the allergic hedonist

valentine's day with family and friends (buenos aires 2.2)

2011-04-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

The best part about these photos isn't the food.. It's the fact that we're wearing summer clothes... in February! My cousin from California and her friends happened to be in Buenos Aires during my trip. It was awesome to meet up with them there, and to be surrounded by so much love on valentine's day.

a dancer's asado (buenos aires 2.1)

2011-04-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

All the nights of dancing didn't do much for my figure in Buenos Aires... When it came to an asado, I didn't hold back.

This particular night, we enjoyed four different salads, roasted red bell peppers, steak ribs, another cut of meat that I forget the name of, and chicken. (and cheese and eggs and wine.. for everyone else)

salad 1. cherry tomatoes and pesto
salad 2. shredded carrots, hearts of palm, lemon, oil, and salt
salad 3. arugula, oil, and salt
salad 4. lettuce, onions, oil, lemon, and salt

Can't tell you what he did with the meat, but oh my god.. I wish I could.

shoot. it's been a while. my favorite juice.

2011-04-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

So the last time I posted something new, I was getting ready to go back to Buenos Aires. Hope you weren't expecting me to keep up the blog while I was enjoying some summer weather in February :)

I've also been cooking a lot of my older recipes, so I don't have as much new material for the blog. But I have a file full of pictures, and I'm going to start chipping away at them... I just hope I can remember the recipes :)

Ready? Here we go.
I got a juicer, as a gift.. thank you (you know who you are).

The juicer is perfect for when I go out of town because I can juice all the produce left in my fridge and not let anything go to waste. I've been going out of town a lot.. so the little juicer has proved it's worth already.
When I'm not making random I'm-leaving-town juices, I like to make a version of Main Squeeze's "ginger tonic."

Celery
Apple
Lemon
Ginger
Carrot

I'm not going to put amounts, because I change it up depending on my mood. Don't be afraid. There's no wrong way. :)

Sometimes I add other things.. like kale, parsley, beets, oranges, or pineapple. Anything goes...

this is what's up

2011-01-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

truffles.
equal parts:
-honey (or agave)
-almond/peanut butter
-cocoa powder

ok, a little extra cocoa powder.
put mix in fridge. then, after some time, roll.
in: coconut, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, and cacao nibs

keep in fridge. devour.

restaurant review - urban solace. and my visit to san diego

2011-01-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

1. I got the quinoa burger at Urban Solace in San Diego. No bun, cheese, or fries of course.. so I got sautéed mushrooms, half of an avocado, and a side of greens instead. That's how I usually replace everything on the menu. It's getting easier! Anyway, it was delicious, and I'd recommend that beautiful restaurant to anyone :)

2. What was I doing in San Diego? Visiting my cousin! And, I decided.. that I like it there.

3. For dinner later that night, we made:
- Roasted butternut squash: oven! 350. Cut squash into pieces, top generously with cinnamon and honey. 45 mintues.
-Monkfish: oven! 350. cubed. marinated in lemon juice and olive oil. sprinkled with red pepper and other spicy things. 20 minutes.
-Roasted veggies: oven! 350. Brussels sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion. Tossed in evoo, with salt, pepper, and herbs. 45 minutes.

4. Taking the Pacific Surfliner Amtrak back to LA. A beautiful, beautiful train ride.

'twas a sweet, rare day of leftovers

2011-01-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

I was in LA for the holidays, and my siblings were in town too (this is rare). The three of us were at home (also rare) so I whipped up a little lunch. And we all ate the same thing (rare) together, in a row on the couch.

We had some leftover cedar smoked salmon on a bed of lettuce with leftover some brown rice and sautéed onions. :) Yum.

more pumpkin oatmeal cookies

2011-01-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

I think I made 6 batches of these cookies in the two weeks over the holidays. Everyone loved them. They look different from the very first batch I made, because I didn't grind the oats into a fine powder in my coffee grinder. Instead I just chopped them up in a food processor.. and they turned out much better.

hello? am i still there? yep.

2011-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, so prepare for a little flood here. Lately, I've been traveling, and cooking a lot of dishes that I've already posted. And, I don't feel the same pride after "creating" a "new" dish, that I used to. Now, it's just cooking. It's still fun and delicious, of course, but it's become... normal. Nothing to "blog" about.

So what, I take whatever is fresh and in season, and I use some olive oil or schmaltz, heat it up in my iron skillet, sauté the veggies with a little salt and whichever spices I feel like, and maybe I add a little homemade broth to steam them too. Big deal.

BIG DEAL? It's delicious. And when I look back, not even a whole two years ago, it's such a huge change in my life, that it deserves some recognition. I'm patting myself on the back, publicly. I know :) Thanks for reading my blog. Hope it's been as enjoyable for you to read as it has been for me to create.

Photo: Sautéed maitake mushroom, onion, and spinach.

pumpkin oatmeal cookies

2010-12-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

I made Ali and Tom's (Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen's) pumpkin oatmeal cookies for a dinner party I had. Pretty sure I ate way more than my fair share.. They were amazingly soft, and spiced so deliciously :)

I followed their recipe exactly.. And I'm feeling lazy tonight, so I'll quote:

"Use canned pumpkin, baked pie pumpkins or other winter squash. You may need to add extra flour if your baked pumpkin is very moist. I used coconut oil in all four batches I made but I imagine that unsalted butter would work too ~ of course they wouldn't be vegan then! Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temp before mixing. Your coconut oil will be soft enough for this if your house is in the mid 60's (Fahrenheit). Do not melt your coconut oil or use another liquid oil."

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 cup softened virgin coconut oil (or unsalted butter)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups coconut sugar, maple sugar, or brown sugar

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups oat flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl beat together, using an electric mixer, the coconut oil, pumpkin, sugar, flax seeds, and vanilla extract. Add the remaining ingredients and beat together again.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While your oven is preheating let your cookie dough rest on the counter for 20 minutes. The oat flour will absorb some of the liquid during this time which helps the cookies hold their shape.

Drop by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Remove cookies and place them onto a wire rack to cool. Cookies are best after they have cooled."
Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

rice and lentil soup: yummy meet frugal

2010-12-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

Photo 1: Deborah Madison's Lentil Soup with cumin, cilantro, and chard. Just as I made it before.. straight from her cookbook. But this time, I used chard instead of kale. It was delicious.

Photo 2: I can make this soup last longer, I thought. (I'm going through an intense frugal period in life. Only spending money on traveling.. if I can help it. And at this rate - it looks as though I will travel until there is none left. Time is more difficult to get than money, I think.)
Anyway! I added chicken broth and rice to the soup.. and it was quite delicious. The taste kind of reminded me of stuffed grape leaves. Probably because of the lemon juice.

grilled veggies and swordfish

2010-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

I've been in St Louis just about every weekend that I'm in Missouri.. for? Tango dancing, of course. But I don't drive 4 hours just to dance.. I also get to make yummy dinners with my friend Kelly :) Here was our meal a couple weeks ago. Marinated and grilled swordfish kabobs, grilled mushroom kabobs, and foil wrapped grilled asparagus.

I know I've posted about grilled swordfish before - but now you don't have to search for the old post.

1 swordfish steak per person, cut into cubes
Marinated in white wine with honey. We didn't measure out the marinade.. but as long as the cuts of fish are covered.. you should be fine. For a sweeter meal, add more honey... for less sweetness.. you know what to do.

Wipe (not wash) with a damp cloth, the mushrooms clean. Then toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and.. that's it. Put on kabobs and grill.

We prepared the asparagus in the same way - evoo, salt, pepper.. and wrapped them in a foil pouch.

The veggies need more time than the fish.. so in the meanwhile, set the table because grilling doesn't take too long!

restaurant review - bleu

2010-12-11T21:32:00.001-08:00

I don't really have restaurant reviews for my town in Missouri. Guess I should start! Here are a couple photos from Bleu. I think some of their meat and produce is locally grown.. but the place isn't what I would call an organic-y restaurant. It's just a nice restaurant. There aren't many things I can order there.. but I succeeded with with side of sautéed brussel sprouts (san the bacon) and their signature fish tacos (san the grilled taco and the crème fraiche). Pan-seared cod, spicy Asian slaw, avocado puree, mango relish and honey chili sauce. Yum!!

massive purple cauliflower

2010-12-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

Just look at the size of that thing! I ate purple cauliflower for a couple weeks...

Puréed into soup.

Sautéed in soup. (This soup is made of sautéed leeks, carrots, maitake mushrooms, cauliflower, and kale in a mixture of lovingly vegetable broth and chicken broth)

Simply sautéed with fresh maitake mushrooms and leeks, with a drizzle of truffle oil on top.

restaurant review - M cafe

2010-12-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

I taste tested M Cafe on my last night in Hollywood, CA. (This was in early November.. I'll probably be back in LA before I finish catching up with old photos!) The food was.. good. Maybe I didn't choose the food they make - or maybe my taste buds are getting more and more demanding. They serve "Contemporary Macrobiotic Cuisine" so I was pretty much able to choose anything on the menu. None of the dishes contain any refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry. There were also many many gluten free choices.. my favorite being dessert. It's not often I get to order dessert at a restaurant (but this was more like a deli..) Anyway.. They sell Babycakes NYC's desserts there. It was my first time trying any of their sweets.. and unfortunately there is no photo of the smile on my face. It was big.

bs as inspired salad and my aunt's kitchen

2010-12-09T23:38:00.000-08:00

Just days after returning from the southern hemisphere.. I was in a nostalgic mood, and concocted this salad with my aunt Allie. One thing I found interesting was, in Argentina, carrots were almost always eaten in the grated form, and usually in a salad. They were always very finely grated there.. and it makes me want to get a special blade for my food processor.

Here's what we threw together:
We had no hearts of palm, but we had artichoke hearts.. and quartered them
Grated carrots
Random salad mix from the fridge, which included celery and little broccoli trees
Sprouts of some kind
And an avocado that was too mushy to cut, so we each got a half to spoon ourselves.
Dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt

My aunt's kitchen is a fun place.. later that night I got to help as she made some salve for her organic and super healing skin care line, madre tierra. It's still in the works - as far as getting products on shelves in different shops - but if you're interested in ordering things from her, just contact her through the website :)

restaurant review - cru

2010-12-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

Back in LA.. I visited Juicy Ladies in Woodland Hills and got a piece of truffle cake that lasted me 4 days. Ok 3 days. Ok.. 2 1/2 days. All girls exaggerate.

This amazing treat made by Cru contains: organic raw cocoa powder, organic raw agave nectar, organic raw coconut butter, organic raw almonds, organic spices, and Celtic sea salt.

Sorry it's not a full restaurant review - I didn't actually get to go to the restaurant. Maybe next time I'm in LA.. I'll try anyway. Not much left to say... Was it as good as it looks? Yup.

soup and tango

2010-12-08T22:45:00.001-08:00

I made a version of this lentil beet soup in Argentina. If I can remember, I think I added an extra beet or two, I used different colored lentils.. leftover style, and I topped it with fresh basil instead of cilantro. Both are on the sweeter side of herbs.. and as long as the herbs are fresh - the soup works :)

La Glorieta, pictured second, is a place I loved to dance. In the middle of the park, open on all sides, beautiful weather.. ah.. I miss it.

picture book. san telmo and a picnic

2010-12-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

San Telmo..

Antique shops galor
Vendors drinking mate and playing chess
Beautiful old buildings
More art painted on walls

A census day picnic :) Life isn't so bad when everything is closed.

still catching up from october.. and baba ganoush

2010-12-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

Hey there :) I still have a handful more posts left before I've finished updating you with food and life from my trip to Buenos Aires...
1 - My grandmother's bana ganoush
2 - Artwork on a building, down town Bs As
3 - Sneeky picture of a tango orchestra. (There is a free tango orchestra concert every Thursday at Teatro Presidente Alvear!)

How do you make this delicious dip? It's really easy.
Here's how my grandma taught me: (remember.. October is spring time in Bs As. For all you in the states, I recommend waiting some more months before buying - or growing - or trying to grow eggplants)

Oven! 450. (So hot! I know.. but there's no oil.. so it's ok)

You will need:
2 eggplants
1 lemon
1/2 yellow onion
olive oil
vinegar
salt

Poke the eggplants all over with a fork. Don't forget! Cook on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Flip them, then cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool.

Peel eggplants and get all the insides into a bowl, squeeze lemon juice all over. Cover and put in the fridge until you feel like continuing.

Feel like it? Ok. You can do it tomorrow, if you want. Just letting you know.
Dice up however much onion you want (don't you hate recipes like that?! But that's what my grandma said.. so it has to go into the post. If you're an onion person, add more.. if you don't feel like onions today, then add less.) Add the diced onion, along with a splash of olive oil and vinegar (again.. to taste) and a pinch or 2 or 3 of salt.

Serve on crackers and enjoy! (There are fresh chives sprinkled on top in the photo)

btw: Eggplants are on the "avoid" list for the blood type A's... But sometimes, you just have to let loose.. you know?

restaurant review - el mirasol, and some more buenos aires photos

2010-12-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed this swanky salad at El Mirasol, a restaurant in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. I've made it at home a couple times now.. it's somthing special. I recommend making it for someone you like.. (as opposed to someone you don't) because the ingredients are all pretty pricey. Boy, I'm on a roll with the alliterations tonight...

Ingredients:
1. Golden delicious apples.. or a different variety, as long as it is crunchy and not too too sweet. Peel apples and dice into little cubes.
2. Avocadoes - not too ripe! Dice into bigger pieces.
3. Hearts of palm :) mmm... sliced, and broken if they are too big around.
4. Carrots, finely shredded.
6. Walnuts. It isn't necessary to soak and dehydrate them.. but they taste SO much better that way. Up to you.
7. Ideas for additions: spinach (just a little)... I can't think of more now.. I'll come back to this list.

The Dressing:
Olive oil with a squeeze of lemon and a SMALL pinch of salt. There may have been a little vinegar used as well, at the restaurant.. but.. I'm not positive.

See the man in white in the corner of the photo? He's wearing really tall stilts.

Caminito

Yep, there's me, getting my dance on.. pretty much everywhere I could.

steamed artichoke and a dip

2010-11-30T21:43:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I never made steamed artichoke myself before my trip to Buenos Aires. I don't think it's a staple food there or anything.. but my grandma made it as a snack, and I soaked up as many recipes from her as I could while we lived together. Also.. it was spring there, and artichokes were everywhere. Missouri isn't lucky enough to host artichokes.

Here's how ya do it:

1. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichokes.

2. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.

3. Cut excess stems, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke.

4. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.

5. Pour a couple inches of water in a pot. Add the artichokes.. (I put mine in so they would stand up.. but I don't think that's necessary)

6. Juice 1/2 a lemon over the tops of the artichokes and add the juiced lemon to the pot. Pour a tbsp or so of olive oil over the tops of the artichokes. Add a 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed. And lastly, add some salt (and any other spices you'd like).

7. Cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25-45 minutes.. the time depends on the size of the artichoke. You can test it by tasting the outer leaves.

I made a simple dip out of olive oil, dried herbs, and a little vinegar.

And if you don't know how to eat an artichoke... youtube it.

a day in buenos aires

2010-11-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Photo 1: Breakfast of soaked oatmeal with ground flax seeds, cinnamon, and raisins. And yerba maté. I'll do another post soon, to tell you all about maté..

Photos 2 & 3: Getting my feet measured for tango shoes. Yes.. I had some made just for me :)

Photo 4: One of the many ombú trees.. this one's in Recoleta.

restaurant review - la posada

2010-11-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

So, there is this restaurant, La Posada.. that was 3 blocks from my apartment in Buenos Aires, and I went there a bunch. I think the kitchen was open til around 1am.. so, as long as you got there before midnight, they'd serve you anything on the menu. Quite the shock I had when landing at the St Louis airport at 11pm and only having 1 option for dinner.. on a Friday night! In a city! (besides fast food anyway.. which.. isn't an option.)

Back to the story. They would start by bringing six little ramekins, each with different appetizers. Sometimes liver pâté, or a fruit jam, or a cucumber salad, or steamed carrots with garlic, or potatoes.. and I'd always be able to enjoy at least one of them. Don't you love the wooden plates? I have to say.. I miss them.
The food here was delicious. The salad.. the salmon.. the skirt steak..

After dinner, I'd usually leave my family early, and catch a cab to a milonga for a night full of tango dancing. sigh....
Honestly, it's too late for me to be awake (in the United States, anyway. In Buenos Aires, my night would just be beginning) so I'm going to cut this short, and stop blogging for the night.

Buenas noches.

my family made an asado

2010-11-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

An asado is the name of the Argentine barbecue. An asado usually has a typical sequence of meats, served in courses. First are the chorizos, morcillas (black pudding or blood sausage), chinchulines, mollejas (sweetbread), and other organ meats. Then come the costillas or asado de tira (short ribs). And lastly, the vacío (flank steak).

An asado is quite an affair. If you're invited to one, it means you are loved, and should attend. The meat cooks very slowly over coals, for hours and hours before it's served. When going out to restaurants on the trip, I normally ordered fish, as it is easier on my digestive system. But at a family asado, in Buenos Aires, I went to town.

Other food that usually accompanies asados are: different salads (for example: lettuce, onions, and shredded carrots, or just tomatoes and onions with olive oil and lemon juice), bread, roasted and marinated bell peppers, chimichurri, beer, wine, and soda water, and for dessert, a fruit salad... I'll probably think of some more things later - and when I do, I'll update this list.

There was more than one asasdo.. I have a big family :)

I hope I get to go back soon..

getting used to a different kitchen

2010-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

For the first couple of weeks, my cooking in Buenos Aires was pretty simple. Mostly just sautéed, or steamed veggies pared with leftovers from one of the many restaurants my grandparents and I visited. During the month there, I missed my friends back home.. but when I was in the kitchen, I missed my knives. Maybe I'll travel with them like a real chef next time I go. I see it causing a problem at the airport though...

One day I found rice paper and rice noodles at a Chinese market and decided to make spring rolls! But.. they didn't turn out the way I wanted. So I decided it would be better to try to make new food, as to not let down my expectation-ful taste buds.

restaurant review - spring

2010-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

My view from Deby's.

After a visit with Deby, my personal guide into milonga* land, I went to lunch at a place she recommended. Spring Restaurante is a vegetarian place in Palermo, Buenos Aires. The food was surprisingly good for a buffet, and the price is 30 pesos for all you can eat. (Including dessert.. which I decided to leave for another trip.) So in dollars.. that's about $7.50 with the current exchange rate. :)

As I was bringing my mountain of food back to the table, (avocado, fresh greens, steamed carrots and mushrooms, hearts of palm, lentil salad, and rice noodles) another couple stopped to look at my plate. "Wow, we should eat like that," they said (in spanish). It was a nice compliment... I didn't even realize that my new-ish healthy eating habits had become second nature.

*Milonga is the term for a place or an event where tango is danced.

restaurant review - pura vida

2010-11-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

In the beginning of my 1 month in Argentina, it was a little difficult adjusting to the food situation. Luckily, I stayed in a nice apartment with a usable kitchen. The vegetables all tasted different, of course.. and so did the olive oil, the salt.. and even the different water made me miss the taste of home. I got over it, don't worry :) But when I found this little place downtown during my first week there, I was so excited! I think I missed organic-y people.

PuraVida Juice Bar is on Reconquista, at Tucumán. They serve salads, sandwiches, wraps, muffins, juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass. I enjoyed their Todo Verde Salad: organic mixed greens, avocado, parsley, alfalfa sprouts, green onion, celery, and cucumber, with a tahini based dressing. And, the drink I went back for, a few different times, was the anti-resfrío: made with pineapple, apple, ginger, and wheatgrass.

I'm no scientist - but I'm pretty sure wheatgrass is gluten free. Incase you were wondering.

where have i been?

2010-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! So I'm back from Buenos Aires.. and I did a real poor job updating my blog while I was there. Too much vacationing, I guess. :) I met so much family and I don't know how many hours I spent tango dancing..
Anyway, I have about 100 pictures of food waiting to be published and written about. The more days that pass without a post, the more daunting the job seems! I'm not sure how long it will take to get all caught up - but I'm starting today.. and that's a good sign. Here we go!

octubre en buenos aires

2010-10-12T15:10:00.001-07:00

I'm spending this October in Buenos Aires. Yes, I know.. I am more than lucky. I am here with my grandparents in a cute apartment in Belgrano, spending the days with relatives I haven't seen in 12 years and some I've never met before, and the nights dancing el tango.

Stay tuned for the food.. restaurant reviews, traditional recipes, and more pretty pictures to come :) chao chao ~anna

restaurant review: follow your heart & juicy ladies (a day in the valley)

2010-09-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Follow Your Heart is a sweet little, well, not that little, vegetarian health food shop and cafe in Canoga Park, California. If I'm in LA and need a specialty health food or supplement or medicine, or anything item - I can find it at this place. In the back of the store is a cramped (not because it's small, but because it's crowded) café. They had a gluten free menu.. which I'm pretty sure is becoming more and more popular, even in non-healthy restaurants. I had the wok stir fry, of fresh vegetables and organic tofu, stir fried with garlic, ginger and tamari on a bed of brown rice.

A little while later, my aunt and I ventured to Juicy Ladies.. a cute little place on Ventura in Woodland Hills. They serve lunch, snacks, desserts, juices, and smoothies. I had them make my favorite juice of red apple, celery, ginger, and lemon (the ginger tonic from Main Squeeze) and my aunt got a carrot.. apple, ginger, lemon? I can't remeber now.. but they were delicious. Don't let the tasteless logo throw you off.. the food at this place is great. :)

soup at home

2010-09-30T01:02:00.000-07:00

Chicken broth + sautéed summer squash, carrots, onions, and kale + leftover kasha(buckwheat) made this meal in my parent's backyard a loving and nourishing treat.

simple lunch at caite and john's

2010-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry the posts have been sparse.. I'm traveling again. Right now I'm in Los Angeles, and in a couple days I'll be in Buenos Aires! Here's a little view of a visit I made to my childhood best friend's new loft in Long Beach. It was simple and delicious.. just like our lunch of sautéed onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and broccoli - with strawberries for dessert.

The third photo is just strange.. and.. I felt like I needed to share it?

one dish meals with tempeh. one hot one cool..

2010-09-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't been doing much cooking for other people lately.. Just quick-ish meals for myself, meals with one dish. I'm getting ready to go on a 6 week trip to Los Angeles and Buenos Aires.. so I've been working a lot, and not focusing my energy on pretty entrées.

1. Sautéed leek, tempeh, and spinach in olive oil with gluten free tamari sauce. Add leaks to heated oil, then add the tempeh and tamari, then a little water and the spinach leaves (so they will steam a bit).

2. Spinach salad with avocado, tempeh, and red onion. Dressing: olive oil, flax seed oil, lemon juice, honey, and a tiny pinch o'salt.

sauteéd veggies with curry and tofu

2010-09-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.. I've been out of town a couple more times, and when I do make meals at home - they have been really really simple. Sautéed, steamed, or roasted veggies. In olive oil. I added a bit of soy back into my diet now, mainly through tempeh and soy sauce.. but in this case I ran out of tempeh and had a block of tofu that needed using up.

This dish is everything green: (1-2 servings)
1/2 of one zucchini sliced
1 handful of okra, sliced
1/4-1/2 of one leek, sliced
1 handful of spinach
1 small serving of tofu, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp curry powder
pinch of salt

Sauté the zucchini, okra, and leek in 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover a few minutes. Add the curry powder, salt, and the rest of the oil. Let sauté a few more minutes. Add the tofu, then a little water if it's sticking to the pan, and top with the spinach. Cover and let steam. Then, once spinach is to your liking, serve :)

okra maitake soup

2010-08-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

I just got home from camping this weekend.. and luckily it was way more comfortable and enjoyable than the last camping trip I blogged about :) We enjoyed swordfish kabobs (again) and I brought a whole bunch of soaked and dehydrated walnuts, fresh peaches and nectarines, some buckwheat cookies, and some dried fruit. The weather was perfect and we basically had the camp grounds to ourselves. But in the end, I still missed my kitchen.. here's the first thing I made when I got home.

Okra Maitake Soup - Makes 2 bowls (or 3-4 small servings)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried maitake mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in about 2/3 cup lukewarm water (keep the water)
1 handful of okra, washed and cut into pieces
1 handful of spinach leaves
1 small serving of tempeh(and brand of kind you like), cut into cubes
1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp tamari (wheat free soy sauce)

Soak maitake mushrooms in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes and save the water.
Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onions for a few minutes, then add the okra and sauté a few minutes more. Add the tamari and then about 1/3 cup of the chicken broth with the spinach leaves and the tempe. Let steam for a couple minutes. Finally add the mushrooms and their soaking water and the rest of the chicken broth. Cook until thourouly heated and serve :)

Enjoy!

it feels like fall buckwheat cookies

2010-08-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Perfectly sweet and soft.. and healthy.. and vegan, and gluten free and sugar free.. these cookies are easy to make and rock.
They just do.
This recipe was inspired by the Spunky Coconut's chocolate chip cookies.

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp ground flax meal
1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 pinch stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips)
1/3 cup raisins

Oven! 350.
Mix all the wet ingredients with an electric mixer (I just used an immersion blender.)
Then add the wet ingredients into the premixed bowl of dry ingredients and whip!
Lastly, mix in the carob chips and the raisins.

Use wet fingers to roll the dough and flatten into a cookie shape on parchment covered baking sheets. I kept a little bowl of water on the counter and had to wet my hands after making each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

I'm not sure how many cookies this really makes.. because I ate so much of the cookie dough. It was so good!!

veggie cod bake - a picnic :)

2010-08-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting to get cool.. and bearable. So I enjoyed my dinner at the park just across from my house :) Yummy, filling, healthy, about $10 for 2 dinners, and all in 1 dish - this meal is common in my house. (Cutting down on dishes is important if one doesn't have a dishwasher!)

Oven! 350.
About 1 lb cod
2 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tbsp Olive oil
2-4 carrots, peeled and cut
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 crown broccoli, cut into little trees
2 tbsp fresh parsley and thyme
couple pinches of sea salt

First marinate the fish in lemon juice and olive oil in a baking dish. In the meanwhile, preheat the oven and prepare the vegetables. Toss the carrots into the dish and sprinkle the fish with salt, then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Take the fish out of the oven, cover it in the fresh herbs, and add the onion and broccoli. Then recover it with foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!!

A is for Anna, Agrarian, and A Positive

2010-08-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

A is for Anna. That's why I bought this mug for my kitchen utensils a long time ago.. but maybe it also stands for A positive. That's my blood type. I took a nifty little blood type test today to make sure. I've been looking into trying a different diet to try to heal my digestive disorder. The hunt + gather diet was nice for a while, and I learned a lot.. but I didn't actually get better. Not even with all the supplements, and the western medications, and the acupuncture, and the yoga, and the cod liver oil.. Nope. Still not better.

I was turned on to the Blood Type Diet by a few friends here in Columbia while I was buying my first pair of "healthy shoes" (Clarks). I've searched the web to see what people say about the diet and I read the book, "Eat Right For Your Type." There seem to be a bunch of people out there who think the diet's a bunch of bull.. and they would probably say the same thing if you told them they had to stop drinking alcohol and eating pizza. So - I'm going to go with my gut feeling about this one and jump in head first.

The recipes from now on will be based on my blood type. Type A. I don't know if it will work, but I'm going to try it out. If you are having digestive-related problems then maybe you should check the book out from your local library and figure out what your blood type is too.. if you decide not to change your diet based on Dr. D'Adamo's research, then at least it was an interesting read.

The major difference in my diet from now on will be that there will be no meat involved. "Type As flourish on vegetarian diets - the inheritance of your more settled and less warlike farmer ancestors." -Dr. D'Adamo

There are some other things I should tell you before this next chapter of my food life begins.. I got retested for my allergies. The first test I got, about a year ago, was a blood test. My blood was drawn and sent to a lab somewhere in Georgia where it was tested for 120 different foods. My new doctor/chiropractor thinks that these results are either old, inaccurate, or a combination of the two. So she had me bring in all the foods I was tested to be allergic to, and she muscle tested me by putting each one (one at a time) in my mouth and measuring the strength or weakness of my arm muscle.

Her test presented a radically different outcome than that of my first test last summer. It showed that I am not allergic to some of the things I thought I was. But this test, like any other, will not be as accurate as the test of time and a good old fashion elimination diet. Which is pretty much what I've already been doing. So I'm planning on introducing the foods my new doctor thinks I'm not allergic to back into my diet one a time, and giving each food a week or two before I introduce the next food back in.

I am planning on introducing soy first. According to the blood type diet, type A's best get their protein from soy, fish, and a little poultry. And I'll be eating more grains again.. grains like buckwheat and oats. Eventually, I'll slowly introduce some dairy back in - in the form of cultured goat milk, and you might even see and egg in some pancakes. But this is all months away.. It's a little scary and stressful to make a big change in my diet, but it's going to make each day that much more exciting, and the best part will be a healthy Anna. I'll let you know when that happens.

savory garlic zucchini spears

2010-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't feel like eating much of a dinner yesterday - so this is what I made. Simple and delicious, but can you ever go wrong with a whole lot of garlic?

zucchini, speared
olive oil
garlic, minced, a lot of it
savory
salt, just a pinch

Oven! 350. Mix oil, garlic, savory and salt in a bowl. Toss zucchini spears in mixture and place in a safe baking dish. Cook in oven for around 30 minutes. Then enjoy :)

peach pops

2010-08-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

I will never buy a popsicle ever again. The thought just seems so silly.

2 peaches
1/2 cup coconut milk
tiny pinch salt
normal pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp honey, or other sweetener
blueberries

Blend peaches, coconut milk, salt, nutmeg, and honey together. Put a few blueberries in your popsicle molds, then fill with the peach mixture. Freeze and enjoy.

salmon and mango chutney with a view

2010-08-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

While pet sitting at my uncle's house, my boyfriend made me this delicious dinner, of cedar smoked salmon with mango chutney.
Here's how he made the seriously amazing mango chutney:

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 1 leek, sliced and sautéed in olive oil with salt
1 big handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix and mash all ingredients together and enjoy on just about anything!

kiwi lime sherbet

2010-08-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

If you don't have an ice cream maker yet.. what are you waiting for? It's summer time and you should be eating healthy and easy to make ice cream with your friends and family!

Here's my kiwi lime sherbet:
5 ripe kiwis, peeled
2 frozen bananas, peeled and chopped (the frozen part probably isn't necessary)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used 1/2 cup hemp milk, and 1/4 cup coconut)
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey (or vegan sweetener of choice)

Blend all ingredients, then put in your pre frozen ice cream maker. Enjoy in 30 minutes!

Did I mention that you should get an ice cream maker? They're like, 30 bucks.

cashew cheese and my new favorite snack

2010-08-11T20:23:00.001-07:00

Cashew cheese recipe here. It was was too salty for my tongue. So.. be careful! And salt to taste.

This is my new favorite snack: red grapes and lox :) mmm.

Lox. cashew cheese. chives... Fancy! This is really missing a cracker or some bread. Seriously. Or a bagel! Anna! No! That was your old life...

restaurant review - the classic cup

2010-08-11T20:11:00.001-07:00

This wasn't the first time I enjoyed a meal at The Classic Cup in Kansas City, but now that I'm getting into reviewing restaurants I wanted to write about this meal. It was my first rack of lamb ever, and it was dreamy with the portberry sauce it came with. I used my fork and knife for as long as I could - but there's something about eating meat on a bone with your bare hands.. no? Is it just me?

They have a fantastic menu, check it out!

feast!! there was a cod sale

2010-08-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

The sea food counter man said he'd give Molly and I a low price on the cod if we bought 3 pounds of it. So we did :) (only 2 lbs are shown in the photo!) And we thought we'd have more leftovers than we did.. but it was a feast, after all.

Mexican spiced cod: Oven! 350.
cod
cilantro
cumin, ground
smoked paprika
lemon juice
olive oil

Place cod in a baking dish with lemon juice and olive oil. Make sure the dish is an appropriate size for the amount of fish you have, this way you can use less olive oil and lemon juice, and the fish will still be surrounded by plenty of liquid.

Sprinkle fish with spices and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on the amount of fish you have. It should flake apart with a fork easily.

Our feast was accompanied with a yellow squash and a green onion, chopped and sautéed with herbs of all kinds and more random spices from my spice collection.

Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture

2010-08-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

This produce came from my friends at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. Isn't it beautiful? There were so many different kinds of delicious looking tomatoes, but I'm taking a break from tomatoes because they are an inflammatory food.

With every purchase you make at CCUA, you get a walk through the herb garden and may take all the herbs you need. The more you cut them, the more they grow!

And! I got a bunch of zinnias. Can't go wrong giving a girl some flowers :)

easy breakfast while traveling

2010-08-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm almost finished with the posts from my trip. Here is the breakfast I ate while in Chicago.
Lydia's Organics Apricot Sun cereal, made of: sprouted buckwheat, apples, sprouted sunflower seeds, coconut, apricots, and agave nectar. All Lydia's Organics products are gluten free, raw, organic, and vegan. She has some great products on her website.. which also means - some good inspiration if you own a dehydrator :)

The fancy granola was initially a little expensive, but because it nourished me at least 6 times while I was traveling, it was well worth the cost. I pared it with some vanilla Tempt hemp milk. When I'm at home I make my own - but I don't bring my immersion blender with me on the road. Hmm.. that's actually not a bad idea.

SURPRISE!

2010-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

It just so happens that in Minneapolis lives one of the allergic hedonist's biggest fans! Since I was randomly in her town, my friends and I decided to surprise her and her family with a dinner party! (We set it all up before hand with her husband of course) My friends in the 1st photo (Jenn, Erin, myself, and Parker - the photographer) showed up with bags of groceries and an ice cream maker and introduced ourselves at the front door.

Once all the introductions were made, and the hand painted aprons bestowed, 14 hands got to work in the kitchen making swordfish kabobs, wild rice with almonds and currants (I started soaking the rice that morning), and a Minneapolis inspired dessert, Mini-Raw-Ha's.

We made the same kabobs that I made on my camping trip (but oh so comfortable this time!) Swordfish marinated in wine and honey, with mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and red onion.

For the wild rice:
2 cups rice
4 cups water
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
a bunch of herbs, fresh or dried.
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup currants

Soak the rice in 4 cups of warm water plus the lemon juice for 7 hours in a pot. Then bring to a boil, skim the top, reduce heat and stir in the salt, oil, and some of the herbs. Without removing lid, cook over lowest possible heat for about 45 minutes. Once the rice is done, add some more fresh herbs, and toss in the almonds and the currents. Done :)

A few days before the big surprise, Parker took Jenn and I to see the Minnehaha Falls. That is pretty much the only connection between the Mini-Raw-Ha's and Minneapolis, other than the fact that we created it there :)

A Mini-Raw-Ha is a single serving dessert. (I guess a Raw-Ha would be the same thing but in a pie dish, that people would share) So, begin with little bowls, or coffee cups, or ramekins. Then add the crust (coarsely processed dates, walnuts, and coconut flakes) to the bottom of the dish. The next layer is thinly sliced apples (as many as you want) sprinkled with ground nutmeg.

Ice cream is next: We had two frozen ice cream maker bowls (thanks to Parker's mom!) and made two different flavors.
1. cinnamon honey ice cream: 1 can whole coconut milk, 1 banana, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla.
2. chocolate mint ice cream: 1 can whole coconut milk, 1 banana, 1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp vanilla, handful of fresh mint leaves finely chopped.
Place ingredients in a blender or food processor then follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

Lastly, we topped the Mini-Raw-Ha's with blueberries. Have fun making this recipe your own raw dessert by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or completely changing the layers. Desserts prepared in personal sized dishes are great, because then you don't have to worry about someone else (I'll use myself as an example) taking more than their fair share :)

Enjoy! And thank you to Cathy and her family for letting us into their home and sharing this amazing meal with us, and to Parker for the b-e-a-utiful photos!

restaurant review - ecopolitan

2010-08-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

My friend from elementary school, Jenn, and I picked a place we had never been before and decided to meet there. This is how the Minneapolis trip was started. I have to say, that Minneapolis is the cat's meow. With an awesome art museum, food co-ops, lakes, nice summer weather, and a live tango band to dance to every week!! If it just didn't get so cold there.. hmm. (I learned that Minneapolis has two seasons: winter and road construction. There's your joke for the day.. but.. it's not really a joke.)

Anyway, one place I visited 3 times was a building called the Ecopolitan. It's full of natural doctors and massage therapists, and on the main level is a raw food restaurant. The first time I went there with a large group of friends, Jenn and I split a freaking amazing salad made with kale, kiwi, red cabbage, tomato, fresh basil, sprouted quinoa, raisins, and a tahini-garlic dressing.

We also got the flaxeed tostadas made with: flaxseed-sunflower shells with lentil “taco meat”, greens, marinated mushrooms, onion, olives, cilantro, cashew “sour cream,” & hot sauce. And it was served with salsa & guacamole. I couldn't help myself from getting a dessert to go as well.. I got a slice of coconut creme pie. It's just too exciting when I can actually eat dessert at a restaurant and feel good afterwards. I recommend checking out their website and visiting their restaurant if you're in the area, or at least downloading their menu and trying to make some of their dishes at home :)

My photos from the first meal didn't turn out so well, but the 2nd time I went there, I visited their juice bar and my friends and I got the "orange dream" (orange, carrot, and ginger) and "sweet beet" (beet, carrot, apple, kale, and ginger). mmm

The THIRD time I went back was by myself to get breakfast.. I got the "rawnola" made of crunchy cinnamon spouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats, with strawberries, pineapple, apple, cherries, dates, raisins, all topped with a date syrup and served with freshly made coconut milk. It was delicious, organic, $6. How? I don't know.

dessert

2010-08-01T11:46:00.001-07:00

My boyfriend took me out to a fancy restaurant before I left for my trip.. and instead of being sad when it came time for dessert, because I can't enjoy anything on the menu, we just left and strolled down to the root cellar (our local store where you can buy local produce when you don't wake up in time for the farmer's market).

We enjoyed blueberries, apples, little plums, and strawberries.. outside on a bench. :) Life is good.

raw zucchini linguini with fresh tomato sauce

2010-08-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the big break in posts.. I was on vacation again. Poor me, I know. But before I write about what I ate on my trip - I have to play a little catch up. Here was a meal a friend and I made before I left. I was trying to use up the produce I still had, and in this case - it was a zucchini somewhere between the size of my calf and my thigh. I remember making this recipe once last summer, pre-blog-life.. so I knew I had to make it again to share with you.

The recipe is from one of Williams-Sonoma cookbooks (but I left out the cheese...) The process on this one is slightly tedious.. but worth it! And if you make extra, it keeps in the fridge :) I ate raw zucchini linguini with 4 different toppings over the four days it took me to finish it all. Note: The process goes faster with a friend you need to catch up with.. so.. invite one? When I tasted the finished product, I was immediately brought back to Italy. I lived there for four months, and it was before I knew about all my allergies (thank God).. But since I haven't been able to have dairy, wheat, or even wine, it's been hard to recreate the Italy taste. Garlic, basil, olive oil, and a good tomato will do the trick.

Ingredients:
zucchini, 2 lbs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
ripe tomatoes, 2 lbs total weight, diced (there's a photo coming up of what a tomato should look like on the inside)
garlic, 2 cloves (because I was making a huge amount.. I probably added more than what the recipe suggested)
fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons (I just used a handful from my herb garden.. the recipe says "leaves from 1/2 a bunch" What? Oh yeah.. basil comes from the grocery store.. I forgot.)
olive oil, 3 tbsp (I hate saying extra virgin.. you know what I mean)
parmesan cheese, small chunk (get permission from your body first, mine says "no.")
Ready?
Using a vegetable peeler, cut zucchini lengthwise into slices about 1/8th inch thick. Carefully place slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, and toss gently to coat. Line your workspace with cloth towels and transfer the salted zucchini slices, arranging them in a single layer, and let them stand for 20 minutes.

Turn the slices over and let stand for another 10 minutes. Then gently rinse under cold running water. Using clean towels pat the slices dry, then arrange them in a loose mound on a serving platter. The zucchini should have gone through a transformation - from slimy to crisp.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with their juices, garlic, and basil, and toss gently to mix. Stir in 2 tbsp olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the zucchini and top with a few grinds of pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the zucchini, and serve right away.

salad with avocado & artichoke

2010-07-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone :)
Right now, I'm in Minneapolis, on another summer trip visiting friends and having adventures :) I'll be back at home in less than a week, so get ready for a flood of posts. But at the moment, it's 2 am on my last night in Minnesota, and I can't fall asleep! I thought I'd at least be productive.. and catch up on a post :)

Here's a photo of the salad I had right before leaving for the megabus. If you don't know about megabus yet, you should. And sorry if it doesn't go to your town - but I made it from Columbia, MO to Chicago to Minneapolis and all the way back for $60. Yeah, I know.

The salad!
Greens (I used a mix of spinach and lettuce)
1/2 avocado, chopped (per person)
3-4 artichoke hearts, quartered (per person)
some wisps of red onion

The dressing!
olive oil + balsamic vinegar, and maybe a little pinch of salt.

enjoy :)

chocolate orange ice cream ~ avec le sel

2010-07-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

Wowza. This ice cream was amazing. This recipe serves 4 happy sized portions.

You'll need:
1 can whole coconut milk
1/3 cup honey (or vegan sweetener)
1 frozen banana, chopped helps
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp orange extract (I didn't have oranges.. but I'm sure orange zest would be amazing here)
scant 1/4 tsp sea salt
1 handful of your favorite/allergy friendly chocolate chips

In a blender or food processor, start by mixing the coconut milk with the honey. Then add the banana, the coco powder, orange extract, and salt. Blend away. Lastly, add the chocolate chips - but allow them to stay a little chunky.

Pour this mixture into a pre-frozen ice cream maker and follow the directions. Eat right away, or store to continue setting in the freezer.

Let me know how it goes! Enjoy :)

jews don't go camping, but I tried (a swordfish kabob recipe)

2010-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

I just went on a camping trip.. just a short 2 night-er, and only a 3 hour car ride away. Lets just say, it didn't go like we planned. First we couldn't find our campsite.. and drove around lost for an hour (in the pouring rain). By the time we found it, it was getting dark, and had just stopped pouring, so we had to set up in a dark drizzle. I was prepared for a gourmet camping experience, so there was a lot of food prep to be done - well, it wasn't actually a lot for what I'm used to, but it felt like it because I was outside of my comfort zone/kitchen.

On the second day we woke up to sunshine, and we set up a hammock, which was pretty much exactly how I imagine heaven. We went fishing, and fed the fish instead of ourselves.. then went for a walk in a different part of the campground. Across the bridge came wandering toward me a little gray kitten.. and then another.. and then another! Some one had just dumped them there, I even saw the shady white van drive away. :( We had to take them with us, or they'd be tasty little owl snacks, so back to our campsite we went.

Then the temperature dropped.. and the rain started coming down again. We tried to stick it out - eating our roasted veggies under a little covering.. but the rain started coming at us from all directions, so we snatched up the kittens and all sat in the car playing rummikub for an hour. When it looked like it would never stop pre-tornado style pouring (which of course it did soon after), we left for a motel. We hid the kittens in the bathtub for the night, and got as many phone numbers for animal shelters in the area. Turns out kittens get dumped all the time in those parts, and no one wanted any. :(

The next day, we cleaned up our poor post-storm camp site, and took the kittens with us all the way home. I set them up in a tent in the shade on my downstairs neighbor's front porch, and tried to keep them happy for two more days. Then thanks to craigslist, I found a family with two little girls, who happily took them off my hands. I must say, that I miss them a little bit, but it's nice to have my life back, with one less responsibility. Ready for the photos? Keep scrolling down for the mouthwatering swordfish kabob recipe.

Swordfish kabob recipe:
I'm not sure is swordfish is one of those sustainable, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified, kinds of fish.. But incase it's not - I don't eat it that often. Maybe once a year. But now that I know how deliscious this is.. it may be hard to wait another year. Anyone know about swordfish? Is it ok? Ok. Here's the recipe already.

2 tbsp honey
1 cup dry white wine
1-2 lbs swordfish steaks
cherry, or mini pear tomatoes
1 bell pepper, color of your choosing, seeded and cut into 1" squares
1 small red onion, cut into 1" chunks
as many mushrooms as your want (don't be shy)
olive oil (or oil blend - of coconut, olive, and sesame) for brushing over kabobs
salt and pepper
long wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes (or metal skewers)

Prep fire or preheat gas grill. Mix the honey and wine in a bowl. Cut the fish into 1.5" cubes and add to the bowl, turn, coat, and let stand at room temp for 20 minutes. (Make sure to soak the wooden skewers at this time too).

Then drain the fish. To make the kabobs, alternate threading the tomatoes, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and fish. Brush the threaded kabob with oil, then top with salt and pepper.

Place kabobs on grill, over direct heat and cook.. turning occasionally, until the fish is opaque all the way through. Enjoy!!

kale, a light lunch

2010-07-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

So, I just got back from a camping trip.. oops. These are out of order. I'll post something from this past the weekend next. Anyway - so I didn't have food in the fridge yet.. because I'd just been out of town, so I visited my little potted herb garden, where I have some kale growing. I snipped some for lunch and sautéed it in this oil blend (equal parts coconut, sesame, and olive oil) with garlic and red onions. Yum!

friends+farm+feast - and 2 recipes

2010-07-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

I totally shouldn't be blogging right now. Sorry other jobs of mine.. this.. is important.
Here are some photos from a trip out to my friend Paul's farm. We feasted, of course, on salmon with fennel and apple salsa, watermelon, basil cucumber and tomato salad, and on Paul's home made pickles. They are my favorite pickles ever. Better than Bubbies, and better than the ones at the Carnegie Hall Deli in NYC.

1. freshly picked cucumbers and tomatoes
2. salad made from fresh cucumber, tomato, and basil.. with a little oil salt and pepper.
3. salmon with fennel and apple salsa
4. here's the recipe: (thank you Williams-Sonoma fish cookbook)

For the salsa:
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped, fronds reserved for garnish
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

For the fish:
4 salmon fillets (or 1.5 lbs of salmon)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey (they say sugar.. but they're so silly)
1/4 cup bbq sauce.. (I use a super organic and healthy brand.. or you can make your own)
2 tbsp fennel seeds plus extra for garnish

Step 1. Make salsa by combining all salsa ingredients. Cover and set aside.

Step 2. Prep fire in charcoal grill or preheat gas grill. Score the skin side with 2 shallow crisscross cuts. In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup lemon juice, honey, and bbq sauce. Add salmon, turn to coat, and let stand for only 10 minutes.

Step 3. Just before cooking salmon, through 2 tbsp of fennel seeds onto the coals. Lift salmon from marinade (and save the drips and the left over marinade!) Lay salmon on the grill over direct heat and cook until browned on 1st side (~5 minutes). Using a wide metal spatula, turn and cook on the 2nd side until opaque throughout (~3 minutes longer).

Step 4. Spoon salsa onto individual plates or serving platter. Lay fish on salsa. In a small sauce pan, boil reserved marinade for 2 minutes. Pour over salmon, garnish with fennel seeds and fronds, and serve.

Back to the photos:
5. One of the shelters on Paul's farm
6. Enjoy!

unholy doughnuts

2010-07-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

These vegan, gluten free, and healthy (size and ingredient-wise) little doughnut bites are a combination of the Whole Life Nutrition's ginger cookies with Elana's Pantry's chocolate frosting. They really taste like little doughnuts! (not as fluffy as the regular bars as I recall, but more dense - like the old fashion ones)

The cookie/doughnut base. Oven! 350.

15 medjool dates, pitted (soaked for 15 minutes in boiling water)
1/4 cup date soaking water
6 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey.. I used maple syrup this time)
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
few pinches of salt

Place the dates into a bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Soak for 15 minutes.
Drain (and save the water) and place soaked dates into a food processor and add the coconut oil, soaking water, syrup, and vanilla. Process until smooth.

Mix the dry ingredients in a different bowl and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process until just combined.

Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (optional). It helps to have a small bowl of water to wet your hands with as you make the balls, because the batter is quite sticky! Then use your hands or a bottom of a cup to flatten each cookie.

Bake for 11-14 mintues. (Whole Life Nutrition said it makes 16 cookies, but I made small cookies, and I got 30 out of it.)

Ready for the frosting!? This is what really makes it a doughnut and not just a cookie.

1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used enjoy life's chocolate chips)
1/2 cup grape seed oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan, over very low heat, melt chocolate and oil. Then stir in the honey vanilla and salt. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to chill and thicken. Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy. Now.. frost things!

Enjoy! (and refrigerate) If you're like me - this will be your first doughnut in a long long time.

Bastrawnabernary smoothie pop

2010-07-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Guess who helped me come up with that name for this banana strawberry popsicle?
My cousin and I ate these for breakfast! What? Popsicles for breakfast! Yes.

Blend:
1-2 bananas
1-2 cups of strawberries
1/2 cup of whole coconut milk

Pour:
into popsicle molds or dixie cups with popsicle sticks

Freeze:
then enjoy!

more spring rolls! in the summer... + mint dipping sauce

2010-07-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

My 10 year old cousin and I had a sleep over last night.. and we cooked and ate and cooked and ate.. we counted the number of times I had to clean a sink full of dishes. seven. Here's one of the things we made - amazing spring rolls with mint dipping sauce. We ate so many of them that we each got a belly ache, and couldn't even think about making dessert. They were that good.

This meal is as entertaining as going to one of those fancy restaurants where they cook right in front of you.. Everything is hands on, and all age friendly. It even caters to people with different food allergies because you can have different bowls filled with separate ingredients for people to try. I hope you try these - or make your own version of these healthy spring rolls :)

First we prepared all our different fillings:
-grated carrots, onion, and zucchini with little broccoli trees - all sautéed (in Mary's Oil Blend) which is equal parts coconut, olive, and sesame oil) with garlic and fresh ginger
-sautéed slices of mushrooms (in Mary's Oil Blend)
-lettuce, chopped
-green onions, chopped
-rice or mung bean noodles
for these, soak in hot water for 3 minutes, then rinse and strain
-rice paper

Here's a super helpful video on how to roll spring rolls like a pro.

For the mint dipping sauce, mix:
1/4 cup mint leaves, ribboned or chopped
1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
3 tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of 1 lemon)
1 tsp honey

Enjoy!!

coconut aminos

2010-07-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

It was 11pm and I had a craving for something salty.. luckily my hand pulled broccoli out of the fridge before I had time to think of something less healthy to munch. So I steamed the broccoli and enjoyed it with my new condiment - coconut aminos!

It tastes like soy sauce, but less salty, and it's not made from soy - but from the sap of the coconut tree! Click here to learn all about it. You can probably find some at your local health food store :)

sesame halvah (candies)

2010-07-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

"Halvah (also known as halwa, halva, halava, helva, etc.) is a broad term used to describe desserts made with a base of flour or nut butter, such as sesame tahini, and sometimes including vegetables (such as carrots) or nuts. It is eaten in India, Central and West Asia, North Africa, the Balkans, and of course, in Israel and in Jewish delis throughout the United States. Each culture has its own halvah, united only by name--which derives from the Arabic word for "sweet"--and the fact that each is a sweetened candy or dessert, often an ancient and beloved recipe."
-Elisheva Margulies

Here's an easy recipe. And by easy, I mean really easy. You might already have everything you need.

1 cup sesame seeds (I used some black sesame seeds too)
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp honey (raw)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (or just another 1/2 tsp of vanilla)

Mix all the ingredients except the seeds, then mix the seeds in.
Squish the sticky mix into a small container lined with wax paper. You can make the candies as thick or thin as you like. I recommend somewhere between 1/2 to 1 inch. So - I used a small 6" x 6" tupperware, and the candies were about 1/2" thick.
Chill, then cut, and serve and enjoy :)

what's in the fridge salad + some awesome dressing

2010-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

For lunch today, I ate this salad. It was made up of whatever I had in the fridge.. of course it helps if you keep healthy and fresh and delicious food in your home. Always.

Salad greens - lettuce, kale, arugula, and swiss chard
Carrot - shredded
Artichoke heart - pulled apart
Red onion - thinly sliced
Cucumber - seeded and diced
Walnuts - chopped

For the dressing.. There are two steps to this if you don't already have Mary's Oil Blend.
Mary's oil blend is a combination of coconut, sesame, and olive oils (in equal parts). The idea comes from Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon's book Eat Fat Lose Fat which stresses that coconut oil be a part of one's diet everyday. So! First, I made a big batch of this oil - with 1 cup of each of the 3 oils. Then I made Sally Fallon's herb dressing: (minus the mustard, because I'm actually allergic to that too..)

1/2 cup Mary's Oil Blend
2 tbsp + 1 tsp raw wine vinegar
1 tbsp flax oil.
(1 tsp Dijon style mustard - if you must)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, oregano, basil, and some rosemary)

Because there's flax oil in this, I recommend storing it in the fridge. Enjoy!

(All of the oils I use are expeller or cold pressed, as well as organic.)

dinner tonight

2010-07-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

1. Peach guacamole + rice chips, salmon burger + tomato and red onion, on arugula and other salad greens, and some perfectly ripe, you-can-smell-it-through-the-rind-cantaloupe.
-The Guac = 2 avocados, 1 tomato - seeded and diced, 1/2 yellow onion - diced, a few cloves of garlic - minced, fresh cilantro - chopped, lime and lemon juice, salt
-The Salmon burger (is store bought! AH! shoot me. It wasn't very good.. I learned my lesson.. I was just so curious!)

2. Mushrooms + olive oil + rosemary + garlic, all in some foil and put on the grill :) yummy

3. Local strawberries + dark dark chocolate.

venison jerky

2010-07-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

If taking the 12 hour course, passing the test, and getting my hunter's license didn't confirm that I have truly made the move in both body and mind from Los Angeles to Columbia, Missouri - making deer jerky did.

If you're lucky enough to obtain some venison from a friend's, or your own hunting trip, then I recommend turning some of it into jerky. You can use an oven, but I have a dehydrator - so I'm spoiled.

There are endless variations of jerky recipes online - so have fun doing your own research. Because this was my first time making it, I went with simple ingredients. Here's what I ended up with:

1-2 lbs of venison steaks, cut into strips about 1/4"-1/2" thick
1 tbsp worchestire sauce (yes.. there is some soy sauce as well as a little sugar in here :( I'll make my own next time)
1/3 cup coconut aminos (basically a non-soy soy-tasting-sauce made from the sap of the coconut tree - and it's really yummy. Go to your local health food store and buy it!)
1/3 cup yellow onion, minced
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or a bunch of minced garlic)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Mix up the marinade, then soak the steak strips and leave them in the fridge for around 12 hours. (I had mine in a bowl, and really pushed the meat down, so they were covered in the marinade, then I put ziploc bags full of water on top, to make sure no air would get to it - not sure if this part is necessary.. but I'm just telling you what I did.)

When you take the meat out of the fridge dry the strips (Yes, I used paper towels for this part - but at least they are made from 100% recycled paper.. anyway). The place them in your dehydrator - and make sure there's plenty of space between the strips. I think I left mine for about 12 hours.. I like my jerky a little chewy - but do what you like. Enjoy!

restaurant review - the farmhouse

2010-07-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

The Farmhouse is an amazing new place in the River Market neighborhood, in Kansas City.. I really recommend trying it out. They are all about in season produce from local farmers, and they have a big patio. This is important to me, which I have probably mentioned before.

In the photos:
Our salad, made of: roasted beets, blue cheese (on the side), walnuts, spring herbs, fried capers, farmer greens, lemon-thyme vinaigrette

Matthew's dinner: (even though it doesn't fit in with the rest of the blog, nor my diet.. I can still appreciate how beautiful it is and how good it must have tasted.)
Cheese plate: Green Dirt Farm’s bossa, prairie tome, wooly rind and sheep’s milk) cherry mostarda, syrup, seasonal fruit, house-made crackers

And my dinner: 360 day aged hanger steak with salsa verde, and sautéed summer veggies. To die for. Simply. Amazing.

i stopped to pick flowers on the way home, and it made all the difference.

2010-07-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

Don't you think?

mint cucumber salad

2010-07-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

I misunderstood my friend on the phone, I thought he said that he had a mint flavored cucumber. I was so excited for him to bring it over for dinner.. then he showed up with fresh mint, and a cucumber. It made more sense, and a delicious salad - but it wasn't was I was expecting.

This salad was simple and yummy for a hot summer night.
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced
red onions, thinly sliced
fresh mint, chopped
And for a dressing we just used olive oil with a little salt and pepper
(but you can also use apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, or yogurt)

Also - how cute is the little guy on that homegrown broccoli? You really can't beat homegrown broccoli.

popsicle obsession

2010-07-01T22:29:00.001-07:00

It all started because I live in an attic in Missouri, and it's July. Well, it was June when the obsession began, but that's beside the point. For some reason I just had a light bulb moment about how cool popsicles were and how creative one can be when making them. I know it's nothing new - but I had fun for a few days of only thinking about my future popsicle plans.

Lately I've been making popsicles in dixie cups with popsicle sticks, but I'm sure future posts will involve much more creative popsicle molds.

The popsicles you see in the picture are my super healthy and delicious "fudgesicle," "cantaloupe cream," and "lavender blackberry." I'll put up recipes next time - but for now, I just wanted you to get excited.

my cousin Deb's

2010-06-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the last post from my New York trip, at another great spot to dine.. my cousin Deb's. It's definitely an exclusive joint, so I had to call about 2 days ahead to make a reservation. :)

My diet (basically meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts & seeds) tends to freak hosts and hostesses out, if I'm coming over for dinner. Especially if I'm going over to a vegetarian friend's or family member's home. Deb had a great idea, which was to create a gourmet salad bar, so everyone in the family could create something delicious for their own mouths and digestive systems.

There were two bowls of greens, pre-dressed (but I can't remember the dressing.. Melissa?) One of spinach and the other for people who don't like spinach. There was a bowl of cherry tomatoes, a bowl of sliced avocados, slices of red onion, sliced grilled bell peppers, roasted cauliflower (I took more than my fair share of this one), raw peppers, and raw cauliflower, radishes, four different kinds of cheeses, hard boiled eggs, sun dried tomatoes, green olives, black olives, and chickpeas..
phew!

Thanks Deb! It was fun, delicious, and most of all, full of love.

restaurant review - blossom

2010-06-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

I was treated to Blossom, another organic vegan restaurant in Manhattan, by my cousin Eric. Kosher for him and allergen friendly for me, the place was perfect. And we got to sit outside, which I think is important.. no need to waste good weather. This place gets 5 stars from me :)

We started out with all different colored beautiful fruit and vegetable juices.. I looked on their website, but they aren't listed there.. shucks. I should have taken a photo of the menu after all! I remember I had a "pink lady," Paul had something red, Benjamin something orange, and Eric something green.

The second photo was my Red Quinoa Salad:
with red quinoa, navy beans, julienne peppers, watercress, toasted seeds, mango guacamole, and lemon vinaigrette. Simple and delicious.

For dessert (my favorite meal of the day) I had a little scoop of green tea "ice cream" made from cashews, with a dehydrated gf cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookie. yum!!!!

restaurant review - candle 79

2010-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Candle 79 is an organic, vegan restaurant on the upper east side of Manhattan. My friends and I splurged on this meal - but we were on vacation. There are no restaurants like this, probably in the whole state of Missouri, so it was worth it :)

The entree I got doesn't seem to be on the menu, maybe it was a special of the day. I got a Moroccan spiced chickpea pate over root vegetables with broccoli, with a dollop of special date paste and almonds.

Their drink menu was really fun too - especially since I cut alcohol from my diet. I got the homemade ginger ale, made from: fresh ginger, agave, sparkling water, lime, and mint.
MMMM!

Check out their menu for some fun ideas..

baked salmon steaks with capers

2010-06-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

Serves 2-4
Gather:
4 fresh salmon steaks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 lemon, (one cut into wedges, the other for juicing before serving)
as many capers as you're into
salt and pepper
1/4 cup-ish olive oil

Prep:
Oven! 350.
Wash and dry the salmon
In a glass baking dish, mix the olive oil and the onions.
Place salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and rub in the olive oil.
Add the capers, and lemon wedges around the salmon, and squeeze the lemon juice from 1 lemon over the dish.
Cover with top or foil, and cook for 30 minutes.
Done. Serve . Enjoy :)

restaurant review - live

2010-06-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

My cousin took me out to Live, an organic food bar in Toronto.. and it was to die for. Check out their website to drool over their menu, and get inspired by some of the descriptions.

I enjoyed the big bowl:
"A high protein salad mix of field greens, and kale topped with carrots, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed seeds, black beans, avocado, and sunflower sprouts tossed with your choice of dressings. Raw option: Substitute sunflower seed pate for black beans."

With the dilly house dressing:
Made of " cold pressed olive oil, tahini, apple cider vinegar, dill, garlic, wheat free tamari, celtic sea salt"

I also split the smoked reuben with my cousin:
"Our sesame kale and carob 'rye' bread smothered with a spicy sesame mayo, avocado, probiotic sauerkraut and our smoked walnut veggie patty. Served with root veggie chips and dill pickles."

And washed it down with a blues buster smoothie made of:
"Almond milk, blueberry, hemp seeds, apple juice, St. John’s Wort"

I wish I took photos of everything I ordered, but it all disappeared before I had time to think, about taking my camera out. Dessert was so hard to choose.. all their desserts were made without flour, gluten, or refined sugar.. I ended up with something small, an almond dream bar, due to the lack of room left in my stomach.

I'm going to try to reproduce some of their desserts, and when I figure them out - I'll let you know for sure :)

cleveland cousins & calico balls

2010-06-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote about this dessert before, but here it is again.. I've made it a lot since the last time I posted the trinity truffle recipe. Here's a photo of one about 1.5" in diameter, along with my two cousins enjoying them. I put them in the freezer instead of the fridge, because we wanted them to be ready to eat faster - but then they got too hard, and we had no patience to let them soften up a little before we started into them.

So! Here's the recipe again.. but a little different.. as usual.

1 cup honey (or agave)
1 cup cocoa powder
1.5 cup almond butter
1/4 cup shredded coconut
extra coconut in a bowl for covering the outside

Mix! You'll need to call upon those muscles for this. Then roll into the size that suits your taste, and roll in extra shredded coconut. I put each one in a paper muffin wrapper, then put them on a plate in the fridge. (if you're in a rush, put them in the freezer - but then leave a few minutes before serving them so they're not too hard!)

chicken marbella at marla's

2010-06-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sooo.. I've been out of town for the last two weeks. And now I'm going to attempt to catch you up a bit. Probably more than 1/2 of my meals were at restaurants.. a true vacation.. but I did get to do a little cooking all along the way. I didn't take photos of food during the first leg of my trip in Chicago.. but I did sing a lot of jazz and go out tango dancing. The next stop I made was Cleveland, to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. Here's one of the dishes we enjoyed together :)

It's the famous chicken marbella from the Silver Palate Cookbook - also on epicurious.
"It's good hot or at room temperature. When prepared with small drumsticks and wings, it makes a delicious hors d'oeuvre. The overnight marinating is essential to the moistness of the finished product: the chicken keeps and even improves over several days of refrigeration; it travels well and makes excellent picnic fare."

(we cut the recipe in 1/2.. to serve 6, instead of the original 12, and we also substituted honey for the brown sugar)

You'll need:
2 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered
1/2 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
2 tbsp dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Oven! 350. (I almost just used the words straight from the book.. sorry.. if that's not good enough for you:)

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Drizzle chicken pieces with honey and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

Enjoy!!!

strawberries and vanilla coconut creme

2010-06-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Freshly picked strawberries, by yours truly.. and a couple spoonfuls of vanilla coconut creme..

Sorry I haven't been posting.. at all this summer.. but I'm on vacation now - and there will be a flood of recipes and pictures soon :) Do you miss whipped cream? Or maybe you had a dairy allergy forever and never got to try it? This creme recipe is SO delicious (and healthy).. the folks still buying whipped cream are the ones missing out.

I got this recipe (then tweaked it) from a post by Melissa here. It's a simple recipe.. you just blend together all the ingredients, but getting the coconut meat out of the coconut is a little bit of a hassle. But it's so worth it!!

2 cups young coconut meat
1/4 cup honey (agave for the vegans)
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Blend ingredients until completely smooth. Chill for 4-6 hours until firm.

There are so many desserts to enjoy this creme with!! You'll probably be seeing it on my blog more often.

summer in missouri

2010-05-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

liquid coconut oil
washing dishes in cold water
no blankets just sheets
no sheets
frozen banana snack
hair up
salty lip
face in fridge

sorry it's been so long!

2010-05-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

So... I graduated from the University of Missouri last Friday, and I've been busy with that. But iphoto has been broken on my laptop for the last 3 weeks, and that's the main reason I haven't been blogging. But now.. It's finally fixed! Thanks to my friend Ryan. Thank you Ryan, and all the other good people who've tried to help me.

Let me explain some of these photos..

1. A salad I was eating a lot of.. spinach from Phil at the farmers market, with shredded carrot and sliced pieces of roasted red bell pepper, with this delicious Italian dressing I made up.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flax seed oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp shallot salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 dash paprika
1 dash garlic powder

2. New plants in my window.. and boy, has this spring been raaaaaaainy.

3. My new Toms shoes! And another herb to add to my collection: savory.

4. My new favorite meal: broccoli, onions, garlic, and cashews sauteed in schmaltz! YUMMMM! And it makes my apartment smell AMAZING.

5. Soaked oatmeal for breakfast with my sister, who flew in from NYC for my graduation weekend. Oatmeal soaked the night before, as usual (with water and about 1 tbsp lemon juice) then instead of water, add coconut milk in the morning, with cinnamon, honey, and raisins. :)

6. That's me.

7. Spinach, dried cherries, walnuts, and chicken with spicy honey lemon dressing

I promise you'll hear more from me.. now that school's out and I have so much free time! (that was a joke.) But really.. I hope to be blogging more. Peace out.

coconut curry soup

2010-05-09T01:39:00.001-07:00

I think I'm turning out more recipes during this week of craziness (I'm graduating from MU on Friday) than I was over the summer.. I specifically start to prepare a simple dinner, knowing I don't have extra time for something special.. then all of a sudden, my creative juices start to flow - and I end up with something seriously delicious! Like this soup.. I think it also has something to do with not shopping for a specific recipe, but just having good ingredients around - so I am forced to make due with what I have. And when I am left with fewer options, I get very creative. Kind of like squeezing out a new awesome outfit from my closet when I really need to do laundry - and I don't think I have anything left to wear.

So! Bet you're wondering how to make this soup.. It's easy..

Gather (these are the ingredients for 1 bowl! - maybe 2 cups if you're having it as a side)
1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin and organic are implied)
2 tsp coconut oil (extra virgin and organic are implied)
1/2 onion, diced
1 handful of chopped spinach
1/4 cup whole coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 dash of salt

In big pan, sauté the onions in the two oils until they are translucent, then add the curry powder. mix. Next add the chopped spinach and sauté for a couple minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and broth, and add the green onion, and simmer until it's the perfect temperature. Salt to taste :)
Enjoy!

brodo di pollo

2010-05-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

Chicken broth, Italian style! I sautéed some onion in olive oil, then added a huge clove of garlic. Then came the chicken broth with 1/2 a tomato, seeded and chopped, and finally some fresh parsley and basil. Oh yeah, and some salt. :)
These posts are short, I know - but I shouldn't even be blogging right now.. there are 5 more days left of possible school work.. Or should I say 120 hours..

where was this photo taken?

2010-05-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

there might be a prize if you get it right...

to-go where? to school.

2010-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yummy day at school with my to-go ware lunch "box."

I packed a salad of butter lettuce, my special walnuts, and a 1/4 of a tomato (seeded, in case it wasn't obvious) with some sesame ginger salad dressing.
+
an avocado with a side of sea salt, and a handful of crispy almonds (prepared the same way as the walnuts)
YUM!

my last week of college

2010-05-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

Studying + dish washing. I am a pro multi-tasker.

pineapple & coconut quinoa

2010-05-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

I've been eying The Spunky Coconut's pineapple coconut quinoa recipe for over a week now.. and I finally collected and readied all the ingredients I needed. You can check her recipe out - but mine's a little bit different.. I changed the proportions a bit, and soaked the quinoa for over 12 hours, so it changed the amount of liquid I needed. This was SOO good. I'm going to make it for a bigger group of people next time..

Serves 4-6
You will need:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (soaked in water for at least 12 hours to remove the outer coating of saponin, which gives it a bitter taste. After soaked, rinse rinse rinse then strain to remove all the soapy sud like bubbles. Now you'll have about 2 1/2 cups of prepped quinoa.)
1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp coconut oil
2/3 cup pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup whole coconut milk
1/4-1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne, how hot do you like it?

1/2 tsp Herbamare or slightly less if you use plain sea salt
1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple

1/2 cup chopped walnuts ooh! or cashews.. man. I wish I thought of that before. Cashews would be so good..

2 cups fresh finely chopped spinach (I used butter lettuce - any leaf will do)

optional: hemp seeds - for nutritional, not taste value

Ready?

1 - Sauté the onion in the coconut oil in a medium pot.
2 - Purée 2/3 cup pineapple with coconut milk and chicken/veggie broth
3 - Add the liquid mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer.
4 - Add the pre-soaked, rinsed, and strained quinoa. Simmer with lid on for about 14ish minutes.
5 - Remove the lid and let it rest for a few minutes.

6 - Mix in the spices, walnuts, chopped pineapple, green leaves, and optional hemp seeds
7 - Enjoy!!

**I'm making an addition to this post! I'm having leftovers right now for dinner.. and I heated it up with some more chicken broth, plus some chicken shredded up from the broth I made yesterday. AND I also added a handful of chopped up green onion. YUM.

chicken stock and schmaltz

2010-05-02T12:24:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I made chicken stock.. this time I did it a little differently than before, and the process went SO much faster. Or maybe, I'm just getting good :)

1 as whole as you can find, organic chicken (include feet, necks, and other bony parts)
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 quarts of filtered water
1 bunch parsley - which I always forget.. I need to figure out a way not to forget..

1 - I get my chicken frozen, so I let it thaw all the way out in the fridge first.
2 - Cut up chicken, and cut breast meat off the bone, because you'll be taking the large portions of meat out of the stock after about 1-2 hours (take the liver out and save it for later!)
3 - Put all ingredients, san parsely, in a large stock pot and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour
4 - Bring to a boil, then skim the foam off the top. Then bring down to a low low low simmer.. and leave it alone (covered, of course)
5 - After 1-2 hours, remove the breast meat as well as the legs and thighs - this is good meat to use, as it hasn't been simmering for 12-24 hours.. put away for later use.
6 - After 12-24 hours, remove from heat and strain out vegetables and leftover chicken.
7 - Return stock to the big pot it was just in, or dirty up another one if you'd like, and let it sit out on the counter until it cools off a bit.. so you don't put it in the fridge when it's still piping hot.
8 - Put the pot of broth in the fridge, and wait for the schmaltz (chicken fat) to collect and harden at the top. Then remove the schmaltz, and save it in a different container.
9 - Pour stock into different containers - I keep some in jars in the fridge and the rest I put in single serving sizes in the freezer for my future chicken soup lunches.

(I don't have a photo of this.. But I sautéed the liver from the chicken with chopped onions thyme, rosemary, and garlic in a spoonful of the schmaltz.. and it was awesome. I'll make it again and post it later..)

apple, lamb, and butter lettuce

2010-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

This butter lettuce was so beautiful... it was a shame to cut it up..
Here's the ultimate, and yet simple, hunt & gather diet salad. I guess it could use some nuts or seeds..

1/2 fugi apple, cut into bites
small patty of lamb meat, grilled (on the stove) then broken into bites
butter lettuce.. as much as your heart desires
I dressed the dish with a little EVOO and salt.

enjoy! if you are lucky..

farmer's market loot

2010-05-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

The green is flowing :)

lamb and morels. best lunch ever.

2010-04-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I ate the best lunch ever. My friend Paul found morels on his new farmland, and we bartered - some graphic design work for these delicious wild things. I love bartering.
I didn't save them for a special dinner party.. I didn't share them at all actually.. It was my first time even trying them - and they were SO GOOD! ah!

The other best part of my lunch was some grass-fed lamb that I get from Susie, the lamb lady at the Columbia farmers market. She makes different pre-seasoned packs of ground meat - this one is the gyro style. I don't buy "convenient" foods normally.. but I am completely ok with this one.

Well, I guess fruits and vegetables are pretty convenient.. and so is chocolate.. I've been eating a lot of good chocolate lately. It helps me work when I don't want to.

So! Here's what I did to prepare lunch:

-Soak morels in salt water for some hours to get rid of the bugs..
-Chop veggies (I had some leaves of kale and a zucchini)
-Mince garlic (I think I added 4 cloves.. yes. for 1 serving)
-Make patties out of ground lamb meat

In a big pan, sauté morels, veggies, and garlic in a lot of olive oil for 5-7 minutes.
In a different smaller pan, place the lamp patties and cook for a minute on each side.

Done! YUM! I want it again tomorrow...

irises amaze me

2010-04-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

She and about 20 others are in my backyard! And it's my first spring in this apartment.. What a beautiful surprise.

guac and carrots - quick food

2010-04-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting lately because school's been so busy and I'm eating quick things like this, and I'm also eating out at cafes and restaurants - a lot.. because it saves time from grocery shopping, planning, cooking, and cleaning and putting away the dishes.. and I need every last minute for working on my school projects right now. I guess that's the other reason I haven't been blogging.. it takes time too!

Ok. enough.. Here's a quick and filling and healthy and delicious snack/side.

Serves 1-
1 avocado, mashed
1 green onion stalk, chopped
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Mix and mash! I use a potato masher and it goes super fast. You can't really mess up guacamole.. I just used what I already had in the house.. try adding tomatoes, lemon juice, yellow onions, red onions, garlic.. you name it.

1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally into chips :) or however you like your carrots.

Dip! and enjoy :)

banana chips

2010-04-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Bananas were about to go bad so they were on sale.. and I could only freeze so many. It's cram time for school - just 1 1/2 weeks before the end of classes.. and I'm totally into snack food right now. Here's a super sweet (crazy how my taste buds have changed), chewy/crunchy treat.. It's almost too sweet.. for me.

Ingredients:
Bananas (super ripe)
lemon juice
A dehydrator (or oven with super low setting)

-Peel the banana.
-Slice the banana into 1/4-inch(ish) pieces.
-Place the banana slices in a bowl of lemon or pineapple juice for about 5 minutes. (This helps prevent the bananas from turning brown. It will not affect the taste.)
-Place the banana chips into a food dehydrator. Be sure the bananas are not touching. (I also recommend lining the dehydrator with parchment paper.. it took me a long time to remove the banana chips when they were done.
-Dry on medium heat for 12 to 24 hours until they are pliable. Turn off the dehydrator and leave the chips on the trays to cool.

Enjoy on the go, in your lunch box, after dinner.. or stick a few in your jacket pocket to forget about until tomorrow. Is that gross? Hope not. That's what I did.

confession. (2)

2010-04-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

I went to Natalie's birthday party tonight.. and I knew I shouldn't eat the dessert - so I even brought some cut up apples with honey and cinnamon, all wrapped in foil - which I put in the fire for a while. But.. once the apples were gone.. I gave in to my craving for the thing everyone else was enjoying. S'mores. We were sitting around a campfire... come on..