Pantry Clean-Out Week = Bring on the Pumpkin

 

My Christmas gift/ yearly supply of Pumpkin

There are really 3 reasons we have "Pantry-clean-out" weeks in this house:    

1) I spent a ridiculous amount of money on groceries that month and I'm determined to use up what we have before buying more. (These usually occur at the end of the month)

2) I'm trying to rid the pantry of JUNK that has accumulated due to either a) having an especially busy month and therefore buying stuff I wouldn't normally buy; or b) Chris has laid the guilt on THICK and somehow we end up with ice cream, golden Oreos, Nutella, and other unidentifiable processed goods. 

3) Or- and this is the fun reason: Summer is fading and I'm getting ready for Pumpkin Season!!- I mean, Fall. In case you weren't aware, I do have about 28 lbs of pumpkin remaining from the previous year. And it's been waiting oh-so patiently to make it's debut. I only hope there isn't a pumpkin drought this year or I'm really going to have be wise about how I ration these 28 lbs!

So, here is my pantry and fridge at the end of this week: 

 

 

More than enough condiments, coffee, 1.5 measly carrots and cream soda (<--the Mr's)

And here it is now- after some minor redecorating :)

12 lbs minimum in pantry at all times. Just kidding. Kind of.

And I was so excited to make my yearly batch of pumpkin spice mix. This year I went with the recipe from Pumpkin Nook's Cookbook. 

Now, lest you think I've gone too far, let me tell you about a REAL issue. Chris and I had a semi-legitimate "tiff"- not an argument- about when the Christmas tree should go up. It's August 31st people!! My dear sweet hubby wants to put up the Christmas tree on Halloween. (!!). Yes, you read that right, Halloween. I mean, that is in the prime of Pumpkin Season, and he's trying to overshadow all the Thanksgiving delightfulness by putting up our 2.5 foot tree. Eyebrows were raised and threatening remarks may or may not have been made... but alas, I will probably give in. After his 28 years on earth, the man has mastered the puppy dog eyes and I gotta be honest, he's darn cute.  Those same puppy dog eyes are how we end up with "ice cream, golden Oreos, Nutella and other unidentifiable processed goods" in the house.

 

Pumpkin Collage:

Pumpkin Cupcakes- Birthday 2010



Pumpkin Cookbook Christmas 2011

The gift that gives all year.
 

P.S. Did anyone notice how I used both "lest" and "alas"? I've been reading too many 18th century novels.

Healthy Happy Summer: Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

One of the many fun things about working in the food world (even when on temporary hiatus) is the unofficial job duty of taste-tester. After counseling hundreds of clients on a very wide variety of nutrition needs, I can say with confidence that people undeniably want a dietitian who can tell them the "real deal" in addition to all the textbook stuff; especially when it comes to current diet trends. They want to talk to someone who isn't going to just tell them it's a bad idea and they should stick to a "healthy balanced diet." I get this- I would want this too! However, as Registered Dietitians we are trained and obligated to critically examine fad diets and look for any potential deficiencies, and even potentially harmful components. And it took me a while, but I finally came to accept that regardless of sound advice, people are going to do what they are going to do, so I had to learn to roll with the punches and help them figure out how their diet of choice can work for them, despite any shortcomings it may have (with the exception of long-term cleansing/detox diets, which I do not support for safety reasons!).

One of the more recent diet trends that only crossed my path one time while working at my previous job is the Paleo (Caveman) diet, which supports eating a simple unprocessed diet comprised of meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, & tree nuts- but no dairy or grains. I have several friends and acquaintances who swear by it, and several have shared some wonderful recipes! I was initially skeptical because strict adherence to the diet requires one to avoid entire food groups- something I would have a hard time recommending to anyone; especially when those food groups include healthy whole grains and high fiber beans and legumes. It is also deficient in calcium and Vitamin D if followed strictly, so these would need to be supplemented. However, like most diets, there are several very commendable aspects to this eating plan: it mandates whole, unprocessed foods, is low in sugar and sodium, and encourages lots of fruits and vegetables (all of which dietitians have been urging for many years!) So while I do wonder about its long-term sustainability, I recognize that those who follow it love it, many experience improved health, and the recipes aren't bad! (For a more in-depth review, visit http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet).

Which brings me to the fun part of this blog post- the recipe! A friend recommended this recipe for Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps from the Paleo Plan that she said I had to try. I did, and they were absolutely delicious! I did modify them a bit to use ingredients I had on hand and to suit our tastes. Plus, I cooked a side of rice (big Paleo no-no) for my carbohydrate-burning hubby who needs more fuel than the average joe! But all in all, I stuck to the recipe pretty closely. According to Chris- this one makes it into the Munoz Recipe Hall of Fame- he loved them that much.



His & Hers: one with rice, one without

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 large Bibb lettuce leaves (at least!)
3-4 large red cabbage leaves, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 cup finely chopped raw broccoli
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast
1 Tbs coconut oil
salt & pepper

For Thai Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs low sodium soy sauce (use gluten free if needed)
Juice from 1 small lime (about 2 Tbs)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Season chicken on both sides with salt & pepper. Heat coconut oil in oven-proof skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 3-5 minutes on each side. They should be nice and browned on the outside. Transfer skillet to the oven to finish cooking (about 15-20 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, mix all ingredients together for the Thai peanut sauce. (I used the Magic Bullet- worked like a charm!)
4. In a separate bowl, mix cabbage, carrot, broccoli & green onion together. Toss with a few tablespoons of the peanut sauce.
5. Once the chicken is finished, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
6. Assemble lettuce wraps- fill each lettuce leaf with a scoop of the vegetable mixture, chicken, cilantro and top with a few teaspoons of peanut sauce.
7. Everyone say "YUMMMM"!

*Chris added the white rice to the wrap also; I ate it on the side. If serving rice, make 3/4 cup rice according to package directions, substituting 1/3 cup of the water for coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and toss in some cilantro when done cooking.

Did I mention it makes delicious leftovers? This is Chris' Rice Bowl

Adapted from The Paleo Plan Recipe database at http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-31/thai-chicken-wraps/

Quinoa for breakfast- with cherries on top!

Feeling the need to switch it up for breakfast lately. I usually rotate between eggs & wheat toast and oatmeal & yogurt. Love 'em both, but needing some more variety! I've had this recipe saved for months and figured I'd give it a whirl. Plus, it's cherry season, so I've got to take advantage! (2 lbs of cherries for 3 Euro!) At first I thought the ricotta might be a little weird on quinoa (and for breakfast) but turns out it was just the right touch! A Greek yogurt (or other thick yogurt) would probably work just as well, too.

I ended up changing it significantly so I could use what I already had- feel free to change it yourself! I'd love to hear what kind of combos you all come up with. Here's what I did:

Breakfast Quinoa with Ricotta and Cherries
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbs oil ( I used coconut; any could be used)
• 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried dates, or other dried fruit (such as raisins or chopped apricots)
• 2 Tbs pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese (full fat recommended!)
• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved (you could also use other berries, but then you'd have to change the name of the recipe ;)

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with a fork then set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add  walnuts and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn them. Add the dates, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir until heated through.

3. Add the quinoa to the skillet and gently stir to make sure the nut/fruit mixture is well distributed.

4. Each serving is one generous cup of quinoa mixture, topped with 1 Tbs ricotta and 1/4 cup cherries.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired.

*I made this ahead of time and topped with ricotta and cherries just before serving. Each serving is approx. 350 calories (and worth every one!)

**Recipe adapted from Food & Wine. Check it out here.

Recipe Makeover: Broccoli Salad

This recipe is a little premature for the summer barbecues it is normally seen at, but so what? I mean, there really isn't a "season" for a good salad, in my opinion. This was actually the product of a brain-dead moment where I honestly just couldn't think of a single item to bring to lunch with friends. Is this the cooking equivalent of writer's block??

Anyway, I took a southern classic and healthified it. (Yes, that's a word-healthified). I did a general recipe search to see what kind of variations I could find, and then went with one of the simpler ones. I like the simple dressing, combination of salty, sweet and savory, and the fact that the broccoli is barely cooked. I loved the results. Chris wasn't a big fan of the cold broccoli, but he's from California so what does he know about southern-style barbecues? (I say this with love!). Anyway, it was pretty easy and my lunch-bunch liked it too, unless they were just being polite. But I know them better than that! :)

How is this healthier? Well, I significantly cut down on the high calorie add-ins (raisins and bacon) and I eliminated the nuts. You could add in a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds or slivered almonds, if desired. The pre-crumbled bacon (real bacon) sold in the condiment section is only 25 calories per tablespoon because it contains a lot less fat. And the real healthy kicker is subbing the yogurt for the traditional mayo. This is totally do-able in this kind of salad (See my notes for straining the yogurt following the recipe). However, if the idea of eliminating mayo completely is scary to you, then try doing half mayo and half plain yogurt; or even using a little light sour cream. It reaaally adds up!

"Healthified" Broccoli Salad
Serves 4-6

• 5-6 cups broccoli florets (I used 2 small heads)
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3-4 Tbs finely chopped red onion
• 3 Tbs crumbled bacon bits
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, or regular plain yogurt that's been strained*
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1-2 Tbs honey

1. Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, depending on desired doneness. (I opted for 30 seconds). Drain, and immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process. Broccoli should still be bright green and crisp.

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, peas, and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, and 1 Tbs honey. Add more honey to reach desired sweetness. (I ended up with 1 1/2 Tbs). Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Stir in crumbled bacon immediately before serving.

*Straining regular plain yogurt is important, otherwise the dressing will get pretty runny after a few minutes. To strain, line a mesh strainer with a paper towel over the sink or a bowl and pour yogurt over the paper towel. Allow to strain for at least 20-30 minutes. The yogurt will thicken up to sour cream consistency. Viola!

Original recipe can be found at: Simply Recipes blog.

3 Minute Hummus

I loooove chickpeas. I add them to everything (within reason. Unlike pumpkin). And pureed, they make the creamiest most perfect condiment! I've been experimenting with different flavoring combos, and this one seems to please both the Mr. and me. It's pretty basic, but honestly, most hummus recipes are. This one just happens to be my variation.

Note: I don't use tahini (sesame seed oil) because I think olive oil does the trick by itself, but feel free to add a tablespoon or too, and decrease the bean liquid. By using the bean liquid instead of more oil, you save on several hundred calories!

3 Minute Hummus

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained,  with 1/4 cup liquid reserved
3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic (or 1/2 tsp jarred minced)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
scant 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
salt to taste

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas with all ingredients besides 2 Tbs of the reserved liquid. Add more liquid until desired consistency is reached. (I usually use it all!).

Makes 1 1/2 cups (24 Tbs)
Serving Size: 2 Tbs

Per serving: ~60 calories (can't beat that!)

My favorite way to use hummus is as a sandwich spread...what's yours?

Itchin' Kitchen

We're having a late winter here in Italy. We had a relatively warm and dry November-January, but now that February is here, we are getting cold, WIND, and even a little snow. Maybe it's the Florida girl in me, but shouldn't we be nearing beach season? Regardless of the weather, our kitchen has been itchin' for springtime. My desire for the savory, warm meals of the winter has faded into craving fresh, simple meals. I'm ready for fresh salads, cherry tomatoes, lemon-infused everything, and yes, even the summer squashes, which I thought I'd never feel the need to eat again. Funny how that works out. By the time a season is over, my palette is ready for the next one, just in time.

Snowy mountains behind our base

When I declared to Chris earlier this week that next week we would be eating clean, simple, healthy meals, he looked at me blank-faced and asked, "isn't that how we eat anyway? We can't eat any healthier!" (Little does he know...). I pondered this and realized that it is perhaps more for my psychological benefit than physical. We do eat pretty healthy, but sometimes I take short-cuts for cost savings. For example, a pound of frozen ground turkey here is $1.25. That is hard to beat, but you have to wonder what's in it. They have organic ground turkey for $5.99, which I have never purchased. So again, for the sake of resetting my clean eating mind-set, that's what we're going to do. And after researching some simple clean recipes, I. am. excited.

I plan to blog as I go, but just to whet your taste buds, you can plan to see:

• Pan seared chicken with basil strawberry balsamic glaze From my fave clean eating blog:  cleananddelicious.com)
• Fresh pasta with homemade pesto sauce
• Vegetable Curry (tofu's debut in the Muñoz household)
• Bison burgers with avocado
• either homemade pizza (take 2), or homemade polenta (my current obsession)

That's it. Nothing fancy or extravagant. Just simple healthy foods, minus preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. If you're up for the challenge, please comment or email me anything you try! Also, March is National Nutrition Month, so this can be considered my pre-game warm-up :)

Oh- I almost forgot. My Valentines' Day treat! Chris had class all night so I took the liberty to experiment since it was just me. I made chocolate mousse with avocado instead of cream. I was skeptical at first, but after evaluating several recipes, I was convinced that the texture would be phenomenal without too much sacrifice of flavor. I was right! The smooth, creaminess of the mousse was excellent. I plan to play around with the recipe a little more because I could detect a hint of avocado...and I'm not sure how that would fly around here.

Here's what I did, but feel free to play around until you get the flavor you like.

Chocolate Mousse (with Avocado)
(adapted from cleananddelicious.com)

1 large ripe avocado
5-6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or any milk)
pinch of salt
whipped cream (optional)
Fresh berries (optional)

1. Cut avocado and scoop out flesh. In food processor (I used Magic Bullet), pulse until broken up and relatively smooth.

2. Add pinch of slat, cocoa powder, agave (or honey), vanilla extract and 1/2 of the milk. Puree until smooth. Make sure you puree long enough to get the whipped, creamy texture. Add more milk as needed, or until you reach desired consistency.

3. Portion into 3 or 4 individual serving dishes and refrigerate for at least an hour. Top with fresh whipped cream and berries, if desired.

*While this is a healthier version of chocolate mouse than the traditional, it's still high in calories. Avocados are full of super healthy fats- great for cholesterol! However, all fats are high in calories, so don't go too crazy!

An Apple a Day..

Always striving for that daily fruit intake! (Does it count if it's in a cobbler form? What about a healthy cobbler?) I recently made these individual Apple Crisps from Clean & Delicious and they were super yummy! I was thankful I only made enough for my husband and me to have just one...we would have been reaching for seconds! But luckily these were so easy and quick to make, I think I'll be making them again soon :)

As always- had to make some changes based on availability and preference! I used canola oil instead of coconut. I used 1 Tbs ground flax instead of 1/4c wheat germ.

*Gluten Free without wheat germ

Can't put my finger on it... Chocolate Granola

Sometimes I get a craving for something out of my normal realm of foods- something specific- and I drive  myself crazy trying to figure out what inspired  my momentary obsession. And I usually can't stop thinking about it until I've consumed it...and then I'm over it. (Does that sound like a problem?) Such was the case recently with chocolate granola. First, I rarely eat granola; and although I love chocolate I never desire it at breakfast time. So this one threw me for a loop trying to recall where I might have read or heard about, or saw chocolate granola. Then a few days later I was wandering through our grocery store and I saw chocolate cocoa puffs and I remembered!

When we were in France-all of 2 weeks ago- our hotel had breakfast in the mornings. They had 2 options of cereal: corn flakes or chocolate (corn?) flakes. I was a little skeptical because again, perhaps the only time of I don't want chocolate is at breakfast. So the first day I had corn flakes with a "splash" of chocolate flakes. It was pretty good so the next day I had a little more. By the third day I was going for half-corn, half-chocolate, and by out last day I was eating straight up chocolate flakes. So, I imagine I was going through some kind of withdrawl when I got home.

Needless to say the hunt for chocolate granola recipes began. I was surprised at how few I found. My preference was quite particular for cocoa-coated granola and not granola with chocolate chips. I found a blog with a recipe that sounded right up my alley, and which was inspired by a food network recipe. I  often will compare recipes to other recipe-sites that I trust (like food network) to get an idea of proportions, temperatures and cooking times to see how I can alter if needed.

Here's what I did: 

2 Tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 1/4 c rolled oats
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/2 c sliced almonds almonds

1/2 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (I'll omit this next time..)

1/2 c dried cranberries or cherries (cherries would be better- we didn't have any available here!)
6 Tbs brown sugar
1/3 c honey (see recommended changes below)
1/4 c + 2 Tbs applesauce (6 Tbs)
1 T canola oil
hot water

coffee in the picture not part of the recipe :)

1. Preheat oven to 250-300 degrees. (I recommend lower range if using a lot of honey)
2. Pour hot water over dried cherries and allow to sit for 15 mins.
3. Mix dry ingredients (cocoa powder-nutmeg). *Consider adding coconut half-way through baking. I plan to do this next time.
4. In a small saucepan, heat brown sugar, liquid sweeteners, applesauce and oil until blended and runny.
5. Add liquid to dry ingredients, along with dried cherries (drained) and toss well to coat.
6. Pour into glass baking dish or walled cookie sheet and bake 45 mins to 1 hour, tossing every 15 minutes or so.
7. Allow to cool completely. (*I made the mistake of thinking it would dry out completely in oven, but part of that happens in the cooling process. I think this is why mine turned out a little too crispy.) 

Changes/Critiques:
I cut the amounts in half of original recipe since I knew I didn't need 10 cups of chocolate granola laying around. All in all, it was pretty good. I used more honey than necessary since I didn't have agave and I think it made it a little too crispy for my taste (honey gets so hard!). Next time, I'll use maple syrup/honey combo and perhaps cook at a lower temp for longer time.

*I liked that this receipe used applesauce. I've never seen that before but it really cut down on the amount of oil needed (and therefore less fat) and had no hint of apple taste. I wonder if I can do this with pumkin puree instead of applesauce too?? But not with the chocolate..

**I will probably add the shredded coconut later next time because it dried up and was tasteless after an hour of baking.

Advice and suggestions welcome! How do you make granola??

How Much Pumpkin is Too Much Pumpkin??

 Trick question- you can never have too much pumpkin! Contrary to what you may think, pumpkin is extremely versatile. We hear "pumpkin" and think of sweet treats like pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie (and pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin cupcakes and...), but plain 'ole pumpkin by itself can be groomed for sweet or savory dishes. One of my faves is a very simple pumpkin soup, which I'll post soon. And while reading some of my favorite food blogs..I see I'm not the only one who is slightly obsessed with the wonderful orange vegetable! (See link: http://www.katheats.com/she-done-it)

I was sad to hear of the pumpkin shortage in the States this year..because on a military base that means we have a pumpkin DRAUGHT! So when I spotted a display at our commissary..I stocked up. And the only reason I didn't take more was because I didn't want to come across as a hoarder...that, and my husband is already fearful I'm planning to make pumpkin hamburgers (I'm not, but he knows it's likely to pop up anywhere!). 

I've gone through a large can already. So far I've made a pumpkin cream cheese spread for a brunch event I attended, and pumpkin yogurt (one of my favorite snacks!) Here's what I do:

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I make a large batch myself which I found here)
1/2 tbs milled flax seed, optional (I like the added nutti-ness)
*Other crunchy topping options: 1 Tbs walnuts, crunched up cinnamon graham cracker, or granola

Signature Dish: Green Grape Salad with Toasted Almonds

Creating my own unique dishes- regardless of how simple- always makes me nervous. For one, I hate wasting food..and I think "one bad move and it's $10 down the drain!" Also, I hate to mess up, so when I create something less than tasty I usually have a few dramatic moments where I threaten to never cook again, throw all our plates out the window, and then the next night I'm cooking dinner again. Tonight was a night I was less than hopeful, but determined to do minimal cooking. I was pleasantly surprised, as this salad was light, sweet and refreshing- and the perfect compliment to our simple roasted chicken main dish. My husband said it was "Cheesecake Factory worthy," which is a big compliment in this house (the man loves CF). 

So here we go. The best part? It was 5 ingredients! (I cheated and used a pre-made dressing, but this could be easily homemade with a wine vinegar, oil, a pinch of sugar).

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Sliced Almonds
3 cups green grapes, halved or quartered (mine were huge, so I quartered)
3 Tbs Crumbled Feta
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
2 Tbs sweet vinaigrette salad dressing (I used Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Toast Sliced Almonds on the stove: heat in a skillet over low heat for 4-5 minutes. NO sprays or oils needed. (I knew mine were done when it started to smell like popcorn.) Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Halve or quarter grapes and set aside in bowl.

3. Mince onion and add to grape bowl, along with crumbled feta. Give a couple grinds of salt and pepper and add 2 Tbs of dressing of choice. Again, I used this one:

4. Last, add in toasted almonds and gently toss until mixed in evenly. Adjust s&p as needed. Tastes delightful at room temperature!

A little Garlic goes a long way...

...but a LOT of garlic goes a really long way! Another day at the market and another lesson learned: when the man says 1 kilo of garlic, you get 1 kilo of garlic. That’s right, I came home with about 2 lbs of garlic for the price of 1 Euro! Seemed like a steal until I realized I didn’t know what the heck I was going to do with it all. TGFG (Thank God For Google).

I know garlic is used in everything here in Italy, and I am a-ok with that, but before I walk around breathing garlic fire (or at the very least scare my husband away), I wanted to know: is garlic freeze-able? How can I store it?  If for some reason I can’t manage to use all 4 large heads of garlic, will it be a waste? In the back of my mind I imagine a little Italian old lady chasing me down the street and cursing me for wasting such a jewel, if I were to allow it to go bad before using it all.

Of course I can roast them whole and they are delicious by themselves..but, like I said, I have a lot of garlic. So I sought the help of my cookbook library and came across a Garlic Puree, which can be stirred into things like mashed potatoes or pasta sauces. (Now I just need my Magic Bullet to arrive any day now). Then in my email box today I received a monthly newsletter I subscribe to that had a recipe for Basil and Garlic Tomatoes. What a coincidence, I bought a kilo of cherry tomatoes today also!

All ingredient amounts here are flexible…obviously I increased the garlic J It’s best to let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least an hour to absorb the flavors. Eat by itself, on toasted bread, or as an easy pasta mix-in!  I had planned to drizzle with olive oil right before eating, but it didn't need it!

Basil & Garlic Tomatoes

• 3 cups quartered cherry tomatoes (or any good tomatoes chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (unless you like big chunks- I don’t!)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• ¼-1/2 tsp salt  

The jury is still out as to whether or not garlic is freeze-able. According to my credible google search, it is possible, but may not keep quality-wise. Oh well. 3 cloves down, 57 to go (there are usually 10-15 cloves in a head, fyi).

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Stuffed Peppers

Project "Eat through my pantry/freezer/misc-non-perishable foods" is still underway. Tonight was a success because I didn't use a recipe..which makes me feel like a real chef! And for the record, I like anything that is stuffed, or in individualized portions (like the Lovebird Chicken I made a few months ago). I don't know why- there's just something about knowing that it's just for me! Although with my upcoming marriage, I'm thinking dinners will look something like "2 for Chris, 1 for me"..or maybe even "3 for Chris..". The boy can EAT!

So here's what I started with that led to the vision of stuffed peppers: Frozen leftover quinoa, frozen leftover black beans, matchstick carrots, a zucchini, and about a 1/4 c salsa.  I purchased a few additional ingredients and viola! You can really use anything- but I like to use a whole grain as the base and other vegetables on hand. Here's the breakdown:

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers
1-1.5 c cooked quinoa (or rice or any grain)
1 c black beans
1/2 c shredded carrots (matchstick)
1/2 c shredded zucchini
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c salsa
1 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper
1-2oz cheddar cheese
A few dollops of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (pretty sure dollop is a scientific measurement)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean out peppers and cut in half (to make 4 halves total)
2. Mix the quinoa, beans, vegetables, garlic and spices in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Boil pepper halves for 4-5 minutes.
3. Drain and reserve some cooking water to add to bottom of baking dish. Fill pepper halves with quinoa mixture.
4. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Then top with a few Tbs of shredded cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Add a big spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream before eating.

Makes 4 Half Pepper servings.

*I thought this needed something else...and usually when I say that I mean salt. So taste the mixture before stuffing peppers!

Soup Kitchen in Full Swing... (White Chicken Chili)

After my Carrot Dill Success I decided to try #37 Carrot Ginger, which seemed like a more natural pairing. It tasted, well, like carrots and ginger. It was good, but I was not as thrilled as I had hoped. (However, if anyone needs a good baby food recipe..I recommend!)  In this recipe, which was precisely like the Carrot Dill except using ginger, I omitted the 2 tbs brown rice because my roomie doesn't eat rice. What a difference in texture it made! I will never underestimate the importance of thickeners/starches in a soup recipe (i.e. keep the 2 tbs rice)

My camera is currently broken, so I have been unable to take pictures- which significantly impairs my motivation to blog. BUT I am pressing on...(the above pic is courtesy of google images-don't sue me!)

This weekend I made a White Chicken Chili recipe which a friend promised was the "best chili recipe ever." Sure enough, it was darn tasty! It uses lots of canned ingredients, which I modified a bit to lower the salt content. But after refrigerating overnight as she suggested to allow flavors to blend..it truly was a great white chili recipe!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (I shredded)
• 1 10 oz can Rotelle tomatoes with green chilies
• 2 cans White Northern Beans (I drained and rinsed)
• 1 can white shoe peg corn
• 1 can chopped green chilies
• 3-4 cups Reduced Sodium Chicken broth (depending on how thick you like it..I do less)
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Chili powder or cayenne pepper (a couple dashes, to taste)
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in cooking spray or oil about 5 mins, then season with chili powder
2. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, green chilies, chicken and broth to pot. Bring to a boil. (I added chicken just after boil because it is fully cooked).
3. Simmer for 10-15 mins. Remove from heat. (I think it is best the next day..so make ahead of time or in the morning to serve later in the day).
4. Top with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream or plain non-fat Greek yogurt. De-lish!

Some fall favorites: Pumpkin Oatmeal

We are in the midst of autumn and although the blogging has been slow, the cooking has not! I've been trying to fully embrace all of the wonderful fall flavors and seasonal foods, and I keep finding myself wondering why I don't eat some of this stuff all year round. I now could package and sell my pumpkin oatmeal, which I humbly feel I have perfected; and I am also on a personal mission to convince my Resident Expert/roommate about the wonderful-ness of soups. She is not a soup lover and I'm committed to making one new soup recipe per week (so naturally I've renamed our kitchen The Soup Kitchen). I've done this for the past 3 weeks, and each recipe is better and better! Last week I made a creamy cauliflower soup which required me to pull my food processor out of the garage and get it in working order! I received the creamy cauliflower soup recipe as a part of an online recipe exchange, and am so glad I made it. I will share in a separate post, and below is my pumpkin oatmeal recipe.

As I am writing, I am making a simple carrot dill soup, courtesy of the Food Network which has a 50 Simple Soups section on their website. I'm overwhelmed with options! I am making #34 carrot dill soup because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and figured if I'm going to make some of these then I need to get started. (This particular one happens to be Gluten Free as long as GF broth is used!) Here's the link: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-easy-soups-1--10/index.html.

Pumpkin Oatmeal a-la-Heather
(Makes 4 servings)

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• dash of ground cloves
• pumpkin pie spice (be generous!)

Bring water to a boil and add oats. Immediately reduce to a simmer, stir for a minute or two (I recommend a non-stick pot). Add vanilla extract and spices. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15-20 minutes. Add raisins and maple syrup cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. I stir in canned pumpkin during the last 5 minutes, but it can be added at any time. Let cool before serving or refrigerating.
This will stay good for several days! Just add a few tablespoons of water or milk before re-heating in microwave. I also top mine with 1 tbs of ground flaxseed and 1 tbs chopped walnuts.
*Side note: spice measurements are estimated- I probably use double by the time I'm done shakin' and playin'!
Can you see why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day?? It is my favorite meal of the day...until lunch :)

Mission: In Progress

I have been a bad blogger. Life got (extra) busy for a few weeks and I did not share about my GF adventures. I successfully finished my GF month with only a few minor slip-ups. My biggest rookie error was eating a non-GF frozen mac'n'cheese entree thinking it was GF (I swear it was when I grabbed it off the shelf). Since I last blogged, I have transitioned into the young old age of 26 with GF pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes (thanks roomie), successfully navigated an unplanned eating out experience (it was Mexican), and experimented with some delicious quinoa recipes (I'm obsessed)!

I also got to refine my explanation of a gluten free lifestyle to the many people who asked me why on earth I would do this. My knowledge is far from complete, however. I know that it would take many months to become truly expert in the day-to-day living, but I am confident that I could function fairly well.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading other people's blogs about gluten free living and talking with friends-it has been enlightening! I also kept my eyes open for professional updates that came through my work contacts and found several new resources. One I was particularly happy about is that General Mills brands (including Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Progresso, etc) is introducing several new products in the coming months and will have more than 350 soon. And all will be labeled 'Gluten Free.' You can find recipes, menu planners, product listings, and additional resources at http://www.liveglutenfreely.com/.

I am taking a hiatus for the next few weeks until I decide on my next mission. I am open to suggestions! I will plan to stay connected with interesting articles and fun recipes in the mean-time. Until then- per la salude!

And the honeymoon period is over.

Well last week was a busy week and I didn't have much time to explore and experiment with new recipes. I've got to be honest, the novelty of a new "project" is over and the frustration of not being able to grab something quick on the way home first hit last week. I'm trying not to stock up on gluten free convenience foods like frozen meals (which are pretty yummy) because they cost about twice as much as the more common brands. However, I have still been consistently spending $10-15 more per week at the grocery store, and it is a small price to pay for health if necessary, but I know there's an easier way to do this.

I scanned over my "recipe" folder in my inbox looking for recipes and websites I may have overlooked and- eureka! I ran across a website one of by BFF's sent me a year ago: http://www.5dollardinners.com/. This woman is a professional mom- seriously! She has kids with different food allergies and still manages to make meals for $5 or less. AND she uses the slow-cooker a lot, which I am a huge fan of because it is pretty impossible for me to screw up. Anyway, one of my former staples was her Slow Cooker Black Beans and Rice recipe (search for it in the recipe index). She also has quite a variety of gluten free dinners. I can't wait to look through them all and get my budget back on track! And you know she's legit because she made it to the Rachel Ray show! RR is one of my personal faves.

Note of caution: The beans and recipe says it makes 6 servings..I don't how much this woman eats but mine had to make at least 12.

A 'hole' in the Gluten Free diet

As I said in one of my earlier blogs, it is entirely possible to eat a well-balanced diet following a GF eating plan. However, it may take a little creativity at times. After about 2 solid weeks of eating gluten free, I realized a short-coming in my own eating plan: the lack of whole grains. I noticed this fairly quickly because my dietitian mind is trained to look for possible nutrition deficiencies in people's diets. I suspect it could take much longer for the average person who is new to GF eating, as there are many potential nutritional shortcomings.

So what's the deal with whole grains? Well for starters, whole grains provide a good source of fiber in the American diet, and for people who aren't eating the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, it is the main source of fiber. General recommendations for fiber are 25-30 grams/day, and my quick calculations told me I was previously getting about half of my fiber from whole grains. Whole grains also are rich sources of many other minerals that are otherwise scarce in the typical western diet. As a newly GF 'convert' I did what most people would probably do: go for the easy grain substitutes (GF bread, potatoes, rice) which are (or are made from) less fiber rich sources, and often not fortified with other important nutrients. In the U.S. most grains are fortified with folic acid, niacin, thiamin, iron and riboflavin- nutrients which are often lost in processing. GF substitutes often lack these also. However, there are several less well-known whole grains that are GF such as quinoa (keen-wah), amaranth, millet, corn and buckwheat just to name a few.

So I turned to my (as of yet) most trustworthy GF resource, a comprehensive book written by Shelley Case, a dietitian who specializes in Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance disorders. It's called: Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Why am I partial to this book? I've read tons of great blogs and websites and learned about many recipes and products, but from a nutrition and health perspective, dietitians are really the only professionals trained to examine a diet as a whole and assess its adequacy. There are many people (some of my patients included) who know far more about GF living than I do- but I believe it is a full time job to be able to look at someone's intake and determine "is he/she getting enough protein/calcium/iron/fiber/ carbohydrates/etc based on his/her individual needs?"..and this is something dietitians are skilled to do. This book does that, as well as provide product listings, recipes, the latest research and credible organizations with reliable information. (find at http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/)

Tonight I made a great quinoa pilaf with cranberries and almonds. This might be my favorite GF experiment yet in terms of ease, taste, and health. I think it will be a new staple in my diet. The great thing about quinoa is that it is the only grain that is also a complete protein. Most other grains lack one or more of the essential amino acids that would make them "complete." Again, this is a Whole Foods recipe (I promise I don't work for them): http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/2486.

A De-lish Fish Dish

I try to eat fish 2-3x/week, for heart health and because I love it! I usually buy whatever is on sale, which is often tilapia, but this week it was catfish. I don't recall ever making catfish, but figured I wouldn't be straying too far from my norm as I tend to think most white fish taste pretty similar. But I did get a little nervous when the guy at the seafood counter asked if I was "from here" because most people "from here" don't like catfish. I'm still trying to figure that one out, but I turned to my trusty Whole Foods website for a recipe. I found the following recipe which met all of my criteria (cheap, few ingredients, easy-check!):
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2285.


I actually had cornmeal in my pantry (I have no idea why), and it made a very good coating-even better than bread crumbs for pan-frying. It was light, didn't get soggy, and in my non-stick pan I was able to get away with very little oil (again, the dietitian voice inside me usually screams the loudest). Mixed with the paprika and spices it made a very tasty fish dish. Enjoy!

My love-hate relationship with pizza

I really should have picked an easier first recipe, but pizza is my favorite food and I felt I needed to find an alternative ASAP. I was given a GF pizza dough mix from a friend, but a disclaimer to all: I cannot bake. I love to cook, but baking is a whole different ball game. I once "baked" a cake but never combined the wet and dry ingredients so my mom came home to burnt flour, essentially. My resident expert (R.E.) experienced this lack of baking know-how first hand tonight. I won't give you every play-by-play, but I'll say that the highlight was definitely when my mixer started smoking and I just kept chugging along until my R.E. intervened and told me it was not, in fact, supposed to do that.

Anyway, I was trying to adapt a Paula Deen recipe where she made veggie pizza on English muffins (see recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/veggie-pizza-minis-recipe/index.html). So while my dough was rising (supposedly), I sauteed some eggplant and grated zucchini in olive oil and simmered the mixture in crushed tomatoes. I pre-baked my pizza dough for about 5 minutes and then put on my eggplant sauce along with some fresh spinach and shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. I then baked for another 10-15 minutes and-viola! Pizza!

So, the verdict: After spending about 2 hours total prepping, reading and re-reading instructions, waiting for dough to rise, and baking, I thought surely this would not be worth the work. (I mean Mellow Mushroom is right down the road if I need pizza that badly). But I was pleasantly surprised! More than that- it was really good! It was great texture and taste and I can't wait to eat it again..probably for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because I have so much. I used the remaining half of the dough to make bread, which was also quite tasty! So for the skeptics out there- you can still enjoy good pizza and bread while following a GF eating plan. Trust me, if I can bake successfully, anyone can. I mean that. (Although I do recommend that everyone get their own Resident Experts just in case).

Something for your sweet tooth

Well the first few days of gluten free have been a success so far. I have eaten pretty much the same thing every day for sake of ease, but I did manage to find time to test out 2 dessert recipes! (I never made dessert regularly before, so why I started now..I do not know!) Next week I am going to plan to make some more meals so that I don't end up eating my rice pudding for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I had an abundance of leftover rice from dinner one night and since I am not a huge rice fan (unless it's in risotto), so I took the recommendation of a friend to make rice pudding! The Whole Foods website had an easy rice pudding recipe, and it was delicious! Check it out at: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/935.

The other dessert I made was homemade strawberry ice cream, courtesy of my mother (who found it in Good Housekeeping magazine). It was very easy, and you'll probably notice that I gravitate toward recipes with very few ingredients! If it has 5 or less, I am all about it! This recipe calls for lowfat Greek yogurt which I am in love with. If I had to live on one food for the rest of my life, Greek yogurt would probably be it!

Ingredients:
1 lb frozen strawberries
1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (*Make sure is GF-most aren't)

Directions:
1. In food processor, pulse 1 cup strawberries until finely chopped. Transfer to large metal bowl.
2. In food processor, puree yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and remaining strawberries until smooth. Transfer to bowl with strawberries; stir until well combined. Cover and freeze about 1 hour, until firm but not hard.

It's best eaten right away, but I did save some for later and it was fine. I got 5-6 servings out of this, but the recipe didn't say how many it's supposed to make. It makes about 3-4 cups. I highly recommend!