For Memorial Day, my BF and I decided to go hiking. We were initially going to hike Timpanogos (not to the cave - that's for tourists - but to the peak). When we got to the pay station, we were told that there was a TON of snow up there, and it was pretty dangerous if we don't know what we're doing. Well, we do know what we're doing, but we've hiked in knee deep snow before and there is nothing fun about it.
Instead, we decided to try Mt. Olympus. The peak of Mt. Olympus has eluded us twice - the first time we ran out of time, and the second time was the aforementioned hiking through knee-deep snow. Third time is the charm, right? That mountain was going to be our bitch, end of discussion. We made it! It almost killed me (I think it was a completely vertical hike), but by damn, we made it. It was gorgeous and totally worth it, but it's definitely not something I'm aching to try again in the near future.
Hiking presents its own unique nutritional challenges. Unless you're wanting to carry a ton of weight on your back (which I'm not), you're fairly limited in the food and snacks you can take. Ideally you're going to have snacks high in protein and glucose - the good stuff. You need something quick that's going to hit your muscles fairly easily. While I don't understand the science behind it, I know that jerky, trail mix, gummy bears, dried fruit (apricots, raisins, etc) and fresh fruit (bananas, oranges, etc) are really good choices.
But! I was planning being gone for the day, and I wanted something a little more than just snacks. Let me say, I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate canned tuna. Hate it. If you read my last post, you'll see that I'm obsessing over Jillian Michaels again. One of the good "approved" foods she suggests is Albacore tuna in water. Barf. Strangest thing, though, the other night I was craving tuna. Canned tuna. Gross! When I was at the store I decided to pick up a few cans, just in case an odd craving like that hit again.
As it turned out, this was the perfect solution for our "I want something besides just snacks for the hike" dilemma. I whipped up a little batch of tuna salad, threw it in the bag with an ice pack and it was perfect by the time we hit the saddle. Now, mind you, I dropped a little extra cash for the solid Albacore, but in my mind, totally worth it. I think this would be awesome on a bed of spinach, but of course for hiking we ate it directly out of the little plastic container.
Ingredients:
2 cans solid Albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 T. plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and dried rosemary (to taste)
Directions:
Put drained tuna in a medium mixing bowl. Combine yogurt, mustard and seasonings in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. I just sprinkled a little of each seasoning - a couple of dashes - but you can do more or less depending on your taste. Stir the yogurt mix into the tuna, taking care not to destroy those beautiful chunks of fish.
Serve immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Waldorf Salad
I'll admit I don't know what is in a "traditional" Waldorf Salad. I know it has grapes and chicken, and probably apples, but aside from that? I'm lost. I remember I used to make something similar that was supposed to be a healthier or lighter version, but I'm completely lost as to whether it was yogurt, sour cream, mayo, or something else.
All I know is, this is simple and totally delish. Just a few ingredients. I believe Waldorf Salad is typically served in sandwich form, but I chop up some baby spinach and serve it that way. It's really easy to take the left overs to the office for lunch. The whole recipe will make 4 pretty darned good size servings.
I've said it a million times - if you're not allergic to dairy, go ahead and use the dairy version of the yogurt. The coconut yogurt adds nothing to the flavor - it's just something I can use.
Ingredients:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 pear
1 cup grapes
1/3 cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Chop cooked chicken into small pieces. Core and dice pear, then cut grapes in half. Combine chicken, pear and grapes in a mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, vinegar, salt & pepper. Pour over chicken and fruit, stirring to combine. Serve on a bed of spinach, or as a sandwich on whole wheat bread.
All I know is, this is simple and totally delish. Just a few ingredients. I believe Waldorf Salad is typically served in sandwich form, but I chop up some baby spinach and serve it that way. It's really easy to take the left overs to the office for lunch. The whole recipe will make 4 pretty darned good size servings.
I've said it a million times - if you're not allergic to dairy, go ahead and use the dairy version of the yogurt. The coconut yogurt adds nothing to the flavor - it's just something I can use.
Ingredients:
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 pear
1 cup grapes
1/3 cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Chop cooked chicken into small pieces. Core and dice pear, then cut grapes in half. Combine chicken, pear and grapes in a mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, vinegar, salt & pepper. Pour over chicken and fruit, stirring to combine. Serve on a bed of spinach, or as a sandwich on whole wheat bread.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Shepherd's Pie
If you've read all of my blog posts, you'll know I have a total girl crush on Jillian Michaels. She's got the most amazing hard body, her workouts are incredible, and she's always saying something motivational. I picked up a book of hers at the library called Master Your Metabolism. Holy Hannah, if that doesn't motivate you to eat cleaner, nothing will.
I don't want this post to turn in to a book review (there is a recipe coming, after all), but let me just say I am 100% convinced that the reason I can't lose the last few pounds is because of hormones. As I was reading this book last night, I went through the list of indications your hormones are out of whack thinking, "Yep, me. That's me. Uh huh, me." I don't know about you, but when I think of hormones, my mind doesn't automatically go to food. But Jillian breaks it down brilliantly. Food is a big contributor to how our hormones work, and so are other environmental factors like plastics, pesticides, sleep, exercise and stress.
Who knew? Bottom line: I am more motivated than ever to eat clean. Jillian claims that you will (not can) lose weight by eating 1800 calories per day, exercising 1-2 hours per week and sleeping enough. The trick with the 1800 calories is making sure it's the right 1800 calories. I'd try to explain it, but I wouldn't do it justice. My BF says he's seen that book at thrift stores, so either dig up a copy or pick one up at the library. If you're contemplative at all about improving your health, I believe this book will change your life.
On to the recipe... Now, this particular recipe uses russet potatoes. It's really yummy, low-cal (per serving) and comes together fairly quickly. According to Jillian, starchy vegetables actually block the absorption of certain nutrients, so in the future I might try making it with mashed cauliflower. But for now - yum.
Ingredients:
7-8 small russet potatoes
2 T. unsalted butter
Coconut milk (enough to get potatoes to desired consistency)
Onion powder
Sea salt
Drizzle olive oil
1 sweet onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 lb ground turkey
1 can low sodium green beans, drained
Other chopped vegetables as desired (I used some left over shredded zucchini)
Butternut squash sauce from this recipe
Paprika (for topping the potatoes)
Directions:
Peel and wash potatoes, then cut into cubes. Bring a large pot filled with hot water to a boil. Add potatoes and return to boiling. Cook for 20 minutes or until very tender.
While potatoes are cooking, drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add a little cooking spray if desired. When pan is up to temperature, add onions and peppers, and saute until very tender and starting to brown. Add ground turkey and cook until cooked through, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add remaining vegetables. Note: if using vegetables that take a long time to cook, such as broccoli, add these before the ground turkey. If using quick cooking vegetables, such as zucchini or spinach, add them after the meat is cooked.
Add butternut squash sauce to the ground turkey and stir well to combine. Check seasonings, reduce heat to low, and let simmer while you finish preparing the recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When potatoes are cooked, drain well and return to hot pan. Add butter and smash with a potato masher. Sprinkle onion powder and salt. Pour a small amount of coconut milk into the potatoes. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the potatoes, adding more coconut milk as needed to get a spreadable, smooth consistency.
Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour hot turkey mix into the pan and spread evenly. Drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes over the turkey, distributing evenly. Very carefully, spread potatoes over turkey with a wooden spoon (if you use too much pressure it will mix together. Not inherently bad, but not aesthetically pleasing). Sprinkle potatoes with paprika.
Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving.
I don't want this post to turn in to a book review (there is a recipe coming, after all), but let me just say I am 100% convinced that the reason I can't lose the last few pounds is because of hormones. As I was reading this book last night, I went through the list of indications your hormones are out of whack thinking, "Yep, me. That's me. Uh huh, me." I don't know about you, but when I think of hormones, my mind doesn't automatically go to food. But Jillian breaks it down brilliantly. Food is a big contributor to how our hormones work, and so are other environmental factors like plastics, pesticides, sleep, exercise and stress.
Who knew? Bottom line: I am more motivated than ever to eat clean. Jillian claims that you will (not can) lose weight by eating 1800 calories per day, exercising 1-2 hours per week and sleeping enough. The trick with the 1800 calories is making sure it's the right 1800 calories. I'd try to explain it, but I wouldn't do it justice. My BF says he's seen that book at thrift stores, so either dig up a copy or pick one up at the library. If you're contemplative at all about improving your health, I believe this book will change your life.
On to the recipe... Now, this particular recipe uses russet potatoes. It's really yummy, low-cal (per serving) and comes together fairly quickly. According to Jillian, starchy vegetables actually block the absorption of certain nutrients, so in the future I might try making it with mashed cauliflower. But for now - yum.
Ingredients:
7-8 small russet potatoes
2 T. unsalted butter
Coconut milk (enough to get potatoes to desired consistency)
Onion powder
Sea salt
Drizzle olive oil
1 sweet onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 lb ground turkey
1 can low sodium green beans, drained
Other chopped vegetables as desired (I used some left over shredded zucchini)
Butternut squash sauce from this recipe
Paprika (for topping the potatoes)
Directions:
Peel and wash potatoes, then cut into cubes. Bring a large pot filled with hot water to a boil. Add potatoes and return to boiling. Cook for 20 minutes or until very tender.
While potatoes are cooking, drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add a little cooking spray if desired. When pan is up to temperature, add onions and peppers, and saute until very tender and starting to brown. Add ground turkey and cook until cooked through, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add remaining vegetables. Note: if using vegetables that take a long time to cook, such as broccoli, add these before the ground turkey. If using quick cooking vegetables, such as zucchini or spinach, add them after the meat is cooked.
Add butternut squash sauce to the ground turkey and stir well to combine. Check seasonings, reduce heat to low, and let simmer while you finish preparing the recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When potatoes are cooked, drain well and return to hot pan. Add butter and smash with a potato masher. Sprinkle onion powder and salt. Pour a small amount of coconut milk into the potatoes. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the potatoes, adding more coconut milk as needed to get a spreadable, smooth consistency.
Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour hot turkey mix into the pan and spread evenly. Drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes over the turkey, distributing evenly. Very carefully, spread potatoes over turkey with a wooden spoon (if you use too much pressure it will mix together. Not inherently bad, but not aesthetically pleasing). Sprinkle potatoes with paprika.
Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosty
There I was, minding my own business, getting my nails done when it hits me: an irresistible craving for a donut. All I can think about while the acrylic is being applied to my fingertips is getting out of there and scarfing down some doughy goodness.
Fortunately the process took some time and my brain was able to kick in and talk some sense into me. I've been eating like poo the last couple of days and I know that's been contributing to being tired and irritable. I had committed to getting back on track this weekend and a big greasy donut was not the way to start. Of course, I was also thinking about the big bag of chocolates my son got me for Mother's Day. Nope, wrong. But this monkey was unlikely to get off my back without a fight.
Before I knew about my dairy intolerance I had a recipe for a homemade Frosty using Greek yogurt. Getting it thick enough without the yogurt would be tricky. I thought about adding cashews, but I didn't want that many calories. I believe the coconut milk was what made this successful. I've noticed it has a tendency to make smoothies thicker in general so it seemed like the ideal choice. I use the unsweetened coconut milk from So Delicious, the kind with 45 calories per cup. I'm certain the chia seeds helped thicken it, too. This turned out perfectly. Suck it, Donut Monkey!
Ingredients:
1 scoop protein powder
1 spoonful peanut butter
1 T chia seeds
1 tsp agave syrup (or honey) - optional
1 1/2 T cocoa powder
1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
7-8 ice cubes
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. I started with less coconut milk and added more through the top opening in the blender to get the right consistency.
Makes one delicious Donut Monkey fighting Frosty.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Quinoa Pasta Salad
I have a long-time friend, who sadly I don't see much anymore outside of Facebook, who is a professional chef and cullinary instructor at the University of Utah. He posts some of the most incredible-looking food on Facebook. It's the kind that you just want to stare at instead of eat, but you're dying to eat it because it looks so incredible. He recently started some type of health challenge on Facebook. One of the most recent challenges was, "Start by committing to cook at least one meal, at home, from scratch, every week."
This literally made my head spin in so many directions. It made me realize that there are so many people who don't cook from scratch. There are so many people who don't cook at home on a regular basis. You've seen the documentary Supersize Me!, right? Tell me you have. If you haven't, either because you don't own a television or have been living under a rock, go get it. Now. I'll wait.
One of the lines in that film that stuck out to me was the one where Morgan Spurlock said that most of his memories of his mother were in the kitchen. She cooked and they ate dinner at home almost every night. They would only go out to eat on a special occasion. These days, people are so busy (myself included!) that sometimes it's just easier to stop and grab something from a drive-thru on the way home from work.
I get it. I totally do. Back in the day, this was me. Of course, I weighed in at almost 200 pounds and my doctor was threatening me with blood pressure medication. Losing the weight (with a desire to keep it off) and learning about food allergies forced my hand. Now I have to cook from scratch, at home, every night of the week. Okay, that's not entirely true - we still celebrate Sushi Thursdays. This is our made up holiday where we go out for sushi one night per week. We'll still hit Chick-Fil-A occasionally or grab some tacos, but largely, my tush is in the kitchen cooking.
If you were to look in my pantry or refrigerator, you're going to find Captain Crunch, macaroni and cheese, and Top Ramen. I have a teenager, what can I say? But the rest of it is food to cook something. My step-dad once said, and my son often echoes, "There's no food in the house, just ingredients." While they say it in jest - and I think it's absolutely hilarious - I think it does a good job of illustrating what I'm talking about. The closest thing you're going to find to processed food in my kitchen is cans of beans or vegetables (for when I need something quick), seasonings, and frozen fruit. Other than that, there are packages of raw meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, rice, quinoa, oats, etc. You know, ingredients. :)
All this being said, my boyfriend had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. His adorable sister got him some gluten free goodies, one of which was Quinoa Pasta Shells. Since he doesn't cook, like at all, handed them to me and said, "Where do you want them?" I knew these would be a rare treat, because a box of quinoa pasta costs upwards of $4. I'm not crazy about pasta, but I do like pasta salad, so that's what I did.
I'll be honest, I feel like the flavor of the olive oil was a little overpowering, so I would recommend using a light tasting olive oil (it will say that on the label). That's what "light" means in olive oil - light tasting, not light calories or light fat. I think this would have been really good with some salad shrimp or chopped chicken, sort of making it a meal. I left out the protein, though, because I was aiming for a side dish.
So grab your INGREDIENTS and let's get to it!
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 package (12 oz) mini quinoa pasta shells (feel free to substitute wheat pasta shells)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 zucchini, chopped
Drizzle olive oil
For the dressing:
2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
3-4 T. olive oil
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While the pasta is cooking, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Saute until tender but not caramelized. Add zucchini and cook until soft. Set aside and let cool.
Combine all dressing ingredients except olive oil and Worcestershire sauce in the beaker for an immersion blender. Blend until egg mix becomes foamy. Drizzle olive oil in the beaker while blending, very slowly, a few drops at a time at first. Continue until consistency is similar to mayonnaise. Stir in Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Combine pasta shells and vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Pour sauce over top and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
This literally made my head spin in so many directions. It made me realize that there are so many people who don't cook from scratch. There are so many people who don't cook at home on a regular basis. You've seen the documentary Supersize Me!, right? Tell me you have. If you haven't, either because you don't own a television or have been living under a rock, go get it. Now. I'll wait.
One of the lines in that film that stuck out to me was the one where Morgan Spurlock said that most of his memories of his mother were in the kitchen. She cooked and they ate dinner at home almost every night. They would only go out to eat on a special occasion. These days, people are so busy (myself included!) that sometimes it's just easier to stop and grab something from a drive-thru on the way home from work.
I get it. I totally do. Back in the day, this was me. Of course, I weighed in at almost 200 pounds and my doctor was threatening me with blood pressure medication. Losing the weight (with a desire to keep it off) and learning about food allergies forced my hand. Now I have to cook from scratch, at home, every night of the week. Okay, that's not entirely true - we still celebrate Sushi Thursdays. This is our made up holiday where we go out for sushi one night per week. We'll still hit Chick-Fil-A occasionally or grab some tacos, but largely, my tush is in the kitchen cooking.
If you were to look in my pantry or refrigerator, you're going to find Captain Crunch, macaroni and cheese, and Top Ramen. I have a teenager, what can I say? But the rest of it is food to cook something. My step-dad once said, and my son often echoes, "There's no food in the house, just ingredients." While they say it in jest - and I think it's absolutely hilarious - I think it does a good job of illustrating what I'm talking about. The closest thing you're going to find to processed food in my kitchen is cans of beans or vegetables (for when I need something quick), seasonings, and frozen fruit. Other than that, there are packages of raw meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, rice, quinoa, oats, etc. You know, ingredients. :)
All this being said, my boyfriend had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. His adorable sister got him some gluten free goodies, one of which was Quinoa Pasta Shells. Since he doesn't cook, like at all, handed them to me and said, "Where do you want them?" I knew these would be a rare treat, because a box of quinoa pasta costs upwards of $4. I'm not crazy about pasta, but I do like pasta salad, so that's what I did.
I'll be honest, I feel like the flavor of the olive oil was a little overpowering, so I would recommend using a light tasting olive oil (it will say that on the label). That's what "light" means in olive oil - light tasting, not light calories or light fat. I think this would have been really good with some salad shrimp or chopped chicken, sort of making it a meal. I left out the protein, though, because I was aiming for a side dish.
So grab your INGREDIENTS and let's get to it!
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 package (12 oz) mini quinoa pasta shells (feel free to substitute wheat pasta shells)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 zucchini, chopped
Drizzle olive oil
For the dressing:
2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
3-4 T. olive oil
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
While the pasta is cooking, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Saute until tender but not caramelized. Add zucchini and cook until soft. Set aside and let cool.
Combine all dressing ingredients except olive oil and Worcestershire sauce in the beaker for an immersion blender. Blend until egg mix becomes foamy. Drizzle olive oil in the beaker while blending, very slowly, a few drops at a time at first. Continue until consistency is similar to mayonnaise. Stir in Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Combine pasta shells and vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Pour sauce over top and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Gluten Free Meatloaf
I almost hesitate to put "gluten free" in the title of this meal. Over the past almost two years, I've learned a few things about gluten free. One, it's trendy. For some reason, people think it's "cool" to eat gluten free. I told my boyfriend that and he about fell over. He said, "Why on Earth would people deliberately try to eat gluten free? It's a pain in the ass!" He's right. I've done quite a bit of research on the topic, and outside of an allergy or an intolerance, there is absolutely no reason to eat gluten free. There's nothing inherently "healthy" about eliminating gluten or wheat from your diet.
Now, that being said, you can make a very good argument that getting carbs from other places, such as vegetables, is going to be healther. I will not argue one bit that fruits and vegetables are more nutrient dense than wheat. But what I will say is that when people prepare gluten free recipes, they're usually substituting some version of a gluten free all purpose flour for the wheat to make the exact same dish. You will never convince me this is healthier than eating wheat. It's simply harder and more expensive. End of story.
Another thing I've learned about gluten free is that it's generally synonymous with "dry" or "gross." Prepackaged gluten free goods are disgusting. I've only tried a couple, they were incredibly expensive, and definitely not worth the money.
So, all this being said, I struggled calling it gluten free. I finally decided to go with it though, because there aren't really any amazing gluten free meatloaf recipes out there. Meatloaf works largely because of the bread crumbs. Sure, you could substitute gluten free bread crumbs, but I've already talked about why this would be a bad idea.
This recipe is sort of a hybrid of a couple of different recipes I came across. The one I liked the most was a paleo recipe I'd found using almond meal (which I substituted for cashews, of course), but it was far too calorie dense and far too expensive. It took a little experimenting, but here's the final product. My 16 year old son often complains about what I cook (I just want something fried with gluten!), but he absolutely loves this. He'll take his serving, wait until we get ours, then scarf his down and run back for more. I usually have to fight to have any left for lunch the next day. Win!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey (I use the 90/10)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 T. olive oil
3 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup oat flour (grind oats up in a blender)
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Drizzle olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine ground turkey, eggs, oat flour, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or, my preferred method, use clean hands and just "smoosh" it all together. Add onion and pepper and smoosh to combine.
Press meat mixture into loaf pan. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to create a little space between the meat and sides of the pan. Bake for one hour, or until center reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. Lift the meatloaf from the pan using the sides of the foil. Let cool slightly, peel foil away from the loaf, then slice.
Makes 8 good size slices.
Now, that being said, you can make a very good argument that getting carbs from other places, such as vegetables, is going to be healther. I will not argue one bit that fruits and vegetables are more nutrient dense than wheat. But what I will say is that when people prepare gluten free recipes, they're usually substituting some version of a gluten free all purpose flour for the wheat to make the exact same dish. You will never convince me this is healthier than eating wheat. It's simply harder and more expensive. End of story.
Another thing I've learned about gluten free is that it's generally synonymous with "dry" or "gross." Prepackaged gluten free goods are disgusting. I've only tried a couple, they were incredibly expensive, and definitely not worth the money.
So, all this being said, I struggled calling it gluten free. I finally decided to go with it though, because there aren't really any amazing gluten free meatloaf recipes out there. Meatloaf works largely because of the bread crumbs. Sure, you could substitute gluten free bread crumbs, but I've already talked about why this would be a bad idea.
This recipe is sort of a hybrid of a couple of different recipes I came across. The one I liked the most was a paleo recipe I'd found using almond meal (which I substituted for cashews, of course), but it was far too calorie dense and far too expensive. It took a little experimenting, but here's the final product. My 16 year old son often complains about what I cook (I just want something fried with gluten!), but he absolutely loves this. He'll take his serving, wait until we get ours, then scarf his down and run back for more. I usually have to fight to have any left for lunch the next day. Win!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey (I use the 90/10)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 T. olive oil
3 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup oat flour (grind oats up in a blender)
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Drizzle olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine ground turkey, eggs, oat flour, and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or, my preferred method, use clean hands and just "smoosh" it all together. Add onion and pepper and smoosh to combine.
Press meat mixture into loaf pan. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to create a little space between the meat and sides of the pan. Bake for one hour, or until center reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. Lift the meatloaf from the pan using the sides of the foil. Let cool slightly, peel foil away from the loaf, then slice.
Makes 8 good size slices.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Broccoli Slaw
The other day my boyfriend and I were wandering around downtown Salt Lake City. I love downtown. There's just something about the energy and the life of the city, espcially on beautiful days. People are walking, riding bikes, and the homeless are in hard at work "spanging." BTW, if you don't know, "spanging" is a term for "spare change." I learned that from a runaway kid I encoutered once.
Anyway, back to downtown. We were walking around, getting hungry, and the smells from all the Main Street restaurants were getting to us. We're normally pretty good about eating at home, but we were a good 90 minutes from eating if we went home right then, and we weren't finished shopping yet.
Another side note: why in the world would an amazing author, fairly new, have all of his books go out of print? I just don't understand it. I try not to pay full price for anything, so we get most of our books from thrift stores. This guy, though, his books have been evading us for quite a while now. We finally learned that his books were out of print, which took us downtown scouring used book stores.
We stopped at a little place called Rich's. The food was pretty yummy, but the thing I liked the most was their cole slaw. It wasn't your typical creamy, bland cole slaw - it was tangy and almost citrus-y. It reminded me of a recipe I've been sitting on for a while wanting to try.
So, with yummy cole slaw on the brain, I decided it was time. The original recipe was a kind of chicken cole slaw salad, but I wasn't interested in all that. I just wanted a nice, healthy side I could serve with chicken. I'll be honest, I wasn't crazy about it at first, but after it sits and marinates for a while, it's pretty darn good. My man doesn't like broccoli, but he said he really liked it. That was the ultimate accomplishment.
Prepackaged broccoli slaw has carrots in it. I started trying to pick around them, but then decided screw it and just ate it. Um, I shouldn't have done that. Oh, well. Unless you have some crazy, obscure allergy like me, you shouldn't have a problem.
Ingredients:
1 package (12 oz) raw broccoli slaw
2 T. orange marmalade (sugar free, if desired - I use regular)
2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp olive oil
Dash sea salt
Directions:
Pour broccoli slaw into a medium mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl, whisking well to combine. Pour sauce mixture over broccoli slaw and toss well to coat. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour to let the flavors blend. Stir well before serving.
Anyway, back to downtown. We were walking around, getting hungry, and the smells from all the Main Street restaurants were getting to us. We're normally pretty good about eating at home, but we were a good 90 minutes from eating if we went home right then, and we weren't finished shopping yet.
Another side note: why in the world would an amazing author, fairly new, have all of his books go out of print? I just don't understand it. I try not to pay full price for anything, so we get most of our books from thrift stores. This guy, though, his books have been evading us for quite a while now. We finally learned that his books were out of print, which took us downtown scouring used book stores.
We stopped at a little place called Rich's. The food was pretty yummy, but the thing I liked the most was their cole slaw. It wasn't your typical creamy, bland cole slaw - it was tangy and almost citrus-y. It reminded me of a recipe I've been sitting on for a while wanting to try.
So, with yummy cole slaw on the brain, I decided it was time. The original recipe was a kind of chicken cole slaw salad, but I wasn't interested in all that. I just wanted a nice, healthy side I could serve with chicken. I'll be honest, I wasn't crazy about it at first, but after it sits and marinates for a while, it's pretty darn good. My man doesn't like broccoli, but he said he really liked it. That was the ultimate accomplishment.
Prepackaged broccoli slaw has carrots in it. I started trying to pick around them, but then decided screw it and just ate it. Um, I shouldn't have done that. Oh, well. Unless you have some crazy, obscure allergy like me, you shouldn't have a problem.
Ingredients:
1 package (12 oz) raw broccoli slaw
2 T. orange marmalade (sugar free, if desired - I use regular)
2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp olive oil
Dash sea salt
Directions:
Pour broccoli slaw into a medium mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl, whisking well to combine. Pour sauce mixture over broccoli slaw and toss well to coat. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour to let the flavors blend. Stir well before serving.
Roasted Asparagus
I get so excited, just like a kid on Christmas, when asparagus goes on sale at the supermarket. Usually it's about $3.99 per pound, which is just silly, but every month or so I'll catch it at $1.99 per pound. Happy days! You can bet your booty I'm picking up a bunch.
I always struggled with how to prepare asparagus. There's this tiny little window between when it's perfect and when it's mushy. I had always steamed it, which left it fairly flavorless. My boyfriend's dad will pan fry it, which is always tasty, but it still seemed to end up mushy.
Once I discovered roasting as a technique for cooking vegetables, I knew I'd never cook veggies the same way again. If it works for everything else, why not asparagus? Okay, seriously, when I took the first bite, I thought I'd died and gone to asparagus spear heaven. So simple, and so, so good. So good.
It's still a bit temperamental, and it's easy to over do it, ending up with mush. So please, please people, check the asparagus before you expect it to be done. My mom used to say of cooking, "You can always add more, but it's almost impossible to take it out." The same principle applies here. You can always cook it longer, but you can't un-mush it.
As a side note, when prepping the delicate little veggies, don't use a knife. Literally break the ends. They will break at a good point, eliminating the tough, woody ends. If it snaps clean, you're good.
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh asparagus spears
Drizzle olive oil
Drizzle lemon juice
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Onion powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Wash asparagus. Break the ends off just above where the tough, woody stem ends. Arrange on baking sheet in a single layer.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus. Roll them around to coat all sides. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, pepper and onion powder.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the spears are fork tender. Length of time will obviously depend on the thickness of the spears. Check them early and cook additional if needed.
I always struggled with how to prepare asparagus. There's this tiny little window between when it's perfect and when it's mushy. I had always steamed it, which left it fairly flavorless. My boyfriend's dad will pan fry it, which is always tasty, but it still seemed to end up mushy.
Once I discovered roasting as a technique for cooking vegetables, I knew I'd never cook veggies the same way again. If it works for everything else, why not asparagus? Okay, seriously, when I took the first bite, I thought I'd died and gone to asparagus spear heaven. So simple, and so, so good. So good.
It's still a bit temperamental, and it's easy to over do it, ending up with mush. So please, please people, check the asparagus before you expect it to be done. My mom used to say of cooking, "You can always add more, but it's almost impossible to take it out." The same principle applies here. You can always cook it longer, but you can't un-mush it.
As a side note, when prepping the delicate little veggies, don't use a knife. Literally break the ends. They will break at a good point, eliminating the tough, woody ends. If it snaps clean, you're good.
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh asparagus spears
Drizzle olive oil
Drizzle lemon juice
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Onion powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Wash asparagus. Break the ends off just above where the tough, woody stem ends. Arrange on baking sheet in a single layer.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus. Roll them around to coat all sides. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, pepper and onion powder.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the spears are fork tender. Length of time will obviously depend on the thickness of the spears. Check them early and cook additional if needed.
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