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.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
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!
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!
Monday, August 26, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
"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!
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!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Serve everything with a healthy sprinkling of feta cheese!
Who ever said low carb and gluten free had to be boring?
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. |
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).
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?
Monday, April 22, 2013
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.
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.
Friday, March 29, 2013
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!
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!
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