This tea, with a splash of soy milk. And since it contains no caffeine, you can drink cup after cup and still feel great about it. It certainly is calming, and lemon-jasmine? Yes, please. And thank you. And nice hat.
You should try it. That is all.
Breakfast Smoothie & Detoxifying “Green Drank” (v, gf)
Recently, a reader asked why I have posted only one true breakfast recipe. The answer is, I usually blend a protein smoothie for myself and throw it in a blender bottle in the morning- it’s a fast, portable meal that keeps me full for hours, and the protein is timed well after morning workouts. Posting variations of the same smoothie would be boring, but I thought I’d share the basics.
My favorite combo is:
PB & CHOCOLATE BANANA SMOOTHIE
- 2-3 scoops chocolate protein powder (your choice- whey, soy, both, other)
- 1 banana, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
- water (1 1/2- 2 cups)
Directions: blend all ingredients well, for about 2 minutes in a food processor. Pour and serve.
But this morning, I made:
VANILLA-BLUEBERRY FLAX SMOOTHIE
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (whey or vegan)
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 2 cups water Read More
Classic Shrimp and Asparagus Barley Risotto (pes, gf)
Earlier in the month, I published a slight spin on one of may favorite recipes. I essentially made this dish with broccoli in place of asparagus and added curry powder. This version, with asparagus, fresh lemon, and no curry powder, is my absolute favorite version and really delicious in the spring, when asparagus is at its peak. The lemon zest and juice really give this a bright kick of flavor; do yourself a favor and make sure to include the lemon. It makes all the difference in the world.
SHRIMP AND ASPARAGUS BARLEY RISOTTO
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (generally 1 bag) 31-40 count shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
- 1 1/4 c pearled barley
- 1 bunch asparagus, washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 5 1/2 cups stock, or water + 4 tsps cooking base or bouillon
- juice and zest of 1-2 lemons Read More
Apple Cinnamon Granola (veg)
Dave loves granola, and I’ve been pretty unhappy with what we’ve been buying. So much of what’s available in grocery stores is laden with fat and way too much sugar (which is why it’s so good, but still). I’d been wanting to try to make my own so I wouldn’t feel like I was sugar poisoning my husband, so this apple cinnamon version was my first attempt, mostly because I had all of the ingredients at home. It was soooo easy- just mix and bake.
The recipe I loosely followed still used more sugar than I did, so my measurements are below. The proportions of oil and liquid/sweeteners to nuts and grains seems like a good jumping off point for other versions. Ta-da!
APPLE CINNAMON GRANOLA
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 3.9 oz cup Motts Natural applesauce
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used Penzey’s Vietnamese Extra Fancy– ooh, la la)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 c honey
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
- 1/2 c almonds, unsalted
- 1/2 c cashews, lightly salted
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- parchment paper to line baking sheet Read More
Chicken Thighs Braised in Marinara (gf)
Hello! I haven’t posted in a while- we’ve been moving into and getting settled in our new home! It’s been a very exciting month, but moving always means meals out and cereal for dinner for a while. Instead of posting bowls of Kashi and soy milk, here’s the first meal I cooked in our new kitchen:
CHICKEN THIGHS BRAISED IN MARINARA
Adapted from the Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:
- 1 package skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed garlic, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 jar tomato sauce with a handsome man on it
- glass of red wine for drinking and impromptu deglazing
- salt & pepper
- whole wheat pasta of choice or rice, cooked Read More
Quickie: 4-Minute Bibimbap Fake-Out (veg, gf)
Had four minutes yesterday morning to whip up something that would feed me for two lunches. That’s all the intro needed.
with first Sriracha application
4-MINUTE BIBIMBAP FAKE-OUT
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 4 tsp hoisin sauce, soy sauce, or other sauce of your choice
- Steamfresh frozen brown rice with broccoli and carrots
- Sriracha, to taste Read More
Heathier Oatmeal Cookies
I was a BOTTOMLESS PIT yesterday. I had a huge bowl of cereal with a sliced banana for breakfast, made corned beef and cabbage for lunch (of which I had a ginormous serving in early celebration of St. Pat’s, duh, necessary), snacked all day, and had cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes for dinner. By 7:30, I was somehow starving and craving baked goods of any kind… so of course, I succumbed to the craving.
tasty and a bit healthy? whaa?
Our kitchen is all boxed up for the big move, so I wanted to make something that would use only what I had accessibly on hand (and wasn’t full of white sugar and butter); a google search led me to these. I replaced the butter with canola oil, decreased the brown sugar and added cinnamon and vanilla. When dunked in light vanilla soy milk, they were hearty, subtly spicy, and just sweet enough. My conscience and I present to you:
HEALTHIER OATMEAL COOKIES
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla Read More
Roasted Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes with Coarse Salt and Nutmeg (v, gf)
If you have read my other posts, it’s no big secret that I adore sweet potatoes. With undying, eat-them-two-to-three-times-a-week adoration. They’re incredibly nutritious, they’re versatile, they’re filling, and they’re beyond delectable. Craveable, even… which leads me to this post.
snack ti-yme
I had NEVER TRIED sweet potatoes (say whaaaa!!!???) until I met my husband. My mother-in-law, Jane Ann, makes them in holiday casseroles and as dinner sides all the time and she opened my sad, beta carotene-deficient eyes to the wonderful vegetable. My life is now divided into time BSP and ASP.
These days, when I want a sweet and salty, deeply flavorful snack that is still going to do something good for my body, I make these. If you can wait about an hour to snack, I swear: give these a shot and they will kill any craving you have. They have all the warm, homey trappings of comfort food, and they won’t break the calorie bank. From the bottom of my orange, starchy little heart, here are:
ROASTED BROWN SUGAR SWEET POTATOES WITH COARSE SALT AND NUTMEG
Ingredients:
- 1-2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes (at least 1 pound)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- a few shakes of cinnamon (1/4 tsp or so)
- freshly grated nutmeg (same- 1/4 tsp or so)
- a large pinch of kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp) Read More
allez! gourmet 