Fresh Veggies

OK, so maybe I'm a bit nerdy but I truly get excited on produce pick up days.  I belong to a Florida Fields to Forks co-op and every Thursday I pick up my produce share. This week's share included fresh organic kale, red-leaf lettuce, red chard, rainbow carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, avocados, cauliflower, and mangos.  

It takes a few days to get through all of the produce so I try to make sure it is properly stored so it remains fresh.  I discovered a great trick to keep lettuce fresh for over a week (seriously!)  Just wash it, spin it dry and store it, wrapped in paper towels, in an airtight container.  A week later, you'll still have fresh lettuce - no that slimy, funky smelling stuff that it usually turns into after a week.

I travel next week, so I will cook most of these veggies over the weekend so my family can enjoy fresh side dishes in my absence.  More on that later...

Plane Food (yep, that's what I meant to say!)

Weekly travel can wreak havoc on healthy eating habits.  I've found few favorite spots in the airport for dinner however I cannot seem to find a breakfast that's not heavy on gluten and/or grease.  Occasionally, I'll grab a veggie omelet but it always seems like I taste whatever was cooked on the griddle beforehand.  Lately, I've been packing my Lunchbots with filling and healthy snacks so I won't totally fall off the wagon while traveling.  Check it out:

Veggies and a 100-calorie packet of guacamole

Fresh organic fruit

Gluten-free morning glory muffins w/a side of papaya and blueberries 

Boiled eggs and chicken apple sausage 

Weekly Cookup: May 26th

As a management consultant, I travel a lot for work however I try to minimize disruption to my household.  When I am home, I enjoy cooking for my family because I think it is healthier and I like to try new things.  So, when I am away I don't want them to revert to takeout for dinner every night.  Not only would this be expensive, it would not be nearly as healthy as the organic farm fresh food I typically prepare.  This week, I will only be out of town for a couple of days so I prepared a couple of dishes.  I made lasagna roll-ups when essentially have the same ingredients as regular lasagna with a slightly different prep.

Rolling lasagna noodles filled with ricotta and shredded cheese

I also cooked curry chicken which I threw in the crockpot as we were on our way out the door to a Memorial Day cookout.

Though I cook a lot, I have a general rule that my time in the kitchen should not exceed 30 minutes for a meal unless it is a truly special occasion.  So the crockpot is a perfect solution.  My weekly cookup includes meals that reheat well and make good leftovers.  Let me know if you have any suggestions to add to my repertoire.

I am always looking for quick and healthy recipes for the weekend, especially since we are usually outdoors a lot during this time of year. I don't have time to be stuck in the kitchen however there are not a lot of healthy eating out options nearby so I prefer to prepare most of my family's meals. Yesterday, I found a quick and easy recipe on the back of the Near East couscous box.

Notice that the prep time is 10 minutes. Luckily, I had all of the ingredients on hand.

The dish was quick and easy from start to finish. I served it with sweet potato wedges. Thumbs up from hubby and kiddos!

Stuffed Shells

I have been traveling alot for work lately so I've been preparing meals that reheat well. Since takeout options in our city are limited, I'm happy to know that my husband and kids are able to still eat healthy while I travel.

Last week, I prepared stuffed shells with help from the kids. They declared it "one of the best meals ever!" It's fairly easy to make and it makes great leftovers. If only I could have found whole wheat shells...oh well, it was still a great recipe

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes with added puree (such as Progresso)
• 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
• 1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 20 cooked jumbo shell pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat; cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. Combine 1/2 cup provolone and the next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl. Spoon or pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pasta shell; place stuffed shells in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup provolone. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts.

Krista Montgomery, M.S., R.D., Cooking Light DECEMBER 2006

Veggie burger wrap - quick and healthy lunch

It's been a minute since I've posted on this blog because I have been extremely busy with home and work. But lately I've realized that many of the things I do to make my busy life more manageable are worth sharing.

As a consultant, I am often on the road but I sometimes work from home. When I'm home, it's hard to switch from work mode to "run to the kitchen and whip up something healthy" mode. But here is a quick and satisfying lunch idea.

Simply cook a veggie burger and place it in a wrap with a lot of fresh veggies. I love the flavor combination of avocado and tomato. Plus, the avocado makes the sandwich more filling. You can prepare this lunch in under 10 minutes and avoid the mid-afternoon energy slump. Let me know what you think!

Juicing!

In an effort to incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into my daily diet, I've decided to start juicing. I've learned that you can juice just about any type of fruit or veggie. And the cool thing is that my kids are so fascinated by the process that they will drink just about anything from the juicer. I must admit that beets were a fail. But you can't win them all!

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

Continuing in the theme of heartier vegetarian fare, I made a vegetarian Bolognese sauce that very “meaty” in texture and flavor. I wish I could take credit for creating all of my recipes from scratch but I must admit that Cooking Light’s website and magazines have provided me with many great ideas.

So what made this sauce different than your typical veggie pasta sauces? Mushrooms! And I am not a big mushroom fan but a combinations of chopped fresh mushrooms and crumbled dried mushrooms created a ground beef like texture when added to the sauce.

The ingredient list was pretty basic. I was able to find everything at my local Publix:

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (28-ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained

1 (2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

12 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

I used my Magic Bullet to process the dried mushrooms until finely ground. The recipe says you can also use a coffee or spice grinder.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add 1/4 cup warm water and next 4 ingredients (through cheese rind) to onion mixture. Stir in ground porcini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Keep warm. Remove rind; discard.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place 1 cup of pasta in each of 6 bowls. Top each portion with 3/4 cup sauce and about 1 tablespoon cheese.

Rosemary Roasted Cornish Hen

Now that the temperature is dropping, it seems more natural to roast than to grill. Hence, my use of the remainder of my fresh rosemary to season my Cornish hens. And yes, I actually made this recipe weeks ago when the rosemary was actually fresh. I’ve just been a little slack with my posting.

This recipe was extremely simple and very flavorful. I started with a Cornish hen, fresh rosemary, and some Kerrygold garlic butter. I seasoned the hen with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Then, I placed the rosemary and butter under the skin so that the flavor would really sink it (and it did!)

I roasted the hen at 350 for a little under an hour with some red potatoes sprinkled with a bit more of the fresh rosemary and some butter. I made some green beans and voila!, a quick and healthy weeknight meal!

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian West African Soup

As the weather gets cooler, my vegetarian dishes are taking on a heartier flare. Light pastas with fresh veggies are perfect for the summer however I try to choose comfort foods in the fall and winter. This Monday we had vegetarian west African soup. Very easy. Very filling and extremely flavorful. One caveat – you must like peanuts.

Here are the ingredients:

2/3 cup roasted peanuts (or 2/3 cup natural peanut butter)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped onion

6 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

This recipe is so quick and easy that I managed to throw it together in the 30-minute window between dropping my son off at football practice and heading out the door to a meeting.

The recipes calls for homemade peanut butter in which you place peanuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once. In the interest of time, I use 2/3 cup of natural peanut butter.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add peanut butter, potato, and next 6 ingredients (potato through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

This recipe is also great reheated if you have leftovers.

Meatless Monday: Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Living in Florida, I have come to love all things curry. My close friend from Trinidad gave me some curry powder that will knock the socks off the stuff in the grocery store here. Curry is a flavorful, typically spicy dish which is prominent in South Asian and Caribbean cuisines. This version includes chickpeas, which add extra fiber and protein to an already healthy meal.

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons margarine

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 small apple, peeled, cored and

coarsely chopped or 2 tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups chickpeas

2 cups loosely chopped spinach

1/4 cup light cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup seedless raisins, soaked in warm water or brandy

Mango chutney

Directions
Heat margarine in large skillet; sauté onion until golden. Add garlic and apple or tomato. Cook over low heat until apples are soft.

In small bowl, combine flour and curry powder; stir into onion mixture. Cook a few minutes to blend into thick, smooth paste. Gradually add vegetable stock chickpeas and spinach, stirring often over medium heat, cooking until curry is thick. Add light cream, salt and pepper to taste. Add raisins. Cook slightly longer to desired thickness.
Serve over hot cooked rice. Serve mango chutney on the side.

(Almost) Another Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Risotto

Roasted butternut squash risotto with sugared walnuts was one of the best meatless dishes we’ve had in awhile. Well, almost meatless…there is a little pancetta in the recipe for flavor. However, you could leave it out and add a different savory seasoning for a similar taste. This is the kind of dish you love to have cooking when friends just happen to stop by for dinner. That is, if you don’t mind sharing….

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup chardonnay
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon thyme or 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

So first, you toast the walnuts in the oven for a few minutes. Then drizzle with a little warm butter, toss in brown sugar and a sprinkle of pepper. I had to kick my kids out of the kitchen just so they wouldn't eat them all!

Then peel and cut up the squash, toss with a bit of olive oil, and roast until tender. While the squash is roasting you can bring your chicken broth to a boil, chop onion and pancetta, and heat a large saucepan.

Add pancetta to saucepan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in squash, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with cheese and nuts.

So good!

Another Meatless Monday: Orzo with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

Meatless Mondays have become a routine in our household. This Monday, we had orzo with zucchini, tomatoes, and goat cheese. It was tasty and quick! After all, who has time for a complicated dish on a Monday night?

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
• 1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

Cook the pasta in a Dutch oven according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium heat. Add zucchini; cook 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley and next 5 ingredients (parsley through bell peppers). Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in pasta and cheeses.

Meatless Monday! Angel Hair Pasta

It’s amazing to me that so many of our meals center around meat. I was a vegetarian for about a year and struggled to create meals that did not center around omelets or salads that left me hungry in a couple of hours. My family is very active so Meatless Mondays need to have enough substance to make them feel satisfied when dinner is over.

One of our favorite meatless meals is angel hair pasta w/tomatoes, basil, and garlic served with a big salad. The pasta is a simple recipe from an old school cookbook, In the Kitchen with Rosie, created by one of Oprah’s former personal chefs.

Here’s the super simple recipe:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chopped tomato (1 medium tomato)

8 oz angel hair pasta

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and maintain at a boil.

Put the olive oil and garlic in saute’ pan and cook over medium heat just until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour in wine. Return to heat. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until wine has been reduced by half. Stir in lemon juice and tomato. Remove pan from heat.

Place pasta in boiling water and cook to desired doneness. Drain the pasta and put it into warm serving bowl. Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper, along with tomato mixture. Toss and serve immediately.

Body Basics/Healthy Food: Cooking With Wine

Ever wondered what to do with a bottle of wine that you knew you were not going to finish? I used to just pour it down the drain if I knew my hubby and I weren’t planning on drinking it within a day or two. It seemed that no matter what preservation technique we used, the wine just didn’t taste the same after several days.

Recently, I came up with a money-saving use for leftover wine. Freeze it! Not to drink but to use it cooking. The wine I drink is of much better quality than the cooking wines in the grocery store and maintains its flavor when frozen within a day or so of opening. When I am cooking a dish that calls for wine (like my pasta sauce) then I simply throw in a cube of frozen wine. Voila! Instant flavor. No waste!

Body Basics/Healthy Food: Avocado Smoothie

Up until a couple of years ago, the only ways I’d eaten avocados were in guacamole, sushi, or sliced on my turkey burger. However, my husband and I were in an Asian restaurant and noticed avocado smoothies on the menu. Honestly, an avocado smoothie did not sound too appealing. But our waiter gave us a sample and it was actually quite good. Traditional avocado smoothies are made with sweetened milk and crushed ice to give them an almost milkshake-like consistency. We now make them at home using fresh avocados, vanilla almond milk, and frozen mango. Don’t frown until you try it!

By the way, avocados are a great addition to your diet because they provide many health benefits including lowering cholesterol and regulating blood pressure. Don’t get scared away by the fat content – its monosaturated (oleic acid) – just don’t go overboard on your avocado consumption.