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Monday

18

January 2016

0

COMMENTS

Orange You Glad it’s Green Smoothie

Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Drinks, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

When I need a quick meal, smoothies are a great option. Sometimes I make them with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and banana. That’s one of my favorites. But, I also really love a good fruit and veggie smoothie. Sweet, but not too, and packed with nutrients.

For a wintery smoothie, I opted for orange+pear+persimmon+greens. I just used what I hand on hand. At other times I may use apple instead of the pear, or in the warmer months, stone fruit and berries. The constant is the greens. I like to use mild ones like kale, spinach, or chard, and they just kinda disappear in the fruity goodness.

I wanted to use the orange peel as a cup. We don’t have a dishwasher, so any dishes I generate get washed by hand. The less dishes the better. I used a grapefruit knife to get the segments out, but a sharp paring knife would do just as well. I cut a tiny bit off the bottom of the orange so it would sit flat too. Don’t want any rolling oranges when there’s a smoothie inside!

I like my smoothies to be super thick and pretty cold. So I usually add some frozen banana. Unfrozen would work well too. The riper they are, the sweeter the smoothie.

This can be a great light meal on its own. A working lunch or a good breakfast. If you want to add to the meal, here are a few suggestions for things that I think would compliment it:

Breakfast or Brunch

Savory Baked French Toast

Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Pancakes

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

Toast with Peanut Butter and Honey

Winter Frittata

Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Chives

Turnip Hash with Bacon and Gouda

Paris Potatoes

Lunch

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Bacon Sandwich with Dandelion Greens

Tuna Boats

Dilly Eggs with Lentils

Vegetarian Soft Tacos

Any leftovers can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then re-blended or added to a new smoothie (in place of ice, if you use it).

Happy Eating!

Orange and Green Smoothie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2

Orange and Green Smoothie

Ingredients

1 large orange, top cut off, segments scooped out (if you want to serve smoothie in peel - if not just peel, de-seed, and roughly chop)
1-2 C greens (kale, chard, spinach), roughly chopped
1 frozen banana (or very ripe non-frozen banana)
1 apple or pear, roughly chopped
1 persimmon, peeled and roughly chopped
(may substitute fruit with stone fruit or berries depending on the season)
1/2 C yogurt (any kind) (or may use silken tofu or omit altogether)
1-2 T maple syrup or honey
1/2 C milk (any kind) (or use orange juice)

Instructions

Blend until smooth, adding liquid last until you reach desired consistency. Taste for sweetness.
Serve in the orange peel to save on dishes.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/orange-kale-smoothie/

Monday

11

January 2016

0

COMMENTS

Chopped Salad with Oranges Greens and Nuts

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Salads get a bit of a bad rap as a “diet food”. Ugh. I don’t even like the word “diet” and I really like salads. They’re a great compliment to so many foods and can even be a wonderful meal on their own.

The salad that I’m talking about here is a veggie filled chopped salad that could fit into both categories. It would be fabulous paired with a stir fry, some roasted chicken, or a big bowl of chili. But, add some crispy tofu or chicken to it and it turns into the main dish.

I love a salad with lots of great crunch. It can come in the form of great raw veggies, seeds, and one of my favorites: nuts. For this salad, I chopped up some raw walnuts from my in-laws’ tree. I toasted them on the stove top for a few minutes, then tossed them with some spices.

For this wintery salad, I thought a great honey-mustard dressing would be the perfect compliment. It’s a simple mixture of honey and mustard, of course (if you don’t do honey, try some maple syrup), along with some fresh squeezed orange juice, rice vinegar, and olive oil. I love creamy slaws and salads, but sometimes I want something a little bit lighter. This was perfect.

I used what I had on hand for the rest of the salad: broccoli, greens, cabbage, radish, shallot, and chopped orange. You could totally substitute with carrots, cauliflower, and red onions. You could use leeks and any kinda greens that you think would taste good (like bok choy, spinach, kale, mizuna…). It’s kinda like a cross between a chopped salad and an awesome coleslaw. Call it what you like, as long as you call it…

It’s great to take to a potluck, to enjoy alongside a grilled cheese sandwich at lunch, or to go with a tasty Chicken Pot Pie for dinner. Done, done, and done.

Happy Eating!

Chopped Salad with Oranges Greens and Nuts

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Yield: 6-8

Chopped Salad with Oranges Greens and Nuts

Ingredients

1 1/2 C raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pinenuts), chopped
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
2 C greens (kale, chard, spinach, mizuna), chopped
1 C cabbage, shredded
1 C broccoli or cauliflower, finely chopped
1 C radish or carrot, grated
1/4 C shallot, leek, or red onion, minced
2 C orange, chopped (drained in a strainer to catch excess juice for dressing)
4 t dijon mustard
2 t honey (or maple syrup)
to taste salt
2 T rice vinegar
1/4 C orange juice
6 T olive oil

Instructions

Heat a dry skillet. Add nuts and toast for 3 minutes over medium-low, turning often. Toss with cayenne and salt and set aside.
(If using kale, massage with a bit of salt and some olive oil, using hands, for 3-5 minutes.) Toss greens through shallot.
Whisk dijon through rice vinegar, add orange juice that's drained from chopped orange and top up to make 1/4 C. While whisking, stream in olive oil to create an emulsion. Taste for seasoning.
Toss veggies with oranges and dressing. Top with nuts.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/chopped-salad-oranges-greens/

Friday

18

December 2015

0

COMMENTS

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Eggs, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Vegetarian

It’s important to me for us to eat well balanced, healthy meals. I usually have our menu planned in advance, but some weeks things just don’t seem to come together the way I’d hoped they would. Other weeks they do. But, no matter the week, the outlook is always a little better if I have a few staples on hand. Some, like eggs, are just good to have around. There’s always something to eat when we’ve got eggs. Eggs + lentils + sweet potatoes = lunch. An egg over pasta = dinner. Eggs poached in some leftover soup = a quick, easy, comforting meal.

For this we have eggs.

Some other staples that I always try to have on hand are: cheese, milk, bread, yogurt, nut butter, nuts, and chips and salsa. With these ingredients I find it much less intimidating to plan a menu, or just a quick meal when what’s meant to be made isn’t happening.

Grilled cheese has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup remind me of rainy days growing up, and are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Now, as a grown up, grilled cheese and any kind of soup is on the menu often, especially at this time of year. It’s quick and easy, which is perfect for this busy season.

I do most of the cooking in our home. I like it like that. But, every once in a while Tim comes up with something and I just kinda shake my head in amazement. There’s not much that he’s not good at. Cooking included. One evening, after he’d worked late, he came home and made himself a grilled cheese. I’d already eaten dinner, so I said that I didn’t need one. I regretted that decision later. He’d put mustard and butter on the outside, and added sliced pickles to the inside. It was delightful. So for this recipe, I took a page out of his book and added mustard to the olive oil that I like to spread on the bread. The mustard goes down first, oil second, so the oil will kinda protect the mustard from burning.

Once the sandwiches are mostly cooked, I like to scooch them over to one side, and slide the empty side of the skillet over the flame and add a little more olive oil and some eggs. For me, a well seasoned cast iron skillet works best here. I like to turn the heat up a bit so the edges of the eggs get a bit crispy in the olive oil. I like my eggs over medium (runny yolk, set whites) and the high heat helps me to accomplish this. I flip the eggs carefully, turn off the heat, and let them sit for a few seconds for the whites to finish.

During the summer when tomatoes are in season I’d probably add a few slices, and maybe some lettuce and homemade mayo. Right now, just an egg will do.

If the yolks are still runny, I love to sop ’em up with the sandwich… Making sure to have a napkin on hand, as these tend to get a bit messy.

Happy Eating!

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 t dijon mustard
2 t olive oil
4 slices bread
to taste salt
4-6 slices cheese (Gouda, pepper jack, colby jack... or whatever you like that melts well)
1 egg/sandwich
salt, for eggs

Instructions

Spread dijon and olive oil on the outside of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with salt. Put cheese on the un-mustard side. Close sandwiches (leaving both mustard sides out).
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. When it's hot add the sandwiches. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, turning to be sure it's browning evenly if needed. Flip and cook for a few minutes more. When they're almost done, push the sandwiches to one side, and move the other side over the flame (or if using a smaller skillet, cook sandwiches until done and remove them from the skillet). Turn the heat up a bit and add some olive oil to the pan. Add eggs and cook, flipping if desired, until they reach desired doneness. Salt the eggs.
Open the sandwiches and top each with an egg. Slice each one in half to serve.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/grilled-egg-cheese-sandwiches/

Monday

7

December 2015

0

COMMENTS

Broccoli and Goat Cheese Wraps

Written by Rachel, Posted in Breakfast, Cheese, Condiments, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, One Dish Dinners, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I saved a wrap for Tim to eat when he got home from work. He came into the office and told me that it was really good. He loved how the broccoli was tender, with just a bit of crunch. That the nuts gave more crunch. The creamy dressing over it all. He said that if I ever open a restaurant, this should be on the menu. Just the way it is. Don’t change anything. My love language is “words of affirmation”, so that was really nice to hear… Maybe I should have him write the rest of this post. 😉

I came up with this recipe because we’re entering broccoli season. I’m pretty content to just roast it and finish off the entire pan. But, diversity can be good, so I thought I’d change things up a bit.

My skillet of choice is almost always a cast iron and I’ve acquired many over the years. Most were found at thrift stores and yard sales. Some look to be old old old, some are new and are branded with the name Lodge. I love them all.

The cast iron helped the broccoli to get a bit browned, a little tender, a little crispy, just the way Tim likes it. I added garlic and ginger at the end, just to take a bit of the bite out. I’m all for raw garlic, but sometimes the flavor is best softened a little.

While the broccoli cooked, I whisked together the dressing. It’s a quick and easy mixture of goat cheese (which apparently I no longer hate), mayo, yogurt, and fresh herbs. It totally makes the dish. If you’re not into goat cheese, try feta. If you’re not into mayo and yogurt, try silken tofu. If you’re out of broccoli, give cauliflower, onions, shallots, leeks, carrots, radishes, bell peppers, mushrooms, chile peppers, or summer squash a try.

The other thing that Tim mentioned was that the homemade tortillas that I’d made were the perfect vessel. They were still a bit warm, soft, and a little thicker than the store bought ones that we usually buy. I’ve been working with a sourdough starter over the past week and a half. When you’re refreshing a starter you have to discard some of it. Since I can’t stand to waste food, I’ve been making it into pancakes and tortillas. You could also use lavash, pitas, or any flatbread that you have on hand. Or, if you feel like attempting some homemade tortillas, I’d say go for it!

Since we’re into December now, I tried to make the tortillas a bit festive. See how they’re kinda pinkish? They were meant to be a little more red. I used the beets that I steamed when I was working on the Twice Cooked Beets post and just pressed them onto the uncooked tortillas. I don’t normally use food coloring and prefer not to buy foods with added coloring, so it was fun to experiment and see what I could come up with. Pink. I’m ok with pink, even if it’s not as festive as I’d hoped.

Hey, and speaking of festivities, if you’re hosting over the holidays and you have a houseful of people, you could prep most of this dish in advance and have a ready and waiting lunch. Just warm up the broccoli when you’re ready to eat. If you’ve frozen last week’s leftover turkey, you could add that too (just let it defrost in the fridge for a day). Or, add some scrambled, fried, or poached eggs or crispy tofu and turn this into a breakfast wrap. If you have leftover dressing, set out a platter of veggies and dip that evening for people to munch on while you finish dinner.

Happy Eating!

Broccoli and Goat Cheese Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 19 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1 wrap

Broccoli and Goat Cheese Wraps

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 C broccoli (or combo of: broccoli, cauliflower, onions, shallots, leeks, carrots, radishes, bell peppers, mushrooms, chile peppers, summer squash), chopped or cut into bite sized pieces
to taste salt
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 t fresh ginger, diced
1 t white vinegar or lemon juice
1 T plain yogurt (or silken tofu)
1 T mayo (or silken tofu)
2 oz. goat cheese or feta
1 T fresh herbs (combo of any: basil, dill, or parsley), chopped
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
2 tortillas
olives or capers (optional), chopped
nuts (any: almonds, peanuts, pecans), chopped
lettuce or spinach (or kale, chard, or other greens), shredded
2-3 T parmesan, grated

Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add broccoli (and other veggies, if using) and salt. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender-crisp. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
Whisk together vinegar through salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Divide veggie mixture between tortillas. Top with dressing, olives or capers, nuts, greens, and parmesan. Roll up to serve.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/broccoli-goat-cheese-wraps/

Monday

30

November 2015

0

COMMENTS

Twice Cooked Beets with Pomegranates and Goat Cheese

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

It’s chilly today. And it’s delightful. I’m still wearing flip flops, but I’ve got thick socks on too (don’t judge). I’ve been seeing on social media that some places are already getting snow. I complain about how hot it is here at this time of year, but I wonder, if we were to move somewhere with four real seasons, would I complain then too? Probably.

One of the great things about the mild winters that we have is the produce is bountiful all year long. I’m trying to look on the bright side, to be positive, to think up rather than down. Not easy for a pessimist to do. But, this, this is definitely a plus.

Beets are in season right now. So are pomegranates. Both have stained my hands red. I’m ok with that. I used some of the red coloring from the beets to try to dye some homemade tortillas. They may just end up looking pink. I’m ok with that too.

The idea for this dish was to so something quick and easy with beets. Steaming them takes less time than roasting, so that’s what I opted for. I had some potatoes to steam for another dish, so I reused the water. If you don’t have anything else to cook, you could add a little more water, throw in your vegetable scraps, and make some veggie stock.

Honey, goat cheese, garlic, and ginger compliment the beets’ earthy flavor. Because it gets broiled, the raw flavors mellow a bit. But, you could always use roasted garlic and powdered ginger if you want to tone it down even more.

Variations on this dish: Chop up the steamed beets and toss with the cheese mixture and broil. You could serve this as a dip, or just alongside your main dish. Tofu or vegan cheese can be substituted for the goat or feta cheese and yogurt. I used to be a non-goat cheese eater. This is the second recipe that I’ve made where I enjoyed it though, so I guess I’m coming around.

This made a nice light lunch, but it would also be great alongside some quinoa or pilaf for a heartier lunch, or for dinner. Maybe as a nice change from Thanksgiving leftovers later in the week?

Happy Eating!

Twice Cooked Beets with Pomegranates and Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1 whole beet

Twice Cooked Beets with Pomegranates and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

2 beets, peeled and halved
1 t fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/4 t dried, crumbled)
1 clove garlic, minced (raw or roasted)
1/4 t fresh ginger, minced (or pinch ground)
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
1 t honey
2 oz. goat cheese or feta or tofu
1-2 T/serving plain yogurt or silken tofu, for topping
walnuts, chopped, for topping
pomegranate seeds, for topping
could also top with chopped cucumber

Instructions

Place beets in a steamer basket in a pot with about 1 1/2" boiling water in the bottom. Cover and steam for about 20-30 minutes, or until beets are tender (easily pierced with a sharp knife).
Toss parsley through cheese. Set aside.
Let beets cool slightly. Slice a tiny bit off the bottom of each beet so it sits flat. Scoop center out of beets (leaving a sturdy edge) and mash into cheese filling. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Fill beets with filling and broil for about 2-5 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn (in a toaster oven, it may take longer, like closer to 10 minutes).
Top with yogurt or silken tofu, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/beets-pomegranates-cheese/

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quick and easy Archive

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Orange You Glad it’s Green Smoothie

Breakfast or Brunch

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Chopped Salad with Oranges Greens and Nuts

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18

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Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

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7

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Broccoli and Goat Cheese Wraps

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Twice Cooked Beets with Pomegranates and Goat Cheese

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