on the menu : deconstructed fish “taco” salad

DECONSTRUCTED FISH “TACO” SALAD

Note to self:  When making fish tacos, do not forget the tortillas .  This is how my deconstructed fish “taco” salad came about.  I came home excited to chow down on one of my all-time favorite meals and realized halfway through cooking that I had forgotten to buy the tortillas.  So much for tacos!  But no worries, I quickly decided to turn my dish into a salad.

Actually, this all worked in my favor.  I was cooking with Turbot (only fresh wild caught white fish available that day) which is not ideal for fish tacos anyway (flakes way too easily, and too buttery in texture).  The crunchy cabbage and peppery arugula were exactly what the Turbot needed as it would have disappeared in a tortilla.

The purple cabbage is dressed in a zesty avocado vinaigrette to make the spiced up Turbot really scream ‘n’ shout bold flavors.  I think the saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”  Likewise when you forget a seemingly important ingredient on your shopping list, just go with the flow, and you won’t be disappointed.

on the menu : gazpacho for a warm spring or summer evening

GAZPACHO FOR A WARM SPRING OR SUMMER EVENING

Cold soups are not appealing to everyone.  I totally get it.  I was one of them!  But I soon realized it was because I had never enjoyed one that worked for me.  On my recent visit to Kaua’i, I devoured a mind shifting gazpacho.  It was tomato based but not at all like the watered down salsa I was used to in cold soups.  It had hints of sweet (from pineapple), fresh herbs, smooth binding textures of avocado, and the right consistency of tomatoes.  I was inspired to create my own gazpacho shortly upon returning.

My gazpacho is pretty simple.  Here on the East coast, we’re not quite in tomato season yet, so I cheated a bit by using chopped Pomo tomatoes (with fresh tomatoes mixed in).  Instead of red or yellow onion, I used scallions which are a bit more mild and pair great with tomatoes.  I added avocados and mangos to impart some creaminess.  Cucumbers are in there to reign in even more freshness.  Also, a purée of yuzu, honey, sesame seeds, and water meant to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.  Then I went out on a limb and added some extra firm tofu (finely cubed) to give it a Japanese fusion twist.

The end result was a gazpacho that far exceeded my expectations!

catching up + fresh starts

CATCHING UP + FRESH STARTS

First, I’ll play catch up with some dishes I never got around to posting.

Sweet Pea-tato Dumplings in Carrot Greens Broth

Excuse my constant making up of words on this blog, but I’ve got another one for you!  My sweet pea-tato dumplings are made of sweet potatoes and sweet peas.  When it comes to spring, I seriously crave peas, and this is a fun + innovative way to use them up.  I’m also a big fan of using all parts of the vegetable, so I made a broth featuring carrot tops.  The slight bitterness of carrot greens pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and sweet peas.  A whole ‘lotta sweet going on your taste buds will thank you for.

Whole Grain Porridge

Once in a blue moon, I get this awful canker sore in the very back corner of my mouth.  The pain is so intense that it hurts to swallow, smile, eat, drink, you name it.  Not to mention the awful metallic taste in your mouth (bleh).  I got one a few weeks back which put me out of solid foods for five miserable days.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll get sick of liquids pretty quick and your body will just naturally crave texture.. crunch.. something that doesn’t have to come out of a straw.  I found that I could somehow, slowly (but still painfully) eat soft vegetables and grains which meant one thing – porridge!

I made big batches, changing it up slightly each day.  The very first day is basic and as the week goes on, you tweak it and add to it so that eventually you’re left with a heaping marriage of flavors.  This dish also ensures that you pack in plenty of vitamins/nutrients/etc. that your body so desperately needs in a time of healing.

Dressed Up Cannellini Bean Salad w/ Braised Apples + Onions

Take any ordinary bean salad to the next level quickly and easily by incorporating some extra love.  In this case, I braised apples and red onions in a mixture of dijon mustard, balsamic, and maple syrup.  Pour this braised goodness directly over the beans/chopped cherry tomatoes/peppery arugula to create a wonderful steam bath of flavor that disseminates throughout.  Also, by keeping the tomatoes and arugula raw, the comforting nature of braised apples + onions are complemented with a nice touch of freshness.

Raw Broccoli Stem + Carrot Slaw w/ Almond Vinaigrette

Don’t toss those broccoli stems!  They make great raw slaws given their crunchiness.  I paired the broccoli stems with carrots, and lovingly smothered them in an almond vinaigrette.  Almonds (and any nuts, really) are secret weapons for producing healthy renditions of creamy dressings without dairy (like mayo or cream).  Soft tofu and avocados are great dairy substitutes too, but I think nuts produce the brightest and creamiest vegan dressings of the bunch.

Sweet Potato + Black Eyed Pea Kale Salad

If you ever catch yourself at a loss over what to make for dinner with limited ingredients, here is a great solution.  Think deconstructed veggie burger meets salad where the sweet potatoes and black eyed peas fill you right up.  These ingredients also soak in vinaigrettes very well, so you’re guaranteed to pull together a flavorful dish.  What more, you don’t need to douse your salad greens (in this case kale) with extra dressing because there’s already so much going on!  Try a bright, zesty vinaigrette for this one.  Great served warm or cold and perfect for picnics too.

Tri-Color Saffron Infused Quinoa w/ BBQ Marinated Vegetables

Did you really think I was going to leave out quinoa?  lol.  In this dish, while quinoa sits proudly in the middle, the gold star goes to the beautifully marinated vegetables!  My marinade was a bit of a play on BBQ sauce (think sweet, smoky, & tangy).  I let the vegetables marinade all day long so they were just fireworks of flavor by the time we ate them.  Kitchen smells amazing, your family will think you’re amazing, and you’ll feel amazing because it’s all just a bowl full of heart healthy goods.

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And now, for a word on fresh starts coming my (and therefore your) way!

My recent rejuvena-cation and bouts of downward dogs are soul-cleansing (yes) but also meant to open up new paths and shine a light of contentment back into my life.  Why back into my life?  Because for much too long, I admit to living by the rules and for the rules of how the outside world portrays happiness, success, and purpose.  I have been my own hypocrite when it comes to things like status, hierarchy, progression, materialism, and money.

A few months back, one door closed (that’s a nice way of saying my company shut down and I was let go) and instead of stepping through the next door that opened (taking a tempting new job offer), I made what feels like the scariest decision of my life to do something for me.

An entrepreneur at heart, I have many dreams.  Small dreams, big dreams, dreams that give back to the community and environment.  Right now, those dreams are in the form of pages and pages of bustling ideas.  I hope to bring those ideas to fruition in the coming months and years with the inkling that maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to call one or more of them a dream come true.

But before I can do any of that, I need to be in the right mindset and that’s what I’m working on now.  I refer to it as my detox phase from the corporate world where yoga has been a huge help in re-teaching me how to just be present and content with where I am.  Re-learning to breathe again.  Re-discovering what it’s like to wake up on a Monday morning happy and to have a consistent stream of energy throughout the entire week.

I look forward to sharing my new ventures with all of you!  I know many of you are in a similar situation or know someone who is.  Feel free to reach out at anytime.  Happy to have a chat with anyone .

“Smile at the world, and it will smile back.”

back from rejuvena-cation

BACK FROM REJUVENA-CATION

Hi there, friends!  My lack of recent posts is the result of a much-needed rejuvena-cation (aka vacation meant to rejuvenate) in paradise.  My husband and I continued our annual tradition of visiting our favorite island of Kaua’i.  Though we have now had the pleasure of returning multiple times, we still manage to find new adventures around every corner.  And as with each visit, this one was just as eye-opening in terms of reconnecting with myself physically and spiritually.  Hiking, beaching, mingling, eating, yoga – in no particular order, though eating is way up there – we left smiling and yes, rejuvenated.

Also, a brief PSA if I may.  Please take a moment to visit the Kaua’i Humane Society!  They have a bunch of dogs/cats looking for a little  lovin’.  If you’re considering adopting  a pet, the Kaua’i Humane Society is a fantastic organization to contact.  No need to be local either as they ship virtually everywhere!  If you are local or visiting, stop by and take one of their dogs out for a field trip!  No charge and great exposure for the animals.

We took a beautiful Australian Shepherd Mix named Josie out for a day and she was adopted a few days later!

Ui hou kakou

(Until we meet again)

on the menu : marinated red bell peppers w/ simple stuffing

MARINATED RED BELL PEPPERS W/ SIMPLE STUFFING

When I first started seriously cooking, I would make lots of stuffed peppers because they were in almost every cookbook, easy to make, and looked cool (ha).  After a while though, I stopped because I got bored with the concept and taste.

The other day I realized I had not made a stuffed pepper dish in, well, forever!  And so I did.  I used to just make the stuffing, stuff the peppers, and bake them.  This time I decided to marinate the peppers in advance to take care of my biggest complaint – the peppers always being kinda ‘eh, boring.’

That did the trick.  Dancing flavors, no more bland peppers, and no need to get all fancy with the stuffing.  As you know, you can pretty much stuff peppers with anything (be it rice, just vegetables, maybe you like chicken or meat in there), so that’s totally your personal preference but I highly recommend marinating the peppers first for the most flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• Red Bell Pepper
• Marinade
  • Hungarian Paprika
  • Fennel Pollen
  • Herbes de Provence
  • Organic Ketchup
  • Lemon
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Salt + Pepper
• Stuffing/Filling
  • Quinoa
  • Tuna
  • Red Onion
  • Peas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl and whisk together.
2. Cut off the tops of your bell peppers, remove the seeds and inner linings.  Brush the marinade on your peppers (inside + out, tops too) so every inch is covered.  Place in the fridge to marinate over night for the most flavor (but less is fine too!).  Reserve the leftover marinade.
3. Once the peppers have marinated, make the stuffing/filling.  Cook quinoa according to package.
4. Finely chop up the red onion.  Drizzle some oil into a sauté pan and add the red onions.  Raise the heat to medium and cook the onions.  Season with salt + pepper.
5. Add the tuna (canned is fine – make sure you drain + rinse) to the onions.  Pour in the reserved marinade and continue to sauté.  Also add the green peas.  Season with salt + pepper as necessary.
6. Once the quinoa has cooked, give it a nice fluff, season with salt + pepper, and add the sautéed ingredients.  Mix well.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F.  Roast the peppers to your liking (some like it more raw, some prefer them more charred).  Once they’ve roasted, fill them up, and serve!

on the menu : sprouted “noodle” soup + strawberry fields salad

SPROUTED “NOODLE” SOUP + STRAWBERRY FIELDS SALAD

Sometimes, a simple soup and salad make the perfect meal.

The salad is a bunch of organic salad greens (baby kale, power greens), strawberries (still a little tart so perfect in salads), baby oranges (to balance the tartness of the berries), and dried fruit.  The vinaigrette is a concoction of lime, honey, balsamic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

The soup was not supposed to be a soup at all, actually, but turned into one last minute.  I started out by sautéing red onions (for the salad).  Then I decided to quickly sauté some raw sprouts & legumes with the onions; just to impart some flavor.  I then thought it would be a good idea to add some liquids… before I knew it, I was pouring in a whole cup of vegetable broth and the sprouts turned into ‘noodles.’  It was the coolest thing and tasted awesome, so I went with it!

on the menu : mock no dairy shrimp alfredo

MOCK NO DAIRY SHRIMP ALFREDO

Hands up – are you a sucker for cream-based pasta dishes??  In the US, American-Italian establishments are known for adding heavy cream to some of their most popular pasta sauces.  I think they do this partly because cream is cheaper than, say, mounds of cheese (likely more popular in Italy).

Hands up – are you a sucker for cream-based pasta dishes and looking for a way to make them leaner and better for you??  Look no further, friends!  The secret is quite simple.  If you think about non-dairy “milks,” they’re primarily nut-based, right?  Soy, almond, cashew, etc. etc.  Take that same concept and apply it to your sauce!  By puréeing nuts (pine nuts, in this case), with wet ingredients (see below), you’re able to create the base for a mock cream sauce with a whole lot more depth and flavor than cream itself AND – of course – the health factor.  Win win win.

For this dish, I’ve added a few veggies (onions + celery), herbs (parsley), spices (saffron + dried red chile), AND flax seeds.  When you blend flax seeds into the nut-based sauce, it almost acts as a bind.  Pretty cool and you won’t even know they’re in there.

INGREDIENTS:

• Celery (3 stalks)
• Parsley (Bunch)
• Pine Nuts (1/2 cup)
• Flax Seeds (1 tbsp)
• Balsamic Vinegar (2 tsp)
• Dried Red Chile (1 tbsp)
• Garlic Clove (2-3)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Saffron (Pinch)
• Mirin (1/4 cup)
• Shrimp (Optional)
• Brown Rice Spiral Pasta (16 oz)
• Sun Dried Tomato (Optional – for topping)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drizzle some oil into a large sauté pan.  Cook the shrimp over medium heat (should only take a few minutes).  Spoon out the shrimp and set aside.
2. Finely chop up the yellow onion.  Add the chopped onions, turn the heat on medium low and sauté the onions with some salt + pepper.
3. As the onions start to turn glassy, add the saffron threads.  Pour in the mirin, raise the hat to medium to cook out some of the alcohol, then reduce the heat back to low.
4. Chop up the garlic cloves and add to the sauté pan.  Also add back in the shrimp and stir everything together.
5. Place in a food processor the celery, parsley, pine nuts, flax seeds, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt + pepper.  Blend until relatively smooth but not completely blended.
6. Spoon in the blended mixture to the sauté pan as you meld it into a sauce.  Use a slotted spoon to do so.  Season with salt + pepper as necessary.
7. Bring a pot of water up to a boil and salt it generously once boiled.  Cook the pasta to just under al denté.  Spoon some of the pasta cooking water into your sauté pan and mix into the sauce.  Drain the pasta and transfer directly to the sauté pan.
8. Raise the heat on the sauté pan to medium to give it once last blast, do a final seasoning (if needed), and serve immediately.

on the side : tri-color quinoa w/ almonds, oranges, + grapes

TRI-COLOR QUINOA W/ ALMONDS, ORANGES + GRAPES

I feel almost silly posting a “recipe” for this dish.  It’s literally just quinoa with a few ingredients I had on hand at the end of the week.  As you know, you can add all kinds of stuff to quinoa to make it a more substantial dish.  I went a bit more sweet over savory with this one with the addition of fruit.  Feel free to add.. well.. anything you want!  lol.

Seriously though, I’ve been a huge advocate of quinoa for years thanks to its (a) health benefits, (b) versatility, (c) quick cooking-ness, (d) yumminess.  I saw this article a few months ago on the uncertain sustainability of quinoa; the future of which could depend on diversifying where this beautiful crop is grown (i.e. outside of Bolivia).  Just some ‘food for thought’ worth sharing as we start to hear more about this topic.

INGREDIENTS:

• Tri-Color Quinoa (1 cup)
• Carrot Greens (Bunch)
• Raw Sliced Almonds (Handful)
• Red Seedless Grapes (Handful)
• Orange (1)
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the quinoa according to package.
2. Roughly chop up the carrot greens and sauté in a pan with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt + pepper.  Cook until wilted.
3. In a bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with sautéed carrot greens, raw sliced almonds, red seedless grapes, and orange slices.  Season with salt + pepper (as needed) and mix well until fully combined.

on the side : red cabbage slaw salad w/ zesty, creamy (vegan!) green dressing

RED CABBAGE SLAW SALAD W/ ZESTY, CREAMY (VEGAN!) GREEN DRESSING

First of all – HELLOOOO SPRING!  I’m taking full advantage of the beaming sunshine and warm temps.  After soaking in all of that vitamin D, I find myself yearning for something fresh and light.  Hmmm.. what to make.  What to make.

I saw a pretty red head of cabbage sitting in the fridge and my taste buds immediately told me to go with a slaw/salad.  I added some sweet (apples + raisins), texture (cashews + black sesame seeds), color and zest galore (see dressing).  The secret to my creamy yet super refreshing dressing is frozen green peas.

So easy, so delish, and leftovers the next day will be even better as the flavors fully marry into each other.

INGREDIENTS:

• Red Cabbage (1 head)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Apple (1)
• Raw Cashews (Handful – chopped/crushed)
• Raisins (2 tbsp)
• Black Sesame Seeds (1 tbsp)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper
• Dressing
  • Frozen Green Peas (1/2 cup)
  • Jalepeño Pepper (1/2)
  • Lime (1/2)
  • Meyer Lemon (1)
  • Honey (1 tbsp)
  • Vinegar (1 tbsp)
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Shred up red cabbage and place in a large salad bowl.
2. Finely chop up the yellow onion.
3. Drizzle some oil into a small sauté pan and add the chopped onions.  Turn the heat on medium low, season with salt + pepper, and allow the onions to caramelize.  Once done, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, make the salad dressing by puréeing all ingredients in a food processor (remove the seeds from the jalepeño pepper prior to blending unless you’re yearning for heat).  Add a little water to thin out the consistency (your preference).
5. Cut up your apple into bite-sized pieces.  I peeled mine but feel free to leave the peel on if you so desire.  Add to the red cabbage and immediately spoon in some dressing to bring in acidity so the apples don’t turn brown.
6. Also add to the salad bowl the remaining ingredients – chopped cashews, raisins, black sesame seeds.  Toss together as you spoon in almost all of the dressing (leave a few spoonfuls for topping).

on the menu : vegan chickpea patties

VEGAN CHICKPEA PATTIES

Do y’all like the Ellen Degeneres show?  I can’t get enough it.  I’ve been a huge fan of hers since she first came on air and love her ability to penetrate laughter and joy through a screen.  All you 8-5ers should DVR her pronto .

Anyway, the other day, Ellen had chef Fabio Viviani (re: Top Chef) as a guest to demonstrate vegan chickpea patties (yum!).  I was instantly inspired to make my own.  So here they are.

I don’t know exactly what Fabio put in his patties but the ingredients looked minimal.  In my rendition, I added some gluten free oats (for better binding) and spices (like smoked Paprika to give vegan/vegetarian patties the elusion that ‘smoky-but-no-meat’ elusion).  Instead of serving these patties on a bun, I created a salad – arugula, cherry tomatoes, mangoes (thanks Whole Foods for 10 for $5 sale), and avocados with a honey lime vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chickpeas (1 cup)
• Gluten Free Oats (1/2 cup)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Celery (1 stalk)
• Carrot (1)
• Mushrooms (1 cup)
• Garlic Clove (1)
• Fresh Parsley (1 cup – chopped)
• Smoked Paprika (1 tbsp)
• Cumin (1 tsp)
• Organic Ketchup
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep the chickpeas in advance.  If using dried beans, cook them fully.  If using canned/pre-cooked, rinse WELL and drain.  Set aside.
2. Chop up your vegetables – onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, garlic.
3. Drizzle some oil into a sauté pan and add the chopped onions.  Turn the heat on medium low and allow the onions to sweat out a bit in some salt + pepper.
4. Add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the pan and sauté with the onions.  Once cooked, remove from the stove.
5. Place in your food processor the chickpeas, oats, sautéed vegetables, spices, chopped parsley, ketchup (about 2 squirts), olive oil, salt + pepper.  Blend until combined and dough-y.
6. Form patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to let them set.
7. Get your grill or griddle pan ready and cook the patties!  Serve over salad greens or in a bun.