Pick Your Own

Buying straight from the farm is a great way to find fresh produce, enjoy working outside, and supporting local farmers. Heather J. sent this great link for local pick your own farms. If you are looking for a farm outside of NC, check out http://www.pickyourown.org/.

Veggie Feast

I'm still trying to figure out how to shop for my family. I remember reading once that the average household throws away 25% or more of their fresh vegetables because they go to waste. This hurts on multiple levels; not only are you wasting money, you are wasting the resources that it cost to produce that food. I am definitely not perfect at this. When I'm at the farmer's market, I feel like a kid in the candy store, grabbing at whatever looks good and it all looks good. The result is that I had a random pile of vegetables in my fridge that all needed to be eaten right away. This meal was really a caucophany of whatever was in the fridge that needed to be used, so I'm not sure if it is the greatest in terms of the overall vision. However, if you are looking for some new ideas on veggie prep, there are definitely some favorites here. As for learning how to better manage my grocery flow, if you have any great tips on shopping and meal planning, please share!

roasted corn on the cob: This one is a simple as it sounds. Take a piece of husked corn still on the cob and put it on a hot gas grill or over hot coals in a charcoal grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, 10-15 minutes total. The cool part about grilling corn versus boiling it is that the roasting heat really wakes up the corn sugars, giving it an amazing flavor. Don't bother drenching it in butter (the flavor is too good, you don't need it!) but instead give it a light spray of extra virgin olive oil and a little dash of salt and pepper. Even though most American's eat corn as a "vegetable", it is actually a grain, so it is a great way to add some grain to your meal. (aprox 55 calories for one ear of corn)

steamed artichoke: Check out this article for great information about preparing artichokes. They look more challenging than they really are and they are well worth any effort. They must be in season, too, because they are really cheap right now. (aprox 64 calories for one artichoke)

grilled salmon: I rubbed the salmon with dill, garlic, salt, and pepper, and then put the salmon on a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil. Place the aluminum foil (with the fish) on a hot grill and close the lid. Cook the fish for about 10 minutes (it will flake with a fork). You don't need to turn it, the fish will cook on both sides. Squeeze a little lemon over the fish and serve warm. (calories vary depending on the type of salmon; this one is about 244 calories for a 4 oz serving)

tzatziki: This creamy dip uses yogurt as it's base and I'll eat it on a salad as a dressing (so much better than ranch!). For this meal, it was a great dip for the steamed artichoke, beat fries, and even the salmon. Try it with whole wheat pitas too! (aprox 16 calories for every 2 TB)

Finely chop a cucumber (you can peel them too but I'm okay keeping the peel because I think it adds a little color). Generously salt the cucumbers (maybe a TB at least of kosher salt) and put the cucumbers in a fine mesh sieve (you will want to put the sieve over something to catch the liquid otherwise you'll have a mess). Let this sit for about 30 minutes; the salt is working to take some of the liquid out of the cucumber, which makes the dip not as runny. After about 30 minutes, rinse the cucumber and put it on a paper towel to dry. Combine the cucumber with about a cup of plain nonfat yogurt (I prefer using the Greek version but any will do). Add 2-3 tsps of dill (you can also add mint as well, which is more traditional, but I don't always have mint on hand) and a clove (or 1 tsp) of fresh garlic. I usually don't need to add any more salt because the cucumbers usually retain a little salt, but taste it and add some salt if it needs it.

beet fries but not fried: This recipe was originally for sweet potatoes but I used beats instead and I loved the result. Beats roasted in the oven are amazing in general; the roasting process carmelizes the sugar in the beats, really showcasing the complex flavor. They are so beautiful, too. Be prepared to have pink hands while you are working with them! (aprox 45 calories for 1/2 cup serving)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with racks in the upper and middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and rub with vegetable or canola oil. For a four person meal, I used about 4-5 beets (depending on the size of the beat). To prepare the beets, peel the beet skins. Cut the beets so that they are about the size of a french fry, maybe a 1/4-1/2" thick. Put the beets in a microwave-safe container, cover, and microwave 2 minutes. Stir gently, cover, and microwave 1 to 2 minutes more until pieces are pliable. Let rest 5 minutes covered; drain any liquid and pour onto a platter.

Seperate an egg white into a large bowl, and whisk egg whites until frothy. Working in batches, toss the beet pieces in the egg white, letting the excess liquid drip back into the bowl. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with sea salt (or any large grain salt). Bake 10 minutes, then flip pieces over with a spatula. Rotate baking sheets from front to back and from one rack to the other. Bake until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

I love this recipe because it is so much easier than frying the fries (I hate dealing with a vat of hot oil) and the result is a pile of crispy sweet goodness. If you aren't into beets (though you should really give this version a try), try sweet potatoes instead. Either way it is fry happiness.

Food Challenge: To the Rescue!

Have you ever seen the show Chopped on the Food Network? The show starts with four contestants and progresses through a three course meal: appetizer, dinner, and dessert. The contestants are giving a mystery basket at the beginning of each course and instructed to use the ingredients in the basket to create the course. Whichever dish/chef the judges like the least is "chopped" and doesn't progress to the next course. The mystery baskets are full of interesting and challenging ingredients, often unexpected choices for that meal (what would you do with cinnamon gummy bears for a dinner entree?).

Your next food challenge is called the Chopped Challenge. I'm going to give you a "mystery basket" list of ingredients and you have to use all of these ingredients in your course. You can use other ingredients as well, and it can be any course (snack, appetizer, entree, dessert, or even drink if that works). Your recipes can be your own creation or a recipe you found, but hopefully will meet the Good standard. Take a picture of your course and post it on the blog when you are done. If we have enough entries, we'll vote on a winner.  Are you brave enough to peak into the "mystery basket"...?

Your mystery ingredients are: low or fat-free plain yogurt, salmon, quinoa, berries, and dark chocolate.

All of the above ingredients are considered "super foods" so I'm expecting super results! Happy Cooking!

Snack Attack: Almond Butter Honey-Spiced Pear

Chris and I love Brazilian culture; one of the ultimate Brazilian eating experiences is the churrascaria, Brazilian barbecue. For a meat loving Texan (Chris, not me), guys walking around with beautifully prepared beef is food heaven. We don't go often, and every time we go I make the best resolution to not overeat, but I always leave way too full. I feel like I will never eat again! However, despite my best intentions, I find myself hungry again even within a few hours. So why is it that I can eat a huge meal and feel hungry again faster than I would like, and then on a better day, eat a light meal and stay full for hours? 

In a way, your stomach is like a balloon with sensors all over it. If you fill the balloon past its capacity, it stretches to make room. When it empties, the remaining balloon is more stretched out and in order to fill it again, you need to put the same amount in it otherwise it isn't full. Your stomach works much the same way except that unlike the balloon, it can shrink back to its original size. However, this can be hard to do because you will feel more hungry. Overeating can lead to more overeating. In this article, Dr. Geliebter and his research team studied a group of obese patients and their stomach size. He put a balloon in their stomachs and then filled it until the participant was uncomfortably full. The amount that filled their stomachs was roughly 4 cups of water. He then divided the groups; one group didn't change their diets and the other group changed to a low calorie diet.  After four weeks, he measured them again. The group that didn't change their diets still required 4 cups of water to fill full but the other group only required about 3 cups. That's a 25% difference!

Keeping your stomach at a stable size helps you to maintain good eating habits. Some "dieters" will skip meals or eat very small meals to save calories in order to have a big meal, but this is only a recipe for staying hungry and ultimately failing. Eating small, consistent meals throughout the day (5-6 meals a day) can help to keep your stomach size stable so that you don't hit hungry and overeat. Having a power snack is crucial; something light, full of protein and fiber can make a big difference in having a healthy diet.

Going back to the point of this blog, is it possible to snack happy and still be healthy? I thought about it all week long and wasn't sure I really had something that was divine until a I read an article on almond butter, one of my favs. I wanted something a little sweet and this one really hit the spot. Try it out and see if you like it too!

Almond Butter Honey-Spiced Pear

1-2 TB of almond butter (any nut butter would probably work but I prefer almond)
1 ripe sweet pear (like a D'anjou or Barlett)
1 tsp of honey
dash of cinnamon

Cut the pear in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the core. Fill the hole that you created with the almond butter. Put the honey in a microwaveable bowl and add the cinnamon to taste. Warm the honey so that it can be drizzled easily (maybe 10 seconds, don't over do it!). Drizzle on the pear and serve.

Honestly you can do without the honey and you will still enjoy the pear and almond butter, but the honey really takes it to the next level. I went to a class recently on honey and I have so many fun facts to share, so watch for the upcoming post! The honey that I used already had the cinnamon in it; the Cinnamon Whipped Honey is local, raw, and absolutely amazing! Click on this link to find it!

Thank you to everyone who shared this week!

Pea Season

My boys and I were so excited when our favorite farmer's market opened a week ago last Friday. It is now our weekly ritual to take Chris to work and stop by the farmer's market before they go to school. Rowan has to buy a container of strawberries (especially because he likes to sample a few) and Davin loves helping to choose what we buy. The local produce in season are broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and my favorite: peas. Although I enjoy peas outside their shells (especially the way my mom used to make them cooked with new red potatoes and a little milk, so amazing!), I really like sugar snap and snow peas because you can eat them in the shell. Give me a pile of sugar snap peas and fresh hummus and I'm a happy girl. Peas are very good for you as well. According to this article in the CDC's website: "Peas are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup) contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol." This article also stated that among it's other benefits, peas are a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Peas are also great for the environment because they naturally supply nitrogen to the soil (something that a lot of plants, like tomatoes, strip from the soil and farmers try to replenish with fertilizers). If you like to garden, try planting peas in the spring and fall in the spot where your tomatoes grow to help improve the soil quality naturally (they are also really easy to grow, just make sure you have a place for them to climb). Who knew peas were so versatile?

I found this article with twelve recipe ideas for cooking with peas. One of the ideas included a "Bright-Green Pea Soup." Tiffani, didn't you make something like this a few weeks ago? I remember you telling me about it. If so, I would love your recipe as well if you would share it! If the rest of you have a favorite recipe, feel free to share! In the mean time, enjoy some peas however you like them best (Davin likes his frozen which is not my favorite. He will polish off a huge bowl of them straight from the freezer, so hooray for the frozen variety!)

Pictures courtesy of wholeliving.com. 

Strawberry-Mango Mahi Mahi with Polenta and Lemon Honey Slaw

I love fish and it is a real bonus that it is healthy to eat. Most people shy away from it because they don’t know what to buy and/or don’t know how to prepare it. However, cooking fish is one of the easiest meals that I prepare. Last October, a couple of chefs who own a local fish market taught my neighborhood ladies’ group how to cook fish. For a great how to on cooking fish, check out the blog post I wrote about the event. The blog talks about cooking salmon or tuna, but this method can be applied to any type of fish. My recommendation for a more healthy cooking method is to lightly oil the pan and use a non-stick pan. A note about oil: make sure you are picking the right oil for the job. There are a lot of positives about olive oil, but it is often misused. It is has a low burn point (it starts to burn and smoke at a lower temperature), so it isn’t a great option if you are cooking at high temperatures. Use canola or vegetable oil instead; both have healthy qualities as well and they cook at a higher temperature.

In order to get this meal out hot, prep the salad and fruit first, and then cook the fish and polenta at the same time. The fish and polenta cook pretty quickly and they are best hot out of the pan.  

Lemon Honey Slaw

Dressing:

2 TB light mayo
Juice from one lemon
2 TB honey
½ Tsp salt

Wisk together until combined.

Salad:

½ head of cabbage (either red, green, or a ¼ of each), shredded
1 cup of shredded carrots
½ cup of dried cranberries

Combine vegetables and mix in dressing.

Strawberry-Mango Mahi Mahi

Heat a heavy skillet on medium heat and lightly oil with canola or vegetable oil (about a teaspoon). Lightly salt the raw fish and place it on the hot skillet. As the fish cooks, you will notice the fish turning white; when it is about half way cooked, turn the fish over (about 3-5 minutes). Only turn the fish once to retain moisture in the fish. Cook the other side of the fish until it is cooked through (fish will flake apart with a fork, about 3-5 minutes). Put the cooked fish on a plate and cover with aluminum foil; let the fish rest for a few minutes to retain moisture and then serve.

Garnish with sliced strawberries and chunks of ripe mango.

Polenta

Slice polenta into thin slices, about 1/8^th-1/4 of an inch.  Heat a heavy skillet on high heat and lightly coat with canola or vegetable oil. Lightly salt the polenta and place it on the hot pan. Cook until golden and crispy on one side and then flip to the other side; cook the other side until golden and crispy and then serve.

One of our Family's Favorite Afternoon Snacks

(rolled by our 4 year old)

Our family consists of 2 parents and 3 children, 4 years old and under. One thing I try to do is have all healthy, accessible snacks for the kids and myself to get into throughout the day. The glass snapware from Costco really helps with that, because the kids can see what's inside.

These snacks were originally listed as "Pop 'ems" on the blog Adventures in Beanland but we have renamed them Date Balls. Either way, they are a total hit around here. It's a win-win because with the cocoa taste, the kids think they are eating a huge treat, and with all of the nuts, they are filling in a good way. My 4 year-old requested that we make these in her class when I came in for "Cooking Day" last week. The kids had a great time with the sticky dates, picking out the pit, and then measuring the nuts and seeds. I keep dates refrigerated so they last longer.

I usually half this recipe so it will fit better in my food processor (a 3 cup capacity) and basically do 2 batches. So, the measurements below are for a one batch. Hope that made sense.

1/2 cup raw almonds (we buy these at Costco and keep them in the freezer)
1/2 cup raw walnuts (ditto to the almond comment)
1/4 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds (we buy these at Trader Joe's)
6 dried Medjool dates, pitted
(we buy these at Costco, they are usually in the section by the hummus/guac before you go into the "cold room"--don't forget to take the pit out or else your food processor may never forgive you)

Put the nuts and seeds in a food processor and let it go for 30-60 seconds depending on the texture you'd like. Add the dates and 1 Tbsp cocoa. You could also add 1 Tbsp cinnamon but we're more into chocolate around here. The food processor goes back on for another 10-20 seconds until everything is well-incorporated. Then make balls and pop them on in!