sauce and make adjustments if necessary. You can add more chilli or brown sugar or even fish sauce. Then add sauce and toss until well covered. Transfer to non-reactive containers. Make sure to pack down because it will shrink.

You can enjoy right away or wait or it to ferment a couple days out on the counter then store in the fridge. Please note that the more the mixture ferments, the more likely it is too look puffy or bubble up when opened. This is natural and all a matter of preference. 

The moral to this food journey: good food is like a song.

It has meaning; it can be simple, yet complex; and made with love.

Burgers aren't just for cows... Salmon Burgers

Summer time means long days, warm nights and summer foods! However, I am not a big fan of the grill and standard burgers can get old. Salmon burgers are an excellent alternative and the they are surprisingly easy to make. The best parts about this recipe is that it is quick and versatile.

Salmon Burgers

2# Salmon, skin removed and cut into 1" pieces

1/4 c cilantro chopped

1 egg

1/4 c onion, diced

1/2 c panko crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 352 degrees.
2. Place half of the salmon into a food processor and pulse about 7 times. Place aside in a bowl;
3. Place remaining salmon in the processor, pulse for 4 times, and add to the other salmon;
4. Mix in remaining ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes;
5. Form into patties (will be looser than hamburgers). I use a boiling pan to reduce excess oils. 
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes. 

Siracha Mayo

1/2 c mayo

1 squirt of siracha

1 garlic scape and/or green scallion

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and let sit for a couple minutes to meld. Assemble on buns with favorite vegetables and enjoy! Other variations include adding or substituting lemon/lime zest, chili/cumin powder. 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Revisit

It is funny how quickly a year passes and with that things also change. If I didn't think my life could get any busier, but it has. It is easy to fall back on take out or processed foods, and trust me I am of the most guilty, but life strikes its balance and we learn to make it work. I love this recipe and I've adapted it to work I'm the crockpot and with fewer processed ingredients.

You will need:
4 Large Green Peppers (tops cut off, cleaned out, tops reserved and chopped)
1c Dry Quinoa
2 TB EVOO
1 Small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 jar of tomato sauce

1. Start quinoa by adding to 2c of water, bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and cook10 minutes.
2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oil in pan and add veggies in two minute intervals in the order shown, ending with green peppers.
3. Prepare large crock pot by  placing 1c of sauce on the bottom and turning heat up to high. 
4. Add quinoa (it will still be al dente) to veggies then add remaining sauce. Mix up and divide into peppers. 
5. Reduce heat on crockpot to low and cook 3-4 hours. You can add cheese if the last 30 minutes if you want but I thought it was fine without it. 

So, now that I have shared both of my recipes. Let new know what you think of each.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I am starting to go through my cupboards to use up all the items that have been sitting there a while. Despite what people may think, even dry pantry items have an expiration date, especially if they are bulk items that are exposed to the air.

As I was doing this, I came upon a wonderful mason jar of quinoa and knew that it was exactly what I was in the mood for. This meal is fresh, fast and delicious! Not to mention, it is dairy and gluten free and the fact that it is 353 calories* a serving doesn't hurt either.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
4 Large Green Peppers (about size of grapefruit or softball)
3TB EVOO
5 Cloves of Garlic
2 Carrots
2c Mushrooms (Cremini and/or Shitake)
1tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3TB Hoisen Sauce
1c Dried Quinoa
1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce (I prefer Newman's Own)
4 slices of veggy cheese

Instead of using a dutch oven, my stock pot is oven safe.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pot needs to be large enough to stand the green peppers next to one another and be completely submerged. 
3. Meanwhile cook quinoa by placing in a quart sauce pan with 1 1/2c of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Then prepare peppers by cutting the tops off (reserving) and removing the seeds from the inner core and discard. When the water comes to a boil, submerge the peppers under the water, cover and cook for five minutes.  Drain and set aside uncovered
5. Chop the remaining produce including green pepper tops, heat EVOO over medium heat and saute veggies until soft then add Worcestershire Sauce.
6. Add quinoa to veggies then add hoisen sauce and heat for 5 minutes. 
7. Turn up heat to high, add 2/3 jar of sauce to veggies and remove from heat when it just starts to boil.
8. Use a small amount of remaining sauce to coat the bottom of a dutch oven. Transfer green peppers and divide quinoa mixture among peppers then top with remaining sauce.
9. Cover the dutch oven back for 25 minutes. Remove lid, top each pepper with cheese and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes. 
10. Let peppers rest for five minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!

My lovely husband: "I was so sad when I was done eating because it was all gone."

 *Calorie count based on recipe information entered into MyFitnessPal.

Chocolate Chip-Apple-Raspberry Quick Bread for a Busy 2013

So, 2013 has already given me a run for my money. With trying to plan family celebrations and parties, our wedding and meetings at work, it is nor surprise that January is a half over. Though I did not make actual resolutions this year, I am taking strides to better myself... which is basically the same. Part of that is trying to return to a healthier life style and eating habits. We did really well last year but ended up returning to our bad habits when my husband was told that he did not have a gluten allergy.

However, after returning to our casual eating style, may of his problems returned, which was all the convincing I needed to go back. Not to mention, I also noticed that I felt "slower" when we eating crap laden foods. So, it is back to homemade foods with few ingredients and even fewer preservatives and I happy to say that this includes juicing, but at the end of the week I sometimes have a few produce items left behind that really should be used up in order to maximize their nutrient potential.

I took my family's banana bread recipe and threw together this fabulous quick bread. It is the perfect balance of decadence and healthy yumminess.

Chocolate Chip-Apple-Raspberry Quick Bread
2c Flour
3/4c Turbinado Sugar
1tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2tsp Baking Soda
1/2tsp Salt
2TB Coconut Oil
1 Egg or 1/2c Apple Sauce
3/4c Coconut Kefir
2tsp Orange Zest
2 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
1/2c Frozen Raspberries
1/2c Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9x13 loaf pans. 
2. Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients (coconut oil, egg/apple sauce, kefir and orange zest) separately.
3. Make a well in dry ingredient and mix in wet ingredients until just combined. 
4. Fold in apples and chocolate chips and then add raspberries until just combined. 
5. Divide the batter into two loaf pans and bake 50-60 minutes, until knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.
6. Enjoy warm or cooled

This bread is so moist and decadent that it can even be served as a dessert with a little ice cream.

 

Addition by Substitution: Learning how to bake for food allergies

After hearing that you or a loved on has food allergies, it can feel like a death sentence to some of your favorite foods and recipes. However, that does snot have to be the case. Today, there are many options available in order to substitute for these culprit ingredients. In our house, the biggest contributors to stomach upset are dairy and gluten, but I've learned a few quick substitutions to help me get around them.

In preparation for the holidays, I have been trying to figure out what I want to make for the 13 members of my family that I am expecting this Thanksgiving. On top of pouring through some time tested recipes, I am also hoping to bring a few more to the table, but I want make them friendly to everyone.

In December, 2012 edition of Food & Wine Magazine, they had an awesome looking caramelized pear custard that I wanted to try but needed to tweek first. Anyone who does substitutions knows that there is no universal replacement and it is all about application. In this case, I replaced the dairy by either omitting it completely or replacing it with Maypo's canned coconut milk (I get mine at my local Asian market). I chose canned because I needed it to replace evaporated milk and needed it to be thicker than every day milk. You can use carton alternatives but you will need 3x's the volume of liquid than required and patience to SLOWLY reduce it down. I also adapted sugar sources but be warned, changing too much of the recipe can cause it to be a major flop. That is why I recommend testing it in advance, rather than the day of you big event.

Caramelized Pear Custard Pie
9" Crust
Pears:
4 bosc pears, peeled and halved with stem and seeds removed (you want then ripe but firm)
3 TB water
1/2c honey
1/2tsp cinnamon
1 TB vanilla
Filling:
3 TB Turbinado sugar
2 TB instant tapioca pearls (such as Minute brand)
1 TB vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4c + 3 TB canned coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake weighted crust for 10 minutes then reduce oven temp to 350.
2. Place remaining pear ingredients in skillet, except for pears, over medium heat. Add pears round side down once mixture starts to bubble. Continue to cook, continuously swirling and basting pears until bottom gets caramelized and starts to soften (10-12 minutes).
3. Flip pears to flat side and continue to baste until bottom has done the same (5-7 minutes).
4. Transfer pears (flat side down and stem-end in to make a flower pattern) to pre-baked crust and reserve sauce to the side.
5. Mix together all filling ingedients, reserving the 3TB of coconut milk for caramel) and pour over pears.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until almost set. Pie will firm upon standing. Let cool completely.
7. For caramel, place reserved sauce over medium heat. As it softens, add coconut milk and continue to heat until almost to a boil. Remove from heat and use to drizzle over cooled pie slices. 

Completed pie. If I had been paying more attention,
I would have made sure that my pears were more evenly spaced.

Though this pie will not be exactly as the standard recipe would have tasted, it is still very good and it will not disappoint. Enjoy!

 

Recovering from the Political Runs...

Finally... It's over. No more ads, no more signs, no more guessing... The election is finally over.

This election was a tumultuous one... neighbor against neighbor; husband against wife and co-worker against co-worker. It's amazing after everything is said and done, the Earth still turns and it is business as usual. My primary hope for the next four years is that people can put aside their differences and do what it is best for the country as a whole.

All hopeful thoughts aside, I would like to say that I am extremely proud of my home State, Maine, for allowing for equality to prevail and accepting gay marriage into its constitution. As a heterosexual, married person who has never really quite fully understood the connection between love and marriage, I would never want to stand in the way of someone else who wanted to make that commitment and make it legal. I am optimistic that Maine will continue to be progressive and hopefully shed some of the stereotypes that it has had cast upon it.

Now, on to the kitchen. After going to the polls, we came back home and even though I really wanted risotto, it was late and I didn't really have 45 minutes to make it... not to mention I was out of rice. However, I did have couscous, which is a small "grain" toasted pasta and decided to use that instead with asparagus and poached eggs.

Couscous "Risotto" with Asparagus and Poached eggs

6c Chicken Broth

Pinch of saffron

1c Mushrooms (Baby Bella or Shitake)

1/4c EVOO

2 cloves of garlic (or one Elephant clove)

1c leaks, shallots or white onion, minced

1 16oz package of large grain couscous

1/2c white wine

4TB Butter

1 bunch asparagus

1TB Vinegar

6 eggs

1. Bring broth to a boil and reduce to medium high, then add saffron and mushrooms.
2. Heat EVOO over medium heat then add garlic and leaks (or alternative) and continue to cook until translucent.
3. Add couscous and stir until coated. Continue to cook until starting to turn brown.
4. Add wine and stir around to stop couscous from sticking. Continue to cook until evaporated. 
5. Add broth by the ladle-full, stir frequently and continue to cook until broth has evaporated--at which point, add more. Continue to do this until pasta has cooked, starts to break down and appear as if it has started to create it owns sauce. 
6. While couscous is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil then add asparagus and vinegar. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender then remove from water and add to an ice bath to stop cooking (reserve water for eggs). Chop then add to couscous in the last few minutes that it is cooking. 
7. Stir in butter and remove from heat to let sit.
8. Poach eggs by returning asparagus water to a boil then reduce to medium high. Break eggs one at a time into a bowl and slowly lower into water. I find that a large stock pot can comfortably hold 4 eggs. Continue to cook until eggs are slightly jiggly when picked up with a slotted spoon (about 5 minutes). You want the whites to be cooked but the yolks to be runny. 
9. Plate by putting risotto down first then top with freshly poached eggs. Serve with salad and crusty bread. 

You can also stir in about 1/2c of Parmesan cheese. I didn't because my husband can't do dairy. However, I found that this meal was the perfect balance of comfort food and decadence. Just what I needed after months of negative, political torment. :-)

Sorry these pictures aren't that good. It was so good that I forgot to snap a good shot.

Eliminating the Processed and Getting Back to Basics

I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by. I feel like we were just watching the last of the ice melt away and, within a blink of the eye, we are awaiting the first winter flakes to fall. One of my cold weather preparations is to keep my eating habits in check, which is hard with the upcoming holidays.

My "bat family" all dolled up for Halloween

As you may have noticed in my earlier posts, I was making it my goal to eat fresh and unprocessed foods. However, we got busy this summer with moving, unpacking, meetings and summer fun. As a result, more of our meals were from restaurants or prepackaged foods; the consequence was the 20 lbs that I quickly lost came back even faster and I went from feeling bright and "fluid" to bulky and
 slow.

So, I made a resolution that, after Halloween, we were going back to eating nutrient rich, fresh foods. Our biggest problem is not liking these foods, because my three year old daughter will wolf-down broccoli and other veggies without a second thought, but more the foods' shelf life and the time to transform the food. I don't have the time to make several trips to the farmers market and salads get old quick. The way I get around this is by creating my own dressings and eating the salads in wraps- nothing amazing but it manages to trick my brain into thinking that I am getting variety.

The other night we had fresh kale with apples, tofu, cucumbers, and a quick cilantro-lime dressing and it was a big hit. The best part was it was FAST. I literally squeezed a lime into a bowl with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and chopped cilantro and let my kale marinate in it while I chopped up the other vegetables. We eat have our own preference of nuts... I like flax and pinenuts; my husband likes raw sunnies; and my daughter likes hers with all other above and sliced almonds.

 

The hardest meal for me to eat, although very important, is breakfast. I am an early riser, and I am usually a get-up-and-get-out-of-the-house sort of person or I lounge around until it is lunch time. I always make sure that my daughter is eating the appropriate number of meals, but have always missed the mark with myself, which is one of the primary reasons that I struggle with my weight. The way I get around this is by making foods that last several days or taste a bit more fulfilling than traditional breakfast foods, such as cereal. One of my favorites is quiche because I can eat it anytime of the day, they are filling and taste delicious. 

The below recipe is a goat cheese quiche with sauted vegetables, homemade pesto, and fresh eggs. It takes about an hour, start to finish, to make but it can be refrigerated and eaten over a week (if it makes it that long). 

Sauted Veggie Quiche with Pesto and Goat Cheese

1c basil leaves, loosely packed

1/4c EVOO

1 clove of garlic

9" Crust (keep refrigerated in pie pan until needed)

1/4c goat cheese

1Tb Coconut Oil

1 zucchini, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

6 eggs

1c veggie cheese shreds

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a blender, place the first 3 ingredients in order, liquify and set aside.
3. Break up goat cheese and place along the bottom of pie crust and keep cold while preparing remaining ingredients.
4. Saute veggies in coconut oil (feel free to add salt and pepper to taste) until soft. Coat with pesto and add to pie pan over the goat cheese.
5. Whisk eggs until they are uniform and pour over the veggies and cheese. 
6. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 minutes to cook the crust then add the cheese and almonds and move to the top rack and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes until no longer "giggly." 
7. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to continue setting and serve warm. 

Can be eaten with salad, cottage cheese or toast. You can also switch up the vegetables (such as broccoli, asparagus...etc) or even add salsa for an extra kick!
Enjoy!

Cordon Bleu Casserole to Fight the Falltime Blues...

This fall has been busy between balancing every day life and picking apples, transforming said apples into something yummy and getting my house ready for the event of the year... Skye's Halloween bash!

 First, I had to get the inside of my house ready by finishing up some much overdue projects. The primary being that, even though we have been in our house since May, we still did not have a drop of color on our walls. More than that, we still had not organized it in a meaningful way... Maybe not so much meaningful, but it was super cluttered.

Our 4 month old kitten, Monty (left), and 2 year old cat, Jade, watching the leaves blow by

On top of that, I have a list of started but not completed projects. One of which was one that I had been meaning to finish up since early summer when I bought this awesome mirror at a yard sale for $5. I had searched high and low for the perfect accents, and I knew I wanted shutters but, since Pinterest became so popular, it was harder to find shutters that people were just giving away rather than charging an arm and a leg. That was until my local library was redoing some renovations and threw theirs out. They were too perfect for me not to snatch them up. So, after painting our room a nice "succulent" green and sealing the shutters in a clear gloss, I arranged them like this in our TV room...

Next, I had to find a way to entertain a dozen or so preschoolers without breaking the bank and that could be done out in the yard. The first think that came to mind was bean bag toss. So, I stacked a couple boxes on one another, taped them to a large piece of card board as well as garden stakes. Then we reinforced it with nuts and a couple bolts, glued on pumpkin faces and sewed some lentils into flashy cloth for an awesome bean bag toss, which was a great hit with all the kids even though I had other things planned. It probably did not hurt that I had about ten different variations of sugary foods for them to OD on.

 

Though the day was awesome and we could not ask for better weather, today we are back to feeling what the season really has to offer, which is chilling mornings and getting dark early. To add to that, we're actually expecting to feel the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the next couple of days. With days like these, what better than to cook something warm. In fact, I have been craving chicken cordon bleu. I had seen pins for a casserole, which would be way more convenient that preparing it the traditional way. However, when I pulled up the recipes I found that many involved throwing canned chicken with canned condensed soup and that did not sound appetizing at all. However, my heart was set on having this casserole and I came up with a way to achieve the same thing, only better because it would have fresh veggies and is just as fast!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole 

2c Chicken Stock

1 package of Better Than Cream Cheese, Chive flavored

2TB Dijon Mustard

3c Chicken, cooked and chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, finely chopped

1 Bunch of Asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1/2c baked ham, chunked

Gluten free bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat stock until boiling, remove from heat and mix in "Cream Cheese," mix in mustard and set aside.
3. Toss together chicken, celery and asparagus in an 8x8 pan then pour reserved sauce over and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until crumbs are toasted. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve with rice or on top of egg noodles.

This was really fast and very fresh tasting. Being very simple, it was easy to throw together; a plus since my husband and I were exhausted from the party, but, once again, totally worth it. Also, I entered this recipe into my Fitness Pal App and it says there are only 322 calories a serving (definite score!). Though I grew up eating the traditional (less healthy version), but I think this will be my "go to" recipe from now on. I hope you enjoy it as well and I think that it would be good with broccoli or carrots in addition to or instead of the asparagus. Enjoy!

Simply, Splendid Salsa

This reason is not any different from any other salsa that you will find on the web but I figured that I would share in case no one realized just how easy it was to make salsa!

Salsa:
2-3 medium sized ripe, but firm tomatoes, diced (I do not seed them but feel free to do so)
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 c chopped, fresh cilantro
1-2 sliced of pickled jalenapnoes
1 small lime, juiced
salt

1. Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with salt then let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients;
2. Drain off most of the liquid from the tomatoes, add remaining ingredients (including lime zest but be careful not to add too much because it will make it bitter).

If you can help yourself, this is best if you wait about 15 minutes to give the flavors time to meld. However, no one will hold it against you if you can't because this stuff is pretty amazing and I have actually eaten this as a meal with some chips, but also goes really well with poached eggs or tacos.

Poached egg with lime hollandaise sauce and fresh salsa

Enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I am not really much of a gardener, quite the opposite really, but despite the uncharacteristic weather for the northeast this year (warm winter/spring, heavy rains followed by extremely warm and dry weather) Mother Nature decided to give me a break.

On top of having tons of cucumbers that I either ate, pickled or donated, I had TONS of tomatoes, which is absolutely fine by me. There is nothing eating a tomato straight from the vine while it is still warm from the summer sun... I digress... While eating a fresh tomato is great, they are many other things that you can make with them including salsa, bruschetta and, of course, tomato sauce.

I have actually attempted to make sauce before using other people's recipes and the end result was far from desirable (lacked body, too much of some other ingredient such as sugar/vinegar, or it was far from tasty). However, this time I decided to go with my instincts and keep it simple, aka "throw it in the pot and hope for the best," and this time it all worked out! Not only was it tasty but it was a big hit as well as versatile. 

I want to stop you now before I get into the recipe and say that this is NOT like some secret Italian family recipe and it is NOT like a jar that you are going to get off the shelf. What it IS is a very simple recipe that highlights the tomatoes and can be an excellent base for many other meals such as chili, meatball subs or spaghetti sauce where you add other vegetables... the possibilities are endless!

Tomato Sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, chunked
1-2 TB fresh garlic, finely diced
4-5 lbs tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Almost there! See how it has already reduced
quite a bit from the original height?

1. Heat safflower oil over medium heat then add onions and cook until slightly brown;
2. Add red peppers and cook until soft then add garlic and cook until fragrant;
3. Start adding tomatoes in batches, you want the temperature to come back up in between additions;
4. Once all the tomatoes are added, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil;
5. Add herbs and pepper then reduce to a simmer;
6. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until most of the water has evaporated, but not so much that the tomatoes are starting to stick to the bottom;
7. Set a blender basin in a warm water bath to bring the temperature of the glass up then add the mixture in batches, blending until smooth;
8. Return to the pot and continue to cook until sauce has reached desired consistency.
9. You can use this sauce right away of store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. I did jar some of mine, but I am not advanced enough in that are to be giving advice. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Bad picture but yummy sauce :-)

Chili with Quinoa and Sweet Potato

Nothing welcomes fall quite like a bowl of chili. However, having family members whom have food sensitivity, makes eating high fiber foods such beans, less than magical. I saw this recipe on Pinterst and had to give it a try with a few modifications (I omitted beans and added grass-fed ground beef) and it was and instant hit for the whole family!

Chili
Safflower oil
Small onion, diced
Small green pepper, diced
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
Medium sweet potato, cubed
1 TB cumin
1 TB ancho chili powder
1c Homemade tomato sauce
4c Veggie Broth
1c Quinoa
*Optional: Avacado, sour cream, plain yogurt and/or cilantro

1. Heat safflower oil over medium heat then add onions until translucent and starting to brown.
2. Add green peppers and cook until soft then add raw hamburger and cook thoroughly. 
3. Add sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes then add spices, making sure to coat mix well;
4. Add tomato sauce and bring back up to heat then add broth and increase heat to high.
5. Once boiling, add quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer and stir uncovered ever 5 minutes until quinoa is cooked (about 20 minutes). If you find that the mixture is getting thick before quinoa is cooked add cover.
6. Remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes to let flavors marinate. 
7. Top with you favorite chili condiment and enjoy! Perfect the day after or on those cool fall days!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Ginger-Cream Cheese Filling

Not only do I love fall because I can wear comfortable clothes without sweating to death, but I can make all things pumpkin and seem normal. By the time December comes around, I go into pumpkin overload! However, these whoopie pies are the perfect introduction to the season: the cakes are moist, firm and the filling perfectly sweet with a hint of spice from the ginger. I was happy with the consistency of the filling in terms of fluff but I found it a bit grainy and I didn't want to add milk in fear that it would turn into a glaze. I also found it helpful to put filling in the frdge until I need it so that it did not melt.

Cakes:
3c All purpose flour
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1TB ground cinnamon powder
1TB ground nutmeg powder
2c packed brown sugar
32 oz of organic, canned pumpkin pie filling (I use a can and a half)- this comes pre-spiced so adjust dry ingredients to your taste
1c coconut oil
2 large eggs
1TB Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place dry ingredients, including brown sugar, in the mixer and sift until completely mixed.
3. Add canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla.
4. Continue to beat on medium until mixed well, scraping bowl often.
5. Use a small ice cream scoop or large table spoons to drop dough onto cookie sheets and bake 15 minutes then let cool on the pan.

Filling:
1 stick of butter, cubed and chilled
Pinch of salt
1/2 c cream cheese, chilled
2c powdered sugar
1tsp fresh ground ginger

1. Beat butter and salt on medium heat until creamed.
2. Add cream cheese and beat on medium-high until fluffy.
3. Add sugar and continue to beat on high until well combined then add ginger. I get mine in a jar that is pre-ground but you can use fresh as well.
4. Continue to beat the heck out of it on high until it is very fluffy. If it is warm out, you may need to put it in the fridge to chill and resume beating. 

Assemble pies by taking a spoonful and sandwiching between two cakes. Best right away but left overs, if there are any, are good for a week in the fridge (let come to room temp before eating).

GF Banana Whoopie Pies with Fluffy Peanut Butter Filling

So I have been on hiatus planning some things that I will blog about later and I'll get right to the point and post some of this summer's creations. One thing I love to make is whoopie pies, and if you are from the northeast like I am, you know that there is a science to the perfect one. You need to have a fluffy cake that is the perfect balance between fluffy, but not too dry, and moist, but not too fudgey. Then the filling needs to be fluffy, but gritty, and flavorful, but not too sweet.

When we found out my husband was having trouble with gluten, I thought that my baking life was over. Years of perfected recipes were lost to food allergies. However, that is not the case. It took a little while but I was finally able to find a combination that makes whoopie pies that are close to the original and no one can really tell the difference. These would be vegan except for I used butter in the filling.

Cakes:
2c of all purpose GF Flour
1tsp of xanthum gum
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
3 very ripe banana
1/4c coconut oil, melted
1/4c apple sauce
1tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift together dry ingredients and mix together wet ingredients in separate bowls.
3. Create well in center of dry ingredients and add wet into it and mix quickly. The dough will thicken as it sits, so you want to get it mixed quickly. It will look like think play dough.
4. Scoop by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets (I do two sheets at a time).
5. Start by baking 7 minutes (one sheet top rack and other the bottom rack), then alternate and continue baking an additional 7 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let sit on sheets for at least 15 minutes while cakes firm. 

Filling:
1 stick of butter, cubed and chilled
pinch of salt
1/2c peanut butter
2c powdered sugar
1TB milk (if necessary)

1.  Whip butter and salt in mixer on medium until creamy.
2. Add peanut butter and continue to beat until fluffy (should lighten in color)
3. Add sugar and beat on medium until fluffy. If filling is still dry/stiff, add milk and beat on high until fluffy.

To assemble cakes, take a spoonful of filling and sandwich between two cakes. Best if consumed right away, but you can keep left overs in the fridge up to a week and let reach room temp before eating.

Hope you enjoy! I'll post more flavors soon!

Lentil Medley

I only recently had lentils for the first time. Though I do not eat them often, they make a great versatile filler to almost any meal. This dish can either be served as a side or a main dish and goes together quickly and spends most of its time simmering.

• 2TB safflower oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion,chopped
• 2c carrots, chopped
• 1c uncooked lentils
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 2c veggie stock
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 TB olive oil

1. Heat safflower oil over medium heat then add garlic and onion. Continue to heat until fragrant.
2. Add carrots and  cook until tender. Add lentils and stir until coated. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes and kale. Let cook until kale starts to wilt. Add pepper and bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Stirring occasionally. 
4. When lentils are almost tender, remove cover and increase heat and continue to cook until liquid is mostly evaporated. 
5. Remove from heat and let sit for 5minutes. Add lemon juice and oil, toss and enjoy! 

Don't worry if you have leftovers, these are the perfect addition to salads, soups and wraps! 

Not Yo Mama's Shepard Pie

Shepard's pie takes me back to the days that I was a "little Dan" and sitting out the table with my family enjoying a home cooked meal, courtesy of my mom. Being vegetarian does not mean that I have to miss out on these things or that I have to always substitute soy/quorn/seitan if I want to enjoy these foods. Vegetables are not only a fine substitute, but could be considered a preferred alternative. I will always have a special place for my mom's cooking and now I have adapted her recipes to make them my own.

"Meat" Filling

• 1TB safflower oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8oz baby bella mushrooms, diced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• ground sage
• 1c cooked lentils (optional)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• i jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

"Creamed" Corn

•  2 ears of corn, washed and kernals removed
• 1 small yellow squash, diced
• 1TB apricot preserves
• salt and pepper to taste

 Top Layer

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, coarse chopped
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and coarse chopped
• 1-2TB almond milk
• Paprika

How it's Made...

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place cauliflower and parsnips in medium pan with a thin layer of water, cover and heat over medium heat for 15 minutes.
2. In another frying pan, heat safflower oil over medium heat, add carrots and cook until almost tender then add mushrooms, garlic and sage.
3.  Continue to cook until mushrooms are soft then add cooked lentils and tomato. When the tomatoes start to break down, add pepper and continue to cook until most of the liquid is gone (about 10-15 minutes). Place this is the bottom of eight 1c ramekins.
4. Once cauliflower and parsnips are done cooking, drain most of the water and whip until smooth with a little almond milk (you can use soy butter too). Then set aside. 
5. Heat corn over medium heat with a little salt. When corn begins to break down, add preserves and continue to cook until "creamy." Place this over the mushroom layer.
6. Top ramekins with cauliflower mixture and sprinkle with paprika [just like mom used to do :-) ].
7. Bake for 25 minutes- I placed mine on the top rack so that the top layer got a bit of crunch. 

This was an awesome recipe and the ramekins make it perfect for portion control and to brink leftovers for lunch. Feel free to play around and add other vegetables and let me know how it worked out with you. For those of you whom are not vegetarian/vegan, I would absolutely recommend adding a little goat butter to the top layer.

Hope you enjoy!

Tempting Thai Wraps

If there is one thing that I love more than Italian food, it's basically anything asian, Though I am more fond of Vietnamese flavors, Thai is a close second. These wraps are quick, easy and satisfying.

Peanut Sauce

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1c peanut/almond butter
• 2 TB fish sauce/soy sauce (optional)
• red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Heat coconut milk over medium heat until uniform then add red pepper flakes and heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add peanut butter and stir until smooth then add fish sauce. 
3. Continue to heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes, stir then enjoy.

Filling

• 1 package of firm tofu
• shredded cabbage
• shredded carrots
• bean sprouts
• diced scallions
• thai basil
• wraps

1. Cut tofu into 1cm x 1cm strips and place into a 350 degree over for 30-40minutes until golden brown around the edges. Remove from pan and set aside. 
2.  place veggies and herbs in wrap, lay tofu across and top with peanut sauce. Roll up and enjoy!

 Note: Another option is to lightly marinate the cabbage in fish sauce if you like a little bit more salt.

Broccoli-Carrot Casserole

So we are finally moved into our new home and getting unpacked. For a while there, we were living in two houses. All of our furniture and cook wear was in the new house and our food in the other. It seemed no matter where I went  I was denied a home cooked meal. That's okay because we are settled enough to resume our normal cooking regime.

Since we've started eating more home cooked meals with fewer ingredients and mostly vegetarian, I've noticed that I feel better and have more energy. While we were moving, I realized how easy it is to fall back into old habits. I found that I was eating more processed "on the go" meals and that my body was starting to feel out of wack. My husband was diagnosed with Gilbert's Syndrome and it was indicated that it would beneficial for him to adopt a more natural life style.

Though Gilbert's Syndrome is primarily asymptomatic, there is a small percentage, of the 5% (mostly males) of the population that have this genetic trait, that actually exhibit issues. Taking a second to back up, Gilbert's Syndrome is the body's inability to break down bilirubin, which is excreted by the liver as a biproduct of the liver after the body has metabolized hemoglobin. It is then passed through bile and urine.

In Gilbert's Sydrome, bilirubin is not expelled from the body and is reabsorbed into the blood stream. This can cause yellowing of the skin. However, in rare cases it can lead to lethargy, muscle pain, and inability to focus. As long as I have my husband (almost 5 years) he has been a space case and experienced varying degrees of pain. However, it sounds as though this could have been the underlying cause to his issues.

There is no cure to Gilbert's Syndrome and very little is done to treat it because it is not seen as a serious ailment. I do not know if that is really the case because many of the symptoms can be cross referenced with other ailments that the drug industry is shoveling pills. We actually thought that Dominic had chronic fatigue syndrome or some other nerve problem. It is actually a good thing that his doctor didn't just write him a script because this gives us motivation to move forward with a lifestyle change that is long overdue.

For those who do have symptoms, they can be relieved through diet. By eliminating processed foods, gluten and lactose, it can offset the severity of symptoms and that is exactly what we did. For the last month and a half, we have tried to limit these items and eat more raw foods and it has made all the difference. Though Dom still experiences pain and all of the issues with his stomach have not been resolved, he seems more alert and less sleepy all the time. I am hopeful that the longer we keep this up, the better we all will feel and that is why is important to fall victim to old habits. I am not saying that anyine should dwell on not being perfect, but it is important to see the big picture of the benefits that will come from making a this sort of change.

• 4 TB coconut oil
• 1 bunch broccoli, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1c veggie broth
• 3/4c parboiled rice
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2c dairy free sour cream
• 1ts mustard powder
• 1TBhorseradish paste
• 1c non-dairy shredded cheese
• 1/4c gluten free bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat oil over medium heat and saute broccoli, carrots, and onions onions. Add broth and rice and set aside.
3. Mix the next 5 ingredients in a bowl and add to veggie mixture. Stir until mixed.
4. Sprinkle the top with crumbs.
5. Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover,move to top rack and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Tip: I used a saute pan that can be baked to reduce the number of dishes and making this a quick and easy weekday meal.