TopChef Competition BASTYR!

Last quarter my good friend Alicia (who by the way is a superstar chef) and I jumped on the opportunity to compete in Bastyr's annual TopChef competition. We both thought it would be a low key fun night of cooking but little did we know it would be an hour of intensity that we'd never forget but nor would the taste buds of the audience...  

This quarter has kept me far more busy than last quarter and so I really didn't put any thought into the impending competition until the day of and as Alicia and I were walking to the kitchen she turned to me and said, "ya know... I think this is a  pretty big deal! More than 150 people are coming to watch and it's posted in Seattle's Top List of weekend activities". Needless to say I was completely taken by surprise and injected with a dose of adrenaline. Yes I love to cook, but no I don't have any culinary education that could win awards. All I knew is that we needed a knife, an apron and we would be given a random protein and grain. Oh my. 

One incredibly stress-infused hour later, Alicia and I had produced what the people deemed to be the top entree of the evening and I'm hoping you'll try it out for yourself!! Since the whole experience was such a whirlwind, and we can't quite remember specific measurements etc, Alicia has diligently made the award winning recipe every night since the competition to perfect the recipe and voia la!  She's amazing.  In fact Alicia has her own website dedicated to absolutely incredible vegan meals that are simple to prepare yet hard to forget. So lucky to have had her has my partner. Tempeh was the protein we were assigned and with my love of coconut oil and her culinary expertise, the following dish came together BEAUTIFULLY. 

Ginger-Infused Glazed Tempeh with Crisp Pear Ribbons

Makes: 4 servings

Approximate prep time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Glaze

1 tsp ginger, minced

¼ tsp garlic, minced

½ cup maple syrup

¼ tsp lemon zest

1/8 tsp salt

Tempeh

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

1- 8 oz (227 g) package of plain tempeh, cut into 4 pieces (¼ inch or approximately ½ cm thick)

salt

1 Bartlett pear, sliced very thin (see procedure below)

cilantro, minced (for garnish)

Procedure

1.           Begin by preparing the glaze. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the garlic, ginger, maple syrup, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a boil then lower the fire to low heat to keep the glaze warm, allowing the flavors to combine.

2.          In a large pan or skillet over medium low heat, add the coconut oil and allow to melt.

3.          While the coconut oil is melting, cut the tempeh into 4- ¼ inch (approximately ½ cm) thick slices. With a basting brush, spread a thin layer of the warm glaze on each side of the tempeh pieces and sprinkle each side lightly with salt.

4.        Once the coconut oil is hot, add the tempeh and allow to pan-fry for 10-12 minutes per side resulting in a golden-brown crust.

5.          Once you turn the tempeh over to cook on the other side, begin to prepare the pear ribbons. Cut the pear in half  (leaving peel in tact) and using a peeler, slice very thin ribbons of pear incorporating both the flesh and the peel. Slice 5-6 ribbons per tempeh piece or your desired amount. Set aside.

6.         When tempeh is almost finished frying, use a sieve to strain the glaze into a small bowl so as to remove the garlic and ginger. Add half of the glaze to the pan of tempeh. Coat both sides with the glaze and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes per side.

7.          Remove the tempeh from the pan. Serve immediately with pear ribbons propped on top and remaining glaze drizzled over each tempeh slice. Garnish with a sprinkle of minced cilantro.

Mighty Mushroom Miso

Lately all I've been able to think about are MUSHROOMS! There is one mushroom in particular that has an incredible ability to stimulate the immune system called the shiitake mushroom so I thought this week would be perfect to incorporate it into some Miso. 

I gathered the following ingredients and 10 minutes later... alas I had miso!

1 leek

2 cloves garlic

1 daikon radish

2 cups shiitake mushrooms (chopped)

2 T soy sauce or braggs aminos 

2 T miso paste (I used barley variety)

Saute leek and garlic for 1 minute in coconut oil. Add 4 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients. Boil until the mushrooms are soft. Add the miso and salt to taste.

Such a warming soup for the week ahead. Enjoy!

Ringing in the new year with some black eyed peas!

O.k I know I'm a day late but better late than never eh? This week's vegetable super star is collard greens but I thought it would be a great chance to throw some good luck into the recipe with some black eyed peas! Class started today and boy am I going to need some good luck: )

Here is such an easy recipe that I modified from Oh She Glows.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of black eyed peas
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of garam marsala
• 2 teaspoons of tumeric
• 3 cups of collard greens
• 1/2 t – 1 t Lime juice (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt spices and sauté until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, black eyed peas  and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the stew come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another few minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Here's what collard greens have to offer you:

Antioxidants: 

As an excellent source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese, and a good source of vitamin E, collard greens provide us with 4 core conventional antioxidants.

Anti-inflammatory Benefits

As an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA), collard greens provide us with two hallmark anti-inflammatory nutrients

Digestive Support

The fiber content of collard greens—over 5 grams in every cup—makes this cruciferous vegetable a natural choice for digestive system support. You're going to get 85% of your Daily Value for fiber from only 200 calories' worth of collard greens! 

Ready, Set, Seattle!!!

Simple Health Tip: Setting goals

Ah what a vacation. Two weeks in Colorado

 ...

followed by a week on the beach in California.




All  the time restinghas given me time to set goals and press the reset button for not only a new year but a new quarter at Bastyr. All my goals are long term but have weekly and monthly "stepping stone goals" that help me to keep my focus and vision in tact.

Altogether I have found that writing down goals and keeping record of intentions is key to following through.

Take some time today to write down a year end goal and 2 or 3 weekly/monthly goals that will help guide you along the way. Here's one of mine:

Year end goal: stay well within budget for food expenses while maintaining high standards and enjoying healthful food at every meal

Monthly goal: track grocery bill carefully with chart printed out


Weekly goal: strive to cook 2 main dishes that are based on local produce and will sustain me for the entire week

Now that I have concrete steps to take to accomplish my goal, I can more easily trust that I will be successful. When making goals or forming new habits just remember that it does take 21 days to fully learn a new habit so be forgiving of yourself if you don't adhere immediately. And whatever the case don't give up!

Happy New Year!!!!