Leftovers with a New Face....

This week I'm breaking my weekly meal ritual in order to do a bit of late summer leftover consumption.  I always cook a bit too much intentionally in order to freeze some for those days that my cooking inspirations/ingredients are missing. I've noticed recently however that my leftovers from my meals have started to accumulate and so this week I'm going to work on eating through at least two of them so that next week I can begin cooking with fall vegetables... my FAVORITE. 

At the farmer's market on saturday however I couldn't resist buying this cute little purple pepper. The vendor assured me that it was the sweetest variety of pepper so here's what I'm going to do with it....

Remember that paella I made at the beginning of the summer? I'm going to freshen it up with a fresh pepper and enjoy it for another week. 

I also think this week is a good time to mention how I meal plan. As you know by now, I always cook based on what is in season.  Picking a vegetable, like I have done all summer and making a BIG weekly meal out of it that will tide me over for the whole week (if not more, hence my freezer selection) is the start... but there's more to meal planning than that if you are going enjoy a full week of healthy, hand prepared meals simply.

Here's my basic strategy;

I pick 3 recipes to cook.

1. grain + seasonal vegetable (my sunday evening meal)

2. protein  + seasonal vegetable  (I usually make this on monday or tuesday)

3. breakfast grain (I'll be sharing my favorite breakfast recipe using any grain you like shortly)

I jot down the ingredients to those 3 recipes plus any staples I might be missing (like some extra fruits or veggies to munch on or my favorite nut butters) and then make the fun outing to the store. 

p.s can I just tell you how much I love grocery shopping? Its actually kind of silly how much I look forward to it.

Anyway, establishing this routine and sticking to this basic outline has kept me from spending too much money on eating out or eating junkie food out of hunger. I bring this up now because fall is a great time to start new habits and incorporate healthy routines into your life. Meal planning might be one you want to try. 

You'll find it is super simple if you cook each recipe for about 8 people and then eat it over the course of 2-3 meals and freeze leftovers. 

Next week I'll start zoning in on the fall produce that is beginning to arrive and I'll have my good friend and master chef Kelsey in town to help me brainstorm a DELICIOUS meal. 

Until then, have a wonderful week. Plan some meals for me: )

Sweet Butter Corn: Delicacy of Summer

I'm determined not to give in to the end of summer blues as I still have another month left at home.  I have to say, it is hard with all the school buses roaming the streets and the back to school ads permeating the media. One of the ways I've managed to keep my summer spirits high is by indulging in the amazing produce that is starting to finally arrive. Last week's tomatoes were sweet but nothing compared to the corn that I found this week. 5 ears of corn found its way into a delicious meal this week that I hope you'll try.

Seeing as corn is over used quite often in the U.S industry and can have some really nasty things done to it during its growth, I don't usually buy corn. But this week I found this cute stand at the farmers market that assured me that they follow organic standards and get this... my corn was picked that morning. *Big Smile*.

What's even more fun this week is that my friend from UVA is in town visiting so she helped me conjure up this weeks blog meal and it was a raging success. (Thanks to her of course!)

After we got the corn at the farmers market, we made a quick trip to the store and bought the following:

-Mushrooms (use whatever variety are locally supplied. Luckily for us, oyster had come from Ft. Collins)
-Marsala
-1/4 Red onion
-4-5 Green onions
-Cilantro
-garlic
-olive oil

I was putting together a little baguette crostini with roasted garlic and goat cheese while Emily busily worked away on the corn dish that was a modified version of Vegetarian Magazine's corn and mushroom stew.

Here's what she did...
1. Heat 2 T olive oil. Add chopped red and green onions.
2. Add chopped cilantro, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, and a little salt and pepper.
3. Add about 1 cup chopped mushrooms (as finely chopped as you like).
4. Add about 1 or 2 T marsala and saute briefly.
5. Add raw corn and mix until warm. (We used 4 ears of corn cut away from the cob)


It turned out so well that I forgot to take a picture before I gobbled it, the crostinis AND  a kabob of halibut down. Ps if you ever need amazing kabobs custom seasoned, whole foods is your place. The seafood man made us come killer kabobs that complimented the corn so nicely. Wish I had a picture to show you but you'll just have to trust me that it was so good I couldn't even stop to photograph the creation. I did however take a picture of the corn creation leftovers so that you know what ours basically looked like.

I'm glad our dinner turned out so well because it fueled us through a 2 hour hike up Mt. Sanitas in Boulder and a wonderful day of exploring Pearl St. Sigh.

Keep on enjoying summer!! (Its not over...)

Tomato Time...

I can't believe summer is already half way over. The back to school vibe is in the air which has both sweet and sad connotations attached with it.  Now as I'm heading off to Grad school things are going to be much different yet I'm still going to settle into the busy yet predictable life of a student. More than anything, I'm just excited to be constantly studying what I'm in love with: Food: )

Speaking of which... This week I think its time that we try out some tomato goodness. You can't miss them at the farmers market or grocery as their bright red skin will make anyone stop in their tracks. Now that they are in season, they are bursting with flavor and nutrition. I picked some up this weekend, waited a few days for them to ripen and then made the dish below which was quite tasty if I do say so myself.

Raw Cheese and Caper stuffed tomatoes:


Ingredients needed:
-a tomato for each person being served
-1/4 c bread crumbs
- 1 T coconut oil or butter melted ( I used some goats milk butter )
-1.5 T capers
- 1/4 c cheese (guyere would be yummy. I used raw sharp chedder that was great too)
-dijon mustard

Basically all I did was
1. Cut the tomatoes in half, and scoop out the insides
2. squirt a little dijon mustard and divide the cheese into the bottoms of the "tomato bowls"
3 top with the mixture of melted butter, bread crumbs and capers
4 pop in an oven preheated to 500 for 3-4 minutes

Could it be any more simple?

I served them on a bed of lettuce and while eating realized how yummy it would be with some tuna or even turkey. I have some stuffed tomatoes left over and will most definitely eat them later this week with some different accompaniments.

Tomatoes are a great thing to snack on as they boast a phytonutrient called lycopene that has been extensively studied for its cancer-preventing properties. Isn't it amazing how nature provides foods that protect us from what the season may bring to harm us? Cancer is such an issue in the summer months so giving your body some armor from the inside out is a great strategy. I'm always amazed at the timing of the tools that nature offers which is why I'm so adamant about eating food that is in season. It puts our bodies in harmony with the Earth. Sounds amazing.... feels even better!

Keep enjoying the warm rays of summer. And make sure to eat some tomatoes this week now that you know what they can do to prevent those warm rays from harming you.

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??