Fresh in Your Face

I have a new pet peeve. The other day I was discussing food with a certain someone who has been complaining about their weight. I asked about her diet, and she told me that she didn't eat that poorly, and started to list her average daily diet. It was entirely processed, mostly meat/dairy and carbs. When I pointed this out, (gently... I am not a TOTAL jerk) she responded by saying that she doesn't have the time to prepare vegetables, and healthy food... the thing that amazed me is that this seems to be a really common response to the "eat healthier" dilemma. So, let me be the magical food wizard that lets you in on (apparently) the best kept secret in the land of healthy eats...

THE VAST MAJORITY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CAN BE EATEN RAW!! That's right, friends. That means they require no preparation. None. At All. (unless you consider chewing a preparation.) And even the ones that do require prep take little to no time at all. For example...

If there is a Trader Joe's near you, and you know I preach the gospel of Joe, they have great quality frozen seafood for amazing prices. 1.5 lbs of wild caught tuna steak (pieces) for $3.17, yes, please, and thank you very much.

I rinsed them, patted them dry, did a quick marinade in a dash of teriyaki sauce, ginger, lime zest, thyme, and cayenne, then pan seared. Served with steamed green beans and fresh Kumato, with a drizzle of sesame ginger vinagrette. This entire meal took me less than 20 minutes to prepare, and is delicious, beautiful, and... dare I say it... good for you.

Here are a could of other sites with great recommendations for healthy gourmet and organic eats for folks with a tight budget of the wallet and the clock.

One Bad Apple

Some of my best moments in the kitchen come when I realize I need to cook something before I lose it. I hate it when things go to waste. Today I noticed that my apples were turning, but I wasn't in the mood for pie, cobbler, or brown betty. I was in the mood for something decidedly savory... what to do?

I had already been contemplating popovers as part of dinner, so it seemed a natural step to add apples to the mix. This is an incredibly simple recipe with a bit of a wow factor that is great as a side with any white meat, or a lovely brunch accompaniment.

Savory Apple Popovers (makes 12)

(For the Batter)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp sugar (any kind will do, but finer grains work best)
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of salt

(For the Filling)
3 apples (cored, sliced, skin on)
1 cup finely shredded extra sharp cheddar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or mix of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne pepper

Grease a regular muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350. Mix apples, liquids, and spices together in a medium bowl, and set aside. (Add cheese just before baking)

In a separate bowl beat the eggs until just frothy, then add flour and blend until smooth. Incorporate milk, and spices. Batter will be very runny.

Add cheese to apple mixture. Fill each muffin cup loosley to the top with the apple mix. Pour batter over mixture until cup is brimming.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, turning pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve asap. They are very puffy and light, and will collapse a bit the longer they sit. My camera phone did not do them justice at all, but I felt compelled to add a picture. (This is my wee one's dinner plate. She LOVED them.)

I Made Another Pie (but that's not important)

What is important is that you ask me what I did with the extra crust... well, dear reader, let me tell you, because it was amazing. It was one of those happy bursts of kitchen kizmet that only comes around once in a blue.

Using a super simple all butter pie crust recipe, I rolled out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and used my one and only heart shaped cookie cutter to make cut outs.

I then place a dollop of Nutella on half of the hearts, and then gently placed another heart atop each one. Make sure you place the Nutella (or filling of your choice, jam, almond paste, or if you are feeling savory, spinach and artichoke dip, or a beef, potato, and cheese mixture...) only in the center of each shape so that you can firmly press and seal the edges closed.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and flaky.

The Nutella cooked off to a nice fudgy consistency, and combined with the unsweetened pie crust made a buttery, flaky, chocolate and hazelnut pillow of epically sinful proportions, and yet in the tiniest and daintiest of packages.

Oh yeah... I also made an apple, peach, and black velvet apricot pie. (I keep forgetting that I don't own a pie pan.) It was good too, but totally overshadowed by the cookies. Oh. Those. Cookies.

A Gift of Basil

What do you do when a friend (thanks Steff!!) gives you a HUGE bag of basil, and there is narry a pine nut to be had?Well, if you are me, and you are lucky, then another friend (thanks Joe!!) will have just written a blog about herb pastes. And if you happen to be an on your feet thinker in the kitchen like me (thanks Melle!!) then the natural conclusion is an herb paste pizza!! Here's what you'll need.

For the Paste

• 2-3 cups fresh basil
• 1tbsp minced garlic
• 1tbsp fresh mint leaves
• 2-3tbsp olive oil
• 2tsp red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

Pop it all in the processor and blend until pasty.
If you don't have a processor, then chop the herbs as fine as you can, place them in a bowl, add the liquids and then the salt, and use the back of a spoon to mash, mash, mash it all together.

(This next bit is optional, but was delightful) Scoop out half and set it aside for use on one pizza. To the remaining half add one chopped fresh tomato, and blend again. Use this for a second pizza. (I used this on a plain cheese pizza for my little one, so it would be a bit more familiar.)

For the Crust

• 2 1/2-3 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I used raw sugar)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast (one envelope)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons oil (I use EVOO)

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well. (it is really helpful if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook)

Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, add 1 1/2 to 2 cupa flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

On floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans. Prick randomly with a fork. (My three year old lobed helping with that part.) Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.

(After this point you can top it however you like I suppose. I topped mine with the herb paste, some mozzarella, some sliced fresh tomato, and roasted chicken. It was truly amazing.) Then pop it back in the oven at 450 degrees until the cheese is nice and golden and bubbly. So much better than delivery!!

The Truth Is...

It's not always easy. This morning my little one had scrambled eggs (veggie fed, no hormones), organic apple slices, whole wheat toast, and organic milk for breakfast.....

I had leftover pizza that Hubs brought home from an office party, and iced coffee. Sigh. Just a reminder that I am a work in progress. Always progress, never perfection. Perfection is boring.

Is There a Hummus Among Us?

In a recent blog post, my friend, and fellow aspiring foodie, Joe referenced this article about things that are cheaper to make for yourself than to buy in the stores. A lot of these things are are common sense. We all know that it is cheaper to make your own bread, for example, but who has the hours to spare? We're all on tight monetary budgets these days, but with a new baby, and a toddler on the lose, I am just as concerned with budgeting my time.

Combine these facts with a natural intellectual curiosity that frequently leads to culinary experimentation, (I wonder if I can make bagels??) and I started looking at my shopping list in a whole new way. Only, instead of asking, "what can I make that I normally buy?" I am asking, "what can I make that I don't normally buy because it is too expensive?" The first thing on the list?? You know it... you love it... it is ubiquitous to dinner parties and mid grade restaurants alike... iiiiiiiiittttttt's HUMMUS!!

Well, strictly speaking, only the first recipe is traditional hummus, the second is technically a white bean dip. The traditional takes minutes to make, and if you have a well stocked kitchen, you'll only be buying the beans. The second is a special occasion bean dip... contradiction of terms? I don't think so. Serve is with schmancy dippables and no one else will either.

Lemon Sage Traditional Hummus

2 cans organic low sodium garbanzo beans
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh if you have it)
1/4 cup sesame seeds (or tahini for more traditional flavor)
2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp rubbed sage (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/4 tsp salt
Dump it all into a food processor, and blend until creamy. It is great with baby carrots.

Whitey White Bean Dip with Spinach

2 cans organic white (great northern) beans
1/3 cup aged white cheddar (cut into small pieces)
3/4 cup white wine (or beer) (heat at a boil for at least 30 sec to cook of alcohol )
3/4 cup chopped spincach (if frozen, thaw and remove excess liquid by squeezing)
2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Combine, blend, and enjoy! (Might I recommend brown rice chips. You can find them in the gluten free section of your local grocery store.)

Back With a Better Pancake

I started this blog what seems like a lifetime ago. It was a great idea for a minute, and then I started competing with myself, holding myself to unreasonable standards, and in general doing what I do and neurosis-ing myself out of a perfectly good thing.

Well, a year, a meltdown, a new baby, and some much needed hindsight later, I am back with the same mission: Find tasty and easy ways for a busy mommy of two to eat healthier...... buuuut this time I will remember that health is about more than whole foods and a perfect pantry, it is also about doing what you do because you love it, and not just simply because you "should."

Speaking of love, and really poorly written transitions, you know what I love? Pancakes. Fluffy, warm, toasty, buttery, pancakes. I could eat them pretty much all the time. You know what I don't love? Processed white flour, processed white sugar, and leeched "vegetable" oils. I know what you're saying, "but, Melle, i've had whole wheat pancakes, and they usually taste no better than raw dough." And you're right, so, dear reader, I made it my mission to build a better, "better pancake," and I do believe that I succeeded.

Here's what you'll need:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup rolled oats (the quick cooking kind)
1/3 cup flax meal
1 tbsp raw sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
3/4 cup organic whole milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberried (optional)

(Make sure to put the oats in last, or they will absorb too much of the liquid and leave you with a slightly soggy, although still tasty, pancake.)

Ladle out in 1/4 cup portions on to a skillet, or griddle that has been oiled and preheated over medium heat. When bubbles appear, and the edges look slightly firmed, flip your pancakes. (About 3 minutes per side) Re-oil (or spray) between pancakes. Yeilds 6-8.

What you end up with is a fluffy, flavorful, moist and slightly nutty little bit of deliciousness. Spread on some butter (the real deal folks) and some organic maple syrup (trust me, you can taste the difference), and tell your taste buds and your insulin levels that I say, "you are heartily welome."