In a Nutshell

     I think I quote movies too much. Or I think in quotes. Or something weird like that. My first thought as I was going to relay this past few weeks “in a nutshell” to you was the one Austin Powers gives all curled up on his bed yelling, “This is me in a nutshell, help help! How did I get into this nutshell?!” I know. Strange. But I really feel like I am quite literally IN a nutshell to. I will spare your interest as to What type of nutshell it actually is!
     So life is cruising along. I am all over the board constantly with eating healthy. I love it. My family doesn’t so much. Neither does my schedule, as in, I do not always have time to make vegetarian lasagna from scratch kids. Sometimes not even a super nutritious breakfast, we’re talking cheerios baby. (I am pretty sure it qualifies as healthy in this day and age right?) All depends I guess on who you talk to. I am very split between mostly veg, and this newer mindframe of “heck yeah animal fat! (so long as it’s grass fed!)” Which p.s. isn’t cheap either. Are these healthy doctors in bed with the supermarkets and quick food industry or what?! Ugh. On a lighter note, I still love food each and every day, so thats good. Kids are crazy as ever, but it is summer, no excuse for not blogging right? Plus I really need to hone in on my writing skills, as I have FINALLY decided on a major. PERMANENTLY! (Hold on to your seats! Anyone who knows me will realize this is an amazing feat. If not a miracle. It’s only changed 312 times in the last need I say how many years since I graduated?!)
     English. With a creative writing emphasis and art history minor. That way I can teach if necessary and write when desired. More on that later. AND, I begin Yoga teacher training in August! I am SO uber excited. Thanks hubs for going back to school so I can too! At this rate, I just may graduate with my kids! HA!
     So, my littlest is trying to walk (yeah he is only 8 mos old) and the boys are crazy as ever, and then here is me saying this is not quite all of them, I wonder when we should have another! Agh! In all seriousness, I love being busy, so why not?! On an even more important note, I am actually cooking one of my new favorite recipes AS I WRITE, so what a fitting time to blog all about it? I got this recipe from a fabulous gal out in St. George, UT at a Bosch cooking class of all places, and with her permission I am sharing it will all you lovely folks! It is sooo easy, refrigerates great, and is meatless, effortless, not tasteless, and.. um... money-less (cheap!), low fatless, and virtually potless! No wonder I love it!

     Penne With Broccoli and White Beans
       Courtesy of April Fazzini, from Creative Cooking with April

3 bunches broccoli (about 4 c)
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp
3/4 pound (350g) whole wheat penne pasta (I just use the 13.25 oz box)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (opt)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (that pre minced garlic is GREAT too!)
2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried if needed)
2 15 oz cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to boil, adding a drop of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking. Once boiling, add pasta and set timer for 8-10 min. Rinse broccoli and cut florets off. When pasta has 3 min left, add broccoli to pot with the pasta and keep cooking. Drain pasta/broccoli and set aside. In the pot used for the pasta, heat the 1/3 oil, 1/2 tsp salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, oregano and garlic stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the beans, pasta and broccoli, stir. Reduce heat to low simmer for about 2 min. Mix in feta and serve!

Roasted Red Beet Salad

     Life can be sweet and simple...even in the winter! I haven’t much to say, life has been too crazy and I hate to repeat out loud some of the thoughts and inner wars over just about everything, from sleep, to eating, to rinse and repeat, I am fresh out of words. At least for today!
     On an exciting note though, my little chihuahua just had her first litter, (6 of the 7 made it, and 5 of them are girls, so we are super happy and grateful!) and I have decided there is much to celebrate. This is a delicious recipe I enjoyed at a restaurant and since I couldn’t go out to eat it, I thought I would try to duplicate it myself at home. I love how quickly it can come together, and yet how complex some of the flavors intertwine. It makes for a super yum wintery salad that even some of the most sensitive pallets may actually enjoy!

Roasted Red Beet Salad

2-3 medium red beets
olive oil and salt for coating beets
9 oz arugala
5-9 oz mixed greens
1/2 c dried cherries, cranberries, or cherry flavored cranberries
1/2 c. walnuts crushed lightly coated in 1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp maple syrup
1 small package goat cheese crumbles
1 recipe honey balsamic vinaigrette


Wash and trim beets (leave peels on). Coat beets in olive oil and salt, place in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place in a pre-heated oven at 400^ convection or 425^ regular and bake for about 30 min. While baking, make sure salad and arugala is washed and ready. Put crushed walnuts, butter, and maple syrup in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 min, checking and stirring after 1 min and then every 30 sec. Microwave longer if not roasted to your liking, just be sure to stir probably every 20 sec instead...(nuts brown super fast at this point) Make honey balsamic dressing. Once beets are done, peel and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks. Put salad together on a long plate with greens on bottom, and all other ingredients sprinkled throughout. Drizzle desired amount of dressing on top, and viole!

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I happened to use a regular tbsp from your silverware drawer if that makes a diff)
2 Tbsp Honey (same as above)
Healthy dash onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and ground mustard (or small squirt wet mustard if that is all you have)


Whisk all ingredients together until totally emulsified. Top any salad, but the one above is GREAT!

Pass MORE of the pumpkin please!

    This recipe I confess is apparently a repeat...I just searched my archive and saw it way back at the beginning. However, it is so very good that it is definitely deserving of another print, especially as it is so very fitting to the season. Without any further adieu, my most favorite and might I add ever popular pumpkin pie recipe. It is crustless (save on the carbs, heaven knows we all need that over the holidays!) and even the most determined self proclaimed pumpkin pie haters have been converted to the way of the crustless pumpkin pie...

     Mom’s Famous Crustless Pumpkin Pie


1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 Tbsp butter softened
2 13 oz. can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1 c. Bisquick Baking Mix
2 15 oz. cans Pumpkin (or the equivalent of 4 c. fresh or 1 large 29 oz can )
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350^, spray 4  9” pie plates evenly with a light coat of cooking spray. Beat all ingredients in a large bowl till smooth. Once pie plates are evenly filled, bake until golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean, about 50 min - 1hr depending on your oven. Let set for 10 min or so. Serve with homemade whip cream or vanilla ice cream. 


P.S. This recipe can easily be cut in half for only 2 pies. We go through ‘em like crazy though, so I always make up the whole batch. Also makes a GREAT quick breakfast. You do the math, the ingredients are no more “sugary” etc than breakfast cereal, and kids LOVE it! Serve with milk instead of ice cream and your kids just may sing to you the favorite...Bill Cosby style... morning music of    “Mom is great, gives us...Pumpkin Pie!"

Don’t let the Goat Cheese get Ya...

     That’s right! Don’t let it intimidate you either! At approx. half the calories and fat for just the regular goat cheese too (try 80 calories and 5 g fat per 1 oz. vs. 80 FAT calories and 9-10 g fat per 1 oz. of oh so yummy cheddar cheese) this is quite a delicious treat to add flavor variety to all sorts of dishes. Today’s special? Farmer’s Market tomatoes served up Caprese style. At least that was what they called it in the restaurant, so I will make my version the with the same name too. Ultimate fav about this one? Not only is it so rediculously easy, but a major crowd pleaser, can double as just a side dish vs. appetizer, AND it tastes GREAT too.  Check out the bottom for another quick summer lovin’ but no oven “dish” perfect from those extra summer peaches you may not know what to do with too...


     Tomato and Goat Cheese Caprese

1 large heirloom tomato
2-3 sprigs basil, torn
1-2 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
5-8 pitted Kalamata olives
olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper for drizzling

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a platter, sprinkle torn basil, goat cheese crumbles, and olives. Drizzle olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper and POOF, you are DONE!

     Grilled Peaches

2-4 peaches sliced in half and pitted
olive oil
balsamic vinegar if desired

Rub the peaches in oil, grill on a hot BBQ for 3-5 min. per side (make sure not to char ;o)
Serve with an extra splash of balsamic if desired.
PERFECT for a BBQ dinner one night, or as dessert with a little beat of cheese or cream to end an oh so good meal.

Quick Summer Orzo Pasta

     Or maybe even fall, winter, or spring pasta. The point here is it is easy, light and feels like a pasta dish perfect for summer. Whatever the season, try this little number on for size and see how it fares at your table!

     Quick Summer Orzo Pasta

1/2 of a 1 lb. box of orzo
2 14 oz cans chicken broth or 3 c water and 2 heaping tsp chicken bouillon
1 scallion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and popped (use your knife and press the blade horizontally with your palm to “pop” the garlic without cutting it up)
3 tbsp pine nuts sauteed till lightly browned and fragrant
2-3 large handfuls washed and finely chopped spinach
1 large handful cherry tomatoes halved or left in tact if small
olive oil and butter to coat the pan
parmesan cheese and fresh cracked pepper to top

Bring the broth or water and bouillon to boil (you may only need about 3c. of the cans, reserve extra or set aside incase more needed for orzo) Add orzo and follow directions on package for cooking times.
Meanwhile, brown your pine nuts. Set aside. Bring olive oil and butter to melt and lightly bubble in a 12 inch or larger saute pan. Add diced scallions and garlic cloves. Cook for 1-2 minutes till lightly browned. Add cherry tomatoes. Saute a little longer with spinach till wilted. Remove from heat, add orzo when done...(if there is too much extra broth, drain it. Otherwise a little wet adds to the “sauce” in the dish) Stir slightly to incorporate vegg. Add pine nuts, Serve with fresh cracked pepper and a little parmesan cheese if desired. Delish!

Another Glorious Avocado Recipe

     And it is paired again with chocolate too! One can NEVER loose there... This is also a recipe I had found some time ago while researching for that healthy baking class I held. The cupcakes are absolutely delish believe it or not. Quite moist and light even (but rich if that isn't too much of a contradiction) ANYWAY... enjoy! Also, check out Jessica Seinfeld's Book, Decepetively Delicious (Deceptively Delicious on Amazon) for another fun version of Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes. This is the one I just love to use and re-use though!

Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes

(from the Sept. 08 Vegetarian Times)

Cupcake;

1 ½ c. white wheat flour

¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. Baking Pwdr.

¾ tsp. Baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1 avocado pitted and peeled

1 c. pure maple syrup

¾ c. plain soymilk

1/3 c. canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla

Glaze;

¼ block soft silken tofu (from 14oz container) drained and patted dry

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

½ tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

4 oz. semisweet chocolate melted

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking pwdr., baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Puree avocado in food processor until smooth. Add maple syrup, soymilk, oil, and vanilla, blend until creamy. Whisk avocado mixture into flour mixture. Spoon into prepared cupcake pan (w/liners works better) and bake ≈20 min. until toothpick comes out w/few crumbs. To make the Glaze, blend tofu, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add chocolate to tofu mixture. Transfer to a bowl and dip cupcake tops after cooling.

Black Beans, The Musical Fruit

     Need I say more? We already know how amazingly low fat, high fiber, and high protein beans are. Black beans just happen to be my favorite. I find them incredibly versatile and am fully prepared to amaze you with my black bean recipes. Ok so they may not all be mine personally, but I did pre-eat them for you, just to make sure they were good and tasty and perfect for this weeks listings. (I know, thoughtful right?!) SO, without further adieu, my first favorite, black bean burgers with mango chutney goodness. Even the kids went for this one! The flavors are distributed perfectly, with most of the spice being mixed in with the burger patty itself. The salsa contains the light mango and avocado mixture and tops these burgers off deliciously. Try pairing them with those fabulous new thin sandwich/burger buns.
And, I must mention that I got it from one of my favorite cooking magazines, and one of my new favorite websites, CookingLight.com

     Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Ingredients

• 2  (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  sea salt
• 1/2  medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 2  large egg whites
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4  cups  chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
• 3  tablespoons  chopped shallots
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 6  (2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
• 6  green leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

320

Fat:

11.9g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:

13.4g

Carbohydrate:

46.2g

Fiber:

10.1g

Cholesterol:

13mg

Iron:

3.3mg

Sodium:

777mg

Calcium:

201mg

Marina Delio, Santa Barbara, Calif., Cooking Light, APRIL 2010

What the...?

     So I just spent 30 min of my precious blog posting time filling out all that "google bio" and personal info related to blogger junk. Hmmm. Not really sure about the point to this exercise. Why would I want to add my personal bio url address as a signature to my emails? Did I miss something in the new techno world of computers and blogs, bios and the like? I thought it was kind of a joke so I gave myself the name easy e. Maybe I should work on professional-ism, class, or some other over used -ism to describe myself and present some smiley story about me. Oh well, pretty sure I failed that subject in school too.

     Quick update on life. It is still crazy! Had a friend come down and visit from Oklahoma (we were in alaska together while her husband was deployed and I even got to attend her first sons birth!) Anyway, because we are 'closer' to each other, she made the 5 hour drive down with kids in tow (and pregnant belly might I add) and Wooohooo was it fun! She has 2 boys and another boy on the way. Let's just say testosterone levels here were
  OUT OF CONTROL.
Love it. She could only stay 2 days, but it was beautiful any way you sliced it, and I am quite sure she needs to put a blog together for her much more appropriate ways of throwing parties, and presenting the more "Martha Stewart" side to my rather red neck (at least I think it is, I seem to be getting in touch with my roots out here, I am pretty sure we have some Kentucky bluegrass running through our vains from my mom's side!) take on food, life, raising kids. That is why I had to force her to make me chocolate chip cookies as her allowance to stay here! (p.s., almond extract works great in place of vanilla in those cookies when you are ghetto and don't have all your ingredients on hand!)  Someday I will have some more class for all you little loyal fans out there. At least I hope you are all there!

     Now on to the juice. As in, what is really going on and why I am giving you some brief update and lame excuse for no new recipes for the last week. We are going to buy a house! Yup, the hubs decided that it was a good time to buy. SO now we are scrambling to find something, and get closed in enough time before the baby, and me to take full advantage of the hubs before more training starts. Which means (I am so excited) I get to go look at houses in Utah this weekend! *sigh* I have it all lined up and even my dad is going to be that way for a couple days to give me some back up. I can hardly wait! The long and short of all this is I will be gone and pre-occupied (my additional excuse for everything) for a few days and I am going to leave you with this tasty morsel (the only somewhat original thing we have cooked in a week!) before I go...

     Chicken (or Tofu, or no Meat) Thai Green Coconut Curry


4-5 chicken tenders (or sub firm chunks of tofu) sauteed in a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, then chopped (super silken tofu works to be dissolved right into sauce if desired instead)
about 1/3 of a jalepeno finely diced
about 1 heaping tbsp fresh ginger finely sliced (matchstick style, skin removed)
1 small can bamboo shoots (use 1/3 or so, save the rest for a quick asian salad) also finely sliced (matchstick style)
1 13.5 oz can lite coconut cream
1 tsp finely chopped fresh basil (or dried is fine too, fresh really does rock though)

Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste, use about 2 tsp-1 tbsp or to your liking
(Ingredients are as follows in case you want to make your own from your cupboard; 
green chile, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (thai ginger), salt, shallots, spices, kaffir, lime)
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
Pot of rice on the side (brown basmati or jasmine are great!)


Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil (stir frequently) Pour 2-3 or more large serving spoons over hot rice and enjoy!


*We like to serve this with Thai Kitchen's Pad Thai for Two (follow directions on box) and some ubber good Lumpia (Thai egg rolls, preferably homemade, I will give you the recipe when I come back!)*

Thanks hubs

     Don't you love it how on a particularly emotional day (I won't mention of course who was the cause of most of the turmoil...) your significant other or even someone else special in your life will come through and totally make the day at least end better? Well thanks to the old husband, that is exactly what happened. After that long and stressful day, compounded by a few or more taxing conversations about money, kids etc. he managed to pull it all together with even more sit down time...maybe a little crying time, and YES, a Weinerschnitzel Chilli Cheese Dog.
*sigh* Life was most sweet again. SO, by a quick raise of hands out there, lets see who has a secret chili dog passion? Anyone? No? What about you, over on the left, trying to hide behind that hat...yeah I saw your hand. Any other late night craving secrets? Do tell. I love to swap juicy stories (and when I say juicy, I mean "where's the best place around here for a seriously juicy and amazing burger?!") You may not call that healthy, but I am pretty sure that mental health definitely qualifies as a key component factoring in on your overall daily health quotient. AND, the naturally occuring endorphins from such food eating bliss are sure to create such a rush, thereby aiding in increasing one's metabolism, consequently expelling the unwanted fat promptly and producing an overall cleansing affect on the body that might not have even been experienced without the said chili dog. Yeah...or something like that! The real beauty of this happy hour hot dog was that it really was a happy hour for it...after a few tears, mommy and daddy time, NO interference from the TV, and trying to get settled in bed we were back to our newlywed tricks.
 Don't sit there blushing like you don't know what I am talking about. 
Anyway, food was something that brought us together (you know, the whole "hey, you like food, I like food, we should make out" thing). Seriously, though. Since there wasn't a Del Taco around for those ever delectable chicken soft tacos or bacon double del's, we settled for the dog at 11pm and proceeded our late night talking and laughing ritual, just like the old days, til well past midnight. Maybe you folks are more fun and do that regularly. I am pretty sure we hit our middle age hump long before now...so the buzz is still keeping me afloat today. And just to add sweet sticky icky sugary gooey syrup with whip cream and a cherry on top...I found leftover pine nuts in the cupboard today due to a seriously zealous packer of a husband who lugged them in his weighed down and no air-conditioned car all the way from California. i think I'll keep him. And what a good thing it was too, because I threw together an amazing Chicken and Rice Pilaf Salad that would not have been complete without it. So go on, laugh at the anti-blogger who now posts all my most intimate of intimates out into cyberspace (what comedian was it anyway who said blogging is just a glorified diary and that we used to hide that behind lock and key underneath your mattress!) Kick back and chuckle that I am no longer able think rational thoughts about my day without turning them into some headline for my next post. Get a good giggle out of the fact that I did name my Blender 'Gary'. Whom I might also add has become such a favorite of my 5 year old that he informed me today that 'when I am super old like grandma (sorry mom) and he is a daddy and has kids he will take my blender so he can use it'. I promptly responded with "Just because I am old doesn't mean I won't still use it, or even share it with you!" to which he replied, "Well then when you are asleep I will sneak into your house and steal it away and you'll never know!"
Kids say the darn'dst things don't they?
I tried to fool him with the old, "well I'll get an alarm that goes off when you sneak in my house" technology response and he just threw his head back and laughed, ever so  cynically might I add. How do you even respond to that? Maybe we'll hold a contest at some point and I can just will Gary to the winner. Seems fair. And since I am still so high off of a good night lack of rest and a yummy satisfying lunch, I figured it was time I share my lunch-time easy idea with you, so enjoy the salad and maybe even some late night food raids of your own,     
just for sanity puposes.

     Chicken and Rice Pilaf Salad

• 4 chicken breast tenders (or 2 chicken breasts) or Tofu (optional) cooked in a saute pan with a little olive oil and italian spice, basil and garlic, or whatever else suits your fancy. Be sure to add salt and pepper.
• Leftover rice pilaf, homemade pilaf, or any other plain leftover grain such as quinoa, barley, brown rice etc (basically whatever might be in your fridge or could quickly cook up. Try the 'Near East' brand of quick foods as it has no msg, and great ingredients.Warm it through if using a leftover.
• 1/2 - 1 whole summer squash and zucchini chopped into rounds
• 1/4 of a white onion diced
• 2-3 tbsp. pine nuts toasted (or any other delicious nut favorite or even just a nut you happen to have around like walnuts or pecans)
• Mixed greens (salad) and extra olive oil and lemon juice are all optional, see below

After cooking chicken, set aside and quickly saute the veggies. Toss all the ingredients together til well incoporated and take a quick taste to check seasonings. Add any as needed and serve alone or over a nice bed of mixed greens with an extra shot of olive oil and squirt of lemon juice. Delish! Leftovers great for lunch to go. If vegetarian, simply omit the chicken and add Tofu or nothing at all!

State Park entry fee? $6. Bait for fishing?...

     $3. Fishing licenses? Free for military. Tackle boxes and rods through the local "neighborhood fishin'' program? Also free. First ever fish caught + complete exhaustion, sunburn, and a few cuts and scrapes to boot? Priceless!
     Yep, and it was all right here in Texas! I have lived in 'outdoorsy' places for years and never was it so easy to take the kids fishing as it was this past weekend. We even found a $4 spiderman fishing rod at the local Goodwill, (along with our $5 vacuum, and $2 toaster...gotta love it!) The kids definitely loved it too. I'm so grateful they did, because it was a bit of work trying to figure that whole process out! Or to not get lost in the state park and keep the youngest from getting too involved in helping (i.e. getting wrapped up in all the fishing wire, throwing sticks that get caught instead of fish, or even just throwing mud and getting the rest of us dirty!) And although we only caught a measly little carp (sorry, not gonna eat that!) and under-estimated the sun (yeah my middle one looks like a little ripe cherry tomato!) we had a great and fulfilling outdoor adventure that reminded us why it was so important to follow the hubs out here, simply for these little weekend adventures! The culture being as it is out here too, made it quite easy to take the day and go for a sort of "country lake trip'. My next biggest challenge though is going to be staying away from all these country cookin' restaurants and all-you-can-eat chicken fried steak buffets...I didn't realize how big that old southern gene might actually be! It's all I can do not to act on one or more pregnancy cravings (I will totally blame that the whole time I am here!) and send my hubs out for some chili cheese or gravy smothered home fries, or some fantastically wicked BBQ pork ribs or shoot, anything BBQ for that matter! So just to satisfy my need for comfort food today, I have decided to share another recent Shepherd's Pie Recipe (this one was from the Healthy Kitchen book I recommend early in the month of March I believe). Only, as usual, I have a couple suggestions from my personal taste preferences.  Maybe trying the zucchini slices on top of the whole casserole (under the bread crumbs) to brown and sort of crisp up a little more.  We happened to do the recipe without mushrooms or nutritional yeast, but it is my guess that if you can get ahold of those ingredients, do so to add more flavor and depth. And most importantly, try something new and enjoy it!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie - Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen

Comfort Food, Done Right

     I had the most amazing comfort food experience the other day. Luckily in some ways, since we are have been cooped up in an apartment in the winter here in Denver for the last week+, I have been able to experiment with some new recipes (making them my own) and the cold to inspire me for yummy comfort dishes. The only problem here is that I started a book that I couldn't put down for the weekend, and therefore could not do much else! I love that feeling of accomplishment after a great home cooked meal, 6 loads of laundry down, or even just temporarily neglecting my kids for the weekend to actually finish a book in under a month....*sigh* brings warmth to the soul.

     SO, this amazing dish. Once again inspired by a Dr. G recipe, but I personally changed it up enough so that I am pretty sure I can practically claim it myself! The beans in the dish are called Aduki Beans and here is a quick tidbit about them;
The name azuki is a transliteration of the native Japanese name. Japanese also has a Chinese loanword, Shōzu (小豆), which means "small bean" (its counterpart "large bean" (大豆; Daizu) being the soybean). It is common to write 小豆 in kanji but pronounce it as azuki (ah-zoo-kee). Dry adzuki beans are small dark red, oval beans approximately 5 mm in diameter. They have a distinctive white ridge along one side. Adzuki beans are popular across Asia, particularly in Japan, and are used to make red sweet bean paste. They are also easy to digest which makes them a great ingredient in cooking for those who have sensitivities to beans and legumes. (Ask my dad personally, not only did he do fine the night we ate the dish but he had the nerve to steal my leftovers the next day for work!) They have a low fat, high protein, high fiber (almost 9-13g per cup of cooked beans) and natural sugar content. Lets check out the recipe now...




       Aduki Bean Stew with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes


Stew
2 15oz can Aduki Beans (you can find them at places like Vitamin Cottage or Wholefoods)           drained and rinsed
1 cube chicken bouillon or heaping tsp. chicken bouillon
1 yellow onion finely diced
2 carrots thinly sliced
1 small to medium leek thinly sliced
half butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 bunch of curly kale thinly chopped
cornstarch and water for base


Put about 6 c. water in a large stock pot to boil with chicken stock and all the vegetables and spices EXCEPT beans, cornstarch, and kale. Boil lightly for about 10 min or so to start softening, then add the beans and cook for a further 10 min or so til all the veggies are soft. Add the chopped kale finally and about 2 TBSP cornstarch to about 1/2 c. cold water to mix it thoroughly, then slowly add to stew for more of a thick base. Taste and add more bouillon if needed or pepper for flavor.


Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes


Boil about 6-8 medium yukon gold (they are the most buttery delicious) potatoes, cleaned and some peeled, for about 15min or so. Then add almost a full head of cauliflower cleaned and chopped. It will naturally rise to the top. When all the vegg is soft, strain the cauliflower off the top and puree it. Mix your potatoes with a hand mixer, then add the cauli puree, about 2 TBSP butter and milk, then salt and pepper to taste. 


Serve this entire yummy meal with the potatoes acting as the base, and the stew as sort of a gravy or topping. Be sure to serve together as it is absolutely delish and even my picky 2 yr old ate it! 

Canned Dinners Makes Me Smile

     And for two main reasons...#1 being obviously the convenience. #2 however that I can stock and re-stock my cupboards, hit case lot sales, save money, save food storage, and make in turn easy meals later after loading my pantry with cheap and quick deliciousness. My recipes of choice? A super easy delish bean and leek soup that I stole from a friend's mom (thanks to your mom Kati!), and toasty french bread with bruschetta on half of the loaf and another quick bean spread for the other. I confess that although these meals are not entirely made from cans, last night was a perfect night for warm yummy food. Although I had little preparation to do, I was able to involve the kids and even (yes I am very proud of this one) get out of the negative funk I was in ALL day. It must be the weather out here in Denver. That or I am just not used to being indoors most days. Whatever the reason, nothing warms the soul like hot soup and an olive oiled toasty baguette. Plus I got a good read out of the whole days work. Yes, I do read cook books in my "spare" time like some people pour over a good novel, and while I like to read a great classic too, absolutely nothing beats a well written and inspiring piece of cookbook literature. My newest feast of choice (and only within a week of my last selection too!) is "The Healthy Kitchen, Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit" by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley which I have included another amazon.com link, AND which is where I got the bean spread idea (with a little doctoring of my own as usual) Enjoy!

The Healthy Kitchen on Amazon.com






     Quick and Easy Leek Soup


2 cans low sodium chicken broth
1/3 of one large leek thinly sliced from the white/light green side
1 can great northern beans (white cannellini beans) or 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
olive oil (optional) and pepper to taste, extra chicken bouillon to taste


Bring the chicken broth and beans/peas to boil. Add the leeks and boil for another 3-5 minutes til leeks are soft. Taste and add any pepper, olive oil and/or bouillon to your liking. I have had the soup with either the peas or the beans, loved both, but the beans provided a more mild flavor. Also used a half tsp or so of olive oil and good helping of pepper and even a half tsp or so of the bouillon (I liked the soup a little more rich) Either way it is yummy! Serve with more fresh ground pepper and even some parmesan cheese as a delicious topping. Thanks again to Kati's mom! Serves 4-6 Adults




     Toasty French Baguette w/Bruschetta and White Bean Spread


1 whole loaf french bread
olive oil


Cut the french bread into medium rounds vertically off of the loaf (I have to say this because I turned it into garlic bread slices first w/o thinking...oops!) brush or place one side of each piece in olive oil. Load up a large cookie sheet/pizza pan and broil for 2-3 minutes til lightly browned. Then follow other steps for either toppings below. Use half of the baguette for each topping or the whole loaf for which ever one you prefer. Can serve many for an appetizer, or 4-6 adults for a meal with the above soup.


     Bruschetta


2-3 tomatoes diced small, or 1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic minced
2 basil leaves finely chopped and more for topping
pepper and olive oil to taste
Thinly sliced mozzarella or Goat Jack cheese
For extra zip add some crushed red pepper, 1/4-1/2 c chopped bacon (like the pre-packaged already chopped refrigerator kind) 1/4 c finely diced red onion and/or 2 tsp finely chopped green onion.


Mix thoroughly and top each piece of bread with a heaping tsp or so of bruschetta. Add the thinly cheese and another thin slice of fresh basil to the top of each piece. Broil again for another 2-3 min or so til cheese is mostly melted and bread is browned nicely. Serve and enjoy!


     White Bean Spread


2 c great northern beans (cannellini beans, about 1 can)
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cumin
dash salt
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil


Add all ingredients to food processor and puree. Then either leave the spread as a dip for the toasted bread like my book suggested, or spread a tsp or so on each little round and add a little of the thinly sliced cheese from above and broil for an additional 2-3 min. Turns out quite nice warmed like the bruschetta!

Pasta-less Spaghetti

     Spaghetti is one of my all time favorite meals EVER, add some gooey freshly baked garlic bread and green salad, and your there. Well, to make my pasta meals even more veggie friendly, I have experimented endlessly with pasta-less spaghetti. What I mean here is using veggies to substitute for the delicious mounds of buttery angel hair that always manage to consume much more of my plate then anything else. AND, I have some fav's and numerous suggestions, so here goes!

     Eggplant Parmigiana (believe it or not this is easy and relatively mild!)

1 Eggplant

1 Jar Spaghetti sauce (personal fav right now is Ragu's Veggie Primavera, only a little sugar and extra veggies)

olive oil

1/2-1 lb. Ground Turkey or other favorite meat, OPTIONAL

Spices like dried garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and/or onion for the meat

About 1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese (the canned stuff works fine here)

About 1 c. Grated Mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp. Basil (fresh, dried or those cool little refrigerator oil and water packed tubes of different types of herbs)

Preheat Oven to 350^, lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking dish. Wash and slice eggplant long ways and layer in dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 min. While baking, cook meat if any with a little dried garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper for more flavor if desired. You can also puree the spaghetti sauce a little more while you wait, grate cheese etc. Be sure to add the Basil and about 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan Cheese to the sauce. When 15 min. are up, layer the sauce, meat and cheese 2x ending with the cheese. If using no meat, add all the sauce and then the cheese on top. Turn oven up to 375^ and bake for about another 30 min. or so til cheese is brown and bubbly (sometimes we even lightly broil for a few minutes to really get that cheese going!) 

     Spaghetti Squashed Spaghetti

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce

1/2-1 lb. optional meat

Parmesan Cheese for the top

There are 2 ways to cook a spaghetti squash, the first is to cut in half and remove seeds, prick a couple of times and fit into a bowl or shallow dish that will fit into your microwave and nuke for about 10 min. checking regularly. The other is to prepare the same, but bake in a 350^ oven for about 50-60 min. (you want the insides to be very soft) While baking prepare your meat if using and sauce, again we like the Ragu kind like in the above recipe and I puree it more for the texture issues with kids. Once the squash is done, use a fork to sort of peel out and separate the insides in to a bowl. Interestingly they look like strands of spaghetti! You can butter and salt them a little for flavor, up to you. Serve a little on a plate with sauce and a salad, and another pasta-less meal success! 

Side note; Spaghetti Squash can then be used in different ways as a little sort of "pasta side" cook however you prefer, then add some garlic, parmesan and butter. Or try toasted pine nuts, torn basil and pepper to taste. The options are quite limitless as you can do about as much to it as you would actual spaghetti!

     Baked Zucchini (Another super easy and fast one!)

1+ Medium Sized Zucchini's (depends on servings!)

1 Jar Sauce or portion thereof

Garlic

Optional Meat or Beans

Preheat oven to 400^. Halve the zucc's long ways, and use a little teaspoon to get out a little of the pulp. Place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet (I liked it lined in foil so I could wrap up extra later!) Bake for about 20 min. In the mean time, cook meat, puree sauce etc. I put the extra garlic in this one because I LOVE garlic, and 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic simmering in the sauce while the zucchini is baking made it super yummy. Also optional to have the beans, I used red kidney beans, rinsed them under warm water and it worked perfectly and tasted good. This is an excellent easy meal that I sometimes make for lunch since it can cook while I am doing the kids, and make extra for other meals. Try baking with a little goat cheese, sliced olives, halved cherry tomatoes and even a little basil and olive oil for a new experience (Dr. McKeith recommends it!) The goat cheese is like half the fat of regular cheddar so super easy on the hips and thighs. Again, make extras for lunch the next day or try it different ways and you have yourself another pasta-less dish! 

     Tip #56890

Seriously though, did you know adding veggies actually cuts your carb count? For example, say Eggplant Parmigiana has 15 total carbs. per serving. Subtract the grams of fiber and guess what...less carbs! (i.e. 15-4+11 net carbs! yay for veggies and fiber!)