Cooking from one ingredient items, Week 3!

So this week was a quick recipe, the "8-Minute Black Bean Soup"
http://www.oneingredientchef.com/black-bean-soup/ but the name is a bit misleading, takes a bit longer than 8 minutes to make and less than 8 minutes to eat!
However, it is a quick and light dish, with no oil, sautee, and minimal cutting involved. His ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 15 oz cans of black beans
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 large roma tomato
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic

• 1 lime, juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 avocado (optional)

I went on the edge and used green lentils (dried) instead of black beans since I am a fan of the crunchier texture. Also probably why it took longer than 8 minutes. Also used a (preserved) lemon due to lack of limes, which would have been better. I was also heavy on the spices since I think Sriracha is sweet: I would follow his suggested amounts.

But if you were being true to the recipe, only 3 things to cut so it really is a breeze. Because there is no frying/oil/cheese/meat involved, the dish is very light and fresh. If you want something with more 'umami', just add what you feel to the recipe. I would probably go with something on the lighter end like a white fish, but follow your heart!

In other news, Sentara Cafeteria has this cute little display! They did eventually add some greens to it but aren't selling it at this time. However, they promise me a "farmer's market" at some point this Spring from local farmers. Hopefully this comes to fruit so it saves me trips to the grocery store!

Cooking from one ingredient items, Week 1!

So for my posts initially, I will be following a course I bullied my mom into doing: http://oneingredientcourse.com/. If you want to follow the 8 week program, let me know and I will get you my account info!

I have been following his blog for a few years (http://www.oneingredientchef.com/) and really like the philosophy the author ascribes to: cook all your foods from one ingredient (vegan) items. Sometimes I follow his recipe then replace tofu with chicken… But anyhow: following this blog is a good way to get familiar with fresh, ‘real’, food and learN interesting new ways to prepare it. Check it out and try some of the other recipes I don’t cover!

So for week 1, we had two assignments: read the label of food in the grocery store for 20 minutes, which I do neurotically anyhow. Fun to see if I can figure out what most of the ingredients are for on the list. Good way to appreciate cooking things yourself when you see how intimidatingly long the ingredient lists all too often are.

The second was to make 2 one ingredient dishes, so when my parents came to visit this weekend for Easter, we made the two of them together:

http://www.oneingredientchef.com/aloo-gobi-pies/

Basically a shepherd’s pie with an Indian vegan spin, it involves making a masala paste, sautéing cauliflower in it then layering mashed potatoes on top. I didn’t have any potatoes on hand so I grabbed other white root vegetables: celery root and turnips, for the mash instead. Which worked out well: both have light flavors that added a bit of a fresh, peppery touch to this dish. Though I think potatoes would have been easier. My one big complaint is that this dish took three separate cooking steps: make the masala cauliflower, make the mashed potatoes, assemble them together then bake. I really like the flavor of the masala cauliflower but if I was pressed for time (the norm), I would drop the mashed potatoes and make the cauliflower sauté but use store-bought masala spice blend. Same flavor, not quite as fun, but so much quicker!

http://www.oneingredientchef.com/one-ingredient-ice-cream/

So I am sure a lot of you have made banana ice cream before (aka blend a frozen banana). So have I. And although the texture may be creamy, eating just bananas that are overripe and too sweet for me is not my favorite. I also happened to have a frozen orange and an overripe plantain chilling around in the freezer. So I  used those, threw in 1tsp of vanilla extract, 2tbsp almond milk, pinch of ginger, and 1 tbsp pistachio oil. Any oil adds the ever important fat to the ice ‘cream’ and helps. And then I blended it together. Then most importantly to add some character: crushed up a bar of dark chocolate and threw that in there too. Cause that tends to make most things better. I forgot to take a picture of the final product, was otherwise distracted…

But you can see the remains in the blender!

Next week is breakfast week with the challenge of doing a one-ingredient breakfast every day. Which will be easy: I don’t usually eat breakfast…

Breakfeast Alternative

5-min Flourless/High Protein Pancakes Using 2 Ingredients

In case you have not seen the internet sensation that is egg and banana pancake, I wanted to bring them to every one's attention, because they are awesome their prep process is really straightforward. Just blend one egg and 1/2 banana (per serving) 2 forming a batter that can be used as the basis for any creation where you looking for a higher protein/lower carb pancake or crepe substitute. It is just a bonus that they are fast, easy, and delicious! 

You can doctor them up however you want, just be mindful of how many carbs & fat you add-on! But if you like things plain, try with 1 spoonful of natural and local or raw honey instead as your syrup. Have fun and get creative with adding your favorite toppings...which if you have a sweet tooth like me could include combining fruits, nuts/nut butters, yogurt, and different forms cacao. If you like savory and salty, chop-up and sautee your favorite veggies and throw

NOTE:  Be mindful where you get your eggs; due to the political involvement of the food industry in food labeling regulations, it is not always clear what we are getting and where these eggs are coming from/what conditions the eggs were produced in. Know that cage-free IS NOT the same as free-range, the latter typically associated with better health outcomes for us and the chickens...but since lots of speculation arises on this topic and I know it may seem hard to splurge on $5-7/eggs, you do what you think is best for you :)

A 5 Min Breakfast- A Brain-Food Pancake:

Cacao & Peanut Butter Ban-Egg Edition

Ingredients:

(amounts listed are for 2 "diet-sized" servings/ 1 serving for an individual with a high-protein demand)

1 tbsp oil/butter

 Batter:

 2 eggs (raw, include yolk)

1 banana (fresh, cut into chunks)

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Toppings:

1 tbsp peanut-butter (all-natural or DIY-style are ideal...can substitute for almond/ favorite nut butter for a different fatty acid profile!)

2 tsp cacao nibs (sold in all major grocery stores...good in smoothies and a worthy health-food investment if you LOVE chocolate like me)/ dark chocolate chips (chunk of a chocolate bar will work as well, just know 60% cacao or higher is ideal)

Prep

1. Add batter ingredients to blender, food processor, or mixing bowl and blend/mix until smooth, creamy batter texture is achieved. 

2. Grease a saucepan/griddle with avocado/coconut oil (can use butter or canola oil as substitute...use what you've got, just don't use olive oil) and set over stovetop heat on medium-high.

3. Pour 1/2 the batter (~1/2 cup) into the center of the pan/surface and let cook for ~3 minutes until it the pancake is visibly cooked all the way through and then flip and cook on the other side for 30s then place it on a plate. 

4. While it is warm, spread spoonful of your favorite nut butter on the pancake and sprinkle with your desired form of cacao. 

Here is a picture of how mine turned out. I served mine with my new favorite citrus, blood oranges. 

Other topping combos I have tried are shown below. Feel free to come-up with your own and comment/post/ & share!

I overcooked this one a little so I made up for it by adding sauteed apples (cooked in cinnamon, vanilla, and a splash of lemon juice) & added some 60% cacao chocolate chips:

I added Dreaming Cow Maple & Ginger Yogurt, a peeled clementine, and a couple chocolate chips...

Asian Veggie & Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Featured at the Chinese New Year Potluck, this recipe is  great to make for spring picnics and parties and is also a great dish to make on the weekend and bring in for lunch. this recipe was based off of the following recipe: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/asian-quinoa-salad/

Prep Time: 30 min.

Ingredients (4~6 servings):

Dressing: I add 1/2 bottle of Stonewall Sesame Ginger Dressing (from Fresh Market)
(If you are not a ginger fan, add your favorite Asian-style salad dressing. Try to avoid ones with preservatives and high amounts of sugar if you can. Fresh dressings can often be found refrigerated with the pre-made salad bags in the grocery store and are worth the extra dollar/two.
You don't need to add dressing for this to be a tasty dish. If you prefer NO dressing, add 1/4 chopped green or white onion/shallots, 1 tsp pepper, and/or 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger to add zest. If you have extra time and are feeling adventurous, make your own dressing with the link posted above).

Cooked:

1 cup quinoa, cooked in 2 cups water & 1/4 tsp. salt

(Any kind of unseasoned/plain quinoa will do, I prefer Ancient Harvest organic, tri-color Harmony Blend)

1 cup shelled and cooked edamame 

(Any form brand will do, just make sure they are unsalted, buying frozen & microwaving is easiest)

Fresh: *buy organic &/wash thoroughly to reduce pesticide exposure*

2 cups of mild-tasting leafy greens

 (Pick your favorite- I have used both raw baby spinach and Earthbound Farm's Zen salad green blend)

6-7 chopped/diced mini sweet multi-colored peppers OR 1 red bell pepper

(sweet peppers add great flavor; remove seeds and tops when chopping)
1/2 cup shredded carrots 

(You can finely chop/shred baby carrots/whole carrots in a food processor if you don't want to buy a bag of shredded carrots)
1 cup diced cucumber

(I add an entire medium sized, mostly peeled cucumber)

1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

(Adds fresh flavor; I remove leaves from stems before chopping)

Prep Instructions:

1. Cook Quinoa. Follow packaging instructions is fine, but I have found these directions to be a quinoa-prep gold standard: "Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork." Let cool for ~10min (can put in refrigerator to save time).

2. Cook edamame according to packaging if using pre-shelled frozen edamame. 

If you buy fresh/frozen whole edamame, bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt to boil, then add edamame and cook until tender (6-7 min.). Strain and split open,releasing peas from their pods and let cool in small bowl. 

3. While the quinoa is simmering, chop up the fresh veggies and cilantro and add each of the fresh ingredients to a large mixing bowl. 

4. Once quinoa and edamame have cooled and are at about room temperature, add them to mixing bowl.

5. Stir in dressing of your choice, mixing well.

6. Serve at room temp/chilled. Try to eat within 72hrs of prep. 

Be creative with this dish! If you add different veggies/change-up the dressing, let us know! Personalize this dish & post in comments! 

Happy Spring Cooking :)

[Recipe] Cucumber Dishes - Cucumber&Tomato Salad + Cucumber Yogurt

So spring is almost upon us and it reminds me of my childhood. Growing up I was put in charge of preparing the "Iranian Salad" as we called it, a salad mainly made during the warm months when cucumber and tomato came into season. Cucumbers give such a refreshing and cooling taste, it's no wonder many people enjoy this vegetable during the summer months.

Nowadays when I go to the grocery store, I have an uncanny knack of buying more cucumber that tomatoes, so when I start chopping up the cucumbers I usually need another dish to use up the rest. This is when I usually decide to make cucumber  yogurt, which uses similar ingredients. It's a simple dish with many variations from Mediterranean to Indian culture. In fact, I would also recommend spinach yogurt as well as eggplant yogurt that I would make if I had excess of those vegetables. Since time is valuable to me, I usually combine the preparation of multiple dishes [this means reduced set up/preparation as well as cleanup time].

I've never had to measure how much of each ingredient I put into the dish, so I will do my best to explain the amounts of each.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad
[Salad]
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Mint
- Salt&Pepper (to taste)

[Dressing]
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Water

For this salad I would use an approximately 3:3:1 of Cucumbers:Tomatoes:Onions. This means that for every cup of cucumber I would also have 1 cup of tomatoes and 1/3 cup of onion. It's not very particular on the types of vegetables you use. I prefer sweet onions, but you can also use standard yellow onions, or vidalia onions - your choice. Just be sure to cut up the cucumbers and tomatoes into small cubes, about 1cm wide maximum. The onions should be minced, but you don't have to do this too finely as they only need to be smaller than the cucumbers and tomatoes.

After combining the above ingredients, all that's left is mint and salt/peppers. Mint is an herb that you can adjust depending on how strong you prefer it. If I were making a couple cups of salad, I would probably put in 1-2 tbsp of finely minced mint. It is important that you finely chop the mint so that large pieces don't get stuck in your teeth when you eat the salad. Without mint on hand I've also been known to substitute in cilantro or oregano. Salt&pepper to taste.

Lastly, pour the dressing over the salad. The ratio I work with is also about 3:3:1 of water:lemon juice:vinegar. It can be adjusted based on how acidic or how sour you prefer your salad. For a couple cups of salad I would probably make around 1/2 cup dressing, but I love sour foods so finishing up extra dressing left over without solid salad comes easy to me, so you may only want to make 1/3 cup.


Cucumber Yogurt
- Cucumbers
- Plain Yogurt
- Mint
- Salt&Pepper (to taste)

In this dish you also have cubed cucumber. Many people prefer the cubes to be smaller, or even shred the cucumber. If you decide to shred the cucumber you may also elect to strain excess liquid out so that the yogurt does not get watery (you can do this by pressing the shredded cucumber against a strainer)

For every cup of cut up cucumber, I would put in approximately 2 cups of plain yogurt. It all depends on how much cucumber you want in your yogurt. Then you would also add in finely minced mint, about 1 tbsp per cup of yogurt used (or more if you like the flavor). There are other related dishes that use other herbs such as dill or oregano, and feel free to experiment and substitute ingredients.

Add in salt&pepper to taste. I know pepper in yogurt sounds funny, but it's based on Iranian cuisine theory that the "hot" taste of pepper balances out the "cool" taste of cucumber.

Meal Planning...or not? Includes recipe for Hot Pepper Turkey!

Good evening FiMmers!  

Were going to get right down to the topic of the week- Meal Planning! 

Planning multiple meals for the week takes a bit of thought and just enough time to rummage through this week's ad for items on sale. Furthermore, when you are feeding a family of three like me,  planning meals a month ahead and doubling up on cooking every other day prevents a stressful dinner time routine. Ideally, I like to have a few staples on hand (rices, grains, frozen veggies, etc) and buy the meats and fresh produce we need each week. Writing this all out helps me stay organized and there is little variability to worry about. I have even subscribed to various websites that offer recipes and shopping lists for ideas. Unfortunately, the last time I planned anything ahead of time was 5 weeks ago and today I felt all out of options for a quick and healthful meal.

I arrived at my local grocery store at half past four (idiot move- everybody and their mom was in line to check out) thinking I could drum up a fabulous Spring themed concoction while walking though the aisles. This was another not so smart idea; I just wanted box up all of the prepared foods and scarf them down immediately. So I gave up and dashed out the store refusing to buy anything other than my three year old's favorite yogurt. Between reviewing the alphabet, completing homework assignments, and pretending to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles we needed to eat SOMETHING. I fell back on the basics and prepared my favorite 20 minute meal: poultry, rice, and vegetables. I know, I know...sounds super boring. And in reality it is. But when your working with a limited schedule and hungry tummies you learn to modify simple dishes. I cannot tell you how many times I have made this exact combination, but I can tell you that it is tasty and easy every time.

Disclosure: I do not use measuring cups or spoons. My taste buds tell me how much I need, so please view this more as a guide and modify amounts or substitute ingredients as you like.  This was more than enough for 5 servings, so plenty of left overs to enjoy! Also, if you have never eaten a scotch bonnet pepper or tasted a Jamaican pepper sauce, a cream (yogurt) base lessens the extreme heat.  

Hot Pepper Turkey with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mushrooms

Ingredients

12 ounces roasted turkey breast (cut into strips)

1 bunch of cilantro

6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons Jamaican scotch bonnet hot pepper sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 ounces of whole mushrooms

1 pound of raw brussels sprouts (in microwavable bag)

2 bags of Multigrain Medley (10 minute)

 One tomato

Salt, pepper, and other seasonings on hand to taste

10 minute Multigrain Medley 

Directions

1.                 Preheat oven to 500’F [broil].

2.                 Line a baking sheet with foil.

3.                 Cut bag to vent and place Brussel sprouts in microwave for three minutes

4.                 Wash and wipe the whole mushrooms, cut them into half inch chunks.

5.                 Remove Brussel sprouts from  bag and cut in half

6.                 In a bowl, drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the mushrooms and Brussel sprouts.

7.                 Season with salt free Cajun seasoning, paprika, and cumin.

8.                 Place veggies on foil lined pan and broil for 10 minutes.  

9.                 Prepare rice as directed.

10.           Flip vegetables with a spatula and broil another five minutes or until golden brown.

11.           Mix yogurt, scotch bonnet pepper sauce, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and turkey strips in bowl.

12.           Add the rinsed and finely cut cilantro to the mixture, then season to taste with salt, paprika, and cumin.  

13.           Serve with sliced tomato and enjoy!

Hot Pepper Turkey 

Roasted Brussel sprouts and mushrooms