A Meal Born From Compromises

I do most of the grocery shopping around here and I've noticed lately we've gotten into a dinner time rut and there's nobody to blame but me! In an effort to eat as local as possible I shop at the farmers market every week, sometime twice. I realized this morning that I have my "routine" there and I haven't ventured from it much recently. Today I  challenged myself to get something I have never bought before, which I thought might be a trial since I am a huge veggie lover. When put to the test, I found there were whole booths I mindlessly pass up on a regular basis. Today I found beautiful oyster mushrooms from Old Milburnie Farm and even though I'm not a fan of mushies, my husband loves them so I bought a few ounces. Later on when I went to Whole Foods to find a friend for the mushies I by chance started talking to one of the guys at the fish case (I never buy fish) he suggested that a pecan crusted tilapia would work fabulously with the mushrooms. I love fish but the hubby isn't a huge fan but I thought since I bought those lovely mushies it might be ok. The results exceeded my expectations, I now can no longer say I don't like mushrooms and fish might make more of an appearance at our house!

Here's my Recipe for Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Asian Inspired Stir Fry

For the Fish

I kind of cheated here because I'm not familiar with cooking fish so I bought the pecan crusted tilapia from the fish case at whole foods. If you wanted to DIY it would be pretty easy I'm going to do that next time. I cooked it on a metal rack, the rack allows air flow so both sides are crispy instead of one crispy and one soggy side. Place the metal rack on top of a cookie sheet and bake @ 375 for about 10 minutes on each side.

I sliced up the oyster mushrooms, sauteed them on medium heat with butter  and set aside

While the fish is in the oven I cut up the Veg. I used the following veggies, but anything could be added or left out.

Red Peppers, sliced into strips
Bock Choy (I chopped the bottoms and tossed those in first and reserved the greens for later since they cook so fast)
Carrots cut in matchsticks
Thin green beans

Pea shoot sprouts (for garnish) 
 
On medium to high heat warm up some oil just enough to cover the bottom of the pan (I used coconut oil) brown 2-3 cloves of garlic and fresh ginger then toss in all veggies (except greens and mushrooms) and cook until soft but not mushy. Then toss in the greens, mushrooms add a swirl of rice vinegar, sesame oil and a smidge of Bragg's liquid aminos or light soy sauce.  And there you have it a quick easy meal fit for royalty!

Chewy Granola Bars (gluten free!)

A few weeks ago we had a tie dye party at our house and all the moms were kind enough  to bring a snack to share. Between you and me there's always that one mom (or dad) who brings the "WIN" and this time it was my friend, Tara with this scrumptious recipe from the Paleo Mom blog. I have made these about a dozen time in the last two months and as I sit here and savor the smell of the most recent batch cooling on the oven I decided these little bars of heaven must be sang about!The paleo diet basically is the absent of grains so instead of being filled with carbs these nut, coconut and chocolate delights boast loads of protein and fiber, making them a great on the go snack. The ingredient list is kind of long but most (if not all) depending on the store you go to can be found in the bulk section. Also it's stressed on the website but I highly recommend reading all the directions first then following them to a T. These little pups are a science but Oh Oh Oh SOOOO WORTH it!

Raspberry Strawberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

Well it's finally summer time here in lovely North Carolina and by summer time I mean well into the 90's everyday. Besides going to the pool on the daily I like to have my freezer well stocked with frozen treats of goodness. This Popsicle recipe is really as easy as putting all three ingredients in the blender and filling up Popsicle molds. I used about a cup of each strawberries and raspberries (frozen) and a can of light coconut milk, Z loves them!  What's your favorite Popsicle recipe?!

Late spring stir fry with "cheesy" rice

I have been overly delighted by the recent selection at the farmers market. We had a colder than average spring here in NC and I have been craving anything besides leafy greens. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love salad but after six months I need some variety! I kind of went insane this week by the sight of broccoli, squash, zucchini, snap peas, onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. So tonight when I brain stormed for dinner I knew I had to work in something that incorporated most of my bounty, not to mention all the fresh herbs going off in my garden right now. Here's what I came up with......
First off l started the rice 1 cup is usually sufficient for the three of us and I like to make a little extra for J's lunch the next day.
1 C organic brown rice
2 C organic low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons of brewers yeast (reserve for later)

1lb boneless organic chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion chopped
1 shallot diced small
A few cloves of garlic and all the veggies mentioned above ( or whatever you have on hand!) Chopped to bite sized pieces.
As far as herbs I used a handful of combined rosemary, oregano and basil.

While the rice is cooking chop warm up a large skillet and add enough fat of your choice ( I used coconut oil) it won't taste like coconut I swear! Lovingly throw in the chicken and chop the veg. I like to chop the veg that take longer to cook first then add as I go. Once all the veggies are in stir fry for 15-20 minutes adding the garlic and herbs close to the end. Once everything is cooked add a splash  of balsamic vinegar. Yumalicious!
As for the rice once it's cooked to perfection toss in the brewers yeast for a healthy cheesy tasting twist.
Happy Spring!

I

Sunday Dinner: Gluten Free Veggie Filled Lasagna Roll-ups

I know,  I know it's Monday but I was so busy cooking yesterday writing everything down seemed, well, daunting :) I like to cook a big meal on Sunday since my husband is home and I have a little extra time in the kitchen. My favorite part about this..... leftovers to send for lunch or to have for dinner another night! Win :) I've been on a long journey the past few years from processed foods to the more natural variety, switching to whole wheat everything was a feat, I mean one of my favorite dishes was a double serving of angle hair pasta with salt and butter! But now that I'm on the  whole wheat train, it's not so bad in fact I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to health food. The one simple reason, it makes me feel good, like running on a more efficient gasoline. That being said recently I have had a bit of a tummy ache when I eat too much pasta so I picked up these bad boys at whole foods yesterday, they'll set you back about 5 bucks but it works just as well as wheat pasta I think and it makes a whole casserole dish. I did learn 3 important things about this pasta though:

1. It does not puff up at all, what you see is what you get on the plus side though you can boil them all at once.
2. Since we're going to be molding & baking these only cook them for 8 minutes, set a timer! If they get mushy it's game over.
3. Rinse with cold water after draining and let them sit for a moment. Not rinsing will leave you with a starchy residue, nobody wants that!

 For the pasta filling:
2 small green bell peppers
1 stalk celery
1/4 sweet onion
6 carrot
garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes to taste
Pulse everything (I did it one vegetable at a time) until you have small, almost minced chunks
saute on medium heat with a little olive oil until mostly soft (remember it will cook more later)

Spread a small layer onto each lasagna noodle and sprinkle with an Italian cheese if you want to use cheese. I used an asiago/parmesan blend.

                                                                         
                                                                             roll it up!

 Place in a 9x13 baking dish over a layer of marinara sauce. For my sauce I browned 90/10 local organic ground beef, drained the fat and poured a jar of organic pasta sauce over it and let it simmer while I made the veg. mix. You could easily leave out the meat and make this Veg. Head friendly :)

 Cover with sauce and a sprinkle of cheese if using and bake @ 375 for about 30 minutes covered, remove cover and bake for about 10 more minutes.  I would highly advise letting cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving (especially if you have kids!) the insides can be a bit molten. This dish is a commitment but it's totally worth it, and with a little self restraint you can have it later in the week for another meal :)

Super Food Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love eating clean whole foods, that being said, I also enjoy a treat every now and again. Recently I walked through the cookie aisle at whole foods and realized there was one vital thing missing....a damn good chocolate chip cookie without refined sugar. I thought to myself "how is this even possible?!" even if you use chocolate chips with a high cocoa content, there's still that pesky bit of sugar. Don't get me wrong, sugar is delicious but I don't like the way I feel when I eat it, sometimes even in small doses. Then it occurred to me, I would just go straight to the source, cocoa nibs! Then I figured I might as well continue with the super food trend and came up with these little diddies, if you're not committed fully to the idea of a "healthy cookie" I hear ya, try using the "I'm on the fence" suggestions :) For everyone else, I truly hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

• 1C sprouted organic whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• 1 cup extra virgin organic coconut oil
• 3/4 cup organic grade B maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large organic egg
• 1 C raw organic cocoa nibs 

On the fence?
Try using whole wheat white flour or half white flour and half whole wheat. Coconut oil is delicious (and good for you!) and doesn't taste like coconuts once it's baked but a stick of butter would work as well or you can use a mix of these as well. 

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Lovingly mix coconut oil, maple syrup & vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Whisk the egg and work it into the oil/syrup blend.

Gradually fold in flour mixture. Stir in raw cocoa nib (I like to sing during this part :) Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 9-11 minutes and cool on a cooling rack (if you can wait that long!) 

Strawberry Hemp Muffins

It's the new year and loads of people are making promises to eat healthy and  exercise. I already do that, well more eating than exercising, but definitely the healthy part. Smoothies are a favorite around here with the guys but I'm a grab a muffin and go kind of gal so every once in a while I concoct a muffin to fit whatever flavor I may be craving. One summer I volunteered at a holistic learning center in up state New York and one of the major perks was access to yummy food. Strawberry hemp crack, a granola re-named by the staff for it's ability to get one hooked immediately for life became a favorite. I happened to find said granola at Whole Foods in the bulk bin one day and gasped (out loud) at the sugar content. Needless to say I suddenly realized it really was crack and sadly didn't buy any. I still longed for that glorious flavor and although it's not exact these are pretty darn close. These bad boys are loaded with protein so they're great for a pre gym work out and my favorite part, they can be frozen and they thaw easy, no need to feel like I have to eat 15 muffins in 3 days. Yay!

In a medium bowl sift together and set aside

2 C sprouted whole wheat flour
1/4 C oat bran
1 tbs baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl cream together (all ingredients should be at room temp. for best results)

2 eggs 
1 C non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4-1/2 C maple syrup
6 tbs coconut oil (I used a mix of coconut oil and coconut butter, yes coconut butter, I know it does exist! Dreams come true!)
1/4 C shelled raw hemp seeds
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients slowly until well blended. You should have a pretty thick batter at this point.

Throw a cup of fresh strawberries in a blender (more if you like a sweeter muffin) with a splash of liquid (I used hemp milk) and blend until little chunks remain, but not until it's a complete liquid. Now toss them into the batter with a large handful of oats and mix until well blended. Fill a greased  muffin pan 3/4 the way full and bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the center clears the toothpick test. Basically the tooth pick is clean after being stuck in the muffin. Let these little studs cool off , an important step, I nearly burnt my tongue with anticipation. I hope you enjoy!