Herb Crusted Salmon, Sauteed Mushrooms, and Roasted Broccoli

After my nice, relaxing (and too short) month-long winter break, I am now slowly and reluctantly getting back into the hectic routine of being a full-time student with a packed schedule of classes, work and homework. It's pretty crazy, but I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love it!  And the funny thing about adding blogging into the mix, which I've learned after a few months now, is that I keep up with my blog posts more while in school when I have a hundred other things going on than while on breaks when I have nothing better to do. Funny how that works out. So anyway, these are a string of three recipes that I have saved up from a few weeks ago that make up a fantastic meal, or also taste great on their own.

HERB CRUSTED SALMON

I am a huge salmon fan and there are countless ways to prepare and enjoy this meaty fish.  Salmon is so versatile and tasty, not to mention full of omega-3 fatty acids, the really important, heart-healthy "good" fats. When buying salmon, it is best to look for wild-caught Alaskan Salmon (pretty much any type) or U.S. farmed Coho or Silver Salmon, which are the most sustainably caught options, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Guide (click here to read more; they also have an iPhone app!). I bought a medium-sized frozen filet, thawed it out, brushed on some dijion mustard, and coated with a simple herb and panko bread crumb topping, then broiled it for about 15min or so. Delicious!

Ingredients: 

1 medium salmon filet, or 2 smaller filets, thawed

Dijon mustard

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (regular bread crumbs work too)

2 tsp. olive oil

fresh or dried herbs (basil, thyme, parsley)

salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to broil.

2. Coat the salmon with a thin layer of dijon mustard. 

3. Combine the bread crumbs, olive oil, herbs and salt/pepper in a small bowl and then it spread over the salmon filet and press down lightly. 

4. Broil the salmon for about 15min or so, checking frequently until almost cooked through and browned on top.  Serve and peel back the bottom layer of skin before eating. Enjoy!

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS

Next up- a really simple and classic side dish that I love making during these cold winter days.  I know some people are picky about mushrooms, but not me - I enjoy any kind of mushroom prepared any way. Mushrooms are so earthy and hearty (a great meat substitute!), and they are extremely low in calories, high in fiber, and packed full of all sorts of beneficial minerals.  Sauteeing mushrooms with some garlic, onions and herbs is one the quickest, easiest, and most delicious way to enjoy these magnificent fungi! 

Ingredients

1 tblsp olive oil

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

~2 cups organic crimini mushrooms, sliced (or any kind of mushroom)

salt/pepper

herbs: thyme, rosemary and sage are my favorite with mushrooms!

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add garlic and onions over medium heat.

2. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently.

2. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and herbs and continuing cooking until the mushrooms are soft and dark brown, another 5 minutes or so. Enjoy!

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH GOAT CHEESE

Roasting is one of my favorite cooking methods when its cold outside because of its warming effect on the body and because of how fantastic it makes my house smell (unless I burn something, of course, which happens from time to time). Broccoli is usually a favorite vegetable among people (which is awesome since broccoli is a cruciferous, anti-oxidant-packed, cancer-fighting vegetable), but most people don't typically think of roasting it. Well, if you've never tried roasted broccoli before, then you are definitely missing out! Top with some goat or feta cheese and you've got a great little side dish to complete this colorful and nutrient-packed meal! 

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli (about 2 cups, chopped)

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper

Goat or feta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and spread onto a cookie sheet.

3. Lightly coat and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

4. Roast for about 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is golden brown and slightly crispy.  ENJOY!

APPLESAUCE!

Yummmm.. who doesn't love applesauce? It's one of those simple foods that brings back warm, childhood memories and that I still enjoy eating as an adult. That being said, store bought applesauce doesn't even come close to a homemade batch of the real deal. The store bought stuff usually has tons of added sugar (1 cup of Mott's original applesauce has 22g of sugar- that's almost 6 teaspoons of sugar!) and other unnecessary chemicals and preservatives.  Making REAL applesauce is so easy and delicious, and you get to control what goes into it.  Also- here's a BIG money-saving tip... you can buy a huge bag of apple "seconds" (the picked over apples with a few bruises here or there that you can just cut off) from the farmers market for a whopping $1.  That's right, one dollar for a large bag (see below) of a good variety of apples that no one else wanted will make two enormous pots of applesauce. You just can't beat that!

There is no real recipe to making applesauce- it turns out differently every time I make it depending on the types of apples I get in the bag and the types of spices I have on hand to throw in until I'm happy with the taste. The only real effort in making applesauce is cutting off any bruises and chopping up all the apples in chunks (skin on or off depending on your preference- I love keeping the skin on for some extra texture). 

After that, you just throw the apples in a pot with some liquid (I used the juice of one lemon and a splash of brandy) and cook them down until they are nice and mushy, stirring occasionally (about 30min or so). I also added one cinnamon stick, some freshly grate ginger, a dash of nutmeg and a small drizzle of local, raw honey for a hint of sweetness. You can leave it chunky or use an immersion blender or regular blender to get it to a finer consistency, if you wish.  And that's it! The finished applesauce will keep for a few days, probably up to a week, in the fridge, or you can easily freeze the leftovers for later use. ENJOY!

*** After sending this out to my friends and family, I received an email back from my Nana that I would like to share with everyone:

"Allison:  Remember, Uncle Fritz’s nickname for you was “Applesauce”!!  My Mother, Nanny, made her own applesauce and when the apples were cooked, she put them in a screen cone shaped colander, and mashed them with a pointed wooden mallet, turning it around until all were mashed to her liking.  I have made applesauce myself many times at Piney.  It was really neat to use...  I like your recipe."

Thanks for your note, Nana :-) It's always fascinating for me hearing stories about how food was prepared years ago, before the extreme technological innovations and the development of our industrialized food system.  The beautiful art of cooking fresh, homemade meals has been lost by too many people of our generation, and it's a damn shame.  Let's work to regain and preserve this lost art by continuing to spread the joy of cooking! 

Spinach and Arugula Salad with Oranges, Cranberries, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Happy Meatless Monday everyone! It sure is a tired Monday for me, as I am still recovering from a weekend trip to NYC for a reunion with my college roommates, which was so much fun.. probably too much fun :-).  Though I often dread going back to school or work on Mondays, I really do treat Mondays as an opportunity to get back on track and start the week off on a good note; so no matter what happened during my weekend or the previous week, Monday brings a fresh start and a new set of goals to achieve. That is what I find so great about Meatless Monday- it is one simple goal you can set for yourself each and every week to kick start your health habits and even your creativity. Okay- that's enough ranting about Meatless Monday.. but seriously, if you haven't gotten on board yet, it's never too late to try it out! And if you already are a Meatless Monday fanatic like moi, then keep up the good work and spread the word!

So how about a nice, seasonal salad recipe for today? I'm definitely feeling in need of a healthy salad after overindulging myself this weekend (why are NY bagels so amazing?!).  I know winter is usually the time for soups, stews and lots of heavily cooked, warming foods; but it's nice to mix things up every once in a while and to eat a cold, uncooked, loaded green salad.  I made this salad with some spinach and arugula from the farmers' market, which you should still be able to find this time of year; and I added a fresh orange, some dried cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette (you'll never need to store-bought dressing again once you realize how easy and tasty homemade dressings can be.. without all the added chemical preservatives, emulsifiers and stabilizers, etc) for a really flavorful and satisfying stand-alone salad.  This salad is packed full of important vitamins and nutrients, fiber and good fats to help boost your immune system and keep you sick-free all winter long.  Feel free to be creative and add in whatever veggies, nuts and fruits you have on hand!

SPINACH & ARUGULA SALAD WITH ORANGES, CRANBERRIES, WALNUTS, GOAT CHEESE & A HOMEMADE BALSAMIC DIJON VINAIGRETTE 

For the Salad- Mix together: 

1 big handful of mixed spinach and arugula (or any mixed salad greens), washed and dried 

1 orange, peeled and cut into big chunks

Sprinkle of dried cranberries

Sprinkle of chopped walnuts (pine nuts, almonds, or pecans would also be good)

1-2 Tblsp of goat cheese, crumbled

For the vinaigrette- Combine to taste: 

~1 Tblsp dijion mustard

~1 tsp honey or agave syrup

~1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

~1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt/pepper and any other herbs or spices you wish. So easy, so good! 

Awesome Lentil and Barley Salad

With my new obsession of storing and organizing my kitchen ingredients in mason jars and clear canisters after reading Amy Pennington's Urban Pantry, I've been stocking up on lots of bulk items to fill all my jars - all sorts of grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, flour, sugar.. you name it.  Buying these items in bulk is not only economical (a.k.a. so much cheaper!), but it also saves the excess packaging, and you have guaranteed, hearty and healthy ingredients on hand at all times for easy go-to meals. 

This definitely came in handy tonight because we are having a potluck lunch/surprise baby shower at work tomorrow and I said I would bring a main dish of some sort. So I cooked up some barley and lentils from my pantry stash, and mixed in some currants, capers, onions and almonds with an amazingly delicious and flavorful vinaigrette.. all inspired by one of my favorite cooking blogs "My New Roots" .  This salad is so fantastic and the flavors so unexpected; as Sarah Britton of My New Roots explains, "It is this special combination of flavors that creates a truly remarkable salad that is lip-smackingly tasty and totally addictive".... not to mention ridiculously healthy! It's also the perfect food to make ahead of time for a large group, as the flavors get better over time and it keeps and transports well. And feel free to mix up the ingredients or use what you have on hand- you really can't go wrong by adding anything to lentils and barley. 

AWESOME LENTIL AND BARLEY SALAD

Ingredients:

1:1 Ratio of barley to lentils (I used about 1.5 cups of each; green or brown lentils work best)

1 bay leaf

1 medium red onion, diced

1 cup dried currants

1/3 cup capers

3/4 cup almonds, dry-roasted, chopped

Optional add-ins: 

Walnuts (or any other nut)

Goat cheese

Seasonal veggies

Fresh herbs

For the vinaigrette 

(**Don't get overwhelmed with the list- If you have everything, great.. if not, just use what you have and it will still taste great!)

1/3 cup cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. maple or agave syrup
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Rinse barley well, drain. Rinse the lentils separately, drain and put aside. 

2. Place barley in a large pot and cover with about 6 to 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. 

3. After about 15-20 minutes of cooking, add the lentils, one bay leaf, and some salt and pepper; and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the barley and lentils are cooked, but not mushy (check frequently to see when they are done so they don't get overcooked!)

4. While the lentils and barley are simmering, make the dressing by whisking or shaking together all the ingredients until well combined. 

5. Once the lentils and barley are done cooking, remove from heat, drain any excess water, if necessary, and put back into a large pot, bowl or tupperware. 

6. Add the onion, capers, currants and almonds (and any other add-ins), and toss with the dressing. Can be served warm, or put in the fridge to hang out for a day or two before serving cold. Most awesome lentil salad ever! 

Food Resolutions for You in 2011!

Just came across this great Huffington Post article, "11 Food Resolutions for You in 2011" that I had to share with everyone. If you're not already burnt out from setting resolutions for the new year, you gotta check this out and add a few more food-related ones to your list! Also - notice how Meatless Monday is #1 !! See.. the movement is spreading and I am not alone is my belief that Meatless Monday (EVERY Monday) is a great way to reduce meat intake, while improving your health and the health of the planet at the same time. 2011 is going to be a good year for us foodies spreading the love for local, seasonal, healthy, homemade food... so join the movement!

Click here to read the article. 

Lucky Black Eyed Pea Soup

Happy 2011! I hope everyone had a blast celebrating the new year and setting those infamous resolutions to start the year off on a good note.  I can't say that I intentionally set any specific goals for the next year, but I do hope to finish my grad program off strong, figure out my next career move, and have lots of fun new food adventures.  I've already been working on the latter, and for the next few weeks I will have a partner in crime in my kitchen, a.k.a. my boyfriend's sister, Emily. She's a 26 year old, incredible opera singer, who is in between performances right now, so she is staying with us in Baltimore while one of our other roommates is home for break. Emily is a ball of energy and not afraid to push my buttons and challenge me in the kitchen, so I can assure you that there will be some fun recipes and surprises over the next few weeks!

To honor my family's tradition of eating eating black eyed peas at the start of the new year for good luck, Emily and I made a hearty black eyed pea soup with chicken, brown rice, kale and lots of herbs and spices. This was the perfect soup to have after being out in the cold this afternoon watching the Ravens beat up on the Bengals. Playoffs- here we come... GO RAVENS! This soup's got everything you need for a healthy, satisfying meal in just one pot.  And if you make a big pot on Sunday then you can freeze the leftovers for ready-to-go meals throughout the next few weeks. 

LUCKY BLACK EYED PEA SOUP

Ingredients

2 cups dried black eyed peas

8 cups water

1/2 lb chicken breast

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic

1 tblsp olive oil

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped

1-2 cups brown rice or grain blend

1 vegetable or chicken low-sodium bouillon cube (not a huge fan of these, but I do use them from time to time, as they are easy to keep on hand)

Herbs and spices: salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, sage, red chili flakes, cayenne

Directions

1. Wash and sort the dried beans. Put them into a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 min.

2. Meanwhile, coat the chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper on both sides and cook in a pan with some olive oil. Chop or shred into small pieces and set aside.

3. In the same pan, heat a little bit more olive oil and cook the garlic, onions, carrots, celery with salt and pepper until softened. 

4. Once the beans have cooked for about 30 minutes or so and are nearly soft, add the cooked vegetables, shredded chicken, brown rice, kale bouillon cube, and the rest of the herbs and spices to taste.  Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes and adjust spices as needed. ENJOY!

Special thanks to my roommate Leann for being a taste tester of the soup! 

I'm back!

Phew.. what a hectic couple of weeks. After two intense weeks of finals and papers, followed by the craziness of Christmas with lots of travel and family time, I was due for a break... but now I'm excited to be back blogging! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday filled with lots of family, love, good food and good times.  It's been so nice relaxing these past few days, spending time with my family (and seeing my new little nephew!), going skiing yesterday, catching up on sleep, and completely de-cluttering my house (it was about time...).  I've already put to use many of the wonderful new kitchen tools and cookbooks I got for Christmas, and below is one of the first new recipes I've tried. I can't wait to start updating my blog more regularly now that I'm revitalized a bit with lots of fun, new recipes to start off the new year! Enjoy!

Peanut Soba Noodles with Chicken

I thought I would start back up with a recipe from one of my new cookbooks I got for Christmas, entitled "Urban Pantry: Tips & Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable & Seasonal Kitchen"" by Amy Pennington.  Could my parents have picked out a more fitting cookbook for me? I don't think so.  This is such a fantastic cookbook, and I've changed many things in my kitchen and my cooking because of it... more to come about that. Anyway, I just had to try this recipe for Peanut Soba Noodles, which is a really simple asian dish with tons of flavor and good, hearty nutrition. Soba noodles are Japanese spaghetti-like noodles traditionally made from buckwheat flour (a great gluten-free source of protein, less calories than wheat flour) and they boil quickly in about 6-7 minutes.

The peanut sauce is so delicious that you may want to make extra just to keep on hand to use in a variety of other ways (dressing for a salad, dips for veggies, marinade for meat...yum!). This dish tastes great at any temperature, hot, room temperature or cold; and leftovers will keep well in the fridge for several days. You gotta try it!

PEANUT SOBA NOODLES WITH CHICKEN

Ingredients
1/2lb chicken, about 4 small chicken breast tenders, preferably organic, free-range
1 tblsp vegetable oil
Chinese five spice powder
salt/pepper
One 8-oz package soba noodles
1/2c peanut butter
1/4c water
1/4c soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1tsp ground ginger
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or grated
1/4 head red cabbage, grated
3 green onions, chopped
(Feel free to add additional vegetables)

Directions
1. Sprinkle the chinese five spice powder and salt/pepper over the chicken to coat
2. Heat oil in a pan and cook chicken until nicely browned and cooked through.

3. While the chicken is cooking, cook the soba noodles as directed on the package.
4. To prepare the peanut sauce, mix together the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lime, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger until smooth and creamy. You may want to heat the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds until soft.
5. Chop up the carrots, cabbage and green onions and set aside.

6. Drain the noodles when they are done and put them back into the pot.
7. Chop up the chicken and add to the noodles. Add the veggies and pour over the peanut sauce. Mix until well-incorporated. Enjoy!

Finals... Ugh

Sorry everyone- finals are kicking my butt this week and next so I haven't been able to keep up with the blog... I will resume posting recipes soon... during my nice, month-long break! Hope everyone stays warm!

One note about holiday shopping- think green this holiday season by reducing the wrapping paper (use newspaper/recycled gift wrap), supporting your local economy by shopping at small, independent stores or markets instead of the mall (who likes going to the mall this time of year anyways?!), make home-made goodies and treats as gifts, and even consider buying your friends and families more eco-friendly gifts instead of more stuff they probably don't need.

Check out Change.org Holiday Gift Guide (http://blog.change.org/?p=472) or The Daily Green (http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-gifts?click=getstarted) for more great green gift ideas!

Chili Football Sunday

As I am writing this, I am watching one of the most anticipated football games of the season- Steelers vs. Ravens (round #2) and I can't wait to see the Ravens dominate yet again! I also just enjoyed one of the best bowls of chili I've ever made... inspired by the one and only Bobby Flay. I've been planning to make chili for a while now, but I waited to make it today because nothing goes better with football on a chilly (pun-intended) December night than a warm bowl of chili, ice cold beer and lots of friends :-) Only one minor detail I failed to mention is that my boyfriend, Matt, is a Steeler's fan (yuck!)... but he's a big chili fan so at least we can agree on one thing on game days.

Bobby Flay is a chili master, so I looked up his chili recipes and found this Beef and Black Bean Chili that I just couldn't resist; and I also happen to have some local, humanely raised ground beef in the freezer just calling my name. I usually pack my chili with lots of veggies and skip the meat, but tonight I decided to go true to beef recipe (using high quality, local beef, of course) to celebrate this big game night.  That being said, I can't follow a recipe exactly without changing a few ingredients here or there depending on what I have on hand, so here is my interpretation of Bobby Flay's recipe... the 'Alli Flay' way as my dad says.  This is a MUST-TRY chili recipe and worth the extra effort to find the right ingredients.

BOBBY FLAY'S BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

2 tblsp olive oil
1.5 pounds local, humanely-raised
Salt/pepper
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bottle beer (I used Yuengling, but use whatever you have!)
5 cups homemade chicken/veggie stock (or canned low-sodium or water)
1 (16-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes, drained and pureed

2 tblsp organic tomato paste
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree (I found a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international foods section in Giant.. they are delicious, smoky and spicy) 
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups pre-soaked overnight dry black beans (If you are using cooked or canned black beans, don't add until last 15 minutes of cooking) 
Optional Toppings- Avocado, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lime juice, etc. 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

2.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until soft (about 5-7min). 

3. Add the ancho chili powder and cumin, and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the beer and cook until completely reduced to about half of its original volume. 

4. Return the beef to the pot, add the stock, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, and honey, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for about 60 minutes (If you are using cooked or canned beans, add them after about 45 minutes of simmering. 

5. Serve into a bowl and personalize toppings to your liking! Also perfect for dipping with tortilla chips. YUM! ENJOY AND GO RAVENS! 

Mediterranean Kale, Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Here is another twist on my traditional beans and greens one-pan, one-bowl meal... Mediterranean style. I love any kind of Greek food... hummus, olives, feta/goat cheese... you name it.  I probably have no clue what "real" Mediterranean food tastes like, but all I can say is that I love the greek flavors and how easily vegetables can be incorporated into this cuisine.  Kale, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and chickpeas can be used in a variety of cuisines with all sorts of different spices, but I especially like using greek-style spices like oregano, paprika, rosemary, parsley, thyme, pepper, etc. to really give a mouthful of flavor.  It's super easy, cheap and quick to make (especially when using canned tomatoes and beans- less than 20min); and it's also an incredibly satisfying and tasty meatless meal. Adding goat cheese at the end makes the dish creamy and tangy and really brings the Mediterranean flavor to the next level. You gotta try this!

MEDITERRANEAN KALE, TOMATOES & CHICKPEAS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
olive oil
1 can (~2 cups) chickpeas
1 can organic diced tomatoes
Greek spices (whatever you got!): salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika, parsley, etc.
Goat Cheese (Feta would be great also)

Directions:
1. De-stem the kale, wash the leaves well, and chop into bite-size pieces or strips.
2. In a saucepan, saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil for a few minutes on med-high heat until soft.
3. Add in the kale and cook about 10 minutes until the leaves cook down and soften (you made need to add a few splashes of water or broth)

4. Add in the tomatoes, chickpeas and spices and cook until heated through and well-combined.

5. Serve portions into bowls and stir in goat cheese until creamy. Add a nice glass of wine and that's what I call a healthy and happy dinner :-)

Cranberries!

Even after all the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, I still can't get enough of cranberries during this time of year.  Cranberries are so festive, colorful and nutrient-rich, loaded with vitamin C and tons of antioxidants and phytonutrients.  They are anti-inflammatory, help support the immune system,  protect against UTIs and many cancers, and much more. Good excuses to keep eating those cranberries all winter long :-) That being said, I would try to stay away from the canned version (too loaded with sugar and who knows what) instead use fresh cranberries whenever possible (dried are also great and really convenient).  Here are two different recipes- the first using the last of my leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving (courtesy of my mommy!) and the second using fresh cranberries in a cornbread. So yummy! And I still have some fresh cranberries left over, so more recipes to come!

1. MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

3-4 sweet potatoes

1 tblsp real butter

splash of milk

1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Directions: 

1. Wash the sweet potatoes, dice into small squares and steam in a large pot until soft (about 15-20min). 

2. Add butter and milk and mash together with a fork or potato masher.

3. Add in cranberry sauce and mix until well combined. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor.

4. Serve as a side dish with your next meal and enjoy! I ate it with some sauteed kale with onions, which was such a delicious and colorful combination!

2. CRANBERRY CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

1 box store-bought cornbread mix (or make your own cornbread from scratch!) 

1 egg

1/3 cup almond milk (so delicious and a great dairy substitute, even in baking)

3/4 cup fresh cranberries, halved

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Follow instructions on back on box to make cornbread by adding egg and milk and mixing well.
3. Stir in cranberries and pour into a greased baking pan or muffin pan.

4. Bake about 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
5. When done, cut into squares and top with some real butter and a drizzle of local honey :-) Enjoy!

Meatless Monday- Homemade Broccoli & Cheese Pizza

Happy Meatless Monday everyone and hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and families. I know I sure did- so much good food and so many wonderful people! I have so much to be thankful for!

With some extra time during this (too short) break, I decided to make an entire pizza from scratch. Daunting, I know.  We all love pizza, but how many of us actually make it ourselves at home anymore? Even when I try to make pizza at home, I usually cheat and buy pre-made dough from Trader Joe's or the grocery store because I've always been afraid of making my own dough. Pre-made dough really does make things so much easier, but I just had to try making dough from scratch at least once while I had some extra time on my hands. And let me tell you- homemade dough makes SUCH a huge difference in the pizza! So tasty!

I found a really easy dough recipe from a random food blog called Fabulous Foods that gives really great step-by-step instructions, whether you are doing it by hand or in a food processor or bread machine. I didn't take any pictures of my dough-making extravaganza, so I'll have to refer you to their website for the recipe; but I can say that it was a really fun process and it just took a little bit of time out of one morning to make, which was definitely worth the final product. I also substituted white whole wheat flour because that's what I had on hand, but I'd actually prefer using regular 100% whole wheat flour. Any type of flour will work, but why not try to get as much nutritional bang for your buck by using whole wheat flour in the crust??

For the toppings, I tried to load up on the veggies and local/sustainable products as much as possible. I used broccoli, onions and garlic I bought from the farmers' market that morning; I used organic canned tomatoes and paste for the sauce; and I used a combination of local Muenster and Colby Jack cheese. It turned out as a delicious ooey-gooey tasty mess that I urge you all to try and get creative with toppings! Pizza really is a great way to load up on the veggies, while also indulging with the cheese :-) yum!

HOMEMADE BROCCOLI & CHEESE PIZZA! 

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (store-bought works, but try homemade! I used this recipe from Fabulous Foods)

1 can of organic diced tomatoes

2 tblsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 head of broccoli, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

1 cup cheese (get creative!

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Lightly grease cookie sheet or pizza pan and roll out pizza dough thinly.

3. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork and bake for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and tomato paste to make a pizza sauce. Add some salt and pepper and other herbs, if you wish. Put aside. 

5. Cook the garlic and onions in pan on med-high heat with a little bit of olive oil until softened. Add in the broccoli and cook for an additional minute or two. 

5. Pull the dough out of the oven and flip it over. Top with tomato sauce mixture and spread evenly to the edges with a spoon or spatula

6. Top with cheese. 

7. Spread the broccoli, onions and garlic evenly all over the pizza. 

8. Put back into the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, with the last minute or two on Broil until the cheese in bubbly and slightly golden brown.  

9. Cut into squares and serve! ENJOY! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy good food and good company. As we give thanks today for all the blessings in our lives, let us also be thankful for the many hands involved in the raising of our turkeys and in the growing of our vegetables.  May we be mindful of the farmers and workers whose labor makes our meal possible today. 

May we also be mindful of those less fortunate than us today and strive to work for justice and equity.  Here is a really great quote from latin american prayer that I came across and would like to share: "To those who have hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice."

Enjoy the day and be sure to cast your vote about your favorite Thanksgiving dish in the poll to the right! 

Pumpkin-Almond Bread

Have any leftover pureed pumpkin from all those pumpkin pies you've been making for tomorrow? Need a new idea for a fun pumpkin recipe to use up those leftovers? Yesterday I made my own pureed pumpkin from two little sugar pie pumpkins, which is really easy to do and worth the extra effort instead of using the canned version. I put aside what I needed to make two pumpkin pies for my family's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I still had about a cup leftover, so I decided to make some sort of pumpkin bread. 

Now, if you know me or have ever seen me bake before, you know I'm not much of a precision baker.  I'm actually quite a hurricane in the kitchen, just throwing things in pots and pans, clutzing around, and saving all the cleaning for the end. I know that this may drive some people nuts, but it works for me and my food still tastes great. I know with baking you are supposed to properly measure each ingredient and follow the directions exactly; but I just don''t have the desire or patience to do that.  This method (or non-method) of baking doesn't work for everything, but for breads and muffins, it turns out just fine for me. I found a recipe for a healthy pumpkin bread online (HERE) that I adapted using a combination whole wheat flour and almond meal (just ground up almonds) from Trader Joe's. I also added some sliced almond to the batter, and topped it off with more sliced almonds and amaretti cookies for even more almond flavor. The bread turned out deliciously moist from the fresh pureed pumpkin and oh so flavorful with the extra hint of almond. A great, healthy twist on the traditional pumpkin bread!

Disclosure: I can't promise that these are the exact amounts of ingredients, but it should be pretty close. If you don't have almond meal, you can just use all whole wheat flour or half regular, half whole wheat. Any kind of nuts or dried fruits (even chocolate chips) would also work well. 

PUMPKIN-ALMOND BREAD

Ingredients 

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large egg whites

1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4-1cup almond meal

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Amaretti cookies, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with a little bit of butter or oil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and egg whites, then add pumpkin, oil, yogurt and vanilla until well combined. 

3. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. 

4. Add dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Add in the almonds, reserving about a tablespoon or so to add on top. 

5. Pour batter into loaf pan. Top with remainder of the sliced almonds and chopped amaretti cookies. 

6. Bake about 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into. Serve up some slices and enjoy!

Baked Carrot and Parsnip Chips

If you love potato chips or french fries or baked sweet potato fries, then you are going to LOVE these carrot and parsnip chips.  We all know and love carrots; but let me just say that eating real farm fresh carrots from a farmers' market is a whole different experience then eating those processed baby carrots from the grocery store.  And eating roasted carrots is an entirely different experience than eating them raw, which most of us are used to. Parsnips are also root vegetables and are closely related to carrots, but they are lighter in color and slightly sweeter in flavor.

http://www.bigoven.com/glossary/Parsnips

Parsnips are really high in potassium, and carrots are of course known for their Vitamin A (beta-carotene) content; and both have a slew of other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Parsnips and carrots pair really well together and are great additions to soups and stews, or just on their own as in this dish.  These chips are extremely rich in flavor, so simple to prepare, and a great crowd pleaser.  You can just use your hands to pop them in your mouth like chips, but with less guilt (and even more flavor)!  Any of the root vegetables in season nowadays (turnips, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc) are excellent baked as "chips" or "fries"... so think outside the box and add some new colors and flavors next time you go and grab that plain old white potato! 

BAKED CARROT AND PARSNIP CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium carrots

1 parsnip

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Peel the carrots and parsnip, and chop into thin slices (a mandoline works great here, if you have one, to get really thin slices. thinner=crispier!)

3. Arrange on a cookie sheet, trying not to overcrowd, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring a couple times, until nice and golden brown and crunchy. 

5. Serve on a plate with your favorite dipping sauce (ketchup, dijon, thousand island, etc) or just plain. Enjoy.. and beware- once you pop, you just can't stop!