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Zucchini Muffins

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

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Not to brag, but I have a very exciting weekend ahead of me. My cousin is getting married! I can’t wait to get through this long day of work and studying, get on the plane, hang out with my family, and of course celebrate with the happy couple! I am so lucky that I get this excited to see family. I really am. They’re a fun bunch who really make family a priority. And we sure do know how to party…

 

I am the oldest of 8 first cousins, but only by 16 months. The youngest of the 8 is my brother who is 8 years younger than I am, so overall we are all pretty close in age – or at least it feels that way as we continue to get older and age gaps feel smaller and smaller. Being the oldest, I’ve always been the first to do everything – Bat Mitzvah, the big college process, move away from home, etc. It’s really not as exciting as it sounds – if you are the oldest in your family then you know that is just a code word for “guinea pig”. It’s nice not to be the first for once!

 

Since I know I am in for a busy weekend involving lots of travel and likely very little sleep, I made time to prepare these muffins that I can bring with me – on the plane, to my hair appointment, the bridal suite, you get the idea. They’re made with real ingredients that will help keep me energized. There’s no sweetener in them, but they have a very subtle sweetness from the zucchini and cinnamon. It’s important that I have options with me so that when I do get hungry I am not tempted by something that could upset my stomach. Bloated in a bridesmaid dress is not exactly my idea of a good time.

 

I adapted this muffin recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet. Since they have a very subtle flavor they are great by themselves or with a scoop of peanut butter or hummus on top. Either way, they’re a great snack to take with you when you’re on the move.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

1 cup teff flour

3/4 cup of warm water

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

2 eggs

1 cup grated zucchini – leave skin on

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

 

Directions:

Combine flours with apple cider vinegar and water in medium mixing bowl. Cover and leave in warm room for 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 410 degrees

Line muffin pan

Combine remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly

Fill muffin pan all the way

Cook until tops are firm and brown – about 30 minutes

Eat fresh out of the oven. Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

 

What are your favorite on-the-go snacks? How do you keep living well when you’re away from home and not following your regular routine? I’m traveling every 3 to 4 weeks for the rest of the year so your suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

Posted in Baking, Digestion, Summer, Ulcerative Colitis, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Crispy Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

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I lived in Asheville, NC, for 2.5 years, but can honestly say that it never felt like home. I always knew I’d be leaving and never really let myself get too attached. My fiancé and I expected to be in Asheville for 12 to 18 months, but when the economy collapsed our “short” stay turned into a long 29 months. Asheville is beautiful and a great place to visit, but this New Yorker at heart needs a bigger city for real peace of mind. I learned a lot from living in Asheville, but am grateful to have closed that chapter last March. I never expected to live in the Midwest again after college, but here I am. And very happy, I have to admit.

 

My fiancé and I bought our first house together. It’s a cozy old brick house in a perfectly central location to everything we need and like to be close to – grocery stores, restaurants, our offices and our social life.

 

When we both moved to Asheville and consolidated all of our stuff, there wasn’t too much to get rid of. It was a little hodgepodge and shall we say, an eclectic combination of tastes, but we knew we would be moving again in the near future and didn’t want to invest in anything new until we were living somewhere more permanent.

 

Well folks, that time has officially arrived!

 

Furnishing a home is so much fun – and this is coming from a girl that doesn’t like to shop. I want my home to be comfortable, but also functional. It’s where I need to be able to relax after a long day, break bread with my friends and family and build memories.

 

It’s been 6 months and we are nowhere close to being finished, but the “essential” stuff, like painting over the neon green kitchen walls (true story) and purchasing a dining room table and chairs have been taken care of. We even have pictures and art on the walls – sounds simple, but something we really didn’t do much of in Asheville. The rest will come together eventually.

 

I am patient and always looking for good deals and exploring ideas I see on my favorite home-related blogs and magazines. I’ve never really been able to relate to the concept of instant gratification, which you probably already know if you read this blog. I think it is much more rewarding to put in the time and effort, whether it’s regularly getting on the elliptical machine, or putting away a little bit of each paycheck and then jumping with delight when you fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans or the new couch is delivered. Oh how I will jump in delight when we finally replace our current couch in the family room. One day…

 

So the whole point of this post – our backyard patio has been completely empty since Moving Day. Over Labor Day weekend we went shopping for a good sale and purchased a grill. Still no patio furniture, but now we can grill, which after being without one for the entire summer, I am loving and taking full advantage of as often as possible. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with eating outside on folding chairs or inviting friends over to grill and eating at our brand-spanking-new dining room table indoors. And because we waited so long to purchase the grill we really appreciate it. We don’t take it for granted.

 

Grilling is generally pretty easy and simple to do. We’ve been grilling lots of vegetables and meat that we get at the Farmer’s Market. I saw a recipe for grilling salt & vinegar potatoes on 101cookbooks.com that I had to try. They were pretty awesome and more natural than any salt & vinegar potato chips you can buy prepackaged at the grocery store. I will definitely be making these again.

 

Apologies, but there really aren’t any real measurements or quantities for this recipe. It’s more about the technique and you can make however much or little you want!

 

Ingredients:

Potatoes – preferably a white variation (versus sweet potatoes)

White wine vinegar

A little extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Any other spices you like to add to vinegar

 

Directions:

Slice potatoes into 1/4’’ slices

Place in large skillet, try to overlap as little as possible and pour in white wine vinegar – just enough to cover the potato slices

Bring vinegar to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes – the potatoes should still be firm and not falling apart

Allow to cool in the vinegar for about 20 or 30 minutes

Drain, spray lightly with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and other preferred spices

Place potatoes on heated grill – flip when one side browns – about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from grill.

Retouch with spices if necessary

Serve.

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Entertaining, Frugal Living, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Okra and Red Lentils

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

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I never heard of okra before moving to the south. It’s popular there, where it grows easily because there is little frost. The first time I brought it home I thought that my okra was spoiled because it was very slimy and sticky when I cut it open. Turns out, that’s just how okra is. Not exactly appetizing, to say the least, but you get used to it.

 

Putting up with a little slime is worth it, if you ask me. Okra packs in the health benefits – it’s a great tool to stabilize blood sugar, maintain a healthy gastro-intestinal tract and prevent constipation, gas and bloating.

 

It’s common to pair okra with acidic vegetables, like tomatoes, to reduce some of the slime. Or you can use the slime to thicken soups. So clearly a little slime goes a long way – drama-free digestion, lots of nutrients and thick soups – not too shabby.

 

At the Farmer’s Market this weekend, I picked up some okra at the request of my fiancé. I figured I would roast it with some tomatoes and call it a day. Easy. Simple. Real Food. Why over-think it, right?

 

I spent most of the day studying so I was grateful when Ryan took a break from football to help me get our meals ready for the week. He came up with an okra red lentil combination that was both creative and tasty. Yes, I know I’m a very lucky girl.

 

He modified the recipe found on this website.


Ingredients:

Okra with onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, sliced

4 dried red hot chilis, sliced with seeds

1 cup okra, sliced into 1/4′’ slices

dash of salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

 

Red Lentils

1 pound dried red lentils

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 dried red chili, chopped with seeds

pinch of salt

water to just cover lentils

 

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pan. Add onion, garlic and chili. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add okra and spices. Cook until is soft and dries out. Set aside.

Pour olive oil into large pan on medium heat. Add onions and spices for lentils. Cook for 5 minutes.

Pour water and lentils into pan with onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are cooked – about 30 minutes.

Add okra mixture to lentils and mix with spoon.

Serve warm. It pairs well with brown rice or pita.

Posted in Asheville, Cincinnati, Digestion, Eating Local, Recipes, Rice, Soup, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Cucumber Hummus

Friday, September 9th, 2011

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Brisk fall air might have made its way to Cincinnati this week, but there are still loads of the versatile summer staple – cucumbers – at the Farmer’s Market to remind me that the seasons haven’t turned just yet. But we’re getting close. I can almost smell fall in the air. I can’t wait for apples, pumpkins and all the sweet goodness that comes with fall.

 

But back to summer -

 

I added cucumber to the blender this week while making hummus and was very pleasantly surprised by the cool refreshing flavor it added. Just a hint of cucumber – not too overpowering at all.

 

Here’s a fun-filled fact I just learned about cucumbers – they are part of the same botanical family as watermelon, cantaloupe and all squashes. I guess I sort of see the resemblance with watermelon, but the other members of the family were a bit… unexpected.

 

Anyway, adding cucumber to hummus is an easy way to kick the nutrient-density of this dip up a few notches, cram in extra phytonutrients and maximize antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, which is always a good thing. This comes in handy, especially if you’re dipping chips into the hummus, which don’t really big a lot of nutrient-punch. Ok, they don’t bring any.

 

This is a great dip that I will definitely make for company, or just to have at home, again and again.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 large cucumber, peeled

2 cloves garlic

15 ounces cooked chickpeas

3 tablespoons tahini

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 – 2 tablespoons of water

 

Directions:

Put everything into blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Use spatula to pour hummus into bowl.

Place bowl in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. Hummus will thicken slightly.

Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers, chips or add a scoop to your salad or whatever else you’re eating!

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Entertaining, Frugal Living, Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan, GF)

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

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One of my favorite things about making good food at home is how the aroma spreads throughout the house. It’s better than any candle, potpourri, or scented oil. Well, I think so anyway.

 

Cookies are one of my favorite scents – who doesn’t love the smell of sweets? Although, I have to admit, that I do not enjoy the smell of super sugary treats the way I used to. I find the sweet smell is too strong.

 

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic – for all generations and all ages. These cookies are soft and chewy with a subtle sweetness and rich chocolate taste.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 cup teff flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup apple sauce (no sugar added)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (70% of higher)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips into large mixing bowl. Mix with spoon.

Combine wet ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Mix with spoon.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl. Use electric mixer to combine ingredients thoroughly.

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips.

Batter will be soft, but shouldn’t be runny.

Use spoon to scoop batter into greased baking sheets – each scoop should be about 2-3 tablespoons. Use back of spoon to flatten top.

Bake until tops are golden brown – about 20 to 22 minutes.

 

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Posted in Baking, Desserts, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

A Side of Summer

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

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In case it wasn’t obvious, I thought you should know that I do not have a culinary background. I occasionally helped my mom in the kitchen growing up, but before my diagnosis, scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes were the extent of my skills in the kitchen.

 

I’ve learned a great deal about food these last few years and I can honestly say that the best recipes and tastiest meals are the ones that are also the simplest – use the fewest ingredients. Using real ingredients takes the work out of trying to make something taste good.

 

Some people go to culinary school. Others grow up in the kitchen learning generations of family secret recipes. I surf the web and browse magazines. I get inspiration for my meals from several sources, including what I already have at home in my cabinets and refrigerator, Mother Nature, and what I read on some of my favorite websites. What can I say? I guess it helps get the creative juices flowing.

 

After moving to Cincinnati, I became a subscriber of Better Homes & Gardens (BHG). I love playing around / daydreaming with ideas for our home almost as much as I love “playing” with food. And sometimes BHG even has some pretty interesting recipes. Their August 2011 issue had an interesting recipe with green beans and peaches – a combination I never considered before.

 

So that’s where I started – with the green beans and the peaches. Thank you BHG, but I got it from here.

 

Ingredients:

a very generous 1/2 pound green beans, tips trimmed

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, sliced in semicircles

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seed

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 peach, cut into 1/2’’ slices

 

Directions:

Pour grapeseed oil onto large skillet and use medium heat

Mix garlic in oil and sauté for 2 minutes

Add onions and cardamom, mix again. Sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add grean beans and balsamic vinegar, mix well and cook until green beans are al dente – about 8 to 12 minutes
Remove and pour into glass or heat safe dish

Pour peach slices onto pan – gently mix with any leftover marinade in pan – sauté for about 2 minutes

Remove and add to green bean mixture

 

Where does your inspiration come from for meals for you and your family?

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Frugal Living, Quick & Easy, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Spaghetti Squash in August!

Monday, August 29th, 2011

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One of my very first posts when I first launched my blog in 2009 was about spaghetti squash. It’s been a family favorite ever since we all started cleaning up our diet and focusing on local and real ingredients.


For whatever reason, I always thought spaghetti squash was an early to mid fall vegetable, but when I was strolling through the farmer’s market yesterday there it sat, pretty as ever, among the peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes and other end-of summer vegetables. I’m not sure if this is special to the Tristate area, if Mother Nature is getting a little ahead of herself, or I was just plain wrong before, but I happily added a spaghetti squash to my already stuffed bag before heading home.


Now I gotta be honest here – this recipe takes a little longer than what I usually make. Not because it’s complicated – just because the ingredients all spend a lot of time in the oven. It’s a good meal to make on a Sunday afternoon when you’re hanging out watching football (that started, right?), or something.


So here you have it – dinner brought to you by your, or rather my, farmer’s market! We had some leftover raw kale salad that I made the day before, which compliments the spaghetti squash very nicely (or so I’m told, since I need my greens cooked).


Ingredients: (feeds 2-3)

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 large tomato

1 large onion

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (canned, strained and rinsed is fine too)

1/2 teaspoon lemon thyme, chopped or dried

salt and pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice from 1/2 a lemon


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds

Spray with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and place flesh down onto baking dish

Put squash in oven

Grease 8×8 baking dish

Chop tomatoes into large chunks and place into baking dish – skin should be on the bottom

Coarsely chop onion and place in medium mixing bowl

Chop garlic and add to bowl

Add chickpeas, salt, pepper, and lemon thyme

Add 1 teaspoon oil

Mix well

Add onion mixture to baking dish – getting in between the tomatoes, but try to keep the tomato skins touching the baking dish

Remove squash once it is tender enough to easily punch fork through each half

Place into oven and roast until tomatoes begin to shrivel – about 1.5 to 2 hours

Once you remove the squash, use forks to remove “spaghetti” from squash. Place into bowl.

Remove tomatoes. Add squash to baking dish and mix.

Add lemon juice

Serve warm or cold.

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Frugal Living, Recipes, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 3 Comments »

Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

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Growing up, whenever a new neighbor moved onto our street, my mom always stopped by to welcome the new family to the neighborhood. She typically brought a basket of goodies with her – usually her famous apple chocolate chip cake.

 

However, when I lived in a huge apartment building in NYC with a few hundred other New Yorkers, I didn’t really expect to meet many neighbors, given the reputation of New Yorkers. And I didn’t. And that was ok. That was “normal” for New York.

 

I was a little surprised though, when I didn’t meet any neighbors in Cincinnati either. May be times have changed since I was a kid? May be it’s just me? I’m not sure. Either way, it’s ok. Hopefully we won’t be moving anytime soon and there’s plenty of time to meet the neighbors. I can say though, that having been the “new kid” a number of times in the last three years, I will always try my best to be the Welcoming Committee for any new neighbors that move into my ‘hood.

 

Anyway, the other day I noticed a bottle balloon flying in front of our next-door neighbor’s house so I decided to break the silence and introduce myself, say congratulations and drop off a plate of something tasty.

 

I had planned on making something nourishing, wholesome and nursing-friendly. But when I ran my idea by my fiancé he thought it might be a little too “adventurous” for people we’ve never met. He was probably right on some level, but I was still a little bummed.

 

So out came these chocolate cinnamon cookies instead. Yes, they are still tasty and made with real ingredients, but not as baby-weight or nursing-friendly as my original idea. Oh well. Still better than the prepackaged stuff at the grocery store. I hope the new parents enjoy them and that I have successfully broken the silence. That was the point after all.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup teff flour

1 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sucanat

1/4 – 1/2 cup honey

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (I like to chop up a 70% dark chocolate bar into big chunks)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk) in small mixing bowl and use fork to mix well

Add dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, to medium mixing bowl and mix well

Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients – except chocolate chips

Use electric mixer to blend batter well

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips

Use 2 spoons to scoop batter onto greased cookie sheets

Bake until cooked – about 20 to 25 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack

Posted in Baking, Cincinnati, Community, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Relationships, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Summer Three Bean Salad

Monday, June 27th, 2011

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I love to read for leisure, but to honest I have had limited “free time” lately to curl up with a book that isn’t a textbook. But really, who hasn’t been busy lately? I was grateful that when I emailed a handful of ladies in my new community asking if they would be interested in starting a book club, they were totally into it. We are all busy gals so we gave ourselves plenty of time to finish the first book (Bossypants by Tina Fey in case you were curious – hysterical and I highly recommend.) and our first meeting is tomorrow evening.


There are so many times that I finish a book and just want to talk about it with someone! I think it will be great to have this group to read books with – not only is it fun to gab after we’ve finished, but our differences will definitely introduce me to new books that I might not have opened on my own. The meetings are my deadlines – I have to finish the book before the scheduled meeting. Of course this isn’t exactly the same kind of deadline as a journalist at a newspaper, this book club is for fun after all, but being held accountable to the group is an effective way for me to stay on track and make sure that I am taking time for myself on a regular basis in order to finish the book according to our meeting schedule.


Accountability is essential in order to reach any goal – whether it’s finishing a book on time, losing weight, cooking more meals at home, or saving up for that big vacation. Just saying you’re going to do something in your mind makes it easy for your big plans to stay just like that – just as plans. They never materialize into action and results. When you are held accountable then you stay motivated and your plans turn into actions. This is exactly why I love health coaching – it’s effective! My clients are successful because I help them stay motivated and on track to reach their goals. When I started this post I wasn’t expecting to make a connection between book club and health coaching – I just wanted to share a recipe!


So back to book club – the other awesome thing is that everyone pitches in and brings something to eat or drink. I’m bringing a summer three bean salad. I can’t wait to see how the ladies like it!


Ingredients:

1.5 cups pinto beans, cooked or canned

1.5 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned

1.5 cups black beans, cooked or canned

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 large leaves kale, chopped

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1.5 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon mint, chopped


Directions:

Combine beans and onion in medium bowl.

Steam kale. This should only take a few minutes. The kale is done as soon as it begins to wilt.

Combine lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey and mint in small bowl and mix well.

Add kale to beans and onions.

Pour sauce over beans and onions and mix well.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. OR if you have extra time, you can put the bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors marinade, drain any extra fluid and serve. I made this dish a day in advance, let it sit in the refrigerator over night. Just before book club I pulled it out, drained the extra fluid and put it in a serving bowl. I think it tasted even better then the day I made it.

Posted in Cincinnati, Community, Entertaining, Health Coaching, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Baking first thing in the morning? Sure, why not.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

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Life has been busy, especially since I moved to Cincinnati in March, but the last few weeks have felt really cranked up. I’m definitely not complaining – these are all exceptionally happy circumstances. I am almost done with the semester – my very last semester before my certification exams and the completion of my Master’s degree in Nutrition (wahoo!). But that means projects, papers, studying and finals. My mom was in town for a few days to help me with some projects in the new home and to go wedding dress shopping (happy to say that I finally found a dress!).  So you get the idea. Busy. Busy.


I picked up a few zucchinis at the farmer’s market with the intention of making zucchini bread, but by the end of each day it never managed to happen. On top of all my other responsibilities sometimes the “nice to do’s” like zucchini bread easily get tossed onto the to-do list for the next day, then the next day… Am I alone here?


Well I finally had enough, plus I was getting worried that the zucchini was going to go bad soon, so this morning as soon as I woke up I headed to the kitchen and took care of business. It only took 15 minutes to prepare and then it was in the oven. Yes, working from home has its advantages, but even if I was heading out to an office I could have showered and put myself together in the amount of time the zucchini needed to bake and pop it out of the oven on my way out.


Baking in the morning may seem a little unconventional, but hey, now I have some yummy bread made with real ingredients to enjoy and I didn’t waste any food.


Here’s the recipe.


Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3 cups rolled oats, processed in blender to create flour consistency

1 large zucchini, grated with skin intact

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease bread pan

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix well

Add honey and mix with spoon until ingredients are completely blended

Pour batter into bread pan

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and inside is fully cooked (stick a toothpick to test)

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving

Posted in Baking, Cincinnati, Eating Local, Spring, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

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