Quickie: Mexican Chicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl (gf)

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Whipped this up the other night when I was craving taco-style flavors but needed to enjoy them in a healthy way. It’s quite simple, and you could substitute other veggies or a different grain to fit what you have available in your pantry. This made quite a bit of food, so remember that the recipe can be halved easily. Enjoy!!

nutritious and delicious

MEXICAN CHICKEN & QUINOA PROTEIN BOWL

Ingredients:

  • 1- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 3 tbsp homemade or store-bought taco seasoning 
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Salsas, cilantro, sour cream or greek yogurt to top Read More

Simple Pork Tenderloin Roast (gf)

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First off, a nod to a classic cookbook, and one of my favorites, Joy of Cooking. We had two pork tenderloins to  roasted and I needed a simple, classic recipe. Times like those almost always lead me to Joy of Cooking. It’s a fail-safe and fabulous reference for recipes for over 4,500 of the most beloved American dishes (at least, the 2006 edition contains that many. 4,500). Need to make a pan sauce? Joy of Cooking. Need to roast a chicken? Joy of Cooking. Making dumplings? A yellow cake? Green beans almondine? Biscuits? A standing rib roast? Joy of Cooking.

It’s been named by the NY Public Library as one of the 150 most influential books of the 20th century (dude…). If you don’t have a copy, or are looking for just one cookbook to guide you through common kitchen adventures, I suggest picking one up. And, you’ll have it forever- these books make great heirlooms.

ta-da!

ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN 

Lovingly adapted from Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp thyme, rosemary, oregano, or other spice you’d like to use
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • pork tenderloin(s), 2-3 lbs in total Read More

New Orleans-Style Red Beans & Rice (gf)

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Well, I hope y’all laissez-ed les bon temps roulez this week!! With the second largest Mardi Gras parade in the country going on right here in St. Louis, we couldn’t let the weekend pass by without cooking something festive. I guess the cooler option would have been to actually go to the Mardi Gras parade, but we have grown too old and boring for that. Saturday mornings are for workouts, not binge drinking with strangers in the cold! Funny how quickly the partying tables turn from FUN to EXHAUSTING as you get older… oh, and if you’re reading this and can still stay up past 11 p.m., and Mardi Gras sounds fun to you, I am equally jealous of and annoyed by your fun-loving attitude.

a preview, so that mouths may water

We probably would have been too lame to cook up a Mardi Gras meal ourselves, but we lucked out when our endlessly hospitable friends the Donnellys- Brice and Jenny, hosts-with-the-mosts- invited us over for a Cajun/Creole-themed Mardi Gras dinner. Brice is chef extraordinaire and cocktail expert and Jenny reigns as baker supreme, so we knew the dinner would be delicious, well planned, and FUN. The Donnellys create the cherished and dying atmosphere of warm conversation in their home. When we come over for dinner, there is no TV blaring to greet us, but laughter in the kitchen and an old record spinning next an antique glass bookcase in the living room. My kind of welcome.

Brice writes an incredibly informative (and hilariously titled) blog: Amuse Douche, a cocktail, cooking, eating, and etc. page. He’s incredibly informed on all subjects- here’s a photo depicting some of the reasons he and his wife are folks to trust on wine and cocktails (forgive my iphone camera for being an iphone camera):

Brice and Jenny were making crab cakes on creamed corn and king cake, so I offered to bring the red beans as a side. I hope you enjoy making and eating this dish as much as we did!

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE RED BEANS AND RICE

adapted from Emeril Lagasse (BAM!)

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  •  1 tsp salt, possibly more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 oz smoked sausage, cut into discs and then half-discs
  • 2 smoked ham hocks (about a pound)
  • 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed, sorted, and soaked overnight
  • 3 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 10 cups water, may need more
  • cooked white rice

Directions:

Important: sort through your red beans for any bits to discard, rinse, and soak overnight!! If you don’t have time to do so, soak for at least four hours and increase cooking time by an hour and a half.

soak me, Seymour

Dice your onion, celery, and bell pepper. Trivia question for you: what is that trio called in Creole cooking? The holy trinity! Dice your holy trinity, genuflect, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add veggies. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft and opaque.

they will smell delicious, from chopping to cooking

After the trinity has cooked for those 5, add bay leaves, ham hocks, sausage, and spices (but not the garlic). A note on ham hocks: they look creepy and sound hard to find, but you can get them at any grocery store with a meat department. Look for smoked instead of fresh- the object here is to add deep flavor, and fresh hocks wouldn’t do that. Cook this mixture 5 minutes more. It will look like this:

At this point, add water, beans, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a medium-low simmer. The original recipe said to cook at this step on medium, but that was too hot. Cooking slightly longer, at a lower temperature will do the dish big favors here. Cook at this step for 2 hours, or 2 hours 45 minutes if you did a four-hour bean soak. Watch this pot and stir it if needed! With that long of a cooking time, you’ll be tempted to set it and forget it, but these beans will burn.

After your slow-cooking time has passed and your house smells like NOLA, mash half of the beans against the side of your pot with a slotted spoon. Cook for an additional hour to hour and a half; you may need to add more water here. Emeril’s version advised that the beans should be “soupy, but not watery,” which is a good benchmark. Cook your white rice during the last 30 minutes of your beans’ cooking time. I used a Dominican-style recipe that never disappoints. I am a white rice FIEND, and this method will always yield tender and delicious results.

When time is up, remove the ham hocks and bay leaves. The ham hocks will look like something from a horror movie:

skeksis from The Dark Crystal?

But your smooth and velvety red beans and rice will look like this!!

At Brice and Jenny’s, Dave and I watched as they whipped up huge, fresh crab cakes, improvised a tasty creamed corn, and baked not one, but TWO versions of king cake. Two more friends joined us, wine was poured, and a great evening was had by all. It wasn’t as debaucherous as it would have been five years ago (shoot, three years ago), but was loose and happy nonetheless. Here’s Brice douchily amusing the crowd as he prepped the main course, and the main course floating by:

cookin and talkin

such lucky folks are we

Again, check his blog for recipes and tips. He posted an entry about the same dinner, so read here for another perspective. Red beans a rice are a classic and simple dish every cook should have up the sleeve- let me know how you like my spin, or what spins you make! Bon apetit!

Field Trip: Duff’s

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To explain my absence during the last week, I had the stomach flu. Not. Good. Sunday, I finally had the energy to have a (delightful) day among the living… and it included food! Joy of joys!
We started our day with brunch at Duff’s, in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. Duff’s is the kind of spot that’s been around for decades, is upscale casual, and serves simple, straight-up, delicious food. And I was blown away by their wall art: mob movie quilts!!

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could this idea BE any better!?!

The quilts had descriptive panels sewn onto them: money on The Godfather, little guns on Scarface… so funny! And mob unrelated, but no less spectacular, the piece de résistance: the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert quilt!!

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The vivid colors and clever subject of these quilts really brightened my day, and so did my food. I stuck with something simple and had scrambled eggs, which came with fruit and a toasted English muffin. Nothing too spectacularly different, but a safe bet for my battered stomach. I also treated myself to a piece of cinnamon raisin French toast on the side, which was a great call. Duff’s also serves a very fragrant iced tea that’s worth trying on your next visit. Looking forward to the coming week, which will involve cooking and eating instead of yacking and sleeping! Appetite > Stomach Flu

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classic breakfast… I can eat again!!

Chicken and Rice (gf)

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Okay, so this is my more nutritious and virtually fat-free version of a home style favorite, chicken and rice (I’m always after comforting, rich-tasting dishes that won’t burst our belts). This has everything you need in one bowl- lean meat, healthy carbs, lots of veggies, and a TON of flavor. And as with traditional homey dishes, it just tastes better and better when served left over.
For times when you need to make a healthy, complete meal that can be stretched for days, this is a great bet!

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CHICKEN AND RICE
Ingredients:

  •  1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (1-1 1/2 lbs)
  •  1 leek, well-cleaned and white/light green parts chopped into rings
  • 3 cups carrots, small dice
  • 3 cups onion, small dice
  • 3 cups celery, small dice
    OR two large containers produce department pre-chopped mirepoix or soup starter, equalling 5-6 cups of veggies
  • 1 tbsp reduced sodium chicken base (or 1-2 tsp bouillon if you don’t have base)
  • 3 c water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 2 cups milk, divided
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 bags Steamfresh fully-cooked frozen brown rice…. MAN, I love those things

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Healthier Banana-Nut Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup (v)

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It’s Saturday morning again, my favorite time of the week!! In our house, Saturday morning means a big workout and a big meal, preferably with eggs and something sweet.
Dave is training for his first marathon and I swam laps in a ridiculously crowded pool this morning, so we needed some healthy but rewarding carbs after our workouts. This is a favorite recipe of mine: it’s fast, healthy, can be made ahead, and the fruit and nuts can be swapped out for lots of other combinations.

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BANANA-NUT PANCAKES WITH BLACKBERRY SYRUP
Ingredients:

  • 1 c oats
  • 1 c whole wheat flour (or 2/3 c whole wheat flour and 1/3 c vanilla protein powder)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp agave syrup or honey
  • 1 1/4 c soy milk, almond milk, or skim milk
  • 1/4-1/2 c chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
  • 1 banana, diced
  • Canola oil
  • 1/3-1/2 c frozen blackberries
  • 1/3-1/2 c sugar-free syrup of your choice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the first eight ingredients until well combined. Note on the oats: for a smoother pancake, you can grind the oats into a flour in a food processor. I usually do this, but skipped it today so I could eat 45 seconds sooner. Once the batter is formed (it will be chunky), fold in the bananas.

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Camarofongo and Dominican Food

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ca-ma-ro-fon-go

Last November, Dave and I made our first joint trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, my Dad’s hometown. We had an unforgettable time with my family, and every meal was special. I’m thrilled to have a family who is as equally food and cooking obsessed as I am, and chock-full of skilled home chefs.

A standout on this trip was lunch on an overcast day, watching the clouds roll in over the ocean. My cousin Michelle took us to Adrian Tropical, a famed mofongo spot on Avenida George Washington in S.D. for, you guessed it, mofongo (and fresh-squeezed tropical fruit juices).

Mofongo is a traditional Dominican dish of stuffed, mashed plaintains. The plaintains are fried and mashed with garlic, herbs and spices, and pork rinds, and served heaped onto a traditional wooden mortar. The dish is an incredibly flavorful indulgence, in an umami way; its sum is much greater than its parts.

On this visit, I tried a garlicky, brothy new spin on mofongo: camarofongo- mofongo with shrimp! Even though that meal is approaching, you know, 4 months in the past, I crave it daily- ha!! I thought the next best thing to having it flown in or drooling over the picture on my phone any more would be writing about mofongo, and my beloved camarofongo.

Note on La Comida Dominicana: contrary to popular belief, Dominican food is not spicy, nor does it involve tortillas (that’s Mexico, folks). Picture a lot of rice, beans, poultry, seafood, platano (plaintains), and bright, savory flavors, served family-style.* If you’re interested in Dominican food and cooking, Aunt Clara’s Dominican Cooking is a great site to visit. Clara is great at not only creating very easy-to-follow recipes, but explaining the significance of each dish and adding cooking tips. She mentions this very camarofongo dish on her website, too- the girl has great taste!!

Buen provecho!!!! 

*my mouth is watering right now……

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Bisque (My New Favorite Soup) (v, gf)

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INSTANT CLASSIC. INSTANT FAVORITE. This soup was not only delicious, but bursting with nutritous ingredients and very easy to make. I haven’t fallen for a recipe this quickly in a while, and this soup definitely earned a spot on the staple list for the Cruse household. Added bonus: my husband loved it as much as I did! He’s not so big on vegetarian dishes, but he devoured his bowl and remarked several times that he really liked it (I deal in compliments, you know). We had it as a warming side to roast turkey breast sandwiches (bonus recipe below!).
The smooth and creamy texture and subtle sweet and spicy flavors will really knock your socks off. If you’ve been wanting to make a healthier root vegetable soup and you like delicate Thai-style flavors, do yourself a favor and try this one.

And if you make it, let me know what you think!!

SWEET POTATO AND RED LENTIL BISQUE

(adapted from Oprah.com)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup red lentils (available in the Bob’s Red Mill display at your grocery store- the bag I bought cost $6 and had about 4 cups dry lentils)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (I used 4 c water and 3 tsp Maggi chicken boullion)
  • 1 tsp Sriracha (to your taste, can always add more like this girl)
  • 1 tsp Thai red curry paste (Thai Kitchen brand is avaialble in the Asian section of most major grocery stores)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • cracked black pepper
  • cilantro (optional garnish)

cilantro, red lentils, coconut milk

Directions:

Add broth, sweet potatoes, onion, lentils, Sriracha, curry paste, and brown sugar to a stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat and cover; simmer for 25 minutes.

bubbling away

Uncover the soup and let sit for 10 minutes to cool- you want soup to be cool enough to run through your food processor. Too hot, and the heat could damage the processor and/or the steam could force lid off/cause general problems. Just let it cool.

batch 1, pre-blending

Stir in coconut milk and process in batches until smooth. This is seriously the easiest soup… I just can’t get over it! Combine batches in a large bowl, and give soup a good stir before serving. Generously crack black pepper over top, and serve with cilantro and additional Sriracha.

So good! Let me know how it goes when you make it, and anything you change in your home version.

Bonus recipe!!!! Roasted turkey breast for sandwiches:

Make sure the turkey breast you buy is thawed. You’ll need 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, butter, and an onion.

Preheat oven to 350, and grab a roasting pan. Salt and pepper rinsed and dried turkey breast all over, even in the cavity. Melt 1/4-1/2 stick butter (you could use canola oil instead), and brush all over breast. Cut up the veggies, and stuff the cavity with a mix of them, placing remaining veggies around turkey in the roasting pan. You can put a little water or broth in the bottom of the pan if you like (I don’t).

Tent some foil over the breast, and place in the oven; roast for 2 hours, until the timer in the turkey pops up, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the turkey reads 170 degrees. Let sit 20 minutes, then carve into slices to put on sandwiches! Et voila!

bless-ed leftovers