B'tay Avon!

One of my favorite parts of living in Israel was the food - fresh hot pita from the bakery, savory juicy shwarma carved right in front of you, creamy hummus at every meal and crispy falafel covered in tahini sauce and salads/veggies. I've tried to recreate as many of those foods as I can on my own, and when I can't, I simply head over to any local Middle Eastern restaurant and indulge my craving. 

Since I've been on this Standard Elimination Diet (SED); however, it's not that simple. I can't eat anything from a restaurant, on the off-chance that it's been contaminated by something that will cause me to flare. Usually, I've found that nightshades are the culprit, as paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne are used very often as a spice...especially in falafel. Who knew!? 

I did find a recipe, though, that allowed me to adapt falafel to my SED, and when I paired it with some homemade hummus (coming in another post) and tahini sauce, it really hit the spot. Now, it's definitely nowhere near as good as my favorite falafel stand in the middle of Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem (chetzi eish t'nor em chips, hummus, tahini, v'kol h'salateem, b'vakasha!) but it was pretty dang good. Even the threenager liked it - never mind the fact that we had to agree that it was a Spongebob crabby patty. He ate it, and that's what counts! 

 

Falafel Burger 

adapted from Healthy Girl's Kitchen 

Ingredients: 

2-3 large garlic cloves
Packed ½ cup fresh parsley
Packed ½ cup fresh cilantro
½ cup scallions, rough chopped
2 14.5 ounce cans chickpeas  rinsed and drained-reserving at least 2 TBS of the liquid
1 cup rolled oats (I used flaxseed meal for allergies, which worked nicely!)
2 ½ TBS fresh lemon juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt (I would leave this out, as it made it too salty)
¼ tsp pepper

Optional: red pepper flakes for heat 

Instructions: 

Using your food processor, chop garlic, parsley, cilantro and scallions until fine.

Add in everything else, and process, but be careful not to over process into a paste. It's good for their to be texture differences, but yet you want it to be able to hold patty forms. If it's too dry, add in a little bit of the reserved chickpea liquid.

Transfer the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet on medium-high until hot, and form patties while you wait. You can either dry fry them until crispy, or use a little bit of EVOO. Place patties into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until browned.

Notes: Veggie burgers can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to a week. Simply reheat them in a pan, a toaster or a microwave before serving.

Alex and I thought these tasted best when you added a little more crunch/texture to them. Serve with cucumbers, lettuce, Israeli salad, or any other toppings that you enjoy!

Tahini Sauce 

Ingredients:

¼ cup tahini
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tbsp water
Dash of salt (optional)

Instructions: 

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Taste the rainbow

 

 

I love this dish, not only because it's easy and delicious, but it's also so dang pretty. I love all the bright colors from the carrots, kale, curry, and turmeric. The flavors are a bit sweet, a bit sour and a little bit spicy, and it's a great side dish for chicken or fish.

 

This one is SED friendly, and now it's also Kosher for Passover friendly! Alex and I love it, and I've made this about 6 times in the past few months. As long as you have the quinoa pre-cooked and ready to go, it will take about 15 minutes to throw it all together. Normally, it calls for almonds, but I was all out, so I used cashews. They got a little too soft and lost their crunch, so stick with almonds when you make this. And you should make this! Look how pretty it is!

 

Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf

adapted from Nourishing Meals

Ingredients:

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 cup raw almonds, chopped
½ cup currants or raisins
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (I never have this, so I just leave it out)
4 cups chopped kale
4 to 5 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 small lemon, juiced

Instructions:

Heat a large over medium heat. Add olive oil, then add the chopped onions. Sauté onions for 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the sliced carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes more. Keep the heat at a medium temp to allow the onions to cook but not brown.

 

Add the almonds, raisins, spices, and salt and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the kale. Sauté about 5 minutes, or until kale is tender. Then add cooked quinoa and stir together over low heat. Add a few tablespoons of water if the pilaf seems dry. An extra tablespoon of oil will also help prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pan.

Remove from heat and add the juice of the lemon. Stir together, taste, and adjust salt and seasonings if needed.

 

Cooking with Gwyneth

 

Me and Gwyneth Paltrow are total BFFs. Okay, not really at all, but I did technically have her over for dinner the other night. This recipe is from her blog, which I had never heard of until I started my elimination diet. Apparently good ol' Gwynnie likes to eat clean and the majority of her recipes are Standard Elimination Diet (SED) friendly.

 

This recipe is one that I will keep in our rotation long after this diet is over. It's incredibly easy, delicious, filling and even the 3 year old likes it. Well, he picks out the kale, but I'll take what I can get. Alex wraps this up in corn tortillas, and I just eat it plain. We both like to top it with diced avocado, but I imagine it would also taste good with some sour cream or tomatoes. I recommend doubling the recipe so that you have more than enough for lunch the next day.

 

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Kale Skillet

adapted from Goop

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled (I like to leave the peel on)
1 can black beans
2 hearty handfuls kale, torn into bite-size pieces
1 lime
olive oil
pinch of sumac (I omitted)
pinch of cumin
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Dice the sweet potatoes into small/medium chunks.

Place large sauté pan over medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add sweet potatoes, sumac(if using) and cumin to pan and cook for a minute until they begin to brown, stirring throughout to coat. Cover after a minute, bring the heat down to medium and let cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they’ve softened up.

Add black beans. Stir to mix. Add kale, season with salt and pepper, mix and cover. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, uncover and stir. (It will most likely be a bit too dry at this point, so drizzle over more olive oil.) Cook for another minute or so until kale is cooked to your liking. Squeeze the lime juice over top and toss gently to coat.

Serve with diced avocado, warm tortillas or any other topping you desire.

Elimination Creativity

 

Some of the meals I've made for the Elimination Diet have actually been so delicious (and easy!) that I will keep them in our meal rotation, even after I'm off this blasted diet. This salmon dinner is definitely one of them. I will admit that our grocery budget has gone up since I started this diet, because unfortunately cleaner, healthier, and fresher foods cost more. We are still cautious about how much we spend, but it's unavoidable in some ways. 

This diet has also forced me to be much more creative in the kitchen, which is fun. Now that I have a good grasp of what I can/can't eat, I am able to improvise some meals, either by altering recipes or gathering what I can find in the pantry. This recipe is a collection of a few different ones I've made in the past. It's fast and easy because the salmon cooks very quickly, and you can throw together the avocado and cucumber salad while it's roasting.

Skillet Salmon with Avocado Cucumber Salad

Ingredients: 

2-4 salmon fillets, skin removed

2 TBS olive oil 

2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced

1 large cucumber, de-seeded and diced

Lemon 

Instructions: 

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

Lay the salmon on a flat surface and generously salt/pepper each side of the fillets. Put the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet (if the handle is not oven-proof, you can wrap it in foil), and bring it up to high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, place the salmon fillets in and let them sear for about 3-4 minutes so they form a nice crust. 

After, flip the fillets over carefully, and place the skillet into the pre-heated oven, until the fish cooks through, about 7-8 minutes (depending on the thickness). While it's cooking, combine the diced avocado and cucumber in a bowl, and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. 

When the fish is done, squeeze more lemon over the top and serve immediately.

 

Hidden Vegetables

 

Serving pancakes for dinner is incredibly indulgent. It's my guilty little trick for when I didn't plan a meal for a particular night, or I don't really feel like cooking anything elaborate. Normally, I'll use the world's best pancake recipe (courtesy of Mark Bittman), but with a growing toddler, I needed a way to lessen my Mommy guilt over serving pancakes instead of a well-rounded dinner. 

You might have seen that I'm a bit of a stalker fan of Smitten Kitchen's food blog. I found this recipe in her archives and, as you can guess, rushed to make them. You know how really really good zucchini bread can taste spicy, sweet and wholesome in the same mouthful? That's how these pancakes taste. You are eating pancakes for dinner (or breakfast!) but you're also eating GREEN VEGETABLES! It's a revelation!

I always double this recipe, so that I can flash-freeze the leftovers and have an easy breakfast for the little dude throughout the week. 

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen  

Ingredients: 

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)
1 cup all-purpose flour (half of this can be swapped with a whole wheat flour. Make them even healthier, right?)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet 

Instructions: 

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

I practice the Alton Brown method of pancake-storage: Place pancakes on a plate and cover with a clean dishcloth to keep warm. It makes for easy taste-testing access while you're cooking more!

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Serve warm.

To flash freeze leftovers: Arrange pancakes in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and place into the freezer for an hour. Once they are frozen, remove pancakes and store them in the freezer in a tightly sealed bag. The flash process will ensure that they don't stick together!

 

Dust it off

Sometimes, the best new recipes are old ones. I received a Southern Living slow-cooker cookbook from my friend many years ago, but never really made anything from it. While the recipes all sounded delicious, they were pretty intricate, which defeated the purpose of slow-cookers! However, I decided to dust it off last month and take another look. I am *SO* glad I did, because I found this gem of a recipe.

It's one of those "throw everything in the pot" recipes that makes slow-cookers a working parent's dream. The sweetness of the coconut milk is absorbed by the vegetables and chickpeas, and the cilantro and curry balance everything out. Serve over rice, and you've got yourself an exotic and healthy dinner.

Chickpeas in Curried Coconut Broth
Adapted from Southern Living Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil 

1 1/2 cups chopped onion       

2 garlic cloves, minced        

2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained                

2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained                

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 cups hot cooked basmati rice (any kind of rice will do!)

 

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. (I have skipped this step the last two times and there was no difference in the final outcome. The onions cook perfectly if you throw them into the slow-cooker as-is).

 

Place onion mixture, chickpeas, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in cilantro. Serve over rice.

Kitchen Shame

 

We all have kitchen shames. I know we do.

One of my big ones is that I can not properly boil and peel an egg. I wind up with a shredded egg, shell covered counter, and an increasingly frustrated toddler who was promised an egg 5 minutes ago (eternity in toddler-time).

Another one is that I buy large bags of frozen tilapia fillets. Like the skimpy probably-farmed-in-horrible-conditions fillets that cost $8.99 for 20 servings. It's cheap, it keeps for a long time, and it's a really easy dinner when I am meal planning. I know some foodies are gasping in horror at the grossness of this, but hey - I've got a family that likes to eat every day! The nerve.

One of my favorite ways to cook them is also shamefully easy.You can do it while the fillets are still frozen, if you like, but I prefer to defrost them in a bowl of water beforehand. This recipe even includes vegetables, so you pretty much have a well-balanced meal within 25 minutes. Ain't no shame in that, right?

Easy Tilapia
Adapted from Allrecipes 

Ingredients:
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia

2-3 tsp butter
Old Bay, to taste (if you don't have Old Bay, you're missing out! But you can use Seasoned Salt instead)
Garlic powder, to taste
1 lemon, sliced
1 package frozen vegetables (I like broccoli or cauliflower)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
 
Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Keen-what?

 

You have probably seen the trendy healthy food, quinoa, floating around Pinterest or Epicurious over the past year or so. I spent about 6 months searching for it at my local Giant, only to be met with blank stares from the staff as they struggled to pronounce it: "Keen-what? How do you spell it?" Once I found it, and experimented with it, I realized that I didn't like it. I couldn't handle the flavor of regular quinoa. Sad. It seemed to have great health potential. 

Fast forward 2 years, add one toddler and then a mom who is hell-bent on cramming as much healthy food as possible into his hungry mouth. I decided to try Trader Joe's TriColored Quinoa, just as a last-ditch attempt. Lo and behold, this one does NOT have that icky flavor of the regular quinoa, and I actually really like it! My favorite way to make it is with garlic, onions, vegetable broth and some peas, but I decided to branch out and try a new recipe. 

This Chicken Fried "Rice" is a nice, healthy and filling dinner that is toddler-friendly (even if they pick out the peas, call them "yukky" and drop them to the dog). I made a few changes from the original recipe, noted below, to make it easier and a bit more flavorful. 

Lastly, this blog (AND MY KITCHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) are undergoing construction. Our townhouse kitchen is the original from 1985 and it's just about had it. Cabinets fall off the hinges if you open them too many times, the floor is starting to peel up in the corners, and the overall shelf and cabinet spacing is terrible. So, Brina's Kitchen will be offline for a little while - but I'll document our progress with Before, During and After pictures. 

Chicken Fried Quinoa "Rice" 

adapted from Ingredients, Inc. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup quinoa or 2 cups rice
2 tablespoons sesame or canola oil (sesame is better for flavor!)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen baby carrots and green peas
3 green onions, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 Low sodium soy sauce to taste

Optional addition: Ginger (grated fresh or dried)

Instructions: 

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Note: ALWAYS rinse your quinoa in cold water and cook in broth instead of water for better flavor. 

Cook chicken in a large nonstick pan, in chunks, if it's not already cooked. Set aside. Using the same pan, add 2 tsp sesame or canola oil, and scramble the eggs. Once done, set aside with the chicken. 

Heat the rest of the oil. Stir in carrots, peas, green onions, and ginger; cook about 30 seconds. Stir in cooked quinoa, chicken and eggs; cook 5 minutes more. Add soy sauce, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

  

  

My Pinterest Kitchen

Have you seen my Pinterest kitchen? It's 50% healthy foods and 50% ooey-gooey cheesy or chocolatey fattening goodness. I probably won't ever make the "bad" 50%, but it's nice to look at them and have a little mental dessert every once in a while.

But, the other healthy recipes are great for inspiration when I've hit a meal planning wall. Take this samosa casserole. It's not something I ever would have considered, but after seeing it on a friend's board, I convinced myself to try it. We love Indian food, so I had all the spices on-hand already. The one thing I was lacking was a kosher pre-made roll out pie crust. However, Whole Foods to the rescue! I am going to keep a steady supply of this pie crust in my freezer. Love it!

Overall, we enjoyed this recipe, especially with the cucumber riata. I think, though, that I will make a few changes for the next time, such as increasing ALL the spices (also noted in recipe). The potatoes are really starchy, and they absorb spices really easily, so it takes a lot to make the flavors pop. It's very tasty, filling, and made for some great leftovers, too.

Indian Samosa Casserole
adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:
Crust (or use premade!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Filling
1 Tbs. black or yellow mustard seeds (2 TBS)
1 tsp. curry powder (2-3 tsp)
1 tsp. ground ginger (2-3 tsp)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin (2 tsp)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional (1/2 tsp)
5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (decrease to 4. Don't need all 5)
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. agave nectar or sugar (skip, unneccessary)
2 Tbs. soymilk (or regular)

Instructions:
To make Crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together flours and salt in bowl. Stir in oil until clumps form. Add 6 to 10 Tbs. cold water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until dough holds together. Shape into ball, cover with damp towel, and set aside.

To make Filling:
Stir together mustard seeds, curry, ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes, if using, in bowl; set aside.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, return to pot, and mash, leaving small chunks.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, or until carrot is tender. Move onion mixture to side of pan, and add mustard seed mixture in center. Toast 30 seconds. Stir in peas and broth. Fold onion mixture into potato mixture; stir in agave nectar. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread Filling in 9-inch pie pan. Set aside.

Roll out Crust dough to 11-inch circle on floured work surface. Cover Filling with dough, pressing down to make sure no air pockets remain. Trim away excess dough, and crimp edges with fingers. Cut X in center to vent steam; brush with soymilk just before baking. Place pie on baking sheet, and bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Frozen cooking instructions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place casserole on baking sheet, and bake 75 to 90 minutes, or until Filling bubbles and Crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cucumber Riata Ingredients:
1 8-oz. carton plain low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt works nicely!)
1/2 cup finely chopped, seeded, peeled cucumber
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint (or dried)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Instructions:
Combine everything together in a bowl, adjust seasonings to taste.

When I eat my words...

I have to confess, I'm a Judgy McJudgersons. I roll my eyes at "casserole" recipes, because they usually call for canned cream o'something soup. Or Velveeta. Or something else that makes my skin crawl. I know. It's really really snobby. I'm sorry.

However, I post this to show you that I'm eating my words. And they are freaking delicious.

This casserole recipe was floating around Pinterest (follow me!) and I knew I had to make it. Layers upon layers of deliciously roasted veggies, nestled in between gooey cheese, spicy salsa and chewy tortillas. Sign me and my belly up!

It's a bit time consuming, so I'll note how it can be done in stages. But the end result is well worth it!

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
adapted from Perry's Plate

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks (I omitted)
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut (I used olive oil)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish, if desired

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

*Once veggies are roasted and cooled, you can stick them in the fridge if you want to assemble the casserole later or the next day. I wouldn't leave them more than 1-2 days, max, though.*

Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
Serves 4-5

Easy and Delicious

The next series of posts are a backlog of recipes I've made over the past few weeks. They are all quite yummy and more importantly, VERY easy! Some can be made the night before, while others can be thrown together to cook pretty quickly as long as you have the ingredients on hand. Healthy(ish), simple and delicious. #Winning! 

Jaime's Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless chicken breast cubed
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1 finely chopped bell pepper
4 medium bay leaves
Parsley flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 - 6oz can tomato paste
2 - cans chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 cup long grain rice
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Saute chicken, onion, garlic & bell pepper in olive oil until golden brown.

Add in the tomato paste, bay leaves & parsley and bring to a boil. Pour in 2 cans of broth and again bring to a boil.

Stir in the rice and cover. Let it simmer and stir occasionally to make sure all the rice is submerged. When most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat. Keep covered for about an hour, serve & enjoy!

The Magnificient 3

Ugly picture, delicious sauce


This recipe took me by surprise. I'd seen it floating around food blogs for a while, but I didn't pay much attention. Sauce from only 3 ingredients? No spices? No garlic? Please.

Oh, I was so so wrong.

There is magic in this sauce. The 3 ingredients blend and simmer together, creating a velvety, rich, tangy, sweet and incredibly delicious tomato sauce that you can use on anything from plain spaghetti to your favorite lasagna recipe.

Alex and I made a few adjustments to this, but nothing drastic. We cut back on the butter a little bit, leave in the onion, and use the immersion blender at the end (hence the orange color of my sauce above).

Please go make this tonight. You won't be sorry. Make it and then come back and tell me how much you loved it. I triple dog dare you.

Tomato Sauce

adapted from Smitten Kitchen (and a bajillion other food blogs)

Ingredients:

1 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

5 TBS butter (we only use 3)

1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half

Instructions:

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes.

Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste. If you like the flavor of stewed onions, as we do, leave them in. To make it smooth, stick in your immersion blender and carefully blend.

It's food, baby

These types of posts will be few and far between, I promise. Homemade baby food is fairly intuitive - steam something, puree it. Steam something, then mash it. Steam something, then break it into small pieces. Etc, etc, etc.

I'm posting this recipe because it's a little more involved and I think that it would be tasty for picky toddlers as well. Eli loved it, as you can clearly see. I also deliberately took this picture on top of the jarred food I use for him. While yes, making your own baby food can be cheaper and sometimes easier, often, I'm really pressed for time and it's faster to grab a jar of something I know he'll like. Supermom, I'm not.

He is getting better at feeding himself, and I'd say that about 75% of the food actually ends up in his mouth. This recipe is great for new eaters because it's fairly mild in flavor, and when it cools, it's clumpy enough for chubby fingers to grab.

The dog had a blast helping us clean up afterwards, too. She's a real giver like that.

Ingredients:
Pastina (or Stelline pasta. They are both little tiny stars)
Cheese
Milk (cow, soy, breast...your choice)

Instructions:
Cook pastina according to package directions for the “cereal.”

When the cooking pastina starts to thicken and absorb the majority of the water, add cubes of Colby and American Cheese, directly into the cooking water and pasta (cheddars and other stronger cheeses may be used according to baby’s age/taste preferences.)

Melt cheeses and stir thoroughly while cooking. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of whole milk when cheeses are melted and stir thoroughly

As baby gets older and eats more table foods, you can also add meats and veggies as well – these additional chunkier foods will enable easier pick-up for tiny fingers
Serve warm

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

Been a wee bit busy lately! New recipes and blogging have taken a backseat to a boisterious 9-month old and a new job. But I'm still here! Still cooking and documenting. Slowly but surely...

These chicken nuggets are super yummy. I imagine that Eli will like them when he's into his nugget-eating phase (instead of just looking like a little nugget these days), and I'll happily feed these to him because they are a lot healthier than fast food options. The dipping sauce was also delicious, but you should halve the recipe. It makes SO much. In fact, I'll halve it for you. I'm cool like that.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Mash blackberries (or raspberries), mustard and honey in a small bowl until it looks like a chunky sauce.

Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat (discard any leftover cornmeal).

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken, turning once or twice, until browned and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total (thinner nuggets will cook faster than thicker ones). Serve the chicken nuggets with the berry mustard.

Puddin'

There ain't nothing in this world that a little bread pudding can't fix, right? Even if it's savory bread pudding, it's still a delicious and comforting dish that just warms your tummy right up. I'd always wanted to try a savory version of BP, and when I stumbled upon a recipe last week, I immediately bookmarked it.

It's fairly healthy - whole wheat bread, vegetables, light on the oil, and 2% milk - but a big dense, due to the bread I used. I think next time, I'll use a lighter and crustier loaf, rather than a whole wheat fiber-loaded bread. Overall, though, it's really easy to make and pretty delicious.

Savory Spinach and Mushroom Bread Pudding
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3 1/2 cups cubed stale whole-wheat country bread
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion, (1 medium)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper, (1 small)
4 cups sliced mushrooms, (12 ounces)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grated Gruyère, Emmentaler or Manchego cheese (3 ounces), divided (I used Swiss)

Instructions:
Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; whisk until blended. Add bread and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-by-8-inch (or similar 8-cup) ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain, refresh with cold water and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until any excess moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add the mushroom mixture and 1/2 cup cheese to the egg mixture; stir until blended. Scrape into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish in a larger pan, put in the oven and pour boiling water into the larger pan to about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. (I skipped this step completely. I've made plenty of bread puddings, and never baked one like this. It turned out just fine!) Bake until the pudding is set in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve hot or warm.

Opa!

My big fat Greek dinner! This recipe was so colorful, it made me smile to see it plated so prettily. Usually, peppers are stuffed with meat, rice and sauce, making a heavy dinner that's better suited for cold weather. These stuffed peppers were light yet flavorful and surprisingly filling!

The one downside to this recipe is that it's a wee bit complicated. The Yiddish word is "ungapatchka", which means that it's busy, ornate, fussy, etc. I used about 5 different dishes in the prep work, creating a whole sink of dirty pots and pans. Maybe if I hadn't been so tired, I could have thought it through to make the process more streamlined, but I was cooking on auto-pilot last night.

However, the end product is well worth it! My changes are noted in the recipe below.

Opa!

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers
1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped (I used 10oz frozen, chopped spinach - defrosted and drained)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

Moisten with the hoisin

When I was in high school, I went out for Chinese food with some friends while we planned and designed our youth group yearbook. At the restaurant, the waiter explained how to eat moo-shu, and told us to "moisten with the hoisin", which we (as 16 year old girls) found absolutely hilarious. Now, 15 years later, I still smile a little bit when I see hoisin sauce anywhere.

This easy recipe uses hoisin sauce, along with a small amount of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, to create a really flavorful combination reminiscent of Chinese take out. But, you know, minus the MSG and copious amounts of oil. I threw it together in about 20 minutes, with the help of these fabulous bags of pre-shredded veggies that I've heard about for years now - broccoli slaw. I know that Hungry Girl is a big fan of them, and now I can see why.
We ate these with warm whole wheat tortillas, as suggested in the Eating Well recipe, and enjoyed every messy bite.

Moo Shu Vegetables
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw” (I doubled so that we'd have enough for leftovers)
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (doubled)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (doubled)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (doubled)

Instructions:
1Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa and Adobo Polenta

Yeah, you kind of wish you could eat dinner at my house! Granted, we don't eat around 9PM when Alex gets home, and there are squeaky toys and bibs scattered underfoot...but at least the food is good!

My sister introduced me to this wonderful new website, http://www.eatingwell.com/, and I've been hoarding away recipes for the past week. This one caught my eye because it's very similar to our favorite Tamale Pie, and it seemed fairly simple. I was able to throw it together in about 20 minutes, and it was perfect! I upped the spice because we love adobo sauce in just about everything. The fresh salsa recipe was really easy and a perfect balance to the croquettes. I will definitely make these again! Probably without the polenta, as it was a little starch heavy.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder, hot if desired, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 avocado, diced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.

Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil. Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir avocado into the remaining tomato mixture. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.

Carne Bistec

It's been a while, but I'm back to blogging! Just started a new job a few weeks ago, so things are settling into a new routine at home. I do try to cook new recipes for dinner, and I take pictures (bad ones), but it's the posting part that's gotten a little tied up. So, here are a few older ones to catch up to today!

This recipe comes from Skinny Taste, and I had bookmarked it a long time ago. The combination of flavors (cumin, onions, tomatoes) and the ease of the recipe (chop, saute, eat) seemed very intriguing. Overall, I'm glad I tried this, but I wasn't a huge fan of it. I love cumin in my food, but for some reason, I wasn't really into caramelized onions and cumin on my steak. I think I'm more of a red wine sauce kind of girl. However, it was a tasty meal and Alex really enjoyed it!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs grass fed sirloin tip steak, sliced very thin
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
cumin to taste
4 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin or chopped
1 very large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin or chopped

Instructions:
Season steak with salt (skip if using kosher meat) and garlic powder. Heat a large frying pan until VERY HOT. Add 2 tsp of oil then half of the steak and cook less than a minute on each side. Set steak aside, add another teaspoon of oil and cook remaining steak. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, add another teaspoon of oil and add the onions.

Cook a minutes, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and reduce heat to medium-low.

Add about 1/4 cup of water and simmer a few minutes to create a sauce, add more water if needed and taste adjust seasoning as needed. Return the steak to the pan along with the drippings, combine well and remove from heat.

Serve over rice or for a low carb option with a sunny-side up egg on top.

Summer Gazpacho & Product Rave

I've posted a few gazpacho attempts on here, but I think I've finally struck gold with this recipe. Alex loves to eat gazpacho when it's hot out, and there is just something incredibly refreshing about a huge bowl of spicy fresh and cold summer flavors. Make sure you use the ripest vegetables you can find and you'll be in for a real treat!

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and diced hothouse cucumber
2 cups diced red bell pepper
2 cups diced ripe tomato
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups tomato juice (I used Spicy V8. SO good!)

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 dashes Tabasco sauce (or more!)

Instructions:

Place all of the diced vegetables in a large bowl. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, oil, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Transfer half (we like it mostly pureed with some pieces, so I blended about 90% of the diced veggies) of the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse the machine on and off to coarsely puree the contents. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.

Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours before serving. You can easily double this recipe for a large party.

Product Rave!

My mom introduced me to this amazing little frozen herb that Trader Joes carries in their freezer section. I *love* to cook with cilantro, but I can't use it up before the rest of it goes bad. It's so annoying. But this, I love. Andplusalso, it's Israeli, so I speak a little Hebrew when I take it out of the freezer.

Each frozen cube is 1tsp of the chopped herb (comes in garlic, cilantro and basil), and you just toss the frozen cube into your recipe as-is. Ta da!

Love!