Fresh Fare

Green Risotto

2012-02-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

I love risotto. I don’t remember the first time I tasted it, but since that first bite I have been hooked. It is creamy and rich as any comforting starch should be. Usually I pair it along side roasted chicken, but in attempt to have a more nutritious meatless meal, I added lentils and lots of vegetables (I added more vegetables to my dish after I took the picture!). You would not have to add the lentils at all or you could add more or less as you desire. I had some leftover lentils for a few nights ago and thought they would add some more fiber and protein. You can also vary the vegetables. I used what was in the refrigerator and would cook in about the same amount of time. I love using my cast iron skillet to sauté vegetables because it gives them a char and almost a grilled flavor, plus the iron from the pan gets transferred to the pan giving us a little more nutrition as well. Per serving this dish provides: 374 calories, 10g of fat, 2g saturated fat, 46g of carbohydrates, 10g of fiber, and 17g of protein. Not bad at all. Enjoy!

Green Risotto

Serving Size~ 1 cup; Serves 4
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup French lentils, pre-cooked for about 15 minutes (or you could try adding uncooked at the same time as the rice and let me know how it turns out)
2 tbsp oil (olive or grapeseed), divided
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
3 cups green beans, asparagus and zucchini cut into 1” pieces
2 shallots, diced
2 large garlic cloves, diced
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 oz parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pot. Add shallots and garlic and heat gently until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Add rice and allow to toast for a few minutes. Add white wine and allow to cook off for 2-3 minutes. Add the lentils. Add chicken broth, about ½ cup at a time slowly over the next 15-20 minutes. Stir after each addition of chicken broth. Continue adding chicken broth until rice is soft and appears to be suspended in the liquid. (You may not need to use all of the broth. I think I ended up with about ½ cup left at the end)

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables and sauté until soft (about 8-10) minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. When rice looks like it is close to being done, stir the spinach into the rice and allow to wilt. Add parmesan cheese, remove from heat. Rice will thicken and continue to absorb liquid while it sits. Season with salt (probably won’t need much if the broth is not low sodium) and pepper. Serve with sautéed vegetables and additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Red Lentil Coconut Soup

2012-02-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Lentils are a relatively new ingredient to me. I have had them in soups occasionally, but I have never prepared them until recently. They are a fantastic way to incorporate healthy meatless protein into you diet. Nutritionally, 1/4 cup of dried lentils has 170 calories, 0g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 13g protein. That is actually less calories and fat, plus the same amount of protein as 2oz of chicken! Time wise, lentils do not take long to cook at all, especially compared to dried beans. Lentils are also very inexpensive, so I have been trying different types from the bulk bins at Whole Foods for less than $3.00. Now that I have been trying some different dishes (like this one) with lentils, I think I am hooked! And to think that I went to school in the town of The National Lentil Festival for four years and I never once went to festival or ate any lentils! 101 Cookbooks is a great site for lentil, meatless and natural ingredient recipes. I tried this lentil soup recipe from her site and I have another lentil dish with almonds and brussels sprouts from this site planned for later this week. This red lentil soup with coconut milk is flavorful and filling. The raisins add a nice burst of sweetness that you aren't expecting. If you are not a coconut fan, don't be afraid of this soup because the coconut flavor is very understated. Also, if you are someone who enjoys more heat in your food, chili paste could be added to contrast the sweetness of the raisins and coconut milk. Enjoy!

Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups red lentils (the original recipe used 1 cup lentils and 1 cup yellow split peas, but I didn't see any yellow split peas when I was at the store)
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups water
2 medium carrots, cut into a very small dice
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and diced
2 tbsp cumin powder (original recipe uses curry powder which I don't really like so that's I why I used cumin instead)
2 tbsp butter
4 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 14oz can of coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
2 tsp kosher or sea salt

1. Rinse lentils and place in a large soup pot. Cover with broth and water and bring to a boil. Add carrots and the ginger. Cover an simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft.
2. While lentils are cooking, put cumin power in a small, dry skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant- be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and reserve the toasted cumin. Add butter to the skillet and add shallots and garlic and saute for several minutes until fragrant. Add raisins and tomato paste and cook for another several minutes. Add the cumin power back to the tomato paste mixture and stir to combine.
3. Add tomato paste mixture to the lentils and mix together. Add coconut milk and season with salt. Simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed (I added some garlic powder because I wanted a stronger garlic taste). Serve on its own, over rice or with fresh naan.

Peanut Noodles with Vegetables

2012-02-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Peanut butter has always been a favorite food of mine. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the only type I would eat growing up (they still are my favorite). In 5th grade my friend Brittany introduced me to apple slices with peanut butter and I have been having that as a snack every since. Celery on it's own- not the best. With peanut butter? Delicious!

Peanut sauce on noodles and vegetables is a comfort food that is healthy and tastes great eatten hot or cold. Usually I make this with spaghetti noodles, but I didn't have any at home so Dreamfields rotini pasta were substituted. You could add different vegetables as well- thinly sliced carrots and snow peas would be great in this too. Enjoy!

Peanut Noodles with Vegetables
1tbsp oil (olive, grapeseed, vegetable or coconut oil)
2 garlic cloves, diced, separated
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup snap peas, sliced into strips
1 medium zucchini, diced (I used 5 baby zucchini)
1 baby bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup edamame
2 oz pasta (spaghetti, rotini, or penne)
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 tsp fish sauce
scallions, peanuts, cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2-3 tbsp of the cooking water.
2. In a wok or large saute pan, heat oil. Add 1 garlic clove and ginger. Allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant
3. Add vegetables to pan and saute for several minutes until bok choy is wilted and vegetables are beginning to get soft. Season with kosher salt and ground pepper.
4. While vegetables and pasta are cooking, combine 1 clove garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and chicken broth. Whisk together until smooth. Add pasta water as needed to reach a honey-like consistency.
4. Add pasta and peanut sauce to pan. Stir to evenly coat vegetables and pasta with the sauce.
Top with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts and scallions.

Meatless Monday- Vegetables en Papillote

2012-02-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

Vegetables en Papillote ( vegetables steamed in paper or foil)
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place several vegetables of your choice in a large bowl (I used bok choy, sugar snap peas, Thai eggplant, and Brussels sprouts). Thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic, 3 shallots and about 1/2 inch of fresh ginger. Add to vegetables. Grate zest of one orange or lemon over the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut two large squares of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spoon half of the vegetable mixture onto the foil and enclose like a package, but do not tightly close it. Do the same with the rest of the vegetables.
4. Place packages on a baking sheet into the oven and cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
5. Open packages and enjoy with rice, pasta, on it's own or over a bean puree (That's what I attempted to do, but I will need to keep working on the bean puree-wasn't my favorite. The vegetables however were soft yet still had a crunch and had a bright and fresh flavor form the garlic, ginger and orange.)
Enjoy!

Thoughts on Food

2012-02-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about food a lot lately. What to eat, why, and how much. Over the past few months I have really wanted us to eat less meat because I know of the poor quality of mass meat and poultry production in our country, not the mention the impact on the environment. If you do not know much about this, I suggest the book "Omnivores's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. If you don't have time to read a whole book, then watch the documentary's "Food Inc" and "King Corn."

You will be shocked to learn that much of our food can be traced back to corn, genetically modified, full of pesticide corn. Our animals, especially cows eat this corn which makes them sick, so then they are pumped full of antibiotics, not to mention the hormones they are already given in order to help them grow and gain weight faster. This all gets transferred to the meat that we eat daily. So needless to say, I have had some concerns.

I recently watched the documentary "Forks Over Knives." This documentary focuses on the benefits of a plant based diet vs. the typical American diet with meat and dairy products. It correlates meat and dairy consumption with the prevalence of cancer and chronic disease in the US. The initial response after watching this compelling program is to cut out all dairy and meat, but I as I thought about it longer I felt like the film did not show the whole story. It didn't talk about why suddenly meat is so harmful to us. I don't argue the fact that plants are healthy and we should eat more of them. I spend 90% of day promoting more vegetable intake to every patient that I see. What I struggle with is that I believe God created animals for us to eat and it doesn't make sense to me that in their natural form, eating animals would cause disease. As I have tried to wrap my brain around what to do with the statements and stories in these films I have watched and how to translate them to my own diet and how I teach patients I have come to a few conclusions.
1. I do not believe that meat and diary not inherently "bad" for us. I don't believe that they cause disease and cancer in their natural form. What I do believe is that over the past century, as we became wealthier, we have begun to purchase more meat and eat larger portions of it. This caused a huge increase in demand which as led to food industry responding. Apparently the best way for them to keep up with the demand for meat is to have terrible feedlot and animal fattening and slaughtering practices. It has lead to hormone and antibiotic filled meat which is causing a host of medical problems in our bodies when we consume it in large portions on a regular basis. What I am going to do and my recommendation is to find meat that is not part of industrial meat found at large scale, chain grocery stores and eat it in moderation. Remember that an adequate portion of meat is 3 oz. When was the last time you found a 3oz chicken breast at the grocery store or were served 3oz of meat when eating out?

Right now we have freezer full of grass fed beef from a ranch in Montana. Next year I will probably look for some grass fed Minnesota beef. When I buy chicken and eggs I get organic, free-range. Our fish from now on is going to be wild. We are only eating meat 1-2 times a week currently as a result, because buying these sources of meat is more expensive. The rest of our meals are full of beans, lentils, whole grains and vegetables.

I am still deciding what to do about dairy. We have been purchasing organic milk, but the more I am reading about this, the more I am learning that pasteurization, although a good invention for food safety, apparently destroys many of the nutrients in dairy. This may be why so many people have intolerance to milk. Recently we have started drinking almond milk instead which tastes great and was really not a huge change. I do love yogurt though. It has been one of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember and I am not ready to give it up at this point. I will get Greek, organic for now and continue to look at other options.

2. Plants are best-purchase organic and local when possible. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains should be the basis of our diet. If you can, purchase organic when possible. "Organic" is not highly regulated and can be vague, but right now it is the best term we have to get an idea of how something was grown/produced. I think it is especially valuable to purchase organic products of the foods that you eat regularly. If you can buy local, do it. Food production is expensive and a huge demand on our environment. If you can buy an apple from 20 miles away instead of 1,200, think of the savings just in gasoline. We joined a CSA and I can't wait until June when we can start getting our produce directly from a local farm. Support your local farmers market and farmers when possible. Consider joining a co-op if you have one. I am planning on visiting one close by this week as another option for the best food products.

I really don't believe that eating should be complicated, but with all of the controversy surrounding food right now, I encouraged you to become educated and make food decisions based on what you believe is best for the health of you and your family. These are just some of my thoughts on food right now. As you know there is always more research that needs to be done or will be coming out, so what we are concerned about in 20 years may be completely different. Let's choose the best foods that we can for today and enjoy them.
Laura

Weeknight Thai style Curry

2012-01-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

I am not going to say that this is in any way a traditional Thai curry recipe. I am actually positive that it is not an authentic recipe, but it sure was tasty! I used a basic red curry recipe and a panang curry recipe that I had and then changed it to fit what was available in the refrigerator. I am just learning about Thai food and this is my attempt at recreating some of the delicious flavors we experienced when we were in Thailand. As I have mentioned before, I really did not know anything about curry before going on this trip. I just thought it was a spice. I also had this idea that curries needed to cook for hours and hours. Not the case. Pre-made curry paste makes the whole dish take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Of course if you made the curry paste from scratch the traditional way it probably will take all day. Even in the cooking class we took, we ground up the paste in a food processor. For a weeknight dinner that is quick and easy plus rich, savory and spicy, pre-made curry paste is the way to go. I added a lot of vegetables to this curry and probably only about 2-3 oz of chicken. The dishes we had in Asia weren't full of vegetables at all, so you can adjust this for you and your refrigerator. In my professional opinion though, I recommend you add as many vegetables as you can! This could easily be a Meatless Monday (or any day) meal as well. For some good articles on eating less meat read this and this. Enjoy!

Weeknight Curry

1 can light coconut milk

1 tbsp red curry paste (or more if you like more heat)

2 tbsp chopped peanuts and more for garnishing

Variety of vegetables, diced (I used 2 small thai eggplants, 1/2 purple eggplant, ½ large zucchini, 2 carrots, 3 baby bok choy-peppers would also be good with this)

3 oz chicken, pork or beef (optional)

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ fresh lime

2 cups hot rice (I used brown rice)

1. Add half can of coconut milk to pan along with curry paste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Add peanuts and stir to combine.

2. Add vegetables (except for leafy vegetables like bok choy) and meat (if using) and cook for several minutes until vegetables are soft and meat is cooked through. Add more coconut milk for more sauce if desired. Add fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce and stir to combine. Add leafy vegetables if using and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Squeeze juice from ½ lime over the curry and garnish with additional peanuts if desired.

3. Place rice and curry in separate bowls. Spoon some rice on a plate and then spoon some of the curry onto of the rice. (This sounds a little silly, but we find that if you spoon the curry over the rice all at once the flavor is overwhelming because there is so much sauce. Just eat a little at a time and spoon the curry over your rice to taste.)

Pot o' Beans

2012-01-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

We have been eating a lot of beans around here. In our resolve to eat less meat and to stick to a budget, beans work great. They are cheap, full of protein and fiber and very versitle. My favorite thing to do with them lately is to soak them overnight and then cook them in the crockpot all day. Then when I get home they are ready to eat on their own, in a burrito, added to soup, on nachos, etc. We are loving beans. If you have any good ways to cook or use beans please share them!

Beans & Rice with Sausage (pictured above on a very bright blue plate)
2 cups dried beans, soaked in water over night and drained (I used 1 cup of pinto and 1 cup of kidney)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 large onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, diced
3 cups chopped kale
2 chicken sausages, sliced (optional)
2 cups hot brown rice (or more for leftovers- I cooked it in the rice cooker with chicken broth for more flavor)

1. In a slow cooker, add the soaked beans, can of tomatoes, chicken broth, onion and garlic. Add water if needed to cover the beans by about a 1/2 inch or so. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Mash slightly with a potato masher to make the mixture thicker.
2. Pour beans into large pot and bring to a simmer. Add sausage (if using) and kale and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve over rice.

*Would also be great added to a vegetable soup

Versitle Black Beans
2 cups black beans, soaked over night
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped*
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
handful of cilantro, diced

1. Add beans, chipotle, chicken broth, onion and garlic to slow cooker. Add more water if needed to cover beans about 1/2 inch. Allow to cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slightly mash with a potato masher to create a thinker bean mixture (if desired) or drain out extra liquid depending on how you are going to serve the beans. Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Serve on nachos, tacos, buritos, tostatas. Add to a tortilla or mexican soup. Create a bowl with or with out rice, beans, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and topped with avacado. Use in Southwest Lasanga recipe or any recipe that calls for black beans.

* I buy a can of these and freeze them since usually you only need 1/2 or 1 per recipe. They are easy to break apart and chop even when frozen

Serious Baked Beans (adapted from my friend Michelle's recipe)
2 cups pinto beans, soaked over night
1 chipotle in adobo, diced* (see note above)
3 slices bacon, chopped (if desired)
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 can green beans, drained

1. Add beans, bacon (if using), chipotle, onion and broth in a slow cooker. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add to beans and cook for 6-8 hours.
2. Add green beans to mixture, stir to combine and cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Serve with sour crean and fritos or a piece of corn bread.

Note: All of these could be made with out the use of a slow cooker. Soak beans overnight, add beans and other ingredients that would have gone into the slow cooker, into a pot and bring to simmer, cover and allow to cook for about 60-90 minutes until beans are soft. Then add any additional ingredients and cook for 15-20 minutes more. Serve and enjoy!

Veggie Stir-fry with Egg

2012-01-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of living in a bigger city in my opinion is the Asian markets. These were not to be found in Bismarck or Billings. Here they seem to pop up in just about every neighborhood. I love how I can one minute be in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the next minute, after stepping into one of these markets feel like I am in Hong Kong, Thailand or Vietnam. The produce is usually very cheap (4 limes for $1, a bag of shallots $2, package of dry noodles $.75) and you can find any and every Asian sauce or paste you could ever think of. This past week for less than $4 I bought- 7 baby bok choy, 2 Thai eggplants, 1 purple eggplant, package of dry noodles, fresh ginger and fresh fenugreek, everyone around me was speaking Chinese and it was great! Here is one of the dishes I made with the purchases. It reminded us of some of the Cambodian street food we had and the best part is that you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Plus, what isn't delicious topped with a fried egg? Enjoy!

Stir-fry Veggies with Egg (serves 2)

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp honey
dash of sesame oil
2 tbsp chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp fresh garlic, diced
2 cups cooked noodles
vegetables of choice, chopped (e.g. carrots, peppers, onion, egg plant, zucchini, bok choy, spinach, baby corn cobs, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli)
2 eggs, fried
chili sauce (optional)

1. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp of grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil. Add vegetables (except spinach/bok choy, bean sprouts, water chestnuts if using). Sauté for several minutes until starting to soften. 2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for several more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
3. Add spinach/bok choy and other vegetables if using. Cook for 2-5 minutes until greens are wilted. Add noodles to pan and combine with vegetables.
4. Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, fish sauce, chicken broth, honey. Pour over vegetables and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes. Add more soy sauce or chicken broth to taste.
5. Serve in a large bowl topped with an egg. Add additional chili sauce as desired. Eat with chop sticks if you can!

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

2011 was a big year for us. We have been truly blessed to be able to celebrate our first year of marriage, go to the Superbowl, travel to Asia, start new jobs, and move to a different state. It was a lot of adventure and it will be interesting to see what 2012 brings! Aaron suggested that we share some of our goals for this next year, so I have been muling over my goals for 2012 the past few days and thought I would share them.

1. Budget. This has always been considered a bad word to me. I am not good at it and was more than happy to give the financial concerns over to Aaron when we got married. But, budget is good and I really want to spend our money wisely. Plus we need to save up some more for future "Russell sprouts" and a house someday! We are going to a cash system meaning that weekly I will take out a certain amount of cash for groceries and household items. This will mean being a little more creative with what we already have, especialy by the end of the week, but that's not a bad thing. I think I am up for the challenge.

2. Local/Organic. As part of spending that grocery budget, I am going to focus even more on local and organic. We recently have been enjoying some grass fed beef from part of a cow we purchased from Montana. Buying organic has been a lot easier since moving to Minneapolis and having Trader Joe's and Whole Foods so close by, but we can do more for buying local. I signed us up for a CSA yesterday which means we will enjoy locally farmed produce for 18 weeks this summer/fall. I can't wait! I have been wanting to do this for years, but I recently read "The Dirty Life" which spurred me into action. The premise of this book first intrigued me because it is written my a girl who was a journelist living in New York City who leaves the city to marry a farmer. What? After having just visited New York and loving the excitement and energy there, I find this unbelievable. So I read the book. What I learned was how hard having a farm really is. I mean, I had no idea. These people work harder in one day than I have worked in all of my 28 years so far. I want to support farms in a any way that I can. With commercial food, farmers are struggling, which should never be the case. I know our one farm share does not really make a big dent in this problem, but it is a start for us.

3. Reading. Have you heard of the website Goodreads? It is a fun way to organize the books you want to read, are reading, and have read. I have always loved reading. My summers growing up were especially filled with book and more books. My mom will tell you that they had a hard time keeping new books in the house for me to read. Since college and then graduate school I haven't been able to read as much as I would like, so that's one of my goals for this year. I plan to put aside at least 30 minutes per day and want to add 24 books to my "read" shelf on Goodreads. Doable? I think so.

4. Exercise. Since college I have been pretty consistent with exercise, can't say I have always enjoyed it, but I've tried to be pretty consistent. Last year at this time Aaron and I were even starting P90x. If you have done it or have heard about it, then you know it is pretty intense. I didn't love it, but it got the job done. Since moving here and since winter has set in, for some reason my drive for exercise just hasn't been there. Plus I have this idea in my head that I have to have at least 45-60 minutes to exercise and it needs to include intense cardio and/or weights in order to be worth it. That is simply not true. So instead of finding excuses for not haveing time or energy for an intense 45 minute workout, I am going to focus on 30 minutes every day. 30 minutes of walking or stationary bike if that's all the energy I can muster up. I am going to simply my idea of exercise, keep it enjoyable and see what happens.

There are other "small" things I want to do like organize my piles of recipes, learn to play guitar, learn to speak Spanish, that are nice goals that may or may not happen, but I am committing to at lest working on the above goals. What are your goals for the next year? There is something about sharing them out loud (or online) that makes them real and sets you in motion! So, onward to 2012! Happy New Year! (more recipes to come)

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been busy ones filled with family, friends and even a trip to New York. Meals have been simple to make time for being with loved ones, Christmas card writing, cleaning, baking, and shopping.

Tonight we decorated sugar cookies and began preparing for my family to arrive tomorrow. It is strange to not be going to our "homes" this year in Montana and Florida. Instead we will have a cozy Christmas in our Minneapolis apartment and begin making new memories.

I hope that you make new memories too. There is a lot to grateful for as 2011 comes to an end. When I think about all we have done over the past year- Superbowl XLV, Florida for our anniversary, trips to Montana, trip to Oregon/Washington, Cambodia/Thailand, moving to Minneapolis- it is pretty incredible. We have been truly blessed and can only imagine what 2012 will bring. Hopefully lots of good food, fun, friends and family.

I pray that you have a wondering holiday season and a great start to 2012. There are new adventures to come!

Dal Makhani (Creamy Black Lentils)

2011-10-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about our food supply, the quantity of food that we eat and why we eat what we do. It's my daily job to think about food and talk to people about it, but the issue of supply and demand has been coming up a lot lately in some of the podcasts that I listen to (The Splendid Table, Good Food, Edible Radio). One of the major concerns is the amount of meat that we eat and the demand this takes on our land, environment, and pocketbooks in order to feed the animals that we want to eat. I am definitely a supporter of meat and of having a balanced meal. I tell people how to do that all day long, but I also know that plants can also provide us with a good source of protein for a fraction of the cost. My new resolve is focus a little more on these plant proteins and to have a plant based meal at least once or twice per week or more.

One of the surprises of our trip to Cambodia was having really good Indian food. One night in Phnom Penh we went to a Napoli/Indian restaurant with our friends and some of their friends who are also living in Cambodia. I really do not have much experience with Indian food was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised how delicious all of the food was! A number of dishes were ordered and we all sampled off of each of them. I am not sure what all we had but I particularly remember a garlicy, black lentil dish and that was spicy yet creamy and was wonderful with the fresh naan bread. To me lentils are usually not very flavorful and something to have in a soup, but these were so flavorful that they really stood out. I actually thought about this dish our whole trip. I looked it up as soon as I could after we got home, and I discovered that it is called dal makhani. Soon, I was on the hunt for black lentils. They were a little trickier to find than I thought they would be, but Whole Foods saved the day. I combined three recipes that I found from Hooked on Heat, A Life Time of Cooking, and Good Veg which also has a whole list of other sites with recipes for dal makhani. I kind of just eliminated the ingredients that I had no idea what they were, and it still came out tasting pretty close to how I remembered it from Cambodia. I even made naan using this recipe and we had an Indian feast. It was so good- hearty, healthy, and full of flavor. My comment to Aaron was "I wish my stomach was twice as big so that I could eat all of this again right now!" I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow! Enjoy!

Dal Makhani
Serves 4
*If you have a pressure cooker than use one of the recipes above. Otherwise, this is a good weekend or day off of work dish since lentils/beans take a while to cook.

1/2 cup black lentils and 1/4 cup red kidney beans, soaked in water overnight
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 garlic cloves. finely diced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp tumeric powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2 or cream
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 tablespoon of cumin powder
handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Rinse soaked lentils/beans and set aside. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onion, 3 cloves of garlic and ginger and cook for several minutes until tender and onion is beginning to soften. Add tomato paste, chili powder and tumeric and cook until combined. Add lentils/beans and diced tomato. Cover with water (about 2 cups). Allow to cook until beans and lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
2. Drain excess liquid from lentil mixture. Return to heat and add yogurt and cream. Stir to combine and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat butter, garlic and cumin. Cook for several minutes until butter is melted and fragrant. Add pan contents to lentils and stir to combine. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 more minutes.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or with fresh naan

*Excellent as leftovers as well!

Khmer Curry

2011-10-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

We are back from our adventure! Visiting Cambodia and Thailand was an amazing experience- it feels somewhat surreal to be back living a normal life. Life over there was so simple and we vowed to look at our American life differently when we returned. However, we moved to a new state, are starting new jobs and life seems to overtake you. Thankfully we have pictures and souvenirs to remind us of our trip and of life in Cambodia.

Noodles with spinach, bean sprouts and a fried egg

Cambodian breakfast soup

Stir-fry type dish with brown rice (rarity to find brown rice)

And, we have our memories of the food! All of the food that we had was amazing- noodles, stir-fries, soups, curries, and rice. There are of course fried bugs, snakes, fertilized eggs and other oddities. We had to try something out of our comfort zone so we tried the fertilized egg- not the best, but everything else was delicious.

Fresh fried frogs, duck and snakes

Fertilized duck egg

Because I am not very familiar with Asian food, I wanted to take the cooking class offered by our first hotel in Siem Reap. It was $10 for a two hour class and I thought that if we learned to cook some Khmer dishes, then we would know more of what to order when we were out and about.

Noodles with vegetables and egg

Our class instructor was a very soft spoken and direct Cambodian girl who put us to work. She said that she was not the normal teacher for the class, but she seemed to know exactly what to do. She had us chopping and dicing in minutes. Aaron and I made every component of the dishes (3 each) under her guidance and instruction. We learned how to make fresh and fried spring rolls, Cambodian curry, amok (traditional dish with fish, curry, vegetables and coconut milk), and banana and mung bean desserts. I was surprised to learn how easy these dishes actually are to make. I thought curry was something that takes hours and hours to cook, but with once the paste is made I found that it comes together pretty quickly. Spring rolls don't seem as daunting anymore either.

Grinding spices for the spice paste

Amok

The funny thing was that we had ordered the exact foods for lunch thinking that the class would be cancelled due to rain. We devoured those foods at lunch, learned how to cook them and then were given the complete portions of food that we cooked. It was enough food for at least 4-6 people! We nibbled on it after the class, and then had it for a bedtime snack later that night. Favorites were the fried spring rolls, the curry, and the amok. The desserts were a little soupy and beans for dessert just did not taste right to me- where is the chocolate??

Fresh spring rolls and a peanut chili sauce

Fried spring rolls

Since coming back, I have already been trying to recreate some of the wonderful dishes that we had in Cambodia and Thailand. The rice cooker has been put to good use along with our chop sticks and our new Asian spoons. We also found a Cambodian restaurant to try here in Minneapolis.

If you want to try something a little different, than here is the recipe for Cambodian curry. It is not as spicy as a Thai curry, so do not worry if you are not a spice lover. In fact, when I ate this at Khmer Kitchen in Siem Reap, it was so tasty I wanted to just drink the sauce it was so good! Enjoy!

Cambodian (Khmer) Curry

Khmer Curry
From: Golden Temple Hotel Khmer Cooking Class

Spice Paste: (a pre-made red type of curry paste could also probably be substituted for making this fresh)
2 dried chilies, soaked, drained and then cut into pieces
2 slicks of lemon grass, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 garlic clove
1 shallot, roughly chopped
Kaffir lime leaf
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled
1/2 inch piece of galingale, peeled
1 tablespoon of peanuts
2 tablespoons of chili oil
1 tablespoon of shrimp paste
1 Star Anise
1/4 inch piece of cinnamon
2-3 coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1. In a dry pan on medium-low heat, toast star anise, cinnamon, coriander, and fenugreek for several minutes until fragrant
2. Crush dry, toasted spices in a mortar and pestle
3. Add all ingredients and crushed spices to a food processor and process until smooth

Curry:
Eggplant, boiled potatoes, carrot, onion and long beans (or green beans) cut into 1 inch pieces
Chicken or fish, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
Fish sauce
Cooked rice

1. Add cooking oil and curry paste to pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup of coconut milk, sugar, bouillon and 3 splashes of fish sauce and cook for several minutes
2. Add meat and allow to cook for several minutes
3. Add vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes. Add additional cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water if needed during cooking period.
4. Serve over rice

A New Adventure

2011-09-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

It's time for us to say good-bye to Bismarck. As much as we have been talking about moving for the past 2 years, it does feel bitter sweet to be leaving. This is the place where Aaron and I met, feel in love and began our marriage. This is the first place I have lived that I have been able to walk to work and a grocery store. This is where Jake and I have spent hours on walks. It is also where I have seen the most snow and been the coldest in my life. I love how safe I feel here and how nice the people are. I hate how expensive airline tickets are from here. It really has been a very good place to live, but it is time for us to move on.

We are headed to the big city- Minneapolis. After living briefly in Tacoma, WA several years ago, I have wanted to move back to a big city and so now the time has finally come! I love the variety of grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment and people in a large city. And the biggest plus for us- lower airline prices. We went on several very memorable dates in Minneapolis and we got married in Minneapolis, so it holds a special place for us. Right now Minneapolis makes the most sense in terms of location and our familiarity with it, so off we go!

Before we officially move in to our new place in Minneapolis, we are headed to Cambodia. Our friends, Ryan and Daphne are living there for 3 years and we knew we had to visit them while they are there. In preparation, I read the book Cambodia's Curse: The Modern History of the Troubled Land, by Joel Brinkley. This was an in depth look at the people of Cambodia and how they have been treated over the past 50 years. The book examines the corrupt political practices, the post traumatic stress that many of the people suffer from and the slow progress that the country is attempting to make. This is one of the poorest countries in the world which very low rates of education and high rates of malnutrition. This book was shocking to me and my heart breaks for these people and the atrocities they have faced.

I know this trip will be very different from any other country I have visited and I am glad that I took some time to learn more about this country before diving in. I am excited to see everything and take in an environment so different from my own. I am sure our worldview will be changed as a result. Let the adventures begin!

Quinoa Muffins

2011-08-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

We are moving in the next couple of weeks. We have been busy with a garage sale, packing up boxes and sorting through all of our stuff! I am trying to use up as much baking supplies and anything in the pantry that I can, so we don't have to move it all. I have a large supply of quinoa currently, so I have been making hot cereal and salads with it.

I usually exercise first thing in the morning and I need a little something to keep my energy and blood sugar up. Usually I have half a banana or a little cereal. I thought some quinoa in a muffin might be just the combination I need. Quinoa brings a perfect balance of carbohydrate, fiber and protein which works great for blood sugar and energy for exercising. I found some pumpkin in the freezer, so I thought I would add that too for moisture and as a replacement for oil. The result- a moist, low-fat, whole grain, high protein muffin with a hint of cinnamon and pumpkin. The quinoa adds a nutty flavor and some dried fruit would be great in these too. I didn't have any on hand, but dried apricot, cherries, or cranberries would be excellent. Enjoy!

Quinoa Muffins
adapted from Every Day Food

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached which flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, diced apricots)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until water is absorbed in quinoa is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and quinoa. Add dried fruit if using.
3. In a small bowl combine milk, egg, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool muffins on pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per muffin: 126 calories, 2g fat, 22g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 5g protein

Saturday Morning Frittata

2011-08-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the first Saturday in a long time that we could sleep in, drink our coffee and make breakfast. I love these times- it's the perfect way to end one week and recharge for the next.

My garden is full of zucchini and tomatoes and I wanted to put them to good use. My problem is that Aaron do not really like either. A frittata is the perfect solution. It is an easy way to use up whatever is in your refrigerator and an easy way to "hide" vegetables. Aaron loved today's frittata even with the zucchini. To make this feed more people you can add more eggs. Also you could make this with or with out some type of meat. Kielbasa, turkey bacon or any type of breakfast sausage would be great in this. I have also made this using spinach and peppers, so experiment and use what you have on hand. Enjoy!

Saturday Morning Fritta
Serves 2

4 eggs
splash of milk
1/2 small zucchini, gratted
1 oz shredded cheese
1 shallot, chopped
3 strips bacon (I use center cut with out nitrates)
cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced (optional)
avocado slices (optional)
salsa (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook bacon in a large non-skillet and drain on a paper towel
3. Combine eggs and milk and whisk until combined.
4. Add zucchini, tomatoes (if using) and cheese to eggs
5. Crumble bacon into eggs and add cooked shallot to egg mixture
6. Add egg mixture to pan. Allow to cook for several minutes until edges begin to become firm.
7. Put pan into oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until frittata is cooked through.
8. Remove frittata from pan and slice. Top with avocado and fresh salsa.

Mango Edamame Salsa

2011-07-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

I really don't have anything to say about this recipe except that you should make it! It came about because the other day there were champagne mangos for sale at the grocery store. They were small and yellow and looked interesting so I bought a couple. One of them I used in this Vegan Mango Banana Bread recipe. I haven't tried it yet because I immediately put it in the freezer to bring to Montana next weekend. It smelled and looked good though!

The other mango I used to make this salsa which was excellent on some baked tilapia. It would also be great with tortilla or pita chips, in a wrap with some chicken or mixed with some cooked quinoa. It is fresh, sweet, and crunchy and perfect for a hot summer day. (The other items on our plate are sauteed kale and some brown rice and red quinoa pilaf from Trader Joes) Enjoy!

Mango Edamame Salsa

1/2 cup frozen edamame (warm from frozen for about 45 seconds in the microwave and allow to cool)
1 mango, cubed
1 small shallot, diced or 1/8 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup frozen corn thawed or 1/2 ear fresh corn cob, cooked and kernels removed from cob
handful diced cilantro
juice form 1/2 lime

Combine all ingredients together and serve.

Steak Salad Bowl

2011-07-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

I don't really eat red meats very often. Growing up it was a challenge for my parents to get me to eat about 2oz of steak at one meal. I remember hiding quite a bit of steak in my napkin on a few occasions. Sorry Mom and Dad! I still don't gravitate towards it regularly, but every now and then a steak just sounds good. One of my favorite flavors actually is red meat with blue cheese. The paring is tangy, salty and savory all at once. In Mexico on our honeymoon, Aaron and I had the most delicious blue cheese sauce with steak (we had it twice in one week actually it was so good) that I still dream about. Last week I had a blue cheese Juicy Lucy which was quite tasty as well. Another of my favorites is steak on salad. Usually a salad with steak strips has tomatoes, red onion, and blue cheese with some type of vinaigrette. All of the those flavors combined is so satisfying and feels like so much more than a lettuce salad.

This meal didn't start as a salad, and it definitely is not your traditional salad- no lettuce to be found. As I was cooking the vegetables, I decided that all of these things combined in a bowl with blue cheese and dijon vinaigrette would be amazing. It was. I loved all of the different textures and flavors together in one bite. Aaron missed out because he had everything separated on his plate and he didn't have any blue cheese- salad is a little bit of a bad word in his vocabulary. So, you can do what you like but especially do not forget the blue cheese sprinkled over your steak! Enjoy!

Steak Salad Bowl

Serves 2-3

Steak

1 lb flank steak

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 sm shallot, shopped

1/8 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper

Place steak in a shallow dish. Season steak with salt and pepper. Add garlic, shallot and sauces. Marinate for several hours or overnight.

Bring to room temperature for about 1 hour before grilling. Heat grill and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes or until medium rare. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Brussels Sprouts

Use this recipe

Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed

salt & pepper

grill seasoning

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 1-2 minutes until beans are cooked but still slightly crunchy. Drain water and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and grill seasoning.

Roasted Potatoes

3 small, red potatoes, diced

olive oil

salt & pepper

grill seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and grill seasoning. Roast for about 15 minutes and then redistribute potatoes on baking sheet. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are browned and crispy on the outside.

Dijon Vinaigrette

2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients and whisk together. Season with course salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add more mustard and/or vinegar to taste.

Salad Bowl

3-4oz steak

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup Brussels sprouts

1/4-1/3 cup roasted potatoes

1/2 large tomato or 1 small, diced

Dijon vinaigrette

blue cheese crumbles

Combine vegetables, potatoes and steak in your bowl. Top with blue cheese and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Celebration

2011-07-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

This is how I celebrated finishing graduate school yesterday- I made pizza. Finishing school has been along process and I am very glad to have it completed. Aaron has been an excellent husband though all of this- hearing my complaining, having me spending Saturdays at the library, and living with a messy house at times. But, no more! Now I can enjoy the summer, and we can begin preparing for a new chapter in our lives. In September we are visiting some friends in Cambodia and then when we get back we are moving to ________. Hopefully it won't be _______ for too long as the job search begins! Today I slept in until 10:30 (something I haven't been able to do in at least a year I think). Aaron and I made breakfast, I went for a run, weeded the garden and watched some women's World Cup soccer. Tonight we will go out for dinner and a movie. It is a day to relax and enjoy not having the pressure of an assignment for school in the back of my mind. It is a good feeling that I want to savor today.

Pizza is always a good way to celebrate and last night I used everything we would normally have on nachos on a pizza. I used some dough that I had frozen from my new favorite dough recipe. I mentioned this in a previous post , but if you haven't tried it yet you must. It is so easy to put together in the morning and then by dinner time you have a great dough ready to use. Last night I rolled out one large dough instead of small ones to cook on the skillet like I did before. I pre-cooked the dough for about 7 minutes at 475 degrees. Then I topped the dough with taco meat, black beans, green chilies, and cheese. After cooking it for about 12 minutes at 475 degrees I added slices of avocado, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and some hot sauce. A little sour cream mixed with salsa brought it all together and made a perfect taco pizza. Make your own and share about your favorite pizza ingredients. Enjoy!

Moroccan Bastilla

2011-06-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Recently my close friend, Taryn married Hicham. We have been real friends since about 8th grade (she will tell you some story about me snubbing her or something when we were younger I think!). I am very glad that Taryn found Hicham, and they have an incredible story that I think needs to be made into a movie, a book or something! Taryn did an amazing amount of work in planning her wedding in a very short time period. One of the highlights of the evening, besides the beautiful bride and groom getting married, was the food. Hicham is from Morocco and so there was an array of Mediterranean themed foods- hummus and pita bread, chicken kabobs, Greek salad, a rice dish with garbanzo beans (one of her co-workers made this in a cauldron over an open fire in his yard by the way). My favorite dish was the bisteeya (or bastilla- I found it spelled both ways). This is a traditional Moroccan meat pie with very unique flavors- I admit I had seconds it was so good and indescribable. It is a combination of chicken (traditionally made with squab apparently), eggs, phyllo dough, and almonds with some spices and sugar that bring it all together. I have never tasted anything like it and I knew that I would have to recreate it, at least so that Aaron could try it. I have literally probably thought about this dish almost weekly since her wedding, the flavor and memory was so ingrained in my mind. Taryn gave me two recipes and said the dish at the wedding was a combination of both. My final dish turned out better than I expected when making something totally new and tasted just like I remembered. Aaron liked it and we felt very cultured while eating it. Can't wait to go to Morocco with you someday Taryn and Hicham! Enjoy!

Bastilla
Adapted from Desert Candy and Cooking with Alia

1 tbsp grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds chicken (dark meat would be the most tender- I used breasts and it was a little dry)
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ginger powder
salt and pepper
2 cups water
6 eggs
10 oz almonds, toasted
1/4-1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp butter, melted
Phyllo dough- approximately 14-16 sheets

Chicken Filling
1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or pot. Add onion and garlic and allow to soften. Add tumeric, parsely, ginger, salt, pepper, and cinnamon stick.
2. Add chicken to the pot, combine with spices and onion mixture and cook for about 5-8 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups of water, cover pot and allow to cook for about 30 minutes
4. Remove chicken from liquid (do not discard liquid), and allow to cool. Shred meat into small pieces.

Egg Filling
1. Add eggs to the leftover liquid from the chicken.
2. Decrease heat to medium low and stir eggs into the sauce. Allow liquid to evaporate and egg mixture to thicken-about 10-15 minutes until eggs are becoming dry.
3. Drain mixture over a fine mesh strainer so that eggs are very dry.

Almond Filling
1. Pulse almonds in a food processor with powdered sugar and cinnamon until almonds are crushed.

Prepare the Bastilla
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the bottom of a springform pan with some of the melted butter. Layer 7-8 sheets of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan, brushing each one with butter and allowing the edges to overhang the pan.
2. Sprinkle half of the almond mixture over the bottom of the pan. Top with shredded chicken, then top with the egg mixture and then finish with the rest of the almond mixture.
3. Fold overhanging phyllo over the top and cover with 7-8 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter and tucking edges into pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until top is golden. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes until pie is golden brown.
5. Slice and eat.

A Few Recipes

2011-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

I wish finishing school was as fun as trying new recipes. I am in my final weeks of completing my Master's degree and I really should be more studious and get ahead of deadlines for projects, but instead I have been planing meals and cooking! I thought I would share a few gems from the past week.

1. Pizza from Dave Lebovitz. There a couple of things that made this pizza so amazing. First, you mix flour, yeast and dough in a bowl and then leave it sit all day. Easiest dough ever! I used 1/2 whole wheat flour which required about 1/4 cup more water than Dave's recipe. Second, you cook the pizza on the bottom of a cast iron skillet. I love my cast iron skillet and they was a great new way to use it. I followed Dave's directions pretty closely and precooked the dough for a minute or two before adding the toppings. The whole pizza probably took about 5-6 total minutes to cook. Instead of potatoes and blue cheese, we had chicken, tomato, and basil, ranch, bacon, tomato, and spinach, and roasted red pepper, kalamata olive, spinach and tomato pizzas! Excellent pizza and a dough recipe I will be using from now on probably.

2. Potato Salad from Smitten Kitchen. It is the season for grilling burgers, lemonade and potato salad. I liked this recipe because it does not include mayonnaise and it does not have hard boiled eggs, neither of which I enjoy. I did not pickle the onions like her recipe and I only used asparagus because I didn't have any snap peas. I thought the Dijon dressing was very flavorful and a nice twist on traditional potato salad. I am planning on making the dressing again to have for more salads. One note, this salad does not keep overnight very well.

3. Cocoa Brownies with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting from Not With Out Salt. All you have to do is look at the pictures of these brownies and soon you will be drooling. I have been wanting to have an excuse to make these for weeks. Finally this weekend we had some friends over for dinner and I made these for the finishing touch. I attempted to make the brownies Sunday morning- earlier than I am usually awake- and so they did not turn out right. I am sure it was my error from still being bleary eyed and tired and not a problem with the recipe. I ended up making brownies from a box and put this frosting on them. The frosting is really the highlight anyways and it is so good! I used 1/2 of the powered sugar that is called for in the recipe and it turned out great- not too sweet with peanut butter goodness. The salt really is important on top, so don't omit it. I will be making this frosting again for sure!

Enjoy!

Spring Salads

2011-05-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ah! Finally the time has come for fresh produce like strawberries, zucchini, and asparagus. These are of course not growing in North Dakota right now, and as much as I would love to only buy local, I would have to wait until July when the farmer's markets start. I am too impatient for that, so I have been buying up all of the spring fruits and vegetables that I can find. Having these makes eating vegetables so much easier! Here are a couple of salads that take only minutes to make and will add some color and flavor to your next meal. Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Serves 1

1 cup raw spinach or other salad greens
2 large strawberries, diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
1 tsp walnuts, chopped
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp agave or maple syrup
fresh ground pepper

1. Combine spinach, strawberries, celery, and walnuts (Gorgonzola or blue cheese would also be a great addition)
2. In a small dish combine vinegar, oil and agave. Pour over salad and top with fresh ground pepper.

Zucchini Saute
Serves 1-2

1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch coins and then cut into thirds
1 clove garlic, chopped
~8 dry roasted almonds, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan
2. Add zucchini and garlic. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add almonds and cook for about 1-2 more minutes
4. Sprinkle with cheese and serve

Sweet Potato-Banana-Coconut Muffins

2011-05-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

I have decided that sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. I really can't get enough of roasted sweet potato slices with olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup. Thankfully, sweet potatoes are very nutritious and full of fiber, beta carotene, and potassium. Beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, is important for vision, healthy immune system, and for skin and cell health. Potassium is needed for proper heart, kidney, muscle, nerve and digestive system function. Sweet potatoes do not need to be saved for Thanksgiving! They can make a great side dish baked, mashed or roasted. I try to get in at least one sweet potato a week. I had not thought of using sweet potatoes in muffins before though, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I added a banana for sweetness and significantly decreased the sugar in the original recipe. I also added more fiber and decreased the fat by using egg beaters. These are a great start to the day or for a delicious snack! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Banana Coconut Muffins
Yield: 12 standard size muffins
Adapted from this recipe

2 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 banana, mashed
½ cup mashed sweet potato
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup egg beaters
½ cup plain fat-free yogurt or Greek yogurt
½ cup skim milk
1 tsp vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining wet ingredients and coconut
4. Add wet ingredient to dry ingredient and stir until combined. Do not over mix
5. Divide into muffin cups

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown

Per muffin: 154 calories, 4g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 2.4g dietary fiber, 4.4g protein

Radishes

2011-05-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have made it one of my goals to try out radishes this year. I really can't say that I have ever even tasted them besides a little slice on a salad occasionally. They are such a happy looking vegetable after all of the of the potatoes and squash of the winter months. I am planning on planting some in my garden this month, so there will be some experimenting ahead. What caused me to buy some this week however, what this post - roasted radishes! As you can see here, here and here, I love roasted vegetables. I can not get enough of them and roasting is always my go to method for cooking vegetables.

It would never have occurred to me to roast a radish and I enjoy discovering new vegetables, so tonight was the night for roasted radish. I combined them with other vegetables that I had in the fridge. I usually roast vegetables simply with just olive oil, salt and pepper. The radishes that I had bought actually did not have much of a strong flavor and combined nicely with the asparagus and broccoli. Some thinly sliced shallot or onion would have been great roasted along with everything else. Garlic and thyme would also have been nice and I will probably add those next time. I love the color that the radishes added to the vegetable medley and I will not hesitate to add these to my roasting repertoire. Enjoy!

Roasted Radish Medley
bunch of radishes, cut into quarters
asparagus cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
broccoli florets
olive oil
salt
pepper
1-2 thinly sliced shallot (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1 tsp dried thyme or 2-3 tsp chopped, fresh thyme (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Lay all vegetables on a sheet pan (include garlic and shallot if using)
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper. Mix together to combine and evenly coat
4. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes and then redistribute vegetables with a spatula. Roast for another 5-10 minutes until caramelized and browned

Chocolate Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-16T17:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I made this bread to celebrate the day (and mostly as an excuse to make something with chocolate). I really can't remember where I came across this recipe, but I tweaked it to make it higher in fiber and nutrition. What I really liked about the recipe was that it used plain yogurt instead of the usual buttermilk that is in most soda bread recipes. Not that buttermilk is bad, but I happened to have two cartons of yogurt and no buttermilk in the fridge! I have been experimenting with baking by weight, so this one was part of the experiment. The recipe called for 500g of white flour. I weighed out 475g of whole wheat flour and 15g of ground flax seed. It worked just fine. When you weigh your flour instead of measuring it you can combine all types of flour and just use the same amount by weight. You can purchase a fairly inexpensive scale to do this with and you will end up with less dishes (just weigh everything into one bowl- no measuring cups needed). This bread is not very sweet, despite the chocolate. It is perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Enjoy!

Chocolate Irish Soda Bread

475g wheat flour
15g ground flax seed
100g chocolate chips
2 tsp powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1 1/3 cups plain yogurt

1. Pre-heat oven to 430 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Add egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Mix in a mixer until well combined.
3. Turn out mixture onto a floured work surface and knead for a few seconds to bring dough together. Form into a ball and flatten to about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough with a serrated knife in a criss cross shape. Place on a greased baking sheet or cast iron skillet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 390 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. Bread will sound hollow when knocked. Let cool slightly and then slice.

Meatless Monday- Southwest Lasagna

2011-03-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite dishes to made before I got married and I don't know why I seemed to have forgotten about it over this past year. My brother asked me for the recipe a few weeks ago and so then after a year's hiatus I made it again too. I forgotten how much delicious flavor is packed into one bite of this dish! This is a very healthy meal full of fiber and with all of the flavors, I promise you won't miss the meat. Don't let the spinach in this turn you off- the cilantro mixed with it adds a freshness and brightness to the dish. I personally love this for lunch. It is very easy to make and freezes really well too. Both my brother and Aaron love this lasagna and I plan to add it back to my usual recipe repertoire. Enjoy!

Southwest Lasagna

4-6 6in tortillas or 2-4 12in tortillas (I use La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious or Mission Carb Balance)

1 16oz jar of your favorite salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

1 16oz can black beans, drained

1/2 bag of frozen corn

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out

2 green onions (scallions), cut into 2 inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 cup light sour cream

1. In a food processor, process spinach, handful of cilantro, garlic cloves, green onions and sour cream until smooth

2. Spray the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan with non stick cooking spray. Layer half of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan. You will have to tear some in half to cover the pan.

3. Spread half of the spinach mixture on top of the tortillas. Top with half of the beans, corn, and salsa. Repeat layers and top with cheese.*

4. Bake in 375 degree oven until bubbling ~30 minutes.

*This can also be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Baking time may take 30-45 minutes.

Parsnip Muffins

2011-03-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

Parsnips- kind of strange thing to add to muffins I know. I bought a bag of parsnips a couple of weeks ago to make a recipe from Around My French Table. That was really my first exposure to them and the rest have just been sitting in the refrigerator. I was planning on roasting them, but this morning I was flipping through a magazine and in it was a recipe for parsnip muffins. I decided to try it, but my recipe is loosely adapted from the one I found. I manipulated the recipe quite a bit to make the muffins higher in fiber and lower in fat.

While I was doing this, it reminded me of my days working at Billings Clinic as a research dietitian. I spent hours making wheat, oat, and sugar beat fiber muffins for a cholesterol study. We had to make the muffins low in fat and calories plus flavorful and tasty so the test subjects would really eat them. I was so tired of baking and muffins by the time the study was done. I promise these parsnip muffins are very edible even with all of my tweaking. Actually they turned out very moist and surprisingly good. They are not very sweet, but the currents give a little bite of sweetness and the walnuts add a pleasant crunch. If you happen to have some parsnips, these are a delicious way to use them! Enjoy!

Parsnip Muffins

Inspired and adapted from Fine Cooking

yield: 16 muffins

1 tbsp Canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup light sour cream or plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups grated parsnips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currents or raisins

9 oz whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Beat together the oil, sugar, yogurt/sour cream, applesauce, vanilla, flaxseed, egg, and water until combined.

3. Stir in the parsnips, walnuts, and currents.

4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the moist ingredients and stir to combine.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean- about 20 minutes. Cool pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto the rack to cool.

Chicken Sausage & Sweet Peppers with Penne

2011-02-24T19:19:00.000-08:00

I love everything about this dinner. It was warm and filling with loads of flavor. This mozzarella and garlic chicken sausage I buy at Sam's Club is a great way to change up the dinner menu. It has a lot of flavor with out all of the fat and calories of beef or pork sausage. It is perfect grilled, but with at least a few feet of snow still on the ground here, I will be cooking these inside for a while.

These mini sweet peppers are helping me get through winter right now. They are so bright in color and full of sweetness in contrast to the bitter cold and grey weather outside. I love eating these peppers raw- they made a snack for me at work.

The pasta I used in this dish is not your ordinary pasta. For the past year I have been primarily using Dreamfields Pasta. It is a local pasta, coming from Carrington, ND, but to me the best part is that it does not raise blood sugar as high as normal pasta. This pasta has 5g of fiber and because of the way it is processed it digests further down in your intestines, not affecting blood sugar as much. I probably recommend this product to at least 3 or more patients per day I like it so much. It tastes great and you don't have to feel bad about eating your fill. Of course it still has calories, but it is going to keep you full longer because of the fiber and digestion process. Next week I will be serving some Dreamfields pasta to members of the North Dakota Legislature while we promote services that Registered Dietitians provide in our state.

The last reason I love this dish- I used some tomato sauce that I made with my garden tomatoes and had frozen. Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage & Sweet Peppers with Penne
Serves 4

5 pre-cooked chicken sausages, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
12 mini sweet pepper or 3 large bell peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
splash of white wine
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce
handful basil leaves
6-8 oz penne pasta (I recommend Dreamfields)
1/4 cup half and half
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente and drain. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
2. Heat a large pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add peppers and garlic. Cook for several minutes until they start to brown.
3. Add chicken sausage to pan and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Add splash of wine to pan and allow to cook down for 1-2 minutes
4. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and basil to pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and allow liquid to cook down for about 5 minutes. Add reserved cooking water and half and half and stir to combine.
5. Add pasta to chicken sausage mixture and cook for about 2 minutes more. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Crispy Tofu

2011-02-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know what you are thinking. "Tofu????" Some of you are probably contemplating not even reading this post because tofu is the topic. Many Americans have a very poor opinion of tofu. It is a food we are not familiar with, it can have a strange taste and texture, and we are used to eating meat and substituting that with tofu is apparently unacceptable. I can't say that I am a tofu connoisseur by any stretch. I am not grossed out by it or afraid of it, but I really have only cooked with it a handful of times. I use it when I make the edamame, tofu fried rice and combined with the rice and vegetables you really can't even taste the tofu. One time, I pureed some soft tofu along with ricotta cheese for manicotti and I think when I served it to my dad he didn't even notice! Most of my tofu experience has basically consisted of hiding it in something else. What is tofu exactly? Tofu is actually the curd of soybean milk and is a staple in Asian cultures. It is available in different levels of firmness depending on what you are preparing and it is very bland on it's own. Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking it in or with. On a health note, tofu is high in protein, low in calories, very low in fat and regular intake of soy is good for heart health.

Tuesday nights Aaron meets up with a friend for dinner, so it's my night off from cooking .Usually I eat leftovers or a salad, but occasionally I use the time to make something I know Aaron wouldn't really appreciate. Tonight I pulled out some leftover tofu from making the fried rice dish. For once I wanted to try tofu with out hiding it too much. It has a pretty soft texture on it's own, so I thought crispy tofu might be tasty. In my head I pictured a golden, caramelized outside with a soft, velvety center. I looked for recipes and didn't really find anything that sounded quite like what I was picturing. In the end I combined a few ideas together and it was a success! The tofu was golden, crispy and dipped into teriyaki sauce I thought it actually tasted really good. Tofu may not be something you will have on a regular basis, but don't be afraid to try it. I think it's healthy for all of us to broaden our food horizons and try new things. Enjoy!

Crispy Tofu
Serves 2

-1 tbsp cooking oil such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil
-6 oz firm tofu, sliced
-1/4 cup cornmeal (I processed it in the food processor for several seconds to make the cornmeal a finer texture, but this is probably not necessary)
-salt, pepper, garlic powder
-soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, barbecue sauce or any dipping sauce of choice

1. Pat the tofu dry on both sides with a paper towel. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan
2. Season tofu generously with salt, pepper, and garlic. Use other spices as desired.
3. Pour cornmeal onto a small plate. Press tofu into cornmeal on both sides and then place in heated pan
4. Cook tofu on each side until golden and crisp, approximately 3-5 minutes per side.
5. Serve with dipping sauce of choice

Cooking with Cookbooks

2011-02-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

I love looking at cookbooks, especially ones with lots of pictures. Some of my favorite date nights are going to Barnes and Nobel with Aaron and while he looks at magazines, I look at cookbooks. They inspire me and make we want to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious. I own several cookbooks and the problem is that they really do not get used often. I might use a couple for some inspiration or for a cooking technique that I can apply to the particular meat that I am going to use. I also have subscriptions to Every Day Food and Cooking Light, so usually I am trying recipes from those since they arrive in my mailbox every month. Of course I use recipes for baking, but on a day to day basis I am pretty good at just making things up as I go along and unfortunately my cookbooks do not get opened.

Well a few weeks I decided to pick out a couple of books from my collection and choose some recipes to make. The first one was The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. Ellie is a Registered Dietitian and has a show on the Food Network. I have had this book for a few years and really the only recipe I have made more than once is her fried rice with edamame. In fact I made it for dinner! This is so healthy with brown rice, peppers, garlic, corn, and ginger, plus the protein from the edamame, tofu, and eggs in it. Yum, yum!

This week, I tried a few other recipes from this book with great success- "pork medallions with cherry sauce," "baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta", and "chicken pot pie with phyllo crust." Everything was delicious and healthy; it made me wonder why I haven't opened it up sooner. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to change up their cooking routine with some healthy and flavorful recipes.

The other book that I have been cooking from is not one that I currently own, but probably will be owning soon! I found at the library, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan after she was showing up everywhere- from blogs (Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, David Lebovitz), to my favorite podcast, The Splendid Table, and even The New York Times. This is a beautiful, heavy book, full of everyday French food recipes, not to mention excellent photography. Dori writes the book as if she is talking to you. The directions are easy to follow and many of the recipes do not include exotic ingredients (good for the girl who lives in North Dakota!). So far I have tried her vegetable recipes for "asparagus and bits of bacon" and "lemon-steamed spinach" (I had no idea steamed spinach could be so tasty!). I tried the recipe for "almond flounder meuniere," in which I used talaipia instead (picture above), and it was of course delicious. Who could not love fish crusted with almonds and cooked in butter? For Valentine's Day I decided to be a bit more ambitious and I made "short ribs in red wine and port." This was a more involved recipe that actually took two days to make! Not my usual style, but it was definitely worth trying for a special meal. So far this book gets a thumbs up. I already have several other recipes marked to try, so it will be becoming part of my permanent collection of cookbooks. She also has a baking cookbook I might have to try next. . . !

So, get out some of your cookbooks, go to your local bookstore, or even better, the local library, and start cooking from cookbooks and share your favorites! Enjoy!

Whole Grain Waffles

2011-01-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

I love Saturday mornings. We get up late and I make a big breakfast. We take our time drinking coffee and eating- just enjoying a slower pace from the week days. Today I decided to try a new recipe for waffles. It is a whole grain recipe that also happens to be gluten free. Right now gluten free is kind of trendy and even a supposed weight loss diet. Gluten is the storage protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye. It is not bad for your body, but it is a large molecule that can be hard to digest, especially in large quantities. Some people have celiac disease, in which they have an autoimmune response to gluten that causes malnutrition. For them, avoiding gluten is vital to their health. For others, they may have gluten sensitivity or intolerance and when they avoid gluten their digestive system works better. For most of us, gluten is the most prominent grain in our diet. In ancient times I am certain that people ate a greater variety of grains than we do today. Their diets included things like quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, and teff. We rarely see many of those grains today. Instead we have focused on wheat and so most packaged and processed products from soup to cheese include wheat to thicken, prevent caking, etc besides our normal intake of breads, pasta, cereals, crackers and baked goods.
Does following a gluten free diet help you loose weight? Not necessarily. Most packaged and processed gluten free foods contain more fat and sugar than regular products. The people who are loosing weight eating gluten free are doing so because most likely they are eating less starches and more vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and low-fat dairy products (all naturally gluten-free). Something all of use could do on a regular gluten containing diet.
I tried these gluten free waffles today because they are full of whole grains and fiber. I did a nutrition analysis on the recipe. Per waffle: 67 calories, 2g of fat, 8g carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar, 3g protein. The same size waffle prepared from a mix contains 103 calories, 5g fat, 15g carbohydrates, .4g dietary fiber, 7g sugar, 3g protein. So this gluten free waffle definitely wins nutritionally. And, it also tasted pretty good- there was a slight nuttiness from the quinoa that I didn't mind at all. They initially were a little soft coming out of the waffle iron, but putting them in the oven gave them a nice crispy outside with a soft, chewy inside that a waffle should have. I topped one with Greek yogurt and blueberries and another one with Nutella- delicious! Enjoy!

Whole Grain Waffles
adapted from Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
*Start this recipe the night before as the batter needs to sit for about 12 hours

1 1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup oats
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp almond extract1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a blender or food processor, combine quinoa, oats, milk, vinegar, olive oil, vanilla and almond extract. Blend for about 3 minutes. Let sit over night at room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a cookie sheet over a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Preheat waffle iron and coat with non-stick spray.
3. To the waffle batter, add egg, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
4. Cook waffles in waffle iron. Place cooked waffles in the oven to stay warm and crispy until ready to eat. Top with favorite toppings.

Kale Chips

2011-01-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

Aaron and I are working on increasing our vegetable intake these days. One of our goals when we got married was to avoid the inevitable newlywed weight gain. The problem has been that I love cooking and Aaron loves eating my cooking! I cook pretty healthfully most of the time, but this month with the new year ahead we decided to work a little harder on our diets which means more vegetables. I am always on the lookout for good vegetable recipes, because as much as I love them they can get boring if you don't change it up. As I have mentioned before, I love roasted vegetables. The crunch, crispyness and caramelization that roasting brings to vegetables really gives them new life in my opinion. The usual vegetables that I roast are green beans, asparagus, broccoli, peppers and potatoes. Next up- kale.

Kale? Isn't that the green curly lettuce they use to decorate trays on a buffet? Yes, that's the one! For years I have known that kale is very healthy. It is full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and maganese. It actually has over 20 nutrients in it and one of the most important benefits of kale is that it is full of antioxidants which fight cancer cells and it is anti-inflammatory. The problem with it I think that most of us (including me) don't know what to do with it. Its probably not the best raw, so sauteed would be one option. I don't really like cooked spinach, so I have just assumed that cooked kale wouldn't be my favorite either. I once heard of a dietitian who drys kale and sprinkles it in all sorts of foods like spaghetti sauce and even brownie mix. Nice idea but also seems like extra work to me.

This past year I saw two blog posts about kale chips. Interesting idea- chips make out of a leafy green. Both of these bloggers raved about the kale chips, so finally this week I decided to try it. It was so good that I actually made them twice! Aaron's first response was "These are kale? They taste like chips." I think kale chips is one of those recipes that you really won't believe until you try them. They sound strange but really are surprisingly delicious. You can flavor them how ever you would like. I have been sticking to salt, pepper and garlic, but experiment until you find your favorite combination. These make getting in those veggie servings a little easier and tastier! Enjoy!

A few other kale chip recipes:
Lemon Kale Chips
Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
Baked Kale Chips

Kale Chips
*I apparently didn't really check the above recipes before I tried these. All of those recipes above recommend an oven temperature of 350 degrees. I actually roasted mine at 450 degrees. Both times they turned out fine but a few turned brown and I had to watch them pretty close, so you may want to try the lower oven temperature.

One bunch of kale (I used the curly kind)
olive oil
Kosher salt
pepper
garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse off kale and dry very well. Chop kale into 1-2 inch wide strips and place on large baking sheet)
2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Massage oil and seasonings into leaves briefly.
3. Place sheet into oven for about 4-5 minutes. Redistribute leaves with a spatula and return to oven for about 3-4 more minutes. Kale should be crispy and starting to turn brown, but not completely browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Almond Date Breakfast Loaf

2011-01-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post about this bread for a while. The problem was that I ate the first loaf before I could take a picture (because it was so good) and then I made a second batch before Christmas, stuck it in the freezer and just pulled it out again this week. The bread is surprisingly tasty despite how it might look in the picture. It has almond extract in it which adds a unique flavor combined with cinnamon and dates. This bread is also very low in fat and sugar so you do no have to feel bad having it for breakfast or a snack. I like it best with a smear of almond butter- yum! I found the recipe in Cooking Light and the original has streusel topping and used figs instead of dates. I made the first batch with out the topping and thought it was just fine with out it. I used dates because they were easier for me to find, have as similar flavor and texture to figs, and they also always remind me of my grandmother. When I was younger, my mom's parents would spend winters in Arizona and every other Christmas we would hop in the car and drive down to visit. We would have a great time exploring the sand dunes, bartering in Mexico, eating fresh grapefruit for breakfast, and drinking date shakes. I now only vaguely remember the place where we would have them, but I remember a forest of date trees that we walked through and a little shop that sold date shakes. Right now as it literally " feels like" -22 outside according to weather.com I really wish I was in warm Arizona drinking that shake! Enjoy!

Almond Date Breakfast Loaf
adapted from Cooking Light
Yield: 2 loaves

~8-12 dates, pitted and chopped
2 egg whites
1 egg
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted (I used walnuts)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 8 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place egg whites and egg in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add applesauce, yogurt, oil, flaxseed, and almond extract. Stir well. Add sugar and stir to combine. Mix in dates.
3. Combine flours, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Add to applesauce mixture and stir to combine.
4. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 55 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes or a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Shrimp and Grits

2010-12-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

I am not sure what came over me last night as I was thinking about what to make for dinner. Usually I am pretty good about planning meals for the week on the weekend and then grocery shopping for everything I need, so that I am not constantly running to the store. However this week I was too tired after getting back from vacation on Sunday to even think about meals for the week. I decided yesterday that I wanted to go to the store for some fish (we have needed some light, healthy meals after last week's delicious feasts!). Somehow-this is the part I am unsure of what happened- I started thinking about grits. I have never really eaten grits. We never had them in our house growing up. I may have tasted a spoonful once or twice at Cracker Barrel, but otherwise I have very little experience with this starch. I do remember several months ago reading a recipe from the Pioneer Woman about creamy grits that sounded and looked delicious. So maybe that's why they chose to come to mind yesterday. Anyways, at the store frozen shrimp were on sale (sorry no fresh shrimp on sale in frozen North Dakota) and I decided to go with shrimp and grits for dinner. I took some inspiration from this recipe and improvised as needed according to what I had at home. I did use bacon which added a nice smoky flavor profile, but it would not be necessary if you prefer not to use it. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the heat to your taste. I found my first real taste of grits to be pretty good and this will be a recipe I will come back to. It was the perfect warm meal for a cold winter's night. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Creamy Grits
Serves 2

1/2 pound fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp, thawed and tails removed
2 slices, uncured bacon (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1 tsp dried basil or handful of fresh basil
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
hot sauce, optional
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth

Grits
2 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup grits
1 tbsp butter
1 oz of Monterey Jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blend, shredded
salt
pepper
paprika

Shrimp
1. Cook the bacon until browned and then drain on paper towels.
2. Remove excess oil from the pan and add onion and garlic. Cook for several minutes until soft and fragrant.
3. Add diced tomatoes, spices and hot sauce to taste. Cook for several minutes.
4. If too much of the liquid cooks out, add chicken broth. Crumble bacon and add to sauce.
5. Add shrimp and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Taste sauce and add seasonings as desired. Serve over creamy grits.

Creamy Grits
1. Bring water to boil and slowly add grits. Cook according to package directions (quick cooking vs. regular grits)
2. When grits are thick and cooked, add butter, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until butter and cheese are melted. Sprinkle with paprika.

My Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: these cookies are not "healthy." I did not make any changes or scheme on how I could lower the fat, sugar or calories. These are simply cookies and probably the best ones you will ever make. "Why the best?" you ask? These cookies stay soft, chewy and moist for days after baking. I think my mom found this recipe years ago in a magazine and they have been a staple of the Bukowski household ever since. I actually grew up thinking that all cookies tasted like this- soft and chewy- until one of our babysitters asked my mom for the recipe. I was shocked that she would want it. I thought, "Doesn't she know how to make chocolate chip cookies???" I thought she was smart and cool, but apparently not if she didn't know how to make cookies! Over the years, my mom and I have both been asked for this recipe countless times. It is our go-to cookie recipe and I think if you try them you will be pleasantly surprised.

What makes these cookies so soft for days? Well, it is the secret ingredient. Shhh. Don't tell anyone, but it is. . . . . . .drum roll please. . . . . . . . . instant pudding mix. Simply add vanilla pudding mix to regular chocolate chip cookies, or add chocolate for chocolate chocolate chip cookies and your cookie will stay soft and moist. I think my grandma has also tried white chocolate pudding mix with these too. Delicious! My dad prefers his chocolate chip cookies to be traditional with semi sweet chocolate chips. But, mint, white chocolate, or butterscotch would be great too. My favorite is M&Ms.

When I would come home after being at college my mom would usually have these cookies with M&Ms waiting for me. The other benefit of using M&Ms is that you have a festive cookie for every season and holiday. These may actually be the only Christmas cookies I have time to make this year and that's ok because chocolate chip cookies (or M&M cookies) are always a delicious treat. Enjoy!

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 package of chocolate chips or M&Ms

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla, pudding and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour and baking soda mix until combined
4. Stir in chips or candies
5. Spoon rounded teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for about 9-12 minutes

Cottage Pie

2010-12-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

Picture this: at least a foot of snow on the ground, wind blowing, the temperature is about 5 degrees with a wind chill of -10 or more. I am dressed in snow pants, wool socks, boots, ski jacket, stocking hat, and ski gloves (pretty much I look like a marshmallow or sumo wrestler). As I step out the front door, my dog is takes off down the side walk, running like that the white stuff is actually warm sand and the temperature is 70 degrees. He is not phased by any weather elements apparently. I am running down the sidewalk after him, chasing him while holding his leash. This is the life of Laura Russell two times a day for the past several weeks. I do not know if this is true or not, but it seems like the weather her has been colder with more snow than this same time last year. Usually I don't feel like we are in survival mode until late January or February, but that feeling has already arrived. Every day requires careful planning of wearing warm clothes, remembering to start the car early, and walking my dog Jake seems to take an extra 20 minutes of dressing and undressing.

With weather like this, warm, comforting food hits the spot. I am been preparing soups, stews, and chili weekly. I came across this recipe for cottage pie in Every Day Food. It is similar to a shepherd pie, but instead of mashed potatoes, there are slices of potatoes on top. It has all of the flavors that seem to warm you up on a cold winter night. The original recipe calls for ground lamb, but I have made this with ground turkey and beef. Also if you do not want to use beer, you could easily substitute some beef broth instead. Enjoy!

Cottage Pie
adapted from Every Day Food

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon thyme
12 oz dark beer
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup frozen peas
1-2 medium red potatoes, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and carrots and cook stirring often, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste.
2. Add ground meat and cook with vegetables. When meat is cooked through, add thyme and beer and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, about 2-5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water and cook until mixture thickens. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Top with potato slices, overlapping each other (they shrink while cooking). Season potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
5. Bake until potatoes are browned around the edges and the mixture is bubbling, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Aebleskivers

2010-12-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

I love Saturday mornings and I especially love making breakfast. Even before I was married, I would usually make French toast or a couple of pancakes with eggs for just myself on Saturdays. Now, I have a husband who also loves breakfast, so it is fun for me to whip up something warm and delicious for us. This week I decided on aebleskivers, in honor of Applecup and because I happened to have some left over buttermilk.

What are aebleskivers you ask? I was first introduced to these little pancake like balls in college. The best place in Pullman, WA for breakfast is by far Old European. I don't know if the interior has been updated, but when I was in college, walking into Old European was like walking into your or your friend's grandmother's house. There was flowery wallpaper, fake flower centerpieces, and mis-matched chairs. For breakfast they serve fresh squeezed orange juice, Hungarian goulash, potato pancakes, Scandinavian crepes, omelets, hotcakes, and aebleskivers.

Everything there is good, although I can't say that from my own experience because I always ordered an omelet and aebleskivers. The aebleskivers were sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with applesauce or syrup. I have loved pancakes since I was a little girl, so these were a great new way to enjoy pancakes in my opinion. These Danish pancakes are made in a special pan with indentations to make them the shape of a sphere. Before I left WSU, I made sure to purchase an aebleskiver pan at a local hardware store so that I could continue to make these delicious treats. They are a little time consuming due to whipping of egg whites and then having to flip over the pancakes with a toothpick, but it is definitely worth it. Over the past few years I have been making these for breakfast around Christmas, which is when they were traditionally made. If you ever come across an aebleskiver pan, don't be afraid to try these out! Enjoy!

Aebleskivers
(actually the recipe that came with the pan says "Great Grandma's Danish Aebleskiver")
Serves 3 or about 20 aebleskivers
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs separated

1. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add buttermilk and egg yolks.
2. Beat egg whites until light and fluffy and soft peaks begin to form. Fold egg whites into batter
3. Heat pan on medium heat. Spray each cup with non-stick spray
4. Using a mini scoop, fill each cup about 2/3 full and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Flip by using a toothpick and cook for about 1/2 to 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with powered sugar and serve warm.
Serve with side of applesauce, syrup or Aaron's favorite- Nutella

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2010-11-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Chicken and wild rice soup is a big deal in North Dakota. I'm serious. Many of the local restaurants have chicken and wild rice soup on their menu daily. I have patients every week tell me it is the favorite soup next to knoephla soup. Other favorites around here: kuchen, Ranch dressing, dough (yes, people tell me they like to eat "dough"), potatoes, noodles (not pasta- noodles!) and probably anything breaded or fried. The people of North Dakota are tough and hearty. They survive intense cold and months of winter weather. They like food and they want comfort foods after braving the cold winds or trekking through the small mountains of snow. These foods are delicious but also are part of the reason I have a busy job here!

Chicken and wild rice soup is a thick creamy soup that is a winter comfort food. Although traditionaly it has a high cream and thus fat content it also does have some redeeming qualities. It has wild rice which is a whole grain, high in fiber and full of potassium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. I added some vegetables to my recipe which is always a good thing and soup is perfect for these cold, wintry days. I also decreased the cream content which didn't make a difference. It was still rich, warm and comforting. With the negative 10 degree weather here this week, this soup was perfect for dinner and lunch. I used this recipe to make whole wheat French bread to have with the soup. Enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Adapted from -Home Ec 101
Serves 4

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup wild rice
1/2 onion diced
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 strips of uncured bacon
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups milk
2 chicken breasts with skins removed, diced
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine water, stock, and rice in a pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 40 minutes.
2. Cook chicken in a non-stick skillet. Remove from pan.
3. Cook bacon in same pan until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Crumble when cooled.
4. In a large pot on medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook for several minutes until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
5. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Slowly add the milk and cream and continue to stir until combined. Once rice is soft, add rice and broth mixture to the soup. Continue to stir.
7. Add chicken, bacon, and spices. Stir to combine. Allow to cook, stirring frequently until bubbling and heated through. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for several minutes.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve with a warm slice of crusty bread and a green salad.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2010-11-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that my first exposure to Brussels sprouts was only this year. I am overall a pretty adventurous eater, and I am always trying to find new vegetables to try. It is unfortunate that I have been missing Brussels sprouts the past 27 years of life. I feel like Brussels sprouts have a very bad reputation and therefore I never have had any desire to try them, I wasn't sure how to cook them, and I never really see them on the menu at a restaurant. They are always depicted on TV as the food every kid hates and is forced to eat. I think I have seen them at a buffet- mushy, brown and smelling like cabbage. A few months ago though, Aaron gave me a recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts that he found in Men's Heath, which in itself was amazing, so I decided to try them. The result was so delicious that we have been having them at least once per week over the past several months! This recipe makes the sprouts crispy and caramelized and the bacon adds a smoky saltiness that can't be beat. Aaron likes them so much that he requested I make them for my family this Thanksgiving. Hopefully they will be as much of a hit with all of them as they have been for us.
Last night I was watching The Pioneer Woman on Thanksgiving Throwdown with Bobby Flay (which had some great Thanksgiving recipes). Bobby Flay made a fabulous sounding Brussels sprouts recipe (Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Vanilla-Pecan Butter) that looked worth trying if you can find pomegranate molasses. Also, if you have not heard of The Pioneer Woman- Ree Drummond, then go to her website and read her story. It is good enough to be a movie I think. She is a home cook who now has a best selling cook book and a great blog.
Another Brussels sprouts recipe I want to try is from Shauna at Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef if you are interested! It is a Brussels sprouts salad with a tangy dressing- sounds delicious!
Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from Men's Health
Serves 2-4 depending on how much you love these!

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
2 slices uncured bacon
1 tbsp butter (optional)

1. Preheat to 425 degrees
2. Trim off the woody ends of the sprouts and then slice in half lengthwise.
3. Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a cast-iron skillet (or other ovenproof skillet) over medium heat until crispy. With a spoon transfer bacon pieces to a paper-towel-lined plate.
4. Drain most of the fat from the pan. Add the sprouts, cut side down and sear until the sprouts begin to sizzle- about 3-5 minutes.
5. Put the skillet into the oven and roast for about 10-12 minutes or until browned.Pull the pan from the oven and flip over the sprouts. Return to oven and roast for another 8-10 minutes.
6. Return pan to stove, add bacon and butter (if desired). Place in bowl and serve with your favorite meat, poultry, or fish.

Spiced Applesauce

2010-11-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

I love apples in the Fall. The crisp, sweetness and crunchiness of an apple makes for a perfect snack. I especially love apple slices with a smear of peanut butter- delicious! In the grocery store you will find me feeling all of the types of apples looking for the hardest ones I can find because a mushy apple is not acceptable!

This year, I was given three types of apples from friends and neighbors. It is great to have a supply whenever I need a fresh apple! With so many apples though I was concerned about them turning mushy, so what better way to put some to use than applesauce?

I enjoyed cinnamon applesauce in my lunch box as a child. What I particularly remember about applesauce though, was my mom making cookies with applesauce. This was during the low-fat craze and she would replace the butter in cookie dough with applesauce. This made a super moist and chewy cookie. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my applesauce, but I decided to give it a try and then go from there.

It was actually easy to make applesauce, so easy in fact that I have made two batches so far! It really is much better making it fresh than buying it canned. The flavor is brighter and you can flavor it however you desire. I used apple cider spices and the end product has just the perfect hint of these spices that makes you think of Thanksgiving and is perfect for the fall season.
Some ways that I have used my applesauce that I think you will enjoy too:
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from David Lebovitz (I used chocolate chips instead of raisins)
Spiced Applesauce Cake from Smitten Kitchen (so yummy!)
Honey Pumpkin Bread from me! (I used 1/2 cup applesauce and only 1/4 cup of the oil)

Spiced Applesauce
~2-4 pounds apples (or however many it takes to fill your pot), a variety of apples with make the flavor of the applesauce more complex and add sweetness
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2-4 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
1 star anise
1 nutmeg, cut into pieces
1 cup water

1. Peel, core and cut apples into slices. Place in large pot and add spices, lemon juice, and water.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until apples are soft*.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Remove spice pieces.

4. Puree apple mixture in food processor until smooth. Refrigerate and enjoy!

*If your apples are particularly tart, add 1 tbsp sugar to apples while cooking or omit lemon juice

New Favorite Apple Pie

2010-10-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Smitten Kitchen is one of my new favorite blog sites that I follow. I love her recipes, pictures and stories of cooking in an apartment in New York with her adorable little boy. Recently she posted a plum and apple pie. Now, I am not much of a pie lover. I will choose cake or cheesecake any day over pie. Apple pie though is a quintessential American food, especially in the fall. This recipe caught my eye because the crust is not pie dough, but more like cookie dough. Yum! Pie dough to me is kind of flavorless, but this dough is a little sweet and really reminds me of a cookie. There is not a bottom crust, so you really get to enjoy the fruit inside the pie. My friend Christina brought me some delicious apples from Washington. I am not sure what type they are, but they are huge! They made a wonderful pie, and I for not being a pie lover I have to admit that I liked this so much I had some pie for breakfast the next day! Enjoy!

Apple Pie
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Top Crust
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 6 1/2 tablespoons (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse or flaky salt (or less of table salt)
Milk or cream, for brushing crust
Coarse or fine sugar, for sprinkling crust

Filling
4-6 apples, peeled and diced, enough to fill the pie pan
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Squeeze or two of orange juice

Crust: With a mixer, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy. Mix in the lightly beaten egg and scrape down sides. Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. Scrape dough into a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until firmed up.

Filling: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a pie pan with cooking spray. Add the apples to the pan and sprinkle it with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange juice. Gently toss the ingredients together to combine.

Roll out the dough on a very well floured counter and gently lift it onto the pie and trim the overhang. I had to piece it together because it kept tearing. It comes out looking fine once it cooks. Brush the crust with milk or cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 40 minutes, until lightly golden on top. Scoop onto dishes and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I also thought a drizzle of caramel sauce would be great on top as well.

Super Easy Brown Bread

2010-10-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love my cast iron skillet. We received one for a wedding present (thanks cousin Elizabeth!) and I am amazed at how much I use it. It was one of the gift that Aaron really wanted us to get because he had read about cast iron skillet cooking in GQ I think. I really didn't know much about them except that are good to use for cooking because some of the iron leaches into food, increasing iron content of the food. Now I use it at least once a week, and today I have already used it twice!
A favorite Saturday breakfast item for us is "skillet pancake." Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place cast iron skillet in oven to heat. Once oven is heated, melt 1 tbsp butter in skillet. While oven is heating mix together- 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs and a pinch of salt. Whip well and pour into hot skillet. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy! We especially love it with Nuttela and fresh strawberries.
Recently I saw a recipe on Dave Lebovitz's blog about brown bread. It sounded delicious and easy, so I gave it a try with a couple of little twist on Dave's recipe- one being I baked it in my cast iron skillet! Who knew you could bake bread in a pan, but you definitely can. It turned out great and I think you will enjoy it too! It went great with minestrone soup. Enjoy!

Brown Bread
adapted from David Lebovitz
*I recommend weighing the ingredients if you have a food scale at home

2 1/4 cups (250g) whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups (120g) wheat bran or wheat germ, (I used 120g of ground flax seed instead)
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)
2 ounces (60g) butter, salted or unsalted
2 1/2 cups (600ml) buttermilk*
2 teaspoons molasses
1. Put the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. (180ºC.) Line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and put it on the oven rack.(or use a cast iron skillet like I did)
2. Mix the whole wheat flour, white flour, ground flax, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. Cut the butter into little bits and rub them into small pieces with the flour mixture using your fingers (or a pastry cutter), until as small as possible.
5. Stir in the buttermilk and molasses until the dough is uniformly damp. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead not-too-vigorously, until the dough forms a smooth ball. (If making two, divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces and roll each separately.)
6. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice a cross deeply into the top of the bread, about 1-inch (3cm) deep. Place the brown bread loaf on the hot baking sheet, being mindful that the baking pan is hot.
7. Bake for 45 minutes (mine took closer to 60 minutes), or until the loaf is firm on top and when you tap the bottom, feels hollow.
8. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for one hour.
*If you do not have buttermilk, like me, I added 1 tbsp lemon juice to the milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes or you can mix equal parts plain yogurt and milk according to Dave.

Steak Fajitas

2010-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we visited Aaron's grandparents in Houston, Texas. I had not been to Texas since I was five years old and I really didn't realize how strong the Mexican influence is there. Of course it makes sense that there would be great Mexican food and fresh avocados, peppers, limes, etc., being so close to Mexico, but it just hadn't occurred to me before. I was picturing more barbecue, huge steaks, and cowboy food I guess. At the wedding we attended while we were there, the food was a fajita bar with tortillas, chicken, beef, vegetables, guacamole, queso, chips and pico. Yum! Aaron's mom said food like this was common in Texas and weddings or parties. Hmmm. Quite a bit different from the traditional ham and butter sandwiches that I have been told are common to have at North Dakota weddings!

I could live off of tomatoes, avocados, black beans, and peppers, so this food was no problem for me! Aaron's grandmother made us migas one morning for breakfast. Reading on Wikipedia, I discovered that migas is a traditional Tex-Mex food that is Spanish for "crumbs." Her's was eggs mixed with strips of tortillas, bacon, peppers, onions, and cheese. Others meats, vegetables, etc could be used in it as well. Something like this probably would not have sounded very good to me if someone described it to me- being used to pancakes and plain old scrambled eggs! But, we had our migas with fresh avocado slices, fresh tomatoes, salsa, and warm corn tortillas and it was delicious! It is a filling meal and I think it will become a regular on the Russell weekend breakfast menu or as a breakfast-for-dinner item.

Before we left Houston, we visited a Fiesta Mart grocery store. It was liking walking into Mexico with food trucks in the parking lot, vendors selling hats, dresses and other trinkets in the doorway, and Latin products in the store. There were bags of key limes for $2.50, bell peppers and avocados for less than $1.00, live talipia swimming in tanks, every part of a pig, and fresh tortillas. We bought a bag of still warm corn tortillas for $1.00. I just wished I could have bought and bags and bags of food back! We will be using some of these tortillas for fish tacos this week, but when we got back from Houston, we had them with steak and beans and rice. Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas with Beans & Rice
8 corn tortillas
8oz grilled steak, sliced
Optional ingredients:
grilled peppers and onions
shredded cheese
sliced avocados
diced tomatoes
chopped cilantro
salsa
light sour cream

1 cup brown rice
16oz canned pinto beans, not rinsed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1. Combine rice, beans (do not rinse), tomato paste, cumin, coriander, and chicken broth. Cook according to package directions or in a rice cooker, about 40 minutes.
2. Heat tortillas until warm in griddle or microwave. Fill with 2oz steak and favorite toppings.

Serves 4 (2 tortillas each)

Bacon, Beans, and Potatoes

2010-09-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I like bacon. Real, crispy bacon from a pig. I feel guilty even saying it. This is a big deal for several reasons. 1.We never had bacon in our house growing up. My grandfather had a heart attack when I was young and from that point forward my parents followed a low fat, heart-healthy diet. Bacon was shunned and never entered our house. I would sometimes sneak some crisp bacon when we would go out for brunch after church on Sundays. 2. Bacon is really not very good for you. Two slices of medium cut bacon have over 7g of fat, 2.3g of saturated fat, and 92 calories. This is almost equal to eating 1 tablespoon of butter. No need to expand on that thought. 3. I am a dietitian. My job is to promote healthy eating and usually when I am working with patients, bacon is not usually something I include in their meal plan.

Besides bacon and the occasional sweet potato fry, I do eat healthy. I love fruits and vegetables. I get my diary servings in, I eat lean proteins, and I try to limit my intake of refined carbohydrates. But somehow bacon has snuck in a little more often than it ever has before. It probably doesn't help that my husband has told me on several occasions "I think bacon is one of my favorite foods." I haven't been able to tell yet if he is eating the Brussels sprouts I have been making lately because he really likes them or because I add crumbled bacon to them after roasting them (which is delicious by the way).

When I do buy bacon I try to buy a good quality bacon like center cut bacon which has less fat, or my new recent favorite nitrate-free bacon when I can find it. I do buy turkey bacon on occasion as well, but it really do not compare to pork bacon. Depending on what it is added to, turkey bacon can be an excellent substitute. The good thing about bacon is that you don't have to use a lot in a recipe to get the salty flavor that bacon adds. So, I confess, I am a dietitian, and I eat bacon. . . in moderation. One slice or two with eggs and toast every now and then, sprinkled on a spinach salad on occasion, or added to potatoes like the following recipe is reasonable I think. This recipe has become a favorite at our house. I made it for a dinner party one night and it was a big hit. It it is a simple way to enjoy fresh green beans and potatoes with only a little prep. Most of the work is done in the oven. If you are my parents also against bacon, it can be omitted. Enjoy!

Beans & Potatoes

2-3 small red potatoes per person, diced

½ pound green beans, cut or broken into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and then chopped into pieces

1 scallion, chopped

1 oz of cheddar cheese, shredded

Grill seasoning

Olive oil

Salt

pepper

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spread potatoes onto baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and grill seasoning. Toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes
3. Add green beans to potatoes toss to coat with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for an additional 20 minutes until vegetables are browned and becoming crispy. Turn once during cooking time.
4. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl. Add scallion, bacon, and cheese.

Pico and Guacamole

2010-08-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes have arrived. For weeks I have been watching and waiting for my tomatoes to begin turning from green to red. I've been picking a few cherry tomatoes here and there the past few weeks, but this week it was kind of an avalanche of tomatoes! I have cherry, roma, and beef steak tomatoes- more than we could possibly eat I think, but it sure is exciting to pick them right from the back yard! Note for next year, probably only one or two cherry tomato plants is needed-not six! I can literally pick them by the dozens right now.

Operation tomato preservation is now in action so that none of these delicious fruits go to waste. I took several roma tomatoes, cut an "x" in the bottom of them and boiled them for about 1 minute. The skin easily pulled off and into the freezer those tomatoes went. They will be great to use for sauce this fall. Yesterday I dried cherry tomatoes (See Pinch My Salt for recipe) and I am excited to use them in a pasta dish, for bruchetta, or maybe in homemade hummus?

This weekend I made pico de gallo since that has become a Russell favorite. When we were in Mexico for our honeymoon, every afternoon we would have nachos with pico and guacamole (see photo below). I don't know if it was because we were eating nachos on a beautiful beach with the hot sun shining down on us and the waves crashing on the sand, but those nachos tasted seriously amazing! The pico had a strong lime flavor, the guac was creamy and not too garlicy, and the cheese was running and delicious! I have been trying to recreate the experience ever since and I think I am getting close (minus the beach, water and sand).

For more information about tomatoes plus recipes, check out Away to Garden. There is a great post all about tomatoes plus links to a lot of different tomato recipes.

Russell Pico de Gallo
(The trick to this is making it to your taste. You may like a stronger onion flavor or less lime. I kind of throw everything together, so these measurements are not meant to be followed exactly. Make it to your taste, try it with a chip and then modify it until it is to your liking)

2-4 Roma tomatoes,diced

1/4 of an onion, chopped finely
1/4 of a jalapeno, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
course salt

You can either chop all of the vegetables or put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic into a food processor so they are chopped finely and they don't cause you any tears! Add to the tomatoes and toss with the cilantro, salt to taste, and the lime juice. Serve immediately, or allow to sit for several hours in the refrigerator so the flavors come together. Enjoy!

Laura's Guacamole

2 avocados, skins and pit removed
1/4 of an onion, chopped,
1/2 of a jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
course salt and pepper
1 Roma tomato, diced (optional)
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)

Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno to the avocado, mashing with a fork until combined. Add cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add tomatoes and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese for even more flavor.

This was all that was left after our recent feast!

Carmelized Onion Bruschetta Burgers-Delish!

2010-08-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you have been keeping up with some of the discussion regarding our food supply in the US, but I disturbs me and makes my brain hurt a little because I am really not sure what to do with the information. If you have not been keeping up, then I highly recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma as a good book, King Corn or Food, Inc as excellent documentaries. The basic problem is that corn has become a huge genetic engineering industry. Most of the corn produced in the US is actually not even safe for human consumption. Instead it is produced as feed for animals. Great idea except that cattle in particular were not meant to eat corn. Their digestive systems work best with grass. Corn, however, is cheap and fattens the cattle quickly. Cattle are able to be slaughtered months or even years earlier on a corn diet versus a grass diet. Because corn is not good for cattle, they become sick and then require antibiotics. Basically, our beef is a result of a strange corn product, fat and antibiotics. Yum, yum. And we wonder why there are so many more chronic health problems and more antibiotic related disorders and immunity in the US? Read the book or watch the films for more information.

I struggle with what to do with this information. Do I quit eating beef? Do I spend more money and time to find grass fed beef? What about poultry? (there are problems with this too). What about genetically engineered corn and how it is literally a part of almost everything food product??? Dilemmas. Well I know that I can not stop eating food, so I might just need to make some substitutions or sacrifices. Until I figure it out, I am continuing to eat all types of meat, but trying to choose better products when possible (Just Bare Chicken is one example). Meat is an important source of protein and is a valuable source of iron and B12 in our diets. It helps keep you full in between meals, helps repair muscle damage and is important for the immune system in the body.

Many people have switched to turkey in recent years due to presumed health reasons. We assume turkey must be healthier than beef since beef has a lot of saturated fat and turkey is a leaner meat, right? Well, 95% lean ground beef has 155 calories and 6g of fat in 4 ounces and 93% lean ground turkey has 150 calories and 8g of fat in 4 ounces. Not much difference. Lean beef can actually be quite good for you (aside from the problems previously presented). I personally happen to really enjoy ground turkey and use it regularly. I love turkey burgers and actually prefer them to beef burgers any day. The key to a good turkey burger is the seasoning. Turkey has a mild flavor and so you have to season it well to have a good end product.

Last weekend we made turkey burgers and I experimented with my toppings. Aaron had a strip of bacon, provolone cheese and tomato on his, while I tried caramelized onions with Gorgonzola cheese and a basil-tomato topping. (I didn't want to subject Aaron to my experiment until I tried it first!) I loved my burger and I think you will too. There are so many flavors- the seasoned poultry along with a little sweetness from the onions and tomatoes plus the spicy bite of the basil and the saltiness of the cheese- they all compliment each other perfectly. I seasoned the ground turkey with smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and poultry grill seasoning, but I honestly do not use the same spices each time. I have been known to put in cayenne pepper, rosemary, oregano, basil, etc. So add the flavors that you like and then experiment a little. You could also use a milder cheese on the burger like provolone or mozzarella if you do not like aged cheeses. Please share your favorite combination! Enjoy!

Turkey Burgers

1 pound 93% lean ground turkey or beef

McCormick chicken grill seasoning

Smoked paprika

Salt

Pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 onion, finely diced

Place turkey in large bowl and add seasonings. Mix seasonings into meat by hand and then divide meat mixture into 4 burger patties. Grill until preferred doneness, usually 5-6 minutes per side on a grill or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Caramelized Onions

1 medium onion, cut into rings

1 tsp sugar

Salt

Pepper

olive oil
Heat large skillet on medium heat with enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add onions, sugar, salt and pepper. Saute until starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low and continue to cook slowly, about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until onions are browned and sticky. Remove from heat.

Bruschetta Toppings

1 medium tomato, diced

Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt

Pepper
Combine all ingredients and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

Gorgonzola cheese

4 Buns, slightly chared

Place burger patty on bun, top with onions, Gorgonzolla cheese and bruchetta topping to taste. Makes 4 burgers

Banana Oat Muffins

2010-08-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

I love a warm bowl of hearty oatmeal for breakfast. I am not a microwaved oatmeal girl. I only like it cooked on the stove and I prefer oatmeal with some bite and chewiness. I am not a fan of oatmeal mush in the morning. I add almond butter, flax seed, dried blueberries, walnuts, and milk to my oatmeal- there is no other breakfast like it and it keeps me full all morning long. Lately I have been buying organic oats from the bulk bins at the grocery store. I am trying to buy more organic items when possible- if the price is is reasonable and it is an item we regularly consume like coffee, oats, etc. Well, several weeks ago I was in Target and I knew we were out of oats. I decided to just buy the store brand instead of having to go to another store for organic. Big mistake. The next day I made oatmeal like usual, but instead of the chewy bite I am used to, it was a pile of mush. You really couldn't see the individual oats, just a paste. I don't think these are old fashioned oats like the package claims. So, I have been trying to make oat recipes to use these up so I can go buy more of the good oats!

I made Aaron's favorite cookies which use 3 cups of oats- hurray! I like to make a batch of cookie dough, cook off a dozen or so and then freeze the rest in 2 cup servings. That way I can pull out some dough anytime and the 2 cup portion usually produces about 12 cookies. We don't need too many cookies at one time at this house or we will eat them!

I also decided to try more muffins. Muffins have been a quick breakfast around here, so I just keep experimenting with more recipes. These banana-oat muffins turned out to be super moist and flavorful. They would also be great with walnuts or chocolate chips. Perfect for breakfast, after school snack, or bedtime I think you will enjoy them too! I adapted them from another blog which used oat bran flour. If you have oat bran flour, then try that recipe. I don't have that type of flour at home and I prefer recipes that don't send me running to the store, so I adapted the recipe for what I had on hand. Enjoy!

Banana Oat Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins plus one mini loaf pan
Bake: in 375ºF oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup yogurt, plain low fat
1/2 cup milk, low fat
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Canola or vegetable oil
2 bananas, large, ripe, mashed
1 egg, large, lightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
1. In a bowl mix together rolled oats, yogurt and milk. Let soak for several minutes.
2. Mix flour, flax, salt, spices, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
3. Add brown sugar, mashed banana, egg and oil to rolled oats mixture. Mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to the rolled oats mixture. Mix well.Add nuts or chocolate if using.
5. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Ice Cream and "The Perfect Scoop"

2010-08-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ice cream is a quintessential summer treat. You really can not beat the cold, creamy, deliciousness of it and it seems especially great when the sun is shining and the weather is warm. My first memory of ice cream is of the ice cream man coming to our neighborhood and playing his little tune, usually when I was supposed to be taking a nap. I really do not remember ever getting to buy any ice cream from that little truck, but the idea of it sounded so fun to me! My next memory of ice cream is going to Dairy Queen with my dad as a little girl and ordering chocolate dip cones. Yum! Those are probably still one of my favorite treats. After that comes memories of going to Baskin' Robbins because it was in the same mini-mall as my dad's office. For some reason I remember taking money out of his cash box to go buy ice cream cones- probably I was not supposed to be doing that now that I am thinking about it! I am not picky about ice cream. I really like any flavor and I enjoy all types-- soft serve to hard freeze. The past few summers I have been into the simple vanilla cone from McDonalds. I am usually strongly against going to McDonalds, but they do have a good low-fat vanilla cone that hits the spot for less than $2.00.

When we were creating our wedding registry, I added an ice cream maker as a whim. I really did not think we would get it and I knew it wasn't something I would buy for myself. I wasn't even sure if I would really use it if we did get it. I definitely prefer making food at home instead of buying it, but ice cream seemed a little daunting. Well we received the ice cream maker as one of our first gifts! I did think seriously for one day about taking it back, but Aaron told me to keep it and that it might be fun to try out. Could it be that he really likes ice cream?? Well I started by making plain vanilla ice cream using some vanilla that we got on our honeymoon in Mexico. The flavor was excellent- rich, deep vanilla, but the texture was a little icy. I kept experimenting, trying an ice cream sweetened with agave nectar next. Good flavor, but still the texture was icy and hard. Rocky road for Aaron's birthday came next, and then I learned about Dave. David Lebovitz is a pastry chef who lives in Paris and a wonderful blog. He specializes in desserts and he has an entire book dedicated to ice cream- The Perfect Scoop. I think his book has me sold on continuing to use our ice cream maker.

There are recipes in this book for just about any type of ice cream you can think of and more. Chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, raspberry-chocolate, Guinness-milk chocolate, and hot-chocolate ice cream start it off. Then you will find green tea, cinnamon, fresh ginger, malted milk, and orange popsicle ice cream. Almost every type of fruit or herb and even some vegetables have an ice cream recipe in this book. Plus the last chapter is full of all types of toppings and accompaniments. How to choose?! I decided to start with mint ice cream. Mint chocolate chip ice cream has always been one of my favorites and I am growing fresh mint in my herb garden. There probably could not be a better way to use that mint than homemade ice cream! The final product was fantastic! The flavor, the texture, the color. I loved it and I can't wait to try more recipes from this book! There is a very similar recipe on David's website in case you are interested- mint chip ice cream.Otherwise, grab a spoon and eat your favorite scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

2010-08-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous blog, I am going zucchini in my garden and it is growing very well. Almost every day for the past week I have been able to pick a ripe, medium sized zucchini. That starts to add up fast! I like zucchini because it is so versatile and has a very mild flavor. My goal this week is to prepare it in a way that my husband 1. eats it and 2. likes it!

Because he has told me that he doesn't really like "squash," I ate it almost every day when he was out of town last week. When I still ended up with four ripe zucchini I decided it was time to make bread. Zucchini bread is a great way to use up several zucchini at one time. I came across a Paula Dean recipe from The Food Network that had a lot of positive comments. Normally I steer away from Paula Dean recipes because she tends to use a lot of fat and cooks more comfort, southern foods that are not usually part of my repertoire. However, this recipe used oil instead of butter and had so many good reviews I thought it was worth a try. The first time I made this recipe last week, I made it in a bundt pan and it turned out amazingly good! I added whole wheat flour, changed up the sugars, and added in some ground flax. It was so moist, but also seemed a little greasy due to the amount of oil. I brought it into work one day and it was gone by that afternoon.

Today I made it again as muffins. This time I made a few more adjustments- less oil, less eggs, and less sugar. Normally I do not mess around with taking out eggs in recipes, but because of the fat content of flax that I added, I knew I could eliminate a couple of eggs as long as I added some water. The end result was just as moist with less grease. Success! Now I am waiting for my husband to try them. . . then we will know the true result. I think he will like them and I think you will too! Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread (adapted from Paula Dean)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup ground flax.
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten with 2 tbsp of water
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two standard loaf pans, one bundt pan, or two muffin tin pans with non-stick spray (if not using paper liners in muffin tins).
2. Combine the flours, flax, sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl combine zucchini, eggs, oil, water, lemon juice and vanilla
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in walnuts if using. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake until browned and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For loaf pans- approximately 60 minutes, bundt pan- approximately 45 minutes, and muffins- approximately 30 minutes.

Quinoa Zucchini Salad and My New Favorite Snack

2010-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ah summer! I have always loved all of the fresh fruits during the summer- sweet nectarines, juicy plumbs, and all of the delicious berries. I like fresh vegetables too, but never have I liked them as much as this summer! I am attempting to grown my own tomatoes, pepper, onions, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini and squash. Some of the first zucchini, green beans, and cucumbers have been ready this week. They have been amazingly good! Zucchini is growing the fastest and so I am throwing it into everything- frittata's, bread, muffins, and now quinoa.

This afternoon I had my bi-monthly Celiac Support Group. When we meet everyone brings a gluten-free dish to share and we all just talk about the food, new GF products and recent restaurant experiences. I wasn't sure what I was going to bring- I thought about safe items like a veggie tray and fresh fruit, but then I remembered all of the quinoa I have in the pantry. I love quinoa and I really feel like it is a food everyone should know about and at least try once. It is actually a seed and not a grain, but it cooks up a lot like couscous. It is a complete protein and I especially like it for a summer lunch salad. It can be served hot or cold and typically I make it into a tabouli. I am constantly telling patients, especially the ones with Celiac Disease about it and especially around here no one really knows what it is or what to do with it. This was a perfect opportunity to make people try it! I didn't have enough tomatoes, cucumber, or olives to make my usual tabouli, so I used what I have in abundance- zucchini.

I decided to cook the zucchini in a cast iron skillet so that it would get brown, grilling it would also work great. I had some garbanzo beans handy, so I roasted those in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. They were incredible! Roasted in the oven, the skins become browned and crispy while the center becomes soft and creamy. Amazing! The paprika also gives them a smoky flavor and they almost didn't make it into the salad because I kept popping them into my mouth. This is going to become a new staple snack of mine I think. Those combined, with the cooked zucchini, quinoa, lemon and fresh herbs really turned about to be delicious. Some feta or goat cheese crumbles would also have been great with this. This could be served warm or chilled, but the flavors do develop more after sitting for several hours.If you have not tried quinoa yet, this might be the recipe to try out this summer. If you have tried quinoa, please share how you like to serve it. Enjoy!

Quinoa Zucchini Salad

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and dried
1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch coins
2 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slices or diced
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
juice from 1/2 of one lemon
salt
pepper
smoked paprika

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place garbanzo beans on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and toss to combine. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or until browned, turning half-way through.

2. Combine chicken broth and quinoa in a small pot. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork and allow to cool slightly.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in cast iron skillet or non-stick pan. Saute garlic until aromatic and starting to brown. Add zucchini and cook on both sides until bowned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Cut coins into quarters.

3. Combine quinoa, zucchini, garlic and beans. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Add zest, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Laura's Gone Crackers!

2010-07-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Crackers. They go well with cheese, they are great in dips, and I love them instead of bread for tuna at lunch time. They are great for a quick snack and always seem to satisfy a salt craving. Usually I choose a whole grain cracker if possible. My favorite are probably the multigrain chips by Food Should Taste Good. These are technically a chip and not a cracker, but they are thicker and have such a great nutty flavor I use them how I would use a cracker. Anyway, the thought of making my own crackers had never occurred to me until I read this post in Elena's Pantry. She has these beautiful looking rosemary crackers and they just looked so good that I had to try some! Plus I have lots of fresh rosemary growing in my garden and am always looking for ways I can use it. Elena uses almond flour in her recipes, which I am sure is excellent. Unfortunately, almond flour is not a product I can easily find or afford here, so I decided to try a product with wheat flour. Plus I added ground flax for even more nutrition and fiber.

My crackers (or my picture) did not turn out looking quite as good as Elena's, but they were pretty delicious and got crispier the more they aged. I just ate up the last one today and plan on making more! They were great with my hummus dip and excellent with my favorite Laughing Cow Cheese. Give it a try and experiment with your own spices- cayenne, smoked paprika, herbs de provence, cracked black pepper, parmesean cheese, etc. Enjoy!

Rosemary Crackers
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemarry
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg white and 2 tbsp water combined for egg wash
sesame seeds

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray large baking sheet with non-stick spray

3. Combine flours, flax, baking powder, rosemary, garlic, and salt.
4. Add in water and oil and mix/knead until smooth dough forms
5. Using a small rolling pin spread dough onto baking sheet (I used a drinking glass coated with flour since I do not have a small rolling pin). Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into squares.
6. Paint dough with egg wash and sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt and sesame seeds.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans
1 large roasted red pepper
2 large cloves of garlic
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans. Place beans, pepper, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in food processor. Process until chopped into small pieces. Drizzle in olive oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh veggies, chips or crackers, or as a spread in wraps or sandwiches.

Makes ~2 cups
Nutrition information per tbsp: 53 calories, 1.2g fat, 8g carbohydrate, 2.4g dietary fiber, 2.6g protein

Black Bean Brownies

2010-07-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

I LOVE brownies. I seriously think they are by far one of the best dessert options. They are moist and super chocolaty. Nothing goes better with a dish of vanilla ice cream than a warm chocolate brownie. It is hard to eat only one and unfortunately they really do not have the most nutritious qualities to them. But, now meet the black bean brownie, complete with dietary fiber, lean protein, and heart healthy fats (mostly). It is practically a health food! :) This brownie is so moist it literally melts in your mouth. It is made entirely in the food processor which I love and also does not contain any flour. As much as I wish I had thought to create this, I can not take credit for this recipe. I facilitate a suport group for people with Celiac Disease that meets bi-monthly in our community. Several months ago we had a gluten-free potluck and this was one of the dishes we sampled that day. I am not sure where this recipe originated from, but I have been making them faithfully since that day. They are surprisingly delicious and I hope you will love them as much as I do! Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can black beans, drained and well rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with nonstick cook spray and set aside
2. Place the black beans in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, peppermint extract, baking powerder and salt and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips
4. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan before slicing.

Nutrition information: 120 calories, 5g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 95mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Weekend Suppers

2010-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

I love weekend dinners. They are more relaxed and after a long week, I usually gravitate more towards comfort foods. Homemade pizza, turkey burgers, nachos, and quesadillas are some favorites! Friday nights we don't eat the the dinning room table and instead curl up on the couch with our food and beverages and begin unwinding after the work week. Last weekend, we stopped at The Wurst Shop in Dickinson, ND, so we had some lean ground beef and bison brats to try. I tried to look up more on the history of this shop, but I could not find anything. The sign is visible from the interstate and every time we drive by one of us mentions wanting to see what it is all about. Inside, we were greeted by the smell of spiced sausage. There were cases with different cuts of beef, pork and bison, plus long ropes of fresh sausage. They also had freezer cases with more meats and treats such as kuchen. Two older gentlemen greeted and served the customers. I am not sure what we were expecting, but it was a quaint place and I felt good supporting a local food supplier.
Growing up, we always had burgers on Sunday night. My dad would usually grill them and we would watch a movie as a family. I have memories of eating juicy pizza burgers and watching Star Wars. Similar to my milk experience (see previous post), I also went through a dislike of beef stage. I could barely choke through half of a burger sometimes before I would say I was full and my family would debate with me all of the reasons why I couldn't (or wouldn't) eat the whole hamburger. My mom would even make my beef patty smaller than everyone else had! Still today I don't have beef burgers very often because I prefer a well seasoned turkey burger instead. I was curious to try out this beef though since it is local and more fresh than what I usually would buy in the grocery store. Last week I had made homemade pizza, so we still had some pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese left over- perfect for pizza burgers!
I added some minced onion, garlic, grill seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce to 1 pound of ground beef. Aaron grilled them until medium well- about 5-7 minutes on each side. When almost done, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of pizza sauce on the burger and top with mozzarella or provolone cheese and heat until cheese is melted.I topped mine with fresh basil to go along with the pizza theme and we ate them in thin buns. Delicious!
Along with the burgers, I made some roasted, Parmesan potato strips.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Wash and cut 2-4 red potatoes into strips. 3. Spread potatoes on baking pan
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with coarse salt, pepper, garlic, and Parmesan cheese
5. Bake for about 12 minutes, flip and continue to roast for about 10 more minutes or until browned and crispy.

A fresh caprese salad made a nice side for this Mediterranean flavored meal. Take fresh basil leaves and layer several on top of each other. Roll the leaves tightly and cut thinly with a sharp knife (also known as a basil chiffinade). Cut up a fresh tomato and mozarella cheese (or small pieces of fresh mozarella balls) and mix with the basil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with coarse salt and black pepper. You can also layer slices of tomato, mozzarella cheese and basil leaves and serve on a platter, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Fresh, juicy watermelon slices made a great ending to our summer supper meal! Enjoy!

Feel free to share some of your own favorite summer meals!

Blueberries and Breakfast

2010-07-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

I am a breakfast lover. In fact it is by far my favorite meal of the day. I love yogurt, berries, toast with peanut butter, eggs over easy, omelets, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, dried fruit etc, etc. I grew up eating breakfast every day before school. There was a (very frustrating in my parents opinion I am sure) time during high school years where I refused many breakfast foods, especially cereal with milk because “I could taste the grass that the cows were eating.” Many early morning minutes were spent arguing about the taste of the milk with my parents. Now, I look forward to my morning cup of coffee and delicious breakfast. I do not like being rushed in the morning, so I set aside a few minutes for breakfast and coffee every morning before I take my dog Jake for a walk.

My husband on the other hand, although he enjoys breakfast foods, he does not enjoy getting up in enough time to eat breakfast before work. Usually he scrambles out the door with minutes (or negative minutes) to spare and does not eat breakfast. As a good wife, and as a dietitian, knowing the benefits of a good breakfast, I have taken it upon myself to provide him with some type of breakfast he can take to work. This has been interesting (see rhubarb bread in my previous post) and most mornings it is just a banana and some almonds, toast, or some yogurt. Yesterday I came across a smokin' deal and I bought two pounds! I decided to use some for blueberry muffins. Usually, I ration fresh blueberries very carefully because 1. they are my favorite fruit, 2. they are a seasonal food, 3. they can be expensive. A handful in my oatmeal or yogurt or in our pancake batter on the weekends is my typical use (besides sneaking a few when I open the fridge). But, I decided to give some up for the greater good of my husband’s breakfast!

I adapted this muffin recipe from BHG. There was a ripe banana in the freezer, so I added that to the batter for extra moisture and flavor. I also added some whole wheat flour for more nutrition. I have been experimenting with using ground flax lately, so I added a few tablespoons to this as well. Flax seeds have become popular in the past several years, but I often hear misconceptions about them from my patients. Flax comes in several forms- usually oil, whole seeds, or ground. Flax has been promoted as a good omega-3 source. Omega-3 oils are heart-healthy fats that help reduce inflammation in the body and are very beneficial for blood pressure, heart health (reduce triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol) and are being used as a treatment for depression. Flax seeds contain the plant form of omega-3 oils (a-linolenic acid (ALA)). Unlike the omega-3 oil in fish (EPA & DHA), ALA must be converted to a form that can be used by the body. Usually less than 5% of ALA is converted a form the body can use as omega-3. So, all of that to say, flax oil or seeds are really not a good source of omega-3 fat.

However, they still have other excellent nutritional qualities. I usually recommend ground flax seeds because the whole seeds pass through the body undigested, meaning one will not absorb all of the nutrition from them. Two tablespoons of ground flax contains 70 calories, 3g of protein, and 3g of dietary fiber. Ground flax is a great source of fiber which helps lower cholesterol, keeps blood sugar stable, regulates the digestive system and promotes satiety. Ground flax is also a good source of protein which will also help keep you full longer between meals. It adds a nutty texture and flavor to yogurt and oatmeal, easy to add to smoothies, and works great in a lot of baked goods. I do recommend keeping it in the refrigerator or freezer however once it is ground. Because of it’s high fat content, it can go rancid quickly if left at room temperature. Substitute any type of berries or add some nuts for even more nutrition, texture and flavor. Enjoy!

Healthy Start Blueberry Muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup oats

4 tablespoons ground flax

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

pinch of salt

1 beaten egg

1 ripe banana, mushed

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups or line them with paper bake cups; set aside.

2. Stir together flours, flax, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. Combine egg, banana, milk, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in another bowl. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fold blueberries into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full.

4. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.

Per Muffin: 160 calories, 4g total fat, .5g sat. fat, og trans fat, 16mg cholesterol, 112mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 8g sugar, 4g protein

My Delightful Husband

2010-07-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

I promise I have not forgotten about this! I have just had a busy few months (see this video for details- Aaron&Laura). Besides changing my last name, I have been planting flowers and starting my first garden. I am so excited to see how it turns out, however I am very inexperienced with garden starting, so we will see. . . I have read several books lately (see Fresh Reads) that have renewed my love for food, cooking, and shopping local. Oh to have a fresh market I could shop in daily! I have been loving cooking for my husband and trying new dishes out on him.
He is very forgiving and willing to try anything I prepare. So far our only disaster has been rhubarb bread. I brought some rhubarb home from Billings and decided to make a bread Aaron could take to work for breakfast. However, little did I know Aaron did not know what rhubarb was or what it tasted like. Apparently he was so appalled by the flavor of the rhubarb that he seriously was concerned that I was going to bring it to work and share with others! I hear about that "horrible" bread weekly and I only wish we could have had another taster to see how bad it really was. I personally thought it was delicious!

This past weekend we drove to Red Lodge, MT to spend July 4th with my family. My dad and brother caught six trout the first day, so we enjoyed a true Montana dinner of grilled fish, corn on the cob, salad, and roasted red potatoes. I loved the taste of being in the mountains and eating the freshest food possible!

As far as this blog goes, I am processing ideas of what to focus on- searching for my niche! I am interested to see what this summer and it's food produce here. Be sure to check out all of the blogs I am following. There are some great food sites out there! Enjoy!

Something New

2009-12-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

This past few weeks I have been very busy with grad school and last week I had a had a 20+ page paper to work on. I got up early and stayed up late every day trying to get it done. I didn't have time to cook anything, which always makes for a bad week. To me, cooking is doing something nice for myself. The day is always better if I can give myself something homemade and good for my body that I prepared. Thankfully my paper was due yesterday and after I submitted it, I got busy planning on a delicious meal for dinner! I have had a squash sitting on my counter for weeks and I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer so that is where I started.
I didn't grow up eating very much pork, so this past year I have been experimenting with several types of pork like cutlets and tenderloin. I love it because it is very lean, does not take long to cook and takes on the flavor of the spices you put with it. Tenderloin is especially easy to cook and it not very expensive. The spices I used on it made it especially flavorful!
Squash is another food I not have a lot of experience preparing. I looked at several recipes, but nothing really sounded particularly interesting to me. Earlier this month I made baked chicken with apples and shallots, so I decided to use the squash with those ingredients and see how it turned out. Thankfully the result was perfect! The combination paired wonderfully with the pork. This is a delicious winter meal that would be perfect to share with friends and family. I served it with some garlic green beans and creamy risotto. Enjoy!

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin and Winter Squash Medley

Squash Medley (serves 3-4)
1 acorn squash
1 crisp, red apple
1 shallot
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
salt
pepper
cinnamon

Cut squash into slices and then with a paring knife remove the skin and cut into 1 inch cubes. Cut apple into 1 inch cubes (leave on skin). Loose cut shallot into strips. Combine squash, apple, shallot, and cranberries in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces and dot squash mixture with the butter. Toss to combine. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Add to oven with pork tenderloin and cook for another 2o minutes at 500 degrees.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (serves 3-4)
1 pork tenderloin
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp minced onion
2-4 cloves garlic, diced
Kosher salt
pepper
2 tsp grill seasoning

Heat oven to 500 degrees. With a small paring knife, cut small slits in tenderloin. Coat tennderloin with 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Season liberally with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, rosemary, onion, grill seasoning. Pour over tenderloin and massage into meat. Cook for 20 minutes. Meat is done when internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let meat rest for 10 minutes and then cut into slices and serve.

Delicious Pumpkin Cookie Bars

2009-11-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

I always feel better about dessert when I can find something healthy about it. Dark chocolate, for example. The rich, sweet yet bitter flavor with hints of cherry is my favorite treat and the best part is that it is full of disease fighting antioxidants. Two ounces per day is actually recommended by the American Heart Association! How great is that! (Well it is great for me because I love that stuff). The other day I was craving cookies. I originally was going to make regular chocolate-chip, but then I noticed I had a can of pumpkin still in my pantry. I have already made pumpkin bars and pumpkin bread this season but what about a pumpkin cookie? We have already talked about the health benefits of pumpkin, so I already felt good about this creation. While I was putting together the batter I decided I was too lazy to spend the time of actually making cookies, so I turned it into a pan of cookie bars. They were delicious and when I brought them to work my co-workers not only happily devoured them but also asked for the recipe. So, that is why this one is ending up here! You can of course make these into cookies if you would like. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookie Bars

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 can pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Canola oil
1 egg
1 ½ cup oats
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine baking power, salt, and flours in a bowl and set aside. Cream together pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Add egg and mix until combined. Slowly add flour mixture until combined well. Stir in oats and then add chocolate. Spread into greased 8x8 inch glass pan. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until browned and toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. When cooled, cut into bars.

Sipping on Soups

2009-10-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

One of the things that helps me (and I'm sure a lot of people) to get through the cold, gloomy days of fall, winter and spring here (yes, all 3 seasons can be very cold and grey!) is the food. There is such yummy, warm foods with rich, earthy flavors that make staying inside, nice and cozy, more endurable. I have especially grown to enjoy soups.

We occasionally had soup when I was growing up- usually the canned variety and usually for a quick lunch or if we were sick. Campbell's chicken noodle and vegetable were my favorite. In kindergarten I remember one day a mom came into our class and made home-made chicken noodle soup for us with home-made noodles. It was so good! I can still taste those noodles and the savory flavor of the broth. That was over 20 years ago and I still remember it vividly and I still have never found a chicken noodle soup that matched up.

When I was doing my supervised practice to be a dietitian, to hone our skills, we had to interview many patients in the hospital about what they usually ate. One day I came back to my teacher and I made her laugh when I asked, "Why do so many old people eat soup?" It seemed like every patient said they at soup for at least one or two meals a day I just didn't get it. With all of the food out there why would someone eat soup every day if they weren't sick?!

When I got my first job working in hospital as a dietitian, we were able to eat lunch in the cafeteria and after growing tired of the salad and sandwich bar and not wanting a heavy fried meal, I started gravitating towards the soups. There was vegetable, bean, chicken noodle, southwestern chicken, Mexican wedding, split pea, etc. Most of them were pretty good. I started realizing why people ate so much soup- they were warm, comforting and filled you up for hours. I made my own version of a vegetable soup with pasta and a Mexican wedding soup for Thanksgiving eve a few years ago- I think that was one of my first experiences making soup and I was amazed at how easy it really was. Not to mention, flavorful and healthier than any canned variety that is loaded with sodium and preservatives. I was hooked on soup.

Now during the cooler months I try to make a big pot of some type of soup, chili or stew once a week. I love having the leftovers for lunches, plus you can freeze extras for later. Because we have had some cold, grey weather already, I have had the soup pot going for weeks. Last week I made a minestrone soup with an Israeli couscous mixture that I got at Trader Joe's. Yum yum. I just ate my last serving for lunch and now I will have to decide on my next variety! Enjoy!

Savory Minestrone Soup

3 large carrots, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large can of tomatoes (28oz)
1 can kidney beans or cannelloni beans
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup of water

1 cup Israeli couscous, brown rice, barley, or small pasta
parsley
bay leaf
basil

Heat about1 tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes and until soft. Add celery and carrots and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, beans and chicken broth, and bay leaf. Let cook for about 20 minutes. Add couscous and water and season with 1 tbsp chopped parsley and basil. Let simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls along with a warm slice of crusty, fresh bread.

Fall at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

I do like fall . . . sometimes. I love biting into a fresh, hard apple, juicy ripe pears, pumpkin bread and warm soups. When the leaves are turning brilliant colors and you can heard the crunch of crisp leaves under you feet I like that. The past few weeks, though it has felt like we skipped fall and were headed straight to winter. It was cloudy and windy followed by a gloomy mix of rain/snow that froze the plants and made all of the trees droop. There were only soggy, brown leaves under my feet. This past weekend however, it turned in to two days of perfect fall weather. The air on Saturday was crisp and warm and the sun was shining. Some girlfriends and I took some kids from our church to Papa's Pumpkin Patch. The pumpkin patch was buzzing with children laughing and playing on castles made out of hay, jumping over logs, riding ponies, and picking out pumpkins! You really couldn't ask for a better scene on a beautiful fall day.

We had a fun time picking out the perfect pumpkin to sit on my front steps.

This of course put me in the mood for some pumpkin baking! Pumpkins are a must during this time of year and the good thing is that they are super healthy. Pumpkins are high in (get ready there are a lot) carotenoides, lutein, zeaxanthin, iron, zinc, and fiber. Wow! Carotenoides, leutin and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that scanvange for free radicals. What in the world--free radicals?? Free radicals are things (molecules) that run around in our body and attack cells, leaving them open to damage (which can lead to cancers, chronic diseases, etc). Antioxidents help repair damage from free radicals and they help kill free radicals. Our body does not make antioxidants, so we have to eat them and pumpkin is one good way.

Besides pumpkin bars, which are my absolute favorite way to eat pumpkin, pumpkin bread is also a winner in my book. Last year I found an interesting recipe in Cooking Light magazine that was written by a dietitian (from Wisconsin) and called for beer. It sounded interesting and so I of course tweaked the recipe to make it even more nutritious and it turned out to be some of the best pumpkin bread I have ever had. I made some of it in mini loaf pans this year so I could give it to friends and co-workers. Enjoy!

Revamped Honey Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups of white flour
1 1/2 cups of wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup honey beer, at room temperature (or a good wheat beer if you can't find a honey beer)
2 egg whites
2 large eggs
1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie spiced)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray (or 1 12x5 and 2 5x3 pans, or 1 6 mini loaf pan)

2. Combine flours, salt, baking power, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk.

3. Place sugars, honey, canola oil, vanilla, beer, and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add pumpkin and yogurt and beat at low speed until blended.

4. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Divide batter between loaves and bake for 1 hour for large loaf pans or 45 minutes for small loaf pans or until toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Lovin' Veggies

2009-09-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

If there is one lesson about food that I have learned since becoming a dietitian, it is to love vegetables. I wouldn't say that I hated vegetables before, but I really didn't realize the value they had in a healthy, balanced diet. I was very fortunate to grow up in a household where we had family dinner 6 out of 7 nights per week. My mom cooked very balanced meals complete with a meat of some sort, rice or pasta, cooked vegetable and often a salad. Our table was always covered with a plethora of food. I still love going home today, knowing there is never a lack of food to eat!When I first started cooking in college, I started with simple meals like beef stroganoff, spaghetti, sloppy joes, and our (my roommate and I) weekly staple, chicken stir-fry. Vegetables were not always included. When I graduated from college and started working at my first job, I had more time to cook and the more I talked about food all day with my patients, the more interested I became in it. I work a lot with weight management, so I am constantly preaching about portion control. I myself have a big appetite and I love to eat. I am not full with 3oz of meat, 1/2 cup of pasta and 1/2 cup of vegetables (a "portion controlled" meal). I hate telling my patients to do something I myself can't or won't do, so knowing the calories of food and realizing that vegetables give the most bang for a buck, I started to fill up on vegetables. I became a huge fan of mini sweet peppers, snap peas, cucumbers, baby carrots, zucchini, and all types of salads. Soon, I was feeling more healthy, had more energy and the 20-30 pounds I had gained in college slipped away (I was also exercising most days of the week, something I hadn't been doing as much in college). So one of the biggest tips I now tell patients is to eat vegetables. They are amazingly low in calories and fill you up, not to mention the vitamins, antioxidants and fiber they provide. You really can't go wrong with eating vegetables- I think we all need a food group we can really binge on and vegetables are it!
I wouldn't call myself a picky eater, but broccoli has never been one of my favorites. I don't like it raw and it seems to get mushy very quickly when you steam or boil it. I had a patient tell me that they liked to roast vegetables, so I have been roasting sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and green beans for years, so why not broccoli? I tried it this year, and now I am addicted! I have been having roasted broccoli at least once a week for the past several months I love it so much! Roasting vegetables is quick and easy and it brings out a more nutty flavor that I really enjoy. Roasting gives the vegetables a nice, toasted color, and makes them almost caramelized but crunchy. If you haven't tried roasting your vegetables I strongly recommend it! I think any vegetable can be roasted, so try it with some of your vegetables that you usually steam or boil. You will be in for a delicious treat!Tonight, for a quick meal I made some talipia with roasted broccoli. The best part is that it can all go on the same pan, at the same temperature for the same amount of cooking time. It is truly a 2o minute meal! Usually I make roasted vegetables with just some salt, pepper, and olive oil, but I dressed it up a little tonight. Enjoy!

2 talipia or cod steaks
2 cups of broccoli florets
1 tomato, roughly chopped or 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
handful of basil, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried parsley
cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the talapia on one half of the sheet. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Place the broccoli, tomatoes, basil and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Place broccoli mixture on other half of the baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Broccoli should be browned and fish should be golden.

Back to France

2009-09-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading My Life in France by Julia Child this week. I loved it! I did not know anything Julia Child and I was pleasantly surprised to read about how she did not start cooking until later in life, mostly because she fell in love with France, the people, and the culture. Like I have mentioned, France is special to me too. My parents always had a picture of the Eiffel Tower hanging in their living room growing up, and we used to have crepes of breakfast on Saturday mornings. I couldn't wait to visit there one day and when I actually did get to go, I think I wished that I was French and could just walk around Paris all day, eat delicious food and just be a part that world! Having visited a few other places that I like just as much, I had almost forgotten my previous obsession with Paris, until I read this book.
One of the most memorable meals I had when in Paris, was at a creperie on the Left Bank. Like I said crepes were a regular meal in our house, but having them at an actual crepe restaurant in Paris was amazing! This morning, I realized I hadn't made crepes in at least a year. Time to pull out the crepe pan! I am not sure where the recipe came from, but this is the one my parents have made for years. Bon appetite!

Basic Crepe Batter
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted

Combine all ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk for 60 seconds.
Heat a oiled pan over medium heat and pour a thin layer of batter in the pan, tilting to evenly coat the pan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes and flip.
Fill with fruit, yogurt, whipped cream, nutella, peanut butter, or any other topping you prefer.

Zucchini for Dessert?

2009-09-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy zucchini. It is not everyone's favorite, but I like it because it is very versatile and quick to prepare. I love it steamed with some Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper on top, roasted in the oven with some olive oil and bread crumbs, or sautéed with garlic and herbs. It seems to go well with any meat or poultry and this time of year it is very easy to find in grocery stores, farmers markets, or from a co-worker's (like my current supply!) or your own garden.

What about zucchini and chocolate??? Not your usual pairing for sure! The other day I came across a website called Chocolate & Zucchini, and I was immediately curious. The creator of the website is a woman from Paris, France named Clotilde Dusoulier and she has even published a book called Chocolate & Zucchini. I love anything from Paris, so I quickly subscribed to her newsletter. She has many tantalizing recipes (that do not include zucchini or chocolate) and after some searching I did actually find a recipe for a chocolate and zucchini cake!

Now, I LOVE dessert. It is my favorite part of the meal. That may be a surprise coming from a dietitian, but it is true- especially chocolate and particularly cake desserts! I am not usually a huge fan of vegetables for dessert at all,but I reviewed Clotilde's recipe and it sounded very good. I was interested in trying it, but I do not particularly enjoy nuts in my desserts. They are fine in other things and as a snack, but not with my dessert! Clotilde has me thinking of France though and when I think of France one of the things that comes to mind is Nutella®. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. It is a hazelnut/chocolate spread and it is delicious! I remember having it on a croissant or baguette for breakfast many mornings while visiting France. The best though, was buying a Nutella® crepe from a street vender. C'est manufique! (I have a feeling we will hear more about this in a future post). I added some Nutella® to my chocolate zucchini cake to add the flavor of nuts (and more chocolate) with out the crunch. If you do not have Nutella® and do not know where to find it, you could easily omit it. I also added some yogurt for extra moisture. You could substitute the vanilla for almond or rum flavoring as well. To those skeptics out there, this cake turnes out deliciously moist and chocolaty, and I promise there is not a hint of any of the "healthy" ingredients in sight!

Laura's Zucchini Chocolate Cake
½ cup butter
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
½ cup hazelnut spread like Nutella®
2 egg whites
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups white flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup mini chocolate chips
(or ½ cup chips and ½ cup chopped walnuts if desired)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar, and butter. Add the Nutella®, yogurt, egg whites, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients together and then slowly add to creamed mixture. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased spring-form pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. If the edges start to brown too quickly, tent with foil. Let cool on wire rack. Remove sides from pan and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh berries and some whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!

Good bye to Summer!

2009-08-29T10:46:00.001-07:00

Summer is by far my favorite season. Living in the mid-west, it is usually hot and dry. I am one of the few people who loves the feeling of getting into a piping hot car and just basking in the heat!I try to see how long I can go before turning on the air-conditioning because I like feeling warm. Weird I know. I always feel a little sad when these hot months are over. It means the end of vacations, the end of lazy, long summer nights, and a return to "normal" life. This week I started to feel the swing towards fall. Kids have started school this week and the stores are full of long sleeves and neutral colors.

Fortunately, some of my favorite summer flavors are still here. My little garden is full of fresh basil, mint, cherry tomatoes and peppers. Today the sun shining bright and warm,with no sign of fall or winter in sight! I decided to make one of my favorite summer salads. The base is quinoa- an ancient grain, once used by the Aztecs. It is a complete protein as well as a grain. One 1/2 cup has 7g of protein and 3g of fiber promising to keep your hunger satisfied for several hours! I am loading my salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives, but you can add which ever vegetables you have on hand. You could also add a grilled chicken breast or tuna for some extra protein. Enjoy!

Summer Qunioa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
2 tomatoes diced or a handful of cherry tomatoes quartered or halved
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
handful of fresh basil, chopped
handful of fresh mint, chopped
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese

Start with the quinoa simmered in the chicken broth for 15 minutes or until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, vegetables, and cheese. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm or chilled with pita bread, flat bread, whole grain chips or crackers, over a bed of greens, or by itself. Serves 4.

New Jersey Flavors

2009-08-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

I was recently in New Brunswick, New Jersey for a week called "Urban Plunge." Teams came from several states in order to serve in various areas throughout the community. Fortunately, I was placed on a track that served at Elijah's Promise soup kitchen. Started in 1989, Elijah's Promise is now the largest soup kitchen in New Jersey. As a nutrition professional, I was very excited to learn that they are not just about putting food on the table but that they strive to provide nutritious meals that are fresh, balanced, healthy and taste good. It was such a rewarding way for me to spend my time!
In the mornings they would put us to work chopping fruits and vegetables for the lunch meal. It was truly amazing how the chef would organize the different volunteers every day, putting them to work (many of whom likely not having much cooking experience). And somehow the food always turned out great and no fingers were chopped off! One day we actually made fresh pizzas--enough for at least 175 people. The soup kitchen receives donations from area markets and farmers, plus they have a plot of land on a farm where they grow their own produce. We covered the pizzas with all of the vegetables, cheese and meat we could find, plus we also served sauteed pesto vegetables. Yummy!

Last week as I was thinking of what to make for dinner with friends, I decided to use my own pizza dough recipe and make calzones. A co-worker had given me zucchini from her garden and my little garden was ready to harvest tomatoes, green peppers, and some fresh herbs; so I thought pesto vegetable calzones would be perfect. You can fill yours with whatever you have on hand--ham, pineapple, peppers, mushrooms, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, olives--pull out what you can find in your freezer or refrigerator!

Elijah's Veggie Calzones
Serves 4

1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
1 tsp salt
3 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 T honey
Pesto vegetables (see below.
2-3 cups fresh spinach leaves
16oz mozzarella, fresh cut into slices or shredded
4 oz Parmesan cheese
1 handful of fresh basil- chopped
1 handful of fresh oregano- chopped
8oz can of tomato sauce

Measure water into bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir thoroughly. Add 1 c white flour to liquid. Beat 3 minutes with mixer. Add salt and honey. Mix by hand or with dough hook on mixer. Add remaining flours, 1 c at a time; knead for 5 minutes. Roll into ball and let rest of 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450. Grease and dust baking sheet with cornmeal (or use airbake pan). Separate dough into four equal balls.
Roll out the dough and brush with a little olive oil. Leaving about a 1 inch perimeter, spread several tablespoons of tomato sauce over the inner portion of the dough. In the bottom half of the dough, spoon about 1/2 cup of the pesto vegetables, handful of spinach leaves, handful of mozzarella cheese, some of the fresh herbs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Fold the upper half of the dough over the vegetable mixture. Pinch the dough to form a lip and then twist the dough together to close the calzone. Brush with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is browned.

Pesto Vegetables-Give all of the vegetables a rough chop
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
2 small green bell peppers
1 large tomato or 2 small-medium tomatoes
1 small yellow onion
3-5 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet, heat on medium-high and add garlic and all of the vegetables. Saute for about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the pesto sauce and evenly disperse through out the vegetables. Saute for 2-3 more minutes and remove from heat.