Fabulous Zucchini Fritters

O.k so this week its all about zucchinis. Last week we taste tested the zucchini's cousin summer squash in that soup so I thought it was only fair to zucchini that it get a moment in the spot light as well. I can't tell if it was the farmer's market display or my memory of this great recipe I once saw in a magazine for fritters that inspired this week's creation. Regardless, I think it turned out quite well and I already have plans to make another dinner out of it with a friend tomorrow night. 

Here's my grocery list:

-zucchinis (3)

- eggs (3)

- 1 cup Bread crumbs

- garlic

- 1/2 cup scallions

-1/2 cup parsley

-1/2 cup basil

I had a hungry family waiting on me to make dinner tonight so I'm sure glad I picked a quick recipe for this week. It took me a grand total of 30 min start to finish. I will say however that I did make the kitchen look like a zucchini bomb went off. Whoopsie! 

Anyway, here's what to do:

- grate zucchini into a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 t himalayan sea salt into it.

- while that sits, I press 2 cloves of garlic into the 3 eggs and beat it with a whisk.

-then I chop the scallions parsley and basil

-finally, squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini as you can (handful at a time) and add all the ingredients together into one bowl. Don't forget the bread crumbs and salt!

-heat a pan on the stove with a little olive oil and salt, then lay hand- formed patties onto it and flip once browned! 

Luckily my little sister's garden had a beautiful display of lettuce that I plucked to lay the patties on. I'm not a huge salad dressing lover but I lightly dressed the salad below the warm patties for some extra seasoning sake and all was ready for 

consumption. 

I loved the meal personally, but honestly I was disappointed with myself at how quickly I rushed through the preparation. I look forward to making my Sunday night meals so very much and I need to remind myself to take the time to enjoy the whole essence of the process. When I do, I enjoy the meal so much more. 

Cooking is such an art. If done properly can bring together a tasty combination of colors and flavors representing the nutrients that serve as our bodies elixir of health and wellness. I'm just beginning to learn how to cook creatively in a way that satisfies a variety of palates while supplying health but I'm a beginner at best. My starting point is to always make sure  that all of my ingredients are purely natural and wholly sourced from the Earth. 

In order to resurrect the chaotic cooking experience, I went out for a peaceful ride and came back to a cleaned kitchen compliments of my mom. Have a wonderful week! Cook something yummy and healthy. 

Ginger Blues

Something blog-worthy has happened to me! Its devastating yet eye-opening to be sure. I just found out from a blood testing that I'm severly allergic to Ginger. That's right... the root that love so dearly and use in basically every way I possibly can is toxic to my body. Sniff. I'm most definitely going through with drawls as you can imagine but I have just confirmed what I have only read about in my nutrition books: usually what you intensely crave is something that your body is overwhelmed with and most likely allergic to. Ever have intense salt or sugar cravings? Sadly enough that usually means you need to stay far away and not honor those cravings. Easier said then done. I know. BUT the silver lining to this cloud is that once you detox your body from an allergen it will function beautifully and not be bogged down trying to protect itself from what it deems as a pathogen. I'm still at the point of intense cravings right now but will update you along the way as I continue my breakup saga with ginger. . . Do you have any food in your life that you crave constantly? Might be something you need to live without for just a little while. Like anything in life, too much of a good thing can cause problems.

Simmering Summer Squash Soup

Yesterday I went to this adorable farmer's market in Denver on my favorite street Pearl. It doesn't boast very much produce because it brings in lots of artisans and baked goods. Needless to say, samples abound and I love the feeling I get as I am surrounded by happy families, their kids and of course their dogs. So fun. I miss the community of Charlottesville so much but try to attend as many events like this in Denver. Doing so reminds me that you can join a community of people that enjoy the same things anywhere you go. Looking forward to joining the local food community in Seattle shortly! 

Anyway, I did happen to find a little stand that was selling some beautiful summer squash which inspired this week's meal. I am actually really excited to share with you what I came up with as I think it was a big success. 

Here's your grocery list for the recipe:

-3-4 summer squash (chopped)

-1 large sweet potato (chopped into little cubes)

- 3 cloves garlic (minced)

-2 shallots (chopped finely)

-red thai curry paste ( found it in whole foods )

- 2 C low sodium vegetable broth

-1 can coconut milk

-unrefined organic coconut oil

First, heat 1.5 T of red thai curry paste with 2 T of coconut oil. 

Once it becomes fragrant add 3 cloves of garlic and the shallots. 

When the shallots are soft, add the yellow squash and the potato. 

Once the squash is soft add the vegetable broth and coconut milk. 

Boil for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. At this point your soup should look like this:

If so, take a quick taste test and make sure you don't want to add more red thai curry paste. If not, your soup is ready to be blended with either a hand immersion blender or in a regular blender like did. Garnish how you like and vuala!  You now have a meal to eat through for the rest of the week that can be enjoyed hot or cold. 

Summer squash is a great source of anti-inflammatory Omega 3s which is great for this time of year when we tend to be more active and put more stress on our bodies. Eat up and enjoy the cooling effect: )

Local Love

So far, I've raved about eating food that is in season and now I want to introduce a new concept that I think is just as important: eating LOCALLY. Do you take the time to know where your food comes from? If it isn't transported across long distances, chances are that it is more nutritious since its nutrients are still alive. Eating food that is in season goes hand in hand with eating locally because local food is obviously in season. Simple!

Beyond the realms of produce, it is also important to keep your eye out for the local food makers. For instance, if you like granola bars, have you taken the time to check out if there are any that are made locally? In my mind its worth the effort to seek out the local producers in order to know who your hard-earned money is supporting. SInce I've been back in Denver, I've put together a list of a few of my favorite locally made foods besides the yummy local produce that I get at the farmers market.
Here the beginning but I will continue to add as I find more...

Lara Bars. Just a few ingredients come together to make this bar into a super yummy snack. My favorite flavor is the apple pie!

Justin's Nut Butters: Nuts are one of my favorite snacks ever and nut butter is such a miracle spread. These are made in Boulder,CO and I love the little packets that he has created so that I can take nut butter with me on the run...

Chocolove Bars: Who doesn't love a little square of chocolate for dessert? Chocolove makers know me too well as they have a bar infused with ginger! Needless to say I always have one of these little guys on hand in my fridge and treat myself frequently. 

Take some time to check out the local food scene in your area. You'll have fun exploring what options your creative neighbors have provided you with and knowing that your money is staying local will be an added perk.

What is your favorite local food??

Mini Eggplant Pizzas

I honestly have to say that purple is my least favorite color BUT I can't help but love the rich deep purple hue of eggplants. Such a unique feature of a very healthy vegetable that happens to be in season right now. Last minute my mom asked me if I could pull together a family dinner and since I hadn't posted any meals for this week yet, I was quick to jump on the offer and even quicker to decide on eggplant as the feature. Although eggplant isn't a nutritional superstar, its skin is chalk full of antioxidants as you can imagine and it boasts lots of fiber. Interesting fact: Eggplant is considered a fruit but botanically its actually a berry. Huh?

After thumbing through a few of my favorite cookbooks, I didn't find anything that looked that appealing but then remembered a baby recipe I had seen in a magazine I was reading a while back. It had used eggplant as the "crust" to mini pizzas. It had also grilled the eggplant so that the edges became crispy. Seeing as I've never used a grill (and have really wanted to recently) and needed a quick option for the night I ran to the store to grab the few ingredients that these mini "pizzas" required. Here's all that was on my list:

Ellie's Grocery List

Eggplant

Pizza sauce

Parmesan Cheese

Basil

Pesto

As soon as I got home, I sliced up the eggplant (very thinly was the key to this recipe) and placed the slices between paper towels to soak up the moisture. Once the grill was lit, and heated I brushed both sides with some olive oil and sprinkled with himalayan sea salt. 

3-4 minutes later I flipped them. A few became martyrs to the grill as my flipping abilities are sub par and they slipped down into the coal. Whoopsie. 

Once all the slices were soft and edges crispy, I brought them inside and assembled the pizzas. A thin layer of pizza sauce and some shredded cheese went onto each little round and all the rounds went into a 400° oven to be melted. 

Meanwhile I put the pesto into a few cups of black rice (remember how yummy black rice is from a former meal?). I used the black rice as a bit of substance for the pizza rounds to lay on. I don't think eggplant pizzas would be enough for the whole meal and the pesto would be the perfect complement to the flavors of the eggplant and parmesan. 

I have to say, for a last minute dinner option, it turned out really well. I loved grilling and obviously need more practice so count on some more weekly meals incorporating some grilling. If you don't happen to have a grill, just cook the rounds at 400° on their own until soft and then continue with the rest of the procedure as I did. Enjoy!

What is your Favorite thing to Grill?

Effortless Dinner Party Guidelines

A few nights ago I had some of my best friends from high school over for a little dinner party at my cottage. Even though the party was planned last minute, I figured out a few ways to make it very effortless. First of all I picked a theme: Mediterranean (my personal favorite type of food). Then I made my way to the store and with a list of mediterranean toppings for pita bread: feta cheese, greek olives, hummus, etc. The only item on the menu that I planned on actually preparing was a salad which I chose to be a cucumber fatoush. It consisted of chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinagrette, a little olive oil and some chopped parsley. Delicious. All the toppings were placed in small bowls and the pitas were popped in the oven.

As soon as everyone arrived, we all assembled our own Mediterranean masterpiece and enjoyed every bite. It was by far the easiest party I have ever thrown and inspired me to throw more like it. Letting everyone enjoy a little creativity with their meal was fun to watch (and cut down on the work for me!). Perfect. I've come to realize that slaving over a rediculously gourmet meal and hoping that it turns out perfectly is unnecessary. Hosting parties is an art that can only be mastered with practice but my best piece of advice is to keep things simple!! I am always amazed and reminded after nights like this how much people appreciate genuinely fresh wholesome food. The time that I skipped in the kitchen was spent enjoying the company of my friends and of course savoring the yummy food myself! What a memorable night. Throw a party yourself! 

Lauren and Shannon enjoying their creations...

Green is My Favorite Color

Simple Tip #2- Eat Something Green Everyday

If you've known me for a little while you probably know that green is my favorite color ever. When I go clothes shopping I seriously have trouble resisting the green version of a cute shirt or dress. I do get frustrated with myself though when I go to pick out something to wear and all I have available are different shades of green. Whoopsie. When it comes to food though, I'm not as hard on myself about green being the color of choice. That's because green foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals that support your body and make you feel great.  Hopefully drinking a glass of lemon water every morning has become a habit that is sticking so now try to eat something fresh and green everyday. Summer is producing some yummy options like soft baby lettuces and colorful swiss chard. Its simple to try to at least squeeze one big portion in daily. You'll notice a difference in how energized and lively you feel.

Impressive Shiitakes

This week as I strolled through the farmers market, I could not help but stop dead in my tracks when I saw the mushrooms stand. As a little girl, I didn't care much for mushrooms as the silly shapes and odd textures were enough to keep me at an arms length distance.  Now, just the smell of mushrooms makes my mouth water because I have finally discovered how to cook them! At the farmers market stand I chose shiitakes because of their immunity boosting effect on health. When I got back I decided to do a little more research and found that they do so much more....

Besides their anti-viral, immune boosting properties, mushrooms provide high levels of protein (18%), potassium, niacin and B vitamins, calcium magnesium and phosphorus. This is perfect for someone like me who doesn't eat much meat throughout the week. Substituting delicious mushrooms in for my daily protein intake is perfect. Just be careful when you buy mushrooms because they do clean the air so if they are grown in a toxic environment, you are eating those toxins. I always ask when I buy mushrooms if they are organic and where they are grown.

This week I made mushroom goat cheese and spinach wraps. I bought more than enough mushrooms and sauteed them all, planning on using the leftovers for other meals throughout the week.

Remember, cooking a big meal at the beginning of the week is a great way to save money, time, and plan efficiently. Another big meal cooked half way through the week is a great way to complement the first and add some variety.
Here's what I did with my yummy shiitakes.

1. Sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil and garlic until they were quite soft and juicy.

2. Placed them in a whole wheat tortilla with a slice of raw goat cheese on top and threw it in the oven (preheated at 400) for just a few minutes to let the cheese melt
3. Then I added spinach and rolled it all up into a tasty mushroom melt wrap. YUMMMMM.

P.S whole foods sells some amazing mushroom chips that I served on the side. Warning: they are completely and utterly addicting. I definitely over indulged...


What is your favorite variety of Mushroom?

Simple Tips for creating Sustainable Health

I just returned from an amazing family vacation in the mountains where I got the chance to think about what things I do on a daily basis that make me feel really healthy. Each week I'm going to post a new one.
Here it goes...


SIMPLE TIP #1: Drink a glass of warm water with lemon squeezed into it every morning.

PIcture from http://linda-leftbrainwrite.blogspot.com/2011/06/cougar.html

Starting your day off with this simple gesture will not only hydrate you but it will alkalize your body which is very important considering many things we eat and encounter everyday creates an acidic environment. Toxins and cancer thrive in acidity. As you drink the water think of how hydrated you are becoming first thing in the morning and I promise you will feel very rejuvinated.