Banana Pancakes

Lately, I've been trying to reduce my calorie intake while still staying satiated.  A lot of overnight oats, low-carb high-protein muffins, and eggs.  I prefer the eating style of many small meals/snacks throughout the day (What? I like variety!) rather than 3 big meals--it helps me keep things in check and satisfy my desire for many tastes.  But this leads to not being able to partake in some of my favorite breakfast indulgences (I would kill for a full English brekkie one of these days).

Sometimes, though, you just want something.

It's been months since I've had pancakes.  I just..haven't let myself make them, which I guess is a good thing, because for a while there I was just baking up a storm constantly.  Pancakes would have just added to the torrential carb downpour :P.

Those of you in the paleo/gluten free/low carb world know the pain of flat, sad pancakes that barely hold together on the pan, let alone once they're on the plate and covered in your choice of syrup, fruit, nut butter, or what-have-you.  Not only am I tired of eating those kinds of pancakes, but I'm tired of serving them to my disappointed friends and family.  I feel like it's an insult to the glory that is delicious stacks of pan-baked comforting goodness that pancakes should be.

I delved into my new-found baking knowledge and decided to pull out the ingredients I have found most helpful in the last year, and I did it.  I made the fluffy paleo pancake that doesn't involve a million eggs, cheese, or coconut flour.  (Don't get me wrong, I love coconut flour...for some things.  But its texture and flavor often overtakes and puts me off.)

Are they low carb?  ...kind of?

Each serving of 3-ish pancakes has 21g net carbs.  I mean, we all know that's mostly the banana.  But it's worth it to me.  'Cause bananas are delicious.

Also, as with all things MyFitnessPal, I take some of these "facts" with a grain of salt.  It did, in the beginning, tell me that 2 bananas had over 2000 calories.

The recipe is as follows:

Dry:

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or your starch of choice--you could also use tapioca to keep it paleo)

2 T ground flax meal

1 t psyllium husk powder

1 scoop unflavored whey protein (could also use vanilla)

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

Pinch of salt and cinnamon

Wet:

2 medium overripe bananas

2 egg whites

2 eggs

Optional: sweetener to your taste

Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add bananas and pulse until mixed in, then add eggs.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, to allow the psyllium powder and flax to "gel".

Ladle onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until bubbles are popping in the center of the pancakes.  Flip and cook for one minute more.

Makes about 8 "normal" sized pancakes.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings!  Maybe a little bacon on the side, too...

O hai.

Well.

Ahem.

Is there an echo in here?


What a year it's been.


To get you all updated quickly, I've been working a full-time job, struggling a lot with emotions and injury, and trying to constantly "get back on top of things" for, yes, about a year now.

I spent nearly a year with some form of foot injury, which is very hard to manage when you work on your feet most of the day.  I'm 95% sure it was plantar fasciitis, which is probably the most annoying form of injury I have ever had.  I could not run, for a good few months I could not walk right, and I now have to retrain my feet while running so that I don't destroy my form by coddling my now-healed foot.  I'm back to it, though, and that's what matters!

The universe decided to grant us some happiness in February; Charles has finally immigrated (!!!), and we're on the search for a house in the area so we can get out of my parents' basement.  It's a large basement, but...yeah, you know, it's still your parents' basement.

All in all, things are going very well right now.

And summer is on its way!  Very soon,^{oh god where is my life going????}




I have decided to resurrect my blog as I have been tinkering with baking recipes for ages and recording my recipes on small scraps of food-stained paper that are, well, easily lost.  And I don't want to lose them when they are successes.

So, hopefully I have some readership eventually, but otherwise, this is just my personal digital recipe box.


See you all soon!  Hello again!

Saffron, Poppyseed, Lemon, and Orange Birthday Cake (and depressing blog post)

I need an outlet right now.  Keeping a blog has been, obviously, impossible for me since working.  I got a sort-of-promotion with a lot more responsibility and just haven't had the time/thought process in order to document and write about my food adventures.  I do still cook, though!  Just not as much as I used to.

In other news, something I just need to put out there:

I turn 27 in two days.

This is probably the most depressed I have ever been before a birthday.

It's not the number of my age.  Not at all.  I couldn't really care less how many years have passed in my life (well, maybe a little, but I'm not one of *those women* who feel the need to lie about their age or whatever).

It's the fact that for the first time...I don't want to make plans.  I just don't feel like it.

I hate it.

I never wanted to be one of those adults who gives up on their birthday.  I am someone who, when there is a reason to celebrate, I want to celebrate!

That's not happening this year.

Immigration is a miserable process when you're apart from your spouse.  For the last 6 months, I have regretted nearly every day moving back here before starting my husband's immigration work.  I miss him and our home and our family up there so much that some days I cannot stand it.  And it's my own fault for wanting to leave so badly.  We thought it would be faster if we were separated (that's how it is in Canada!), but it just drags on, and snags pop up everywhere.  We have reached the point where asshole border patrol agents are flagging my husband's passport because he "visits too much" and "shows a pattern" (No shit.  We're married.  We want to see each other.), so now his trips to visit are even more limited...and I work retail, so getting time off to go to Montreal is not very easy.

Old demons are popping up.  I don't want to get out of bed.  I don't want to *do* anything.  I go to work and get through the day, and get through my responsibilities, but all I think about is two things: food and sleep.  Sometimes I just sit down and start crying for no reason (well, there's a reason, it's just not always apparent).  Sometimes I get unreasonably annoyed and angry.  I have isolated myself from, essentially, everyone.  I don't want to be around other people very much.  I don't want to go out with friends.  When I do make plans, I will find a way out of them simply because the thought of putting in effort to be pleasant in that moment is just...bleh.

Depression is nothing new for me--I have struggled with it for most of my post-pubescent life.  It has just been quite a while since it's reared its ugly head, and I know how miserable I am to be around/with when I feel this way.  I am incredibly insecure, grumpy, cynical, easily set off, mostly very quiet and withdrawn, and I don't enjoy much of anything.  I have to cut off myself from drinking because otherwise I end up in very dark places and just cry all night--and I have zero self control when I am down.  One beer becomes four becomes a bottle of wine and some vodka very quickly.

So, I'm doing my best right now.  This is a time where I probably really NEED a birthday party, but I simply do not have the energy to put one together.  I fear that I would get everyone together and simply start crying because the person I REALLY want to be present, my husband, can't be here (ah, tears, there you are again).  So no party this year.

This morning I woke up, had my breakfast, and have forced myself to make my birthday cake.  This is something I have enjoyed doing for years--a challenge!  Something different!  Something new!  Devising my own cakes and recipes.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't (omg, last year's cake was disaster city).
I ALMOST made opera cake, but decided I didn't want to cry once more over three buttercream creations that somehow never work out (buttercream is my culinary arch-enemy).

I also wanted to make something semi-healthy, and by healthy, I mean not totally health-conscious-diet-destructive.  I have gained considerable (for me) weight over the last 6 months (since the depression popped up) and I'm trying to lose it steadily.  I know, I know, I look fine, but I'm just not happy with how my clothes fit or how I feel lately.  I appreciate your compliments, but I dislike being unable to wear half of my wardrobe.

So I settled on devising a lower carb, kind-of-paleo cake recipe by merging a few (here and here and here) I had previously made.  But it's also my birthday, so some "bad stuff" is okay.

Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells.

Cake:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or substitute (coconut oil, whatev)
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1 t. baking soda
Pinch sea salt
7 eggs, separated
Pinch of cream of tartar
2 small navel oranges (or one large)
1 large lemon
Pinch of saffron in 1 T. boiling water

In a medium saucepan, cover lemon and oranges in water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and cook for 2 hours, until a fork goes right through the rind.  Drain, and once cool enough to handle, cut in half along the "equator" and remove seeds.  Puree separately in a food processor.

Preheat the oven to 350degreesF.  Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar(s) together in a large bowl until well incorporated.  Add in the egg yolks and mix.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to egg/butter mixture, mixing on medium-high until fully blended.  Add in the saffron/water mixture as well, and the poppy seeds.  Your batter will be quite thick--think cookie dough.  Divide evenly between two medium-sized bowls.

Whip the egg whites on high speed, with cream of tartar, until stiff peaks form.

In one bowl, add the pureed oranges and mix.  In the other, add the lemon.

Fold equal amounts of egg whites into each mixture, and pour each into its prepared pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temp.
3/4 cup soft goat cheese (chevre), room temp.
3/4 cup cream cheese, room temp.
2 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped out

Whip together butter and cheeses until fluffy.  Add in sugar a little at a time (I don't really know how much I added--I don't like super-sweet icing, and added until it tasted right and had a nice consistency for me).  Lastly, add in the vanilla bean and whip until desired consistency is reached.

I'm sure you could use partial sugar substitute in this recipe, but I...just didn't feel like messing up frosting.

When it's assembled, I'll add pictures.  Cakes are still cooling!

Chock-Full-o-Veggies Chili

I hope everyone had a glorious holiday season as I did this year!  Food, family, friends (though I could have used more friend-time), gifts, singing, and all that good stuff--and it's not quite over yet!  I had my share of cookies, cake, pie, rich foods, peppermint mochas, and chocolate--so much chocolate!  Tell me of your holidays, I wish to hear!

Sometimes, you just need a ton of veggies after the holidays.  Like me, you're craving them after the ridiculously rich food and decadent sweets of Christmastime (I'm not kidding, I out-sweeted my sweet tooth this year).  That's where chili comes in--still hearty, filling, and delicious, but incredibly healthy and filled with good stuff!  And you can use up some of that leftover turkey!

UPDATE:  Just a note.  This recipe got rave (RAVE) reviews from my husband, who said that from now on, this is the only chili I will be making.  Just a bonus that it's so dang healthy!

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 bell peppers (of varying colors), seeded and diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 small butternut squash (or any variety, really), peeled, seeded, and diced
3 15 oz. cans of beans, varieties of your choice, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini and kidney)
2 cups leftover turkey, diced or shredded
1 pound ground chicken or turkey, or more leftover turkey
1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken/turkey broth
2-3 T. chili seasoning (we used Penzey's CHILI 9000)
For extra spice: ancho or chipotle chili powder
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a LARGE stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, and peppers and sautee until tender and onion is translucent.  Add in the raw ground meat, if you're using it, breaking it apart with the spoon.  Cook until browned a bit.  Add in the zucchini and butternut squash, and cook until a little tender (about 5 minutes--it doesn't quite need to be cooked through).  Toss in your seasonings at this point, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and leftover turkey--bring to a simmer, turn heat to low or medium low, and allow to cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cook until it reaches the consistency you like (we like our chili thick), and correct any seasonings.

Serve hot and top with your favorite chili toppings!

This could easily be thrown into a slow-cooker (though I recommend browning the onions and meat first for flavor) and cooked on low for 8 hours.

Butternut Squash Spinach Lasagna

Allow me to say that I threw this together on a whim.  And my (early) New Year's resolution is to get this blog back up and running again.

So while I sip mulled wine and watch ABC Family's Harry Potter marathon (that will happen every weekend during the winter season, if I recall), I'll type up a recipe I kind of made up on a whim, with minor (read: very little) help from other recipes.

Ingredients:

One very large butternut squash, or two small ones, peeled and seeded, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
6 cups baby spinach, washed
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/3-1/2 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (I used goat's milk, it was divine), warmed
2 cups shredded sharp cheese (I used Carr Valley Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar)
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2 T. ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste
1 box gluten-free lasagna noodles (I used them raw, but if you're not going to let it sit overnight, precook them.)

Olive oil, as needed

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Toss your butternut squash slices in olive oil and roast for 30 minutes, until lightly browned and tender.  Remove and cool.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and allow to heat until foaming.  Add in the flour and whisk until blended.  Allow to cook until foaming, 2-5 minutes (depending on your stove).  Pour in the milk in a steady stream, whisking the entire time.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat, whisking often, until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and add in the cheddar cheese and nutmeg.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Oil a lasagna pan (I used an 8x8 ceramic one) and place 4 lasagna noodles along the bottom.  Top with 1/3 of the butternut squash.  Season with 1/3 of the sage, salt, and pepper. Top with 1/3 of the mornay sauce.  Spread half of the spinach over this, then top with 1/3 of the gruyere cheese.  Repeat layers.  Top with another set of lasagna noodles, remaining squash, mornay, gruyere, and spices.  For extra oomph, line the top with fresh sage leaves.  Cover.

At this point, I let mine sit in the fridge overnight, allowed the noodles to soak up some liquid and thus not needing to precook them.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake the lasagna, covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 30 more minutes, until browning on top and bubbling along the sides.  Raise temperature to 400 if it's not browning enough for you.

Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes and serve!  Next time, I think I'll add in either some cremini or shiitake mushrooms for a bit of "meatiness", but it was delicious as is!

On Weight and Work-Outs

So we're gonna do a "real" blog post for once.

I get a lot of comments these days.  Whether it's from people I know, people I don't, people I am vaguely acquainted with--they all make little comments every now and again about my weight/size/"skinniness".

If you had told me 10, heck, 5 years ago that I would be called "skinny" by a large amount of people, I would have laughed in your face (I also would have laughed in your face if you told me I'd be running 4+ miles 5 days a week, but that ties in).

I don't mind the comments, really, until they come with an undertone of "Ugh, you're on of those people."  Which is, to say, one of the people who eats whatever they want, does nothing for exercise, and simply IS skinny.

Which is 100% false and not true and I won't lie to you;  I got where I am through a lot of trial and error, hard work, and dedication.

Or, there are the (very rude) people who mime vomiting actions at me, suggesting that I have an eating disorder.  Well, I used to, so there's that.  It took a lot of self-help and willpower to get past THAT stage of my life, so kindly go @#$% yourself if you think it's funny to tell me that I MUST be throwing up/vastly restricting my food to look "healthy".  Not to mention how horrible it is to joke about that.

I cannot sit around eating bon-bons all day, stop exercising, and stay where I am weight-wise.  I never could.  And it would be very wrong of me to not admit that I have had my fair share of massive body-image issues because of this--that got me to where I am, and where I WON'T go.

I decided years ago that I would rather look the way I want and feel the way that feels best than, say, have that piece of cake or fried food.  As I said, much trial and error has gone into this.  I can, essentially, eat mostly what I want when I'm exercising on the regular.  But "what I want" tends to consist of mostly healthy foods (mostly fruit and vegetables, actually) with a modest dessert thrown in a few days a week.  I'm a self-described "flexetarian" (meaning I'll eat vegetarian most of the time, but I have nothing against eating meat), eat low-carb compared to most Americans (I guess slow-carb is a better term--I avoid the major starches/grains), and I generally watch my calories.  Generally.  Calorie counting gets dangerous, kids, so don't get obsessed.  If I gain a few pounds?  I cut back on sweets.  I actively watch how my clothes fit.  It's pretty easy.

I work out 4-5 days a week.  I listen to my body.  If it hurts in that not-related-to-a-good-workout way, I take a break.  If I'm exhausted all the time for no reason, I take a break.  In fact, every few months, I take a week off of everything and "recharge".  Working out is my me-time, it gives me a chunk of time to simply think by myself, and I feel great afterward.  I don't torment myself.  I rarely ever really PUSH myself hard.  I just go run.  I used to HATE it, but now I really enjoy doing it, as hard it is to believe that.

So, really...I started this blog post a while ago, intending to post, and worried that it would come off as vain or braggy or...I don't know, unnecessary.  But I get tired of people thinking that I simply get away with my health.  I don't.  I work hard.  I come from a long line of diabeetus (yes, I spelled it that way on purpose), heart disease/problems, obesity, etc.  I do not want my life to involve any of those things, so I do my best to counteract it.  I also enjoy being proud of how I look in a swimsuit and my clothes.  I don't cry anymore when I go shopping, which happened all the time as a teen.  I am happy with myself.  I simply want to up-keep this happiness!  When you get to where you want to be, you have to maintain, you can't simply quit!

So when I turn down that cookie, that cake, that extra helping, it's not because I don't like your food (or because it has gluten in it, 'cause I can't eat it!), but because, thank you, I am full, I've had enough carbs today, or I just don't feel like eating it.  And that should be fine.  Don't shame me for watching my weight/health.  In my humble opinion, more people would be better off doing it.

End scene.

"Detox" Salad

So sometimes I get a little overindulge-y on the sweets and carbs and good things in life (funnily enough, in the summer, there's WAY more dessert present in my house than any other time of year--thank you, fresh fruit!), and I just feel like eating a giant pile of vegetables for a meal.

I don't buy into the whole "detox" movement (or "cleanses" or "raw" or any of that, really), but it just feels...GOOD sometimes to eat a full-on healthy salad of not much more than shredded veggies, dried/fresh fruit, nuts, and very little dressing.

Maybe that's just me and I'm weird like that, but whatev!  I do what I want!

Your best friend, in this situation, is a food processor with a shredder attachment.  If you don't have that, this'll take a lot longer (and more effort) to make.

Inspired by this recipe, with a few additions/changes for my own tastes.

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of broccoli, washed and stems cleaned up
3-4 small red beets
2 medium carrots
1/2 bunch of kale (curly or dinosaur, your choice), finely chopped
1/2 cup nuts, roughly chopped (I used cashew pieces and almonds)
1/2 cup unsweetened raisins
1/4 cup kelp powder
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T.-1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Optional: handful of fresh berries on top :)

Instructions:

Using a food processor, finely shred broccoli (stems and all!), carrots, and beets.    Toss together in a large bowl.

Add in the kale, nuts, and raisins.

In a small bowl, mix together the kelp powder, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil.  Taste and season/add more honey.

Toss everything together!

Enjoy!

Greek-Inspired Feast

Well, hi, friends!  It's been too long!

I'm back for a surprise appearance!

So, at my parents' house, we have a garden.  It's been very warm and rainy here in MD, and therefore the garden has just exploded with growth!  That, coupled with working at an organic market and two Costco memberships in the house, means we sometimes have an over-abundance of produce that needs to be cooked.

I cannot emphasize enough, though, the growth in the garden.  Oregano, basil, thyme, mint, cilantro, parsley, dill, kale, chard, squash, peppers, tomatoes, green beans...it's ridiculous.  Oh, and there's a cucumber plant in there somewhere, but I'm afraid the squash is gonna choke it out.

I had to cut out at least half of our thyme and oregano that were taking over the garden.

Who needs coat hooks?  Those are for herb drying!

Some of the massive amounts of Swiss chard that are springing forth.

So, the following is what I'm preparing right now in order to get rid of some of what we have laying around!

Keftedes-Inspired Burgers
1 pound 20/80 ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
3 T. finely chopped mint
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 egg
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & pepper

Preheat your grill to medium-high or high heat.

Mix together ingredients in a small bowl.  Allow to sit for at least one hour in the fridge.

Form into four equal-sized patties and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side  (for a well-done burger).

Marinated Portabella Mushroom Caps
3 large portabella caps, washed and dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano

Toss ingredients into a ziploc bag and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.  Shake it around every now and then to redistribute.

Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes on each side, or until charred and tender.

Mediterranean Sauteed Greens and Beans

2 T. olive oil
1-2 bunches of Swiss chard, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 15-oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Toss in chopped chard stems and cherry tomatoes.  Allow to cook until the tomatoes are tender and squishy.

Toss in your chopped chard.  It will look like a lot, but trust me, it cooks down.

Once the greens have cooked down, add the white wine, beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic cloves.  Allow to simmer, cooking off the liquid.

Before serving, season with salt and pepper and allow to cook a bit more.  Taste and serve!

Greek-Style Zucchini
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds zucchini/summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch think pieces (if large, quarter them, if medium, half them)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, sliced
Zest of 1/2 a lemon, juice of a whole lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in your sliced onion and cook until tender.

Add in the garlic and zucchini.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, until the zucchini begins to soften.

Now add in 2/3 of your oregano and the lemon zest and juice.  Stir to combine.

If you are impatient like me for the zucchini to cook through, you can place a lid over the top so the squash cooks faster.  Make sure it's not too liquidy by leaving a gap.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve, sprinkling with the remaining oregano.

Serve everything with a healthy sprinkling of feta cheese!

Who ever said low carb and gluten free had to be boring?

Links!

Good day, everyone!

No need to remind me that it's been almost a month since my last post.  I know.

Work has me very busy (I'm full-time with a schedule ALL over the place) and I honestly haven't much time to cook, let alone blog it.

I promise I'll get better at managing my time.

Here's a link post for you all, though.

Things I'm loving lately:

BREAKFAST:

I make a mish-mash of these two recipes: http://mouthwateringfoods.blogspot.com/2013/03/chocolate-steel-cut-oats.html and http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/04/chocolate-banana-baked-oatmeal-359.html.  I'm obsessed with overnight oats.  So simple (throw everything in your slow-cooker and leave it!) and delicious, with so many options!  It makes morning meals really quick and tasty.  The browned bits on the edges are sometimes the best thing ever.

Protein pancakes are awesome!  Some recipes are paleo, some are low-carb, but all are delicious!

DINNERS:

Brisket!  Brisket is so easy to find here!  We made this BBQ brisket recipe with my parents one night.  *drools* So good.  We used a local place's barbecue sauces and it was divine.

This vegan kabocha-lentil curry is fantastic and flavorful, though I recommend doubling the spices (and definitely add the tomatoes.

I would have these sweet potato burgers daily if I could!  I used coconut flour instead of quinoa and added flax and another egg.  They weren't as solid as the photos seem but oh my gosh were they tasty!

DESSERT:

The last two weeks have been filled with one dessert requested twice by my husband:  Lemon meringue pie. We've used Alton Brown's recipe and it's soooo good!  For gluten-free people, I suggest this pie crust recipe.  It's still not 100% foolprood, but it tastes great.

Vegetarian Moussaka

Moussaka is essentially the Greek lasagna--there are thousands of recipes for it, and everyone says theirs is the right one.  I learned recently that the "traditional" topping may not be a bechamel sauce, but a yogurt mixture, which sounded great to me!  So I decided to try it out!  I actually prefer the flavor to the bechamel, and it feels a bit more, I don't know, nutritious.

I love moussaka, and my mom requested it this week, but I wasn't feeling a heavy meat-filled meal.  So, we did a vegetarian version with lentils, which came out delightfully!  Even better the next day!

Ingredients:

500 grams eggplant, thinly sliced (about one LARGE eggplant, or two small ones/2 lb.)
250 grams zucchini, thinly sliced (about two medium/1 lb. zucchini)
250 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 medium/1 lb. potatoes)
2-3 T. olive oil

Filling:
1 cup cooked lentils
2 carrots, diced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. fennel seeds
14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

About 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in a large bowl with some salt.  Allow to sit and sweat out their water for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry on a few layers of paper towels.

Toss eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini in olive oil until lightly coated.  Preheat your broiler and place a rack on the highest slot.  Spread the vegetables over a few foil-lined cookie sheets, in single layers, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top and tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Now preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, lidded skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until cooked through and lightly browned.  Add in your spices and allow them to "bloom" (i.e. until you can REALLY smell them), about 2 minutes.  Toss in the lentils, vinegar, sauces, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and partially cover the pan.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick and pasty (30 min. to an hour).  Taste and correct seasonings to your liking.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch glass/ceramic baking pan.

Arrange 1/3 of your vegetables in the bottom of the pan in the order of:  eggplant, potatoes, zucchini.  Spread half of the lentil filling mixture over this, and top with half of the feta.  Repeat.  Then, for the last layer, reverse the vegetable order (zucchini, potatoes, eggplant) and you are done assembling!    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that's baking, in a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until smooth.  Once the first bake is finished, remove the moussaka from the oven and remove the foil.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the top of the dish and place back in the oven, uncovered.  Bake for 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling.

Enjoy alone, or with a lovely Greek salad!

Hi everyone!

So, yeah.  Got a job.

It's at an organic market!  Yay!  I'm around (great) food all day!

But this leaves me little time to update as of late, seeing as I'm, well, not really cooking that much right now.  I'll update when I can.  It just may be every now and then.  Continue to follow, though!  Please!  I beg of you!

St. Paddy's Day Feast!!

Annnnd we're back!

I am back in the States, awaiting my husband, bird, and all our stuff to join me!  Things are going swimmingly, and I'm on the search for a job.  I have an interview today, so...fingers crossed!

I don't have a camera at the moment, so I'll just be posting written recipes for now.  I'll update with pictures once I have the big fancy camera back!

It's that time of year again--St. Paddy's Day (yes, it's with D's, not T's)!  Being VERY Irish in my heritage, and always looking for an excuse to enjoy some alcoholic beverages, I love this holiday, even if it is kitschy and very Americanized.  I've been in Ireland on this day--it's no small thing over there, either.

This year's meal is very stereotypical, but I promise next year I'll try to find some varied recipes.  It was my first time making Colcannon, though, and I love it!  A nice spin on your usual mashed taters.

Irish stew, btw, is very open to interpretation.  Add or subtract anywhere you like, so long as it keeps meat, onion/leek, carrot, and potato.

Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
3-5 lbs. of boneless lamb meat (or lamb shanks, if you want bones) -- depending on how much stew you want, how many people, etc.
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice flour
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 14 oz. cans beef broth
2 bottles of beer of your choice (we had to use New Grist, but you should use a stout--best results!)
3-4 T. tomato paste
1.5 T. Worcestershire sauce
Bouquet Garni -- 4 sprigs rosemary, 6 sprigs thyme, 3 bay leaves
6 carrots, sliced
1 lb. new/fingerling potatoes, quartered
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 T. sugar/honey/whatever
1/3 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add in the meat and brown on all sides in batches.  Set aside and reserve.

Toss in the leeks and garlic and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until tender.  Add the lamb meat back in, along with any juices, and dust with the flour.  Toss to coat.

Add the beef broth, beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and the bouquet garni.  Make sure to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom!  Stir together, bring to a simmer, and turn heat to low.  Cook for 1 hour.

Add in the carrots, potatoes, salt & pepper, and sugar.  Cook for another hour (or all afternoon!) over very low heat, but still simmering.  Allow the liquid to cook down until it resembles a gravy.  (I let mine go all day).  Taste for seasoning about 30 minutes before serving, and remove the bouquet garni.

Serve alone, over potatoes, or with a nice slice of soda bread!

NOTE:  You could EASILY, after cooking up the leeks/garlic and browning the meat, toss all of this in a slow-cooker and just let it go on low for 8-10 hours.

Colcannon

Ingredients:

1 pound 8 oz. starchy potatoes (I used Yukon Golds), quartered (peel if you want; I leave the peel)
1/2 stick/4 T. unsalted butter
6 oz. curly kale (about a whole bunch, once destemmed)
1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
More chopped scallions for garnish

Instructions:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add in the potatoes and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain and reserve.

In the same pot, boil more salted water.  Add the kale and cook for 2-3 minutes, until bright green and tender.  Drain and place in a food processor with the scallions, and pulse a few times, until nicely diced.

Mash the potatoes with a masher, adding in the butter.  Once at a consistency you like, add in the processed kale/scallions, stirring until well-combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!



I'll post my GF soda bread recipe tomorrow!

Recent Recipes

Seeing as I have packed the camera away, I unfortunately haven't been taking any photos of my foodstuffs lately.  But, I shall list for you the recipes I have made (plus any changes I made) in this post!

Also, in case you didn't know, I discovered a new source of cross-contamination this week:  plastic storage containers!  Apparently they can absorb gluten!  *themoreyouknow*

I felt like I was going insane all week, getting glutened daily but not using/eating anything with gluten-containing ingredients.  And it wasn't BAD reactions, just mild discomfort and bloat (and over the week, I began getting depressed and anxious).  I was starting to think they were psychosomatic.  Nope.  Not crazy.  It's my (admittedly very old) Gladware.  *sigh* Oh well, at least we're moving and I have an excuse to get more?

***********************************************************************

So, on with the

RECIPE LINKS

This is my favorite thing of the week.  Andalusian Gypsy Stew.  Also known as "Olla Gitana", but this recipe, instead of being vegetarian (like all the other recipes I looked up), this one is a bit heartier with the addition of sausage and pork.  The only changes I made were to omit the bread crumbs (for obvious reasons) and the pork bones (simply because I didn't have them).  It.  Is.  Incredible.  Very hearty, very healthy, very flavorful.  Go.  Make it now.  I'll wait.  **Low Carb, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan Option**

Last night, I prepared this for myself: Spinach with Chickpeas and Fried Eggs.  NOW.  The recipe made me think of something else I wanted to try for a while, called shakshouka.  Or menemen.   See a theme?  So what did I do?  I mixed them together!  I started with the onion, and a thinly sliced red and green bell pepper.  Cooked that until tender, and then I tossed in the chickpeas, tomatoes (I used a whole 28-oz/798 mL can), and garlic.  I allowed this to simmer for about 30 minutes (I wanted the bell peppers/onion broken down) and then I added in the broth and spices (I doubled the spice amounts).  I let that cook on almost-high-heat for almost an hour, until the broth had mostly boiled off (and left the delicious taste behind).  About 30 minutes before serving, I tossed in all on the spinach (in batches, because that's a lot of spinach), stirred it in, and fried up my egg in the meantime (not in a ton of oil, just a spritz).  Add a dash of lemon juice or a vinegar of your choice at the end to give it a bit of acid flavor.  Really healthy and filling, great for lunch, dinner, or breakfast.  (The original recipe says this is 4 servings, but to me it looks more like 6?  I don't know how you could eat 1/4 of the recipe without bursting.)  **Slow Carb, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan Option without the eggs**

I also made these puppies!  Carrot Cake Protein Bars.  Instead of syrup, I used Splenda, and instead of coconut flour, I used almond meal.  This resulted in a batter-like consistency, rather than a dough, so I just poured it into a baking pan and cut it afterward.  Really delicious!  A great fake-out dessert (or breakfast...porque no los dos?) full of good stuff.  And it really does taste like carrot cake.  **Low Carb, Gluten-Free, High-Protein, Vegetarian, Vegan Option with Egg Replacers**

Lastly, my "real" dessert of the week was Gluten-Free Goddess' Pumpkin Pie Bread.  So good.  So so good.  I added chopped up dark chocolate Toblerone to it (no chocolate chips in the house).  To die for.  **...Yeah, this is just gluten-free, not healthy at all :P.

There you have it!  Enjoy, readers.  Go make these things.

**************************************************************************

And a VERY great piece of advice to fellow gluten-intolerant/Celiacs:  If you get glutened, swallowing a shot (a couple of tablespoons) of apple cider/white vinegar (dilute it if you want) will reduce your symptoms.  I didn't believe it until I tried it.  Within 10 minutes, my bloat had almost disappeared, the headfog had dissipated, and the nausea was gone.  Such a relief not feeling sick!  But you're gonna feel really strange for a few minutes, just be warned.

Pumpkin-Coconut Quinoa Breakfast

Looking for a tasty, flexible, and very healthy breakfast option? You have found it!

This is a really old recipe and I think I have the right measurements for ingredients--just take them with a grain of salt ;).

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and picked over
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the drinking kind)
1/2 cup Sultana raisins
3 T. brown sugar or maple syrup (adjust to your taste)
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Toppings, as you like.

Instructions:

Place the coconut milk and pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and add the quinoa.  Place the lid on top and turn heat to low, and allow to cook about 20 minutes (according to package time, of course), until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through.  You may need to add a bit more coconut milk or puree as it cooks.

Stir in the brown sugar/syrup, vanilla, and raisins once it's done.

Top with your favorite nuts, berries, flax seeds, or other fruits!  Very easy, very filling, and very good for you!

On Moving

Time flies by.  So fast.

Less than two weeks until our big move.  The logistics are still a cluster@#*%, we're now starting our journey with US Immigration, but nevertheless, we're still moving.  It's bittersweet (really, more on the sweet side for me, but I will miss our little home which we took a lot of time to make our own).

A week and a half ago, I had SO much time left to pack and organize and get all paperwork filed.  Here I am, likely a week and a half from the date of moving, and very little is packed (waiting on the moving company to tell us whether they want to pack it all or not) and a few repairs have been done to sell the house, but that's it.

Iago's paperwork is all (hopefully) filed (waiting two weeks for a confirmation call from CITES Canada, who never, ever seem to be in office).  Let me tell you, people.  Carrying a parrot that's from the threatened/endangered species list across country borders in a massive pain.  Worth it, but a pain.  He's going to remain behind until they all come through, which hopefully won't take more than another month.

At least the rest of the zoo is easy to deal with and ready to travel.

Trying to keep up exercise during this time.  It provides a nice break from overthinking and the stress--I just listen to Elliot in the Morning and zone out for 45 minutes.  And thank goodness the temperatures are starting to warm up!  It's far less miserable running at above freezing temperatures, and with, you know, less ice/snow all over the roads.

I have a bunch of recipes stock-piled, but forgive me if I'm not chronicling much right now!  I may just link directly to anything I have made, and write in my changes/add my photos at a later point.

Soon, I hope to venture into the world of gluten-free bread-baking (like...real bread, not banana bread). I have a few recipes ready to try, but you can understand if I'm not going to go out and buy a ton of different flours right now just to use a few tablespoons of each.  This'll all be far easier to delve into once we're settled, and I'll have my sister to help me out!  When she's not working on art, of course.

So, a little update on my life.  Recipe tomorrow, I promise.

Vegan Mondays: Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

So in the wake of going gluten-free, it seems that my lactose intolerance (which I've known about forever, but been able to mostly ignore) is also beginning to flair up.  Which is common once one goes gluten-free with Celiac/intolerance--your digestive system can now process things the right way again, so any intolerance you already had before gets worse!

It is with sad news that I announce that I must (mostly) break up with cheese.

Which leads us into today's recipe!

I *may* have posted this recipe before, but I am making it again and it may be a tad different.  So oh well!  Enjoy it again!

I have combined two recipes to make this.  From here and here.   They are not horribly different, except for their spice amounts.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced (or use canned, like I did...maybe a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes)
1 T. cumin seeds
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. red pepper flakes/powder
1/2 t. ground fenugreek
1/2 t. mustard powder (I didn't have this, so I used some mustard in the fridge)
1 large eggplant, or 2 medium, cubed
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper, and saute until cooked-through.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Toss in your spices and allow the scent to bloom.  Add the tomatoes, and allow this to cook for about 10 minutes.

Add in the eggplant and place a lid on top.  Turn the heat down and allow this all to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the flavors have blended.  Lastly, taste for salt and season to taste.

 (I was bad about taking pictures as I was in a huge hurry.)

Serve plain, over rice, or with naan.  Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf and Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprouts

Somehow I have never posted this recipe.

And yet, it's one of my favorites, and completely worth all the effort.  I've made it for guests and they say it's the best meatloaf they've ever had--and I have to agree!

Total credit to the original recipe!  The only thing I have ever changed is leaving out the panko--which kind of works, but you have a more crumbly loaf.  Or, instead of panko, I toast GF bread and then grind it up in the food processor.

You can go to her website to get the recipe since I change nothing.

Now, the Brussels sprouts, I will give you that one.  Roasted, caramelized Brussels sprouts are DELICIOUS.  Try them.  Really.  You must.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. Dijon mustard (I used large grain)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Toss everything together and place in a baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until caramelized and tender.

Braised Pork and Red Cabbage

This is a great, one-pot dish that takes very little effort to prepare and comes out tasting delicious!

Ingredients:

2-lb. pork tenderloin
7-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste

6 strips of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1-2 lb. head of red cabbage, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. sugar or Splenda
1 t. marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut 7-8 slits, about an inch apart, into the pork tenderloin.  Place the garlic cloves in these slits.  Salt and pepper the pork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat begins to render out and the bacon is browning.

Move aside the bacon and brown the tenderloin.  Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.

You can take this opportunity to chop up your other ingredients.

Add in the onion and cook until they begin to caramelize.

Once done, throw in the other ingredients and stir around.  Cook until the cabbage starts to wilt.  Place the pork on top of the cabbage mixture and put the lid on the Dutch oven.

I took the opportunity to deglaze the pan with the vinegar.

Put this in the preheated oven and bake for an hour, or until the cabbage is tender and the pork is cooked through.

You may have a bit too much liquid still in the pan.  If so, place it on a burner over high heat until it boils off.

Remember to taste your cabbage and adjust any flavors to your taste.

Slice up your pork and serve!

Chickpea, Tomato, and Chard Soup

I had a really bad night.  Today, all I wanted was easy, comforting food that combatted my tiredness and the falling snow outside.

This has a very similar flavor to minestrone--you could easily toss in some pasta, if you like.

Also, I've been trying to work on my food photos.  So there are a few "finished presentation" ones at the end :P.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, or 2 small ones, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, or 2 medium, chopped
2 cans of chickpeas (or any other preferred beans), rinsed and drained
2 28-oz. cans whole or diced tomatoes
1 t. oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable (if you want it to be vegan) broth
1 bunch Swiss chard or kale, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add in the onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and chard stems (if using).  Cook for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and tender.

Add in the chickpeas and tomatoes, bringing to a simmer.  Squash the tomatoes against the side of the pan as they cook, if using whole.  Add in spices/herbs.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add in the broth and bring to a simmer again.  Allow to cook for 10 more minutes.

Toss in the chard leaves, and cook until tender.  Season to taste.

Serve!

"Satay" Pork Stir-Fry

I'm calling this a satay stir-fry because that was the flavor it most reminded me of.  I made this up (minus the marinade recipe, which I found here), and just kind of threw together what I had in the fridge.  You can add and subtract veggies as you have them.  I think the following would also be good in the stir-fry:  tofu, snap peas, greens, green beans, eggplant, zucchini, chicken, beef, green pepper, bamboo shoots, etc.

Play with it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin

Marinade:
2 T. hoisin sauce**
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 T. green onions, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Stir-Fry:
The pork tenderloin, marinated, sliced into small, thin strips
3 T. oil, such as canola or peanut
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli florets, cut in equal-sized pieces

Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce**
1 T. peanut butter
1-2 T. honey
1-2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 cup water

1 T. starch mixed with 1 T. water

Instructions:

Mix together your marinade and pour it over your pork tenderloin.  Marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.  You may want to heat it to get the peanut butter to combine well with the other liquids.  Taste and adjust to your liking.

Get out a wok and heat your oil in it over high heat, until the oil is shimmering and nearly smoking.

Add in the garlic and ginger.  Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in the pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetables.  Stir-fry for up to 5 minutes, until they are vibrant and slightly tender.

Add the sauce mixture.  Allow to come to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes more, or until everything is cooked through.

Add the starch mixture and allow to simmer until the sauce reaches a thickness you like.

Serve alone, or over rice!

I apologize for my lack of real pictures.  I didn't know it was going to be good until it was done :P.

You could easily make this vegetarian/vegan by substituting tofu for the pork.  Also, I think this would work with beef and chicken!

** If you need a good source for a GF hoisin sauce recipe, I used this one.