Recipe (Re)creation: Hearty Fall Salad

I know what you are thinking. If this is a salad, where are the greens?  It's not that kinda salad.  This is a grain salad, rather than a green salad. It's perfect for fall, very hearty, and comforting.  It also happens to be gluten free and full of nutrients (fiber, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin b + c, etc).  I like to double the recipe so I have leftovers during the week.  If you are going to keep some for later, just store the dressing separately. Feel free to play around with the ingredients and substitute different root vegetable or grains if you prefer. Enjoy!

Serves 3

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 large sweet potato 
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 4 organic chicken apple sausage
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried thyme

For the dressing:

• 1 cup Italian parsley, minced
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. agave or honey
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with tin foil.

-Peel and chop the sweet potato and and cut the cauliflower into small florets. 

-Slice the sausage in 1/2 inches rounds and toss with the veggies. 

-Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and top with herbs.

-Roast for 20 minutes, then stir and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. 

-Remove from oven when golden brown and set aside. 

-Meanwhile, toss all of the dressing ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.

-Mix the precooked quinoa in a large bowl with the roasted veggies and sausage.

-Toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe (Re)creation: Summer Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil, Toasted Hazelnuts + Burrata

This pasta dish is an ode to summer produce.  It was inspired by a recipe I came across in the summer eating issue of Bon Appétit.  I adapted it by adding the flavor combinations I crave on a regular basis while also sticking to the ingredients I had on hand.  Feel free to double or triple this recipe for a crowd.  It's very straightforward and simple and relies on the freshest produce for all the best flavors to come through. Get yourself to the farmer's market and start cooking!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz. spaghetti
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts
• 1 large heirloom tomato (or 2 medium ones)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt & pepper
• Burrata (as much as you'd like)

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.
-Let the hazelnuts cool, coarsely chop them, and set aside.
-Roughly chop up the heirloom tomato in 1 inch cubes, place in a bowl and season with salt.
-Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
-While the pasta is cooking, throw the garlic, red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup basil leaves, half of the chopped tomatoes and half of the hazelnuts and a pinch of salt in a food processor and blend until smooth.
-Drain the pasta and reserve 1/8 cup of the pasta water.
-Add the tomatoes, the blended sauce, the spaghetti, extra pasta water and the remaining hazelnuts and basil to a large bowl.
-Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
-Divide evenly among two bowls and top with generous spoonfuls of burrata.
-Enjoy!

Recipe Creation: Cherry Tomato + Avocado Quinoa + Fried Egg

I often struggle to get a nice dinner on the table when I am just cooking for myself. Now that I have a little one crawling around, I usually alternate between throwing avocado or almond butter on toast and calling it a day.  However, this dish is just as perfect for one as it would be for many and it only takes minutes to prepare.  Just adjust the quantities based on how many mouths you are feeding.  I make the quinoa in advance and then throw in whatever I happen to be in the mood for.  Tonight I had fresh cherry tomatoes and avocado on hand so I sliced them up and threw on a handful of thyme along with the sautéed onions. Depending on your mood and appetite, you can top it all with a fried egg and crumbled goat cheese.   Enjoy!

Serves 1 (or many more)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• crumbled goat cheese
• 1 egg
• olive oil
• sea salt

Directions:

-Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet and add the onions.

-Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and barely brown (about 15 minutes).

-Then add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes and thyme to the pan.

-Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and stir.

-Remove from heat once the quinoa is warm and transfer to a plate.

-Add a splash more olive oil and fry an egg.

-Top the quinoa with a fried egg and some crumbled goat cheese. 

Recipe (Re)creation: Oatmeal + Banana + Chocolate Chip Cookies

I bet you can't stop at just one!  Luckily these cookies are super healthy and nutritious and can easily be eaten for breakfast or a snack without feeling too indulgent.  I based these cookies off a recipe from my friend Casey and her blog Pink Brandywine.  She mentioned how much her son loved these cookies and thought they'd be the perfect bite-sized treat for my little one.  Feel free to experiment with adding other ingredients as well- you can't really mess these up!

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp. almond butter
• 1-2 tbsp. dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a baking sheet.
Mash the banana and oats in a bowl until they are well blended.
Add the cinnamon, vanilla and almond butter and continue mixing.
Scoop round spoonfuls of dough and place on your baking sheet.
Top each cookie with a sprinkle of chocolate chips.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Recipe Creation: Sweet Corn + Cherry Tomato + Basil Frittata

Summer produce is my favorite: peaches, tomatoes, corn.... corn.... corn. Did I say corn?  If you don't already know by now, I have a complete corn obsession.  I would happily eat an ear a day, and often do.  As much as I love it straight off the cob, I also enjoy experimenting with corn and tossing it into different dishes.  This frittata is one such example and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  Each forkful tastes like a bite of summer.  I also love this dish because it can be served for any meal and it's very baby + toddler friendly.  It's a one dish delight.  Enjoy!

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 basil leaves, torn
• 1 ear corn, cut off cob
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• salt & pepper, to taste
• olive oil (for greasing)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9-inch pie dish with olive oil.
-In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the water.
-Add the corn, tomatoes and basil to the pie dish and pour in the eggs.
-Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
-Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan while still warm.
-Let cool, slice + serve.

Recipe (Re)creation: Lamb Meatball Pitas

I realize it has been a really long time since my last post.  That is what happens when you have a 6 month old and are exhausted.  If I do cook, I rarely have time to photograph AND write about it. However, I have made this dish three times now in the last two weeks and am completely obsessed and felt inspired to share it.  It is based on a recipe from a Donna Hay cookbook (the Australian version of Martha Stewart) and I tweaked things here and there.  For an extra special addition, serve the pitas with a generous dollop of yogurt raita from this post.  The extra bonus- the lamb meatballs are baby/kid friendly too, so you can feed the whole family.  I call that a win.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup couscous
• 2/3 cup hot chicken stock
• 3/4 lb. ground lamb
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tsp. chopped rosemary
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• Salt & pepper
• Serve with:
• Pita, hummus, arugula, mint leaves, cherry tomatoes, feta, yogurt raita

Directions:

-Place the couscous in a bowl and pour in the hot stock.

-Cover and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed and couscous is fluffy.

-Combine the lamb, couscous, honey, lemon zest, rosemary and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. 

-Stir in the feta and begin forming 1/4 cup flat patties.

-Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

-Cook the patties for about 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through

-To serve, cute pita in half, spread with hummus and stuff with any combination of arugula, mint leaves, sliced cherry tomatoes, feta & meatballs.

-Top with a generous dollop of yogurt raita and enjoy!

Recipe Creation: Honeyed Grapefruit Brûlée

I recently got a dozen grapefruits gifted to me and have been racking my brain for creative ways to use all of this gorgeous fruit.  I came across this blog and was thrilled by the idea of caramelizing the top of the grapefruit.  This is hardly a recipe since it's so straightforward, but I wanted to make sure I cataloged it so I would remember this easy way to turn a grapefruit into a tasty little work of art.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, halved
• honey
• groung cinnamon

Directions:

-Preheat the broiler and cut your grapefruit in half.

-Slather each grapefruit half with honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

-Place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes, or until caramelized and beginning to brown.

-Enjoy for breakfast, a snack, or for a nice light dessert.

Recipe Creation: Rainbow Chard + Goat Cheese Frittata

On Sunday morning we were grappling between going out to brunch and making something at home.  What swayed the decision was a quickly wilting bunch of rainbow chard that was sitting in my fridge and feeling neglected.  So, I decided to chop it up, sauté it with some sweet onions, add eggs and goat cheese and voila- you have yourself a gorgeous frittata.  Its uber healthy, beautiful to look at, and very tasty.  Plus, you can stay in your PJs all morning long.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 bunch rainbow chard
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

-Preheat the broiler.
-Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof 10-12 inch skillet over medium-high heat.
-Stir in the onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
-Add the chard and cook for another 3 minutes, or until wilted.
-Pour in the eggs and a pinch of salt and cook over medium-low until the eggs are set.
-Sprinkle with goat cheese and place under the broiler for a few minutes, or until puffed up and set.
-Season with salt and pepper and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe (Re)creation: Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

 

This delicious dish was inspired by two variations I came across this month here and here.  I love the idea of using January to clean up your act and your diet.  This mock fried rice dish allows you to cleanse your system while eating something totally satisfying and hearty.  My favorite part of fried rice is always the little bits of fluffy egg, so that was a must and I also wanted to incorporate lots of veggies so I added rainbow carrots, zucchini, and kale.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to have discovered this winning combination.  The cauliflower is the perfect substitute for rice and makes the dish oh-so-healthy.  Your body and soul will thank you for this one.

Serves 2

• 1 head of cauliflower, florets separated
• 3 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 2 tsp. ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. sliced scallions
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup kale, shredded
• 1-2 tbsp. tamari
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

-Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles couscous.
-Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
-Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, adding a splash of water to prevent sticking.
-Add the zucchini and a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
-Next, add the eggs and stir frequently until almost set.
-Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, kale and cauliflower and cook another 2-3 minutes.
-Remove from heat, drizzle with tamari and season with sea salt.
-Enjoy immediately.