Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables This pasta dish was my last supper. I went out with a bang, three types of cheeses and somewhere around 3 pounds of vegetables. (What a way to go.) And what I mean to say is that this was my last supper before the moratorium on exercise was put into action by my orthopedist. He wants me to not move for two months. Seeing as how I haven’t taken off more than two days in a row for the past four years…I don’t even know how to begin to do that. I am a mover by nature. But somehow, I have to try. Here’s the other thing. I absolutely up and down refuse to gain weight in the next eight weeks. Those extra pounds may come knocking at my door and I will politely but firmly say “No, thank you.” You see, after my last stress fracture I was sad and so I spent the nine months after I was injured eating anything and everything to make myself feel better. Want to dare me to not only not gain weight but to perhaps even lose weight during this next eight weeks? Huddle up, team. Will there be sacrifices?
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) with Moroccan Spices If you were hanging around this blog during November, you may recall me raving about the Moroccan Spice Mix recipe I found in Fine Cooking Magazine. I tried the mixture on butternut squash, then on carrots, absolutely loved it, and promised more Moroccan spice roasted veggies to come. Recently when I saw a recipe for crispy roasted chickpeas in The South Beach Diet Cookbook my tastebuds started imagining how great those crispy chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) would taste with just a hint of that Moroccan spice mix, and that's how this recipe was born. I've been a card-carrying member of the Garbanzo Bean Fan Club for quite a while now, but this way of eating them, roasted at a high temperature until they're fairly dry and crispy, was completely new to me. What a fantastic snack food this is, great to nibble on for a mid-afternoon break, or perfect to serve with drinks. 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 1 T olive oil 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Preheat oven to 350 F. Printer Friendly Recipe
Spinach Rice Gratin Recipe I opened my sister's freezer the other day and was greeted by stacks of individually portioned, vacuum sealed lasagnas. My sister is seventeen months pregnant right now - kidding, but that's how she feels. She told me they've been stock-piling easy, meals they can simply reheat or pop in the oven once the baby arrives. This got me thinking about healthy, baked, single-pan recipes. Come to think of it - you could bake portions of the rice mixture in individual ramekins - that might be cute. Update: Look who made his appearance yesterday. :) 2 1/2 cups leftover/pre-cooked brown rice, room temp 1 1/2 cups cups well finely chopped spinach 4 ounces firm organic tofu, crumbled 10 black olives, chopped 1/2 medium red onion, diced 1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds, toasted 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese (or Parm, or Gruyere) 3 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt Preheat oven to 400F degrees. In a large bowl combine the rice, spinach, and tofu. Serves 8 - 12.
Kalyn's Kitchen Maple Glazed Carrots I don't know about you but I'm a side dish kinda gal. I think that is what I love most about buffets and potlucks - all the side dish choices! I get positively giddy. I think I could fill an entire plate up with sides and be as happy as a clam. One of my favorites are these carrots. I remember the first time I made these glazed carrots. (A special note to my Uncle Marvin, we need more maple syrup please!) Side note: My Grandma's side of the family owns a maple syrup "sugar shack" up in Wisconsin where they produce some of the best maple syrup. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. 3 Tbsp.Brown Sugar, packed (Light or Dark) 1 Tbsp.Maple Syrup 1 pound Baby Carrots (or whole carrots chopped into chunks) Directions: In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring until smooth and the butter is melted. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glazed. Now dig in! Enjoy!
Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar (Updated and added to Recipe Favorites November 2010.) Butternut squash is something I learned to love from my grandmother Denny, who'd roast big pieces of it on a cookie sheet and then mash it with lots of butter, salt, and pepper. Of course that tasted great, but when I make this roasted butternut squash tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and just a touch of rosemary, I don't miss the butter at all. I first tried this recipe back in 2006, and I've made it many times since so I decided it was time to finally update this post with better photos. This recipe is about as easy as they come, especially if you use those pre-cut squash cubes that start to show up at this time of year. I like to mix the olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, and chopped rosemary to be sure it gets evenly distributed on the squash pieces. Toss the squash cubes with the mixture, turning it over several times so the squash pieces are well coated. Preheat oven to 400 F/200C.
SUNDAY BAKER: The (Rich dont like it but I do) Brownie Making a healthy brownie is pretty much attempting the impossible. Some may even say if it's healthy it's not a brownie. But I don't agree with that. Part of finding that balance of healthy foods and still enjoying food, for me, is making treats that taste good but have some nutritional benefit. I have a real problem eating anything that is just pure junk these days. So I experimented with brownies the other day and came up with these. The next day after making them, however, they tasted much better. This brownie contains NO butter or oil, NO flour, and very little sugar. I know it's not going to taste just like the typical fudge and sugar-filled brownie. But it definitely fullfilled my need for that brownie texture and chocolate taste and when you don't eat a lot of that kind of thing, you appreciate that. So, for now this is my go-to healthier version of a brownie. Healthified Brownies 1/2 c. quick cooking oats 1/3 c. toasted wheat germ 3 T. dark amber agave nectar 2 T. brown sugar 1. 2. 3.
living in the ice age: Cream Cheese Pancakes Almost too easy to make! As a paleo alternative to traditional flour pancakes, the texture and flavour is just right. These pancakes are flour-free, nut flour-free and use cream cheese to add substance to the batter. This is not substitution - these pancakes are better than flour pancakes! I guess sweeter versions could be made using a little sweetener - honey, maple syrup, Stevia, or the like. With your regard to choice of sweetener and whether it is primal, I'll link to a couple of resources and you can make your own mind up: To work ... Cream cheese should be as natural as you can get it - there really is no need to buy industrialised cream cheese which may have all manner of preservatives, emulfisiers and so on. Interestingly enough, Philadelphia brand has Locust Bean Gum listed in the ingredients (urgh!) Of course you could make the cream cheese yourself by hanging some full fat yoghurt up in a muslin bag and permitting the whey to drain out. Have fun ...
Corn Fritters I have really been enjoying the fresh local corn. I have mostly been eating it off the cob with salt and butter, which is great, but now I was looking for something different. I recalled seeing Michael Smith on Chef at Home on the Food Network making these corn fritters that looked pretty good. Ingredients:2 cups of corn1/4 cup cornmeal1/4 cup flour1 teaspoon cumin1 egg1 green onion (chopped)1 handful cilantro (chopped)1 tablespoon lime juicesalt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons oil Directions:1. Similar Recipes:Thai Style Corn Fritters with Sweet Chilli SauceZucchini FrittersGreek Zucchini Fritters with TzatzikiKimchi Jun (Kimchi Pancake)Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)
~pjgh : påleo: Coming in From the Cold Warning! Metaphors ahead! Metaphors, not innuendo - if you like innuendo, check out Modern Paleo Warfare. As ancestral eaters, we've been living in the ice age, some may have considered leaving the ice age and I've wondered whether we're even entering the mesolithic. Metaphors aside, paleo is moving along with the times and being moved along by the people. Is it time to come in from the cold? What began as the paleo diet has inspired and sparked much debate, research and reasoning to become a paleo template - using the paleo diet as a starting point and building it up into a framework, or set of principles. Chris Kresser calls it a paleo template in Beyond Paleo and this is very much at the forefront of Kurt Harris' and Richard Nikoley's mind in their responses to the recent debunking paleo articles. Paleo is not a religion! J Stanton noticed that paleo had reached the ominous third stage but who would have thought that the fight would come from vegans? We are animals, not machines! Principles
Lightened-Up Cheesy Pastitsio Yes you read that correctly. Leave it to Cooking Light to give me a cheesy pasta dish that I can indulge in enjoy to a minimum. I wouldn’t suggest making this every single night to lose weight, but it’s definitely AMAZING and a great substitute for heavier pasta dishes. Plus it’s super eeeeasy. Hell to the yeah. I chose to use beef since the BF refused ground turkey {stubborn}, but that would be a perfect healthier alternative! Yeah I chose to walk the safer route and used lean beef. Lightened-Up Cheesy Pastitsio Ingredients 1 box uncooked penne (I use Dreamfields) Cooking spray 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion 5 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 tsp. salt 2 cups fat-free milk 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained 6 oz fat-free cream cheese 3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley Instructions Preheat broiler. Nutritional Information Thank you pinterest!