Recipes

2.16.13
Fried Green Rice
Ingredients
2.5 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 pound kale leaves, stems discarded
three scallions, thinly sliced
2 (large) cloves garlic very finely minced
olive oil
1-2 tbsp soy sauce (I used Tamari for gluten free purposes)
goat cheese
1 egg

Preparation
Cut the kale leaves into thin, chiffoned ribbons, and steam the kale until tender. In a large saucepan, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté garlic for roughly 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add in the scallions and kale, and cook for another minute. Add in the brown rice and stir to combine, 1 minute. Add in the soy sauce and cook for another 30 seconds until evenly distributed.
After serving the rice, add goat cheese crumbles as desired. Top with a fried or poached egg for added protein and deliciousness. 
     

1.16.13
Spinach and Goat Cheese Quinoa Patties
So, I've posted about quinoa patties before as a good side accompaniment, and this recipe is very similar. Someone pinned a recipe that included kale, however, and so I decided to make my own variation. I had a bag of spinach that I needed to cook anyway, and who doesn't like goat cheese?
Ingredients

However much quinoa you get from 1 uncooked cup, after you cook it

4 large eggs, beaten

½ tsp sea salt

5 bulbs worth of chopped green onions

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
 1 cup chopped steamed spinach
1/3 cup-ish goat cheese crumbles

Process
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl and let sit for a couple minutes. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together in a patty, but not drippy. Make patties with your hands. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, and cook the patties until golden brown on each side. Top with diced tomatoes, avocado, a drizzle of your best olive oil, some lemon juice - really whatever floats your boat. You can also get crazy with the other stuff you decide to mix in - im sure you could do an amazing sweet/dessert version of this if you put in some diced apples, maple syrup, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc, and cooked them in canola oil instead of olive oil.
 

10.15.12
Black Bean Quinoa Burrito Bowls
As my last post would indicate, I have a slight tendency to find things on Pinterest. Luckily, recipes tend to be the majority of those things. I am going to have to give full credit for the recipe below to the blog "The Shiksa in the Kitchen" but it was absolutely amazing.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 tsp olive oil
1 minced onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp chili powder, pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded lettuce
 salt
grated cheddar or jack cheese, sour cream, salsa, diced seeded tomatoes
hot sauce, sliced avocado, guacamole, corn

I actually didn't have any cilantro or chili powder ( at least I don't think so, I had "pimento picante") and this still turned out amazingly.

Preparation
Prepare the quinoa according to packaged instructions. After finished, add in a tablespoon of lime juice and half of the fresh cilantro and set aside.

While quinoa is being prepared, sauté the onion and garlic in a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the black beans, half a cup of water, and the spices and let simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the rest of the lime juice and add the rest of the cilantro. 

Layer the ingredients starting with quinoa, then shredded lettuce, then bean mixture,tomatoes, avocado, corn, salsa, cheese and sour cream.

A healthier, protein packed vegetarian version of Chipotle. Enjoy.

9.29.12

Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I know, you're already drooling. Which is valid because these cookies were insanely good. The brown butter adds almost a butterscotchy flavor, and the dash of cinnamon really hits it home.

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/12 tsp cinnamon
1/2 baking powder
3/4 cup oats (not instant)
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks
1 egg

Heat butter in a small saucepan until it turns brown, whisking constantly (5-8 mins). Remove from heat and continue to whisk for 30 seconds. Set aside and let cool.

Combine flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl. Once the butter has cooled, blend with the two sugars. Add in the egg and vanilla, then add in little by little the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Make those cookies, tray them up, and put them in the oven for 9-10 minutes at 375. YUM.

I actually kind of like the batter more than the actual cookie. Might be a good recipe to throw some chunks into a homemade vanilla ice cream.

6.3.12

I cooked an awesome dinner the other night to celebrate the engagement of a great family friend. Due to the special occasion, I wanted to do something on the more extravagant side, and came up with an absolutely awesome dinner. 

I got the salmon and quinoa recipes from the Epicurious app – if you are at all interested in cooking, this is an absolute must. I have yet to make something that I didn’t 100% love.

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils

Ingredients

¼ Asian sweet chili sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce, divided

2 tbsp finely grates fresh peeled ginger

6 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed

1.5 tbsp sherry wine

6 ounces pea tendrils or pea sprouts

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

Prep

1.   Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Whisk chili sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp ginger in small bowl. Place salmon skin side down on sheet, pour marinade over, and let sit at room temp for 30 mins

2.   Preheat broiler and broil salmon without turning for 6-10 minutes until browned in spots and almost opaque in center

3.   Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in wok over medium high heat. Add remaining tbsp ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add sugar snap peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 mins. Add remaining tbsp soy sauce, sherry, and pea tendrils and stir until just wilted. Drizzle with sesame oil

4.   Serve vegetables over salmon

Quinoa Patties

Ingredients

2.5 cups cooked quinoa, room temp

4 large eggs, beaten

½ tsp sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs (I used gluten free!)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Prep

1.   Combine quinoa, eggs, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Err on the more moist side so that the patties stick together.

2.   Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium low heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties, and cook the second side for 7 minutes or until golden

3.   The quinoa mixture can be kept in the fridge for a few days if you want to make patties to order – this will make about 12 patties. 

5.2.12

Mushroom and Leek Spaghetti Squash with Truffle Salt

When I have a hankering for mushroom risotto, I turn to Spaghetti Squash. I know, I know, rice doesn’t have gluten, but bathing suit season is around the corner and I’m tryna fit into my bikini, nah mean?

This recipe is something that I came up with to still have the delicious combo of mushrooms and leeks while tricking myself into thinking I’m consuming pasta.  Takes about 15 minutes total, maybe with 5 mins of prep. Super easy, delicious, and healthy.

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp butter (grass fed for Paleo)

1 very large or two medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Large container of mushrooms (or as many as you want. Any variety)

1 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded

Truffle salt (optional)

Pesto (optional)

1.     Melt the butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat

2.     Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until they are soft but not brown

3.     Add in the mushrooms and let them cook down. I added a splash of white wine tonight and loved it. You could add a little red whine as well – both aren’t necessary

4.     Add in the prepared spaghetti squash on low heat, and blend together

5.     Season with (truffle) salt and pepper, serve hot with a dollop of Pesto 

5.2.12

Orange - Soy Salmon

I think one of the biggest challenges of cooking in a city like New York is the lack of a grill. If you aren’t blessed with rooftop access or a chef’s kitchen, meat/poultry/fish become more of a challenge. George Foreman’s are always an option, but the hassle of getting it out of the closet, setting it up, cleaning it afterward, etc. has always outweighed my need for a cookout.

Therefore, I have settled into the comfort of eating mostly fish – easy to cook in a pan, easy to throw in the oven and bake or broil. One of my favorite recipes is an orange-soy-ginger concoction for salmon that I learned from my mother. The process is simple but yields a sophisticated result. The marinade is easy, delicious, and perfect for additional sauce afterward, or even as a salad dressing.  It can also be altered to be as close to Paleo standards as you need.

Ingredients

1/4 cup pure, fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce (tamari sauce for gluten free, coconut aminos for Paleo)

1/4 cup cream sherry (sherry cooking wine)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard (I like country Dijon style)

2 tbsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (or 1 generous tsp. powdered ginger)

2 tbsp. Pure clover honey

4 (6 oz) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

green onions and lemon slices (optional)

1.     Combine first 6 ingredients in a measuring cup, whisk well, and add to Ziploc plastic bag.  Add fish to bag, seal, and marinate 30 minutes.

2.     Heat oven to 350 degree oven approx. 35 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

3.     Place remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Serve with fish.

4.     Garnish w onions and lemon slices.