breaking the silence

Life has been BUSY. Busy but so so so so so so good. I'm breaking the long silence with one of my favorite recipes lately. A good friend of mine in Chicago made this salad for me in May and I've been doing a version of it ever since. She's an amazing person. The kind of person that you meet and instantly feel like you've known forever. She's got such a warm and inviting energy and she's weird. Weird in the best possible way. This salad is such a great expression of how I see her because it mixes some usual suspects with some things I wouldn't think to put into a salad. She's the kind of person that just makes you happy to be around and is always surprising you with her endearing quirks. 

When she first made it for me I was nervous. She combined some of my favorite ingredients with some things I thought I didn't like/wouldn't like together. The salad didn't really make sense in my brain but I went with it. Because I was her guest and because I'm always open to new food combos. I'm so glad I was too because it made me a believer that raw kale can be tasty. This is a kale salad but before I lose some of you, I want to warn you that this is a great intro to kale salad recipe. It's health food light thanks to some awesome ingredients. 

I'm not going to lie, unless kale is blended into my morning smoothie it's usually too aggressive a veggie for my pallet. It's so earthy and fibrous. BUT, this salad does such a great job of distracting you from all of that AND I have three tricks up my sleeve that really makes all the difference for any kale salad. 

Trick 1, chop that kale into thin, small shreds! It makes eating the salad a lot more enjoyable and it's so much easier to chew. 

Trick 2, dress your salad a few hours before you're going to eat it and up to 3 days before! Kale is an incredibly fibrous veggie and unlike lettuce, it won't wilt and get soggy once you put the dressing on it. In fact, the dressing helps break down the kale a bit. 

Trick 3, remove that thick vein that goes down the middle of the leaf. it's super fibrous and not very palatable. 

Now that I've set you up with the basics, lets get into it.

kale salad for beginners

yields 4 servings

6 c. chopped dinosaur or curly leaf kale

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 c. green beans, chopped

2 carrots, choped

½ c. cooked tortellini 

1 TBSP red pepper flakes (to taste)

¼ c. lime cilantro vinaigrette (to taste)

2 TBSP tahini (sesame seed paste)

⅛ c. parmesan shavings

salt + pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and give it a few good stirs. Don't be afraid of the red pepper flakes. I thought for sure that one would get stuck in the back of my throat and have me coughing up a storm. Turns out they somehow melt and just add a nice depth of flavor, not crazy spiciness. Let sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. This will keep 3-4 days in the fridge.

improv style:

use seasonal veggies and veggies that you like. i love green beans cooked but the raw green beans in this salad really works. i'm telling you, my friend is magical - every ingredient just works.

if you don't want to make your own dressing, you can use store bought. trader joes makes an awesome lime cilantro vinaigrette. green goddess dressing would be a good option too. whatever your favorite store bought dressing is should work. 

if you don't have tahini, don't go out buying it (unless you want to of course). i like the subtle creaminess it adds to the dish. it's easily left out. 

you can keep this dairy or gluten free by leaving out the pasta and cheese. the tortellini adds a nice texture - little bit creamy, little bit of that awesome pasta chew. the cheese adds a bit of a salty bite and helps tone down the earthy kale. if you're into kale salads, you can definitely leave these two out and go on with your bad self!

get creative!

carved peppers for halloween

Remember that Halloween idea I mentioned in yesterday's post?! In the spirit of Halloween, my favorite holiday, I carved some orange bell peppers to look like pumpkins! 

This is such a fun idea and a great way to get kids excited about eating healthy food! You could really stuff them with anything (sloppy joe meat, spaghetti, sausage stuffing, etc...)  but I did an improv version of yesterday's post with corn, black beans and chicken. 

I saw this carved bell pepper idea last year on spa bettie and had to share the idea with you guys. She did it with a carrot ginger quinoa dish. 

Step 1: cut the top off like you would a pumpkin

Step 2: scrape out the seeds and membrane

Step 3: carve your face *carefully* with a kinfe. even better if you have mini serrated pumpkin carving knives

Step 4: stuff with desired filling

You can bake these peppers depending on the filling but they won't hold their shape quite as well. I liked the crunch of the fresh veggie in contrast to the softer quinoa filling. If I were going to make them again, I'd use red or black quinoa to get more of a halloween feel. White was what I had on hand so I just went with it!

Happy Halloween! 

far from boring health food

I'm all about trying to make healthy choices when it comes to eating. Yes, you have to live and eat well but you also have to treat your body good. It's the only one you get. It's all about balance for me. One of my favorite lunch time restaurants is called protein bar. They have an amazing selection of wraps, salads and my personal favorite, quinoa bowls. Their prices are pretty steep so I've started making my own versions to bring into work. 

This is health in a bowl that tastes nothing like "health". Seriously, I'm very particular about what types of healthy food I'll eat. I have to trick my butter loving, fatty taste buds into the good for me foods. This quinoa bowl is super filling, flavorful and taste bud approved. 

Tomorrow I'll even show you how to turn this into a fun halloween themed lunch or side dish! Kids will go crazy for it. Or, if you're a halloween loving adult like me. Seriously, it's my favorite holiday! That or Thanksgiving. Pretty much anything involving food, orange, fall and dressing up!

mexican black bean quinoa bowl

inspired by protein bar

ingredients:

2 c. cooked red quinoa

1 - 15oz can of black beans drained & rinsed

4 oz can diced green chiles

½ c. salsa verde

1 TSP ground cumin

½ c. chopped tomatoes

2 TBSP shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 avocado diced

salt + pepper to taste

lime wedges to garnish

In a medium sauce pan, cook beans, green chiles, salsa and cumin over medium heat until warmed, about 5 minutes. Add in cooked quinoa and heat through. At the last minute, add in tomatoes and diced avocado. Stir, plate and top with shredded cheese and a lime wedge. 

improv style:

there are a MILLION ways you can improvise this dish! lets talk types of quinoa… there's white which is most common, red and black. I like the contrast that the red quinoa gives to the dish color wise. taste and texture are almost the same. white quinoa is a little more mushy but barley. any type you choose will be great! 

lets talk veggies. corn, jalapenos, diced peppers, peas, carrots, green onions, raw onion (preferably red or white), cilantro, and many many other ingredients would make great additions or substitutions to the dish. 

i love salsa verde but you could use any salsa here. additionally, chipotle would be fantastic if you're into smokey subtle heat. tabasco or your favorite mexican hot sauce would be delish too! also, no salsa? not to worry. you can use your favorite taco, fajita, or mexican seasoning mix and add a teeny bit of water to get it coated (try 1 TBSP of liquid at a time). 

i've made this with meat in the past too. chicken, steak, even marinated shrimp would work well. just make sure you season your meat!  it makes a great side but when you add in meat, it's a super hearty dinner or lunch in a bowl!

you can leave the cheese or avocado out but i think they make the dish. not into cheddar? chihuahua cheese or queso fresco would be delish. also, if you're feeling like a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt, that would be fantastic too! this dish is pretty hard to mess up!

** note these images are missing avocado. mine went bad before i could shoot the recipe but i still prefer the dish with which is why i included it as an ingredient in the recipe!

bahn meatloaf sliders

So remember that post from a few days back where I told you about not being a fan of meatloaf… well, turns out, leftovers of that amazing bahn meatloaf make for REALLY good slider sandwiches. Remember that sauce you saved for later? Yep, slather some of that on a sweet hawaiian roll, a slice or two of your leftover loaf and top with your extra veggies. Hot or cold, these things are killer! 

bahn meatloaf sliders

adapted from bon appetit

ingredients:

leftover bahn meatloaf slices

hawaiian sweet rolls

leftover hoisin glaze

leftover matchstick veggies (carrots, cucumber, radish, cilantro)

you know how to make a slider. assemble and be happy!

improv style:

you can add all sorts of fun things to the sandwiches. how about some onion strings if you ate up all your fresh veggies? your favorite asian sauce would be great if you didn't have leftover glaze (think siracha, hoisin, maybe even a bit of dark soy mixed with ketchup).

no sweet hawaiin rolls? brioche, challah, plain white bread, whole wheat buns, pretty much your favorite chewy bread will do. trying to be healthy? make the meatloaf with ground chicken or turkey breast and do an open face sandwich on whole grain bread. your options are endless!

chili for this chill

The weather in Chicago has been a bit cold the past week. I'm not complaining by any means. We had unseasonably warm weather for a few weeks before that. But this chill in the air has me craving some of my favorite fall comfort foods. This weekend we had a huge tunder + lightning storm. I couldn't pick a better dinner than a big bowl of hearty chili to go along with that storm! 

This is my new favorite chili recipe. I've tried a few from scratch before and this one has everything I'm looking for. A little tang balanced with some brown sugar, a slight kick of heat - just enough to tickle your lips, and lots of hearty, thick chunks of meat and beans. I know in some parts of the country chili is religion - that's not the case where I grew up. I still think this recipe could hang with the best of them! 

balsamic + bean chili

adapted from Sharon Boswell on Allrecipes

ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

2 onions, chopped

1 carrot, finely grated

6 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz (1 bottle) beer

2 - 25 oz cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed

2 - 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

4 T. chili seasoning

½ t. garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ t. cayenne pepper

1 t. oregano

2 T. brown sugar

½ T. worcestershire sauce

1 T. balsamic vinegar

3 T. chili pepper sauce (I got mine from trader joes but you could use your favorite)

4 oz diced green chile

to garnish:

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

finely chopped onions

chopped cilantro or parsley

In a large pot, brown your ground beef with a little olive oil. Once meat is browned, remove it from the pan. Add your onions and cook until translucent. Add in carrot and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until softened. Add your meat back in the pot an pour your beer (I used PBR but any light beer would do), beans, and diced tomatoes. Give it a quick stir and add all of the remaining ingredients. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and gently simmer for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Top with your favorite fixin's and serve! 

improv style:

think of chili as a hodge podge of ingredients. i add balsamic vinegar and a little brown sugar to balance the dish but you can leave it out. this chili is subtly spicy, if you like more or less kick, play with the cayenne and chili pepper sauce or red pepper flakes. don't have green chile? it's ok, you can leave it out. you could also add in your favorite veggies. think red bell pepper, or carrots, sweet potato or corn. 

i like the depth of flavor that beer adds to the dish. don't make the same mistake i once did and use a super hoppy IPA. chili is best with either a porter, stout, or american ale. i like PBR but you could use coors light, miller light, or your favorite light beer. if you're going the stout/porter direction, choose one you love. like the idea of beer but don't have any on hand? you can substitute a little instant espresso powder instead of using a porter or stout. don't want to use beer? that's ok too. just use a good beef stock or water. 

beans or no beans... it all depends on where you're from. for me chili isn't chili without beans. i like kidney beans but you can use whatever ones you have on hand. black beans or pinto beans would be great in this for a little mexican twist! oooh, if you do that, add some corn kernels too, yum! you can also play with the type of meat you use. lighten it up with some ground turkey or chicken breast. try it with a combo of ground pork and chuck, OR don't use ground meat and use chunks of brisket, steak, or even pulled pork. mmmmm, pork.

if you like a thinner or thicker chili, you can add more liquid or thicken it up with some cornmeal or cornstarch. 

what to do with leftover ham

Every year growing up I'd look forward to the fresh ham sandwiches that came after a holiday meal. I went through a phase where the ham had to be cut into small chunks so that my little teeth could get through the meat and every bite had a bit of ham goodness in it. My dad always lovingly obliged my finicky demands. I have many memories of the two of us in the morning assembling the masterpiece of a sandwich that would be my lunch. I'd tell him exactly how I liked it and he would help me bring my creation to life. I seriously have the best dad in the world. 

Last year, my Uncle blew my mind with an idea for leftover ham from our Easter dinner… HAM SALAD. I've had egg salad, I've had tuna salad sandwiches, but I had never thought to do the same with ham! Maybe you've heard of this before? I hadn't and the thought never even crossed my mind. In case you're like me, I felt it was my duty to share the idea of ham salad with you. 

This is an easily adaptable recipe and I have a few improv suggestions below that you should check out. If you have leftover ham from Easter, definitely do yourself the favor and make this sandwich for lunch this week! 

ham salad

yields 2 sandwiches

ingredients:

2 c. shredded ham

½ c. mayonaise 

2 T. dill relish (or 2 small pickles finely chopped)

4 slices good ole' white bread

2 leaves of lettuce (optional)

Place your leftover ham in a food processor and let it go until it becomes a fine shred. Whatever texture you prefer, get it to that point. If you don't have a food processor, you can do this by hand with a knife. You could also just cube the ham but I much prefer the shred…

In a bowl, combine shredded ham, mayo, and dill relish. Stir until combined. Place half the mixture onto a slice of bread, add a leaf of lettuce, cover with other slice of bread. Repeat for the other 2 slices. 

improv style:

I think this recipe begs for good old fashioned, chewy white bread. Health nuts everywhere are cringing in their seats, sorry! you can use your favorite type of bread (whole wheat, an artisan loaf, etc…). heck, if you're doing the whole passover unleavened bread thing but you're still down with pork, put it on a matzo! mmmmm... this is also great as a snack on crackers.

if you're trying to lighten it up, you could substitute some of the mayo for light or fat free mayo, greek yogurt, or even smashed up avocado. avocado is a similar consistency and doesn't impart too much flavor. i still think this sammich calls for good ole full fat mayo! it's the holidays…

not a pickle fan? leave it out. my uncle does sweet pickle relish. i'm not down with the sweet pickles but if that's your thing, use that instead! you could add your favorite sandwich toppings but i like to keep it simple and let the ham shine! 

checking in

Have you given up on your new years resolutions yet?! I'm kinda just getting started. I TRY to be healthy - key word being try. I have a hard time because I love food SO MUCH. After the 90 day detox I was feeling rebellious. I over indulged and I've realized that I'm heading down a path I don't really want to go. The past few months have been tasty and glutinous. So I'm back on track - for now. I got back into my Barre Method classes and it has me wanting to eat healthier and make better choices (you know, minus those paddy's day themed cupcakes I'll share with you next week). All about moderation, right?! 

I came across the idea for this dish back in July when a blogger I follow posted this recipe. I love asian food but I'm not a fan of peanut sauce. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of peanut sauce... creamy, salty, and oh that texture!!! BUT I HATE peanut, absolutely can't stand it. So when I saw that she made the dish with cashew butter instead of peanut butter, I immediately thought, GENIUS! I of course had to put my own spin on the recipe and I have to say, it rocks! A little bit of tang from greek yogurt and fresh lime juice really make the dish. I add in some siracha for a subtle kick and a pinch of brown sugar to balance it out. This was my go-to recipe while we were on the detox (minus a few ingredients that weren't permitted) but I have to say I prefer it MUCH better with the dairy and citrus. I hope you give this easy asian dish a try! 

Side note - don't be turned off by some of the ingredients if you've never heard of them. Edamame is a tasty vegetable that's actually an immature soybean. That might sound a little scary but it's not. It's a very mild flavored bean with a creamy texture. Siracha is that red sauce you see at most asian restaurants. It's just a hot sauce so it's easily substituted if you don't have any. See all the improv suggestions below! Also, this is great cold the next day for lunch as leftovers!

asian noodles with edamame + tangy cashew lime sauce

adapted from very culinary inspired

yields 4 - 6 servings (depending on your appetite)

ingredients:

for the sauce:

½ c. cashew butter

¼ c. greek yogurt

1 t. grated fresh ginger

2 scallions (white + green parts)

2 T. lite soy sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. Siracha

2 limes

1 T. brown sugar

for the dish:

8 oz - 1 package soba noodles

¼ c. pasta water

¼ c. cashew pieces

½ c. frozen shelled edamame

2 T. chopped scallions

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

2 T. basil thinly sliced

lime wedge (optional)

In a food processor, dump your sauce ingredients and blend the heck out of it. If you don't have a food processor, that's ok. You can finely chop your ingredients and mix by hand, use a blender, or even egg beaters. Just make sure if you do the latter that you chop your scallions and ginger as small as you can first. Once mixture is smooth and creamy, set it aside.

In a large pot, bring your water to a boil. Dump your noodles in (make sure you remove the paper wrappers around them... I didn't see them, doh). While your noodles are cooking, slice up your red bell pepper. I like mine nice and thin so they're easy to eat. Dice 'em, chop 'em, whatever you want! In a small pan, place your cashew pieces and toast them up. Make sure you don't let them go too long. They'll start to turn golden brown in places and you'll smell them. That's how you know they're done. Right before the noodles are done cooking, drop in your frozen edamame. Cook for one minute more (or whenever the noodles are done to your liking).

Grab a bit of that pasta water before you drain the noodles. Dump the noodles and edamame back in the pot after you've drained them. Pour the sauce over and give it a good toss. Add in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you've got a nice creamy sauce. Remember, you can always add more so go slowly! 

Top with scallions, bell pepper, basil, cashews, and a lime wedge! Ta-da! Easy asian noodles. So easy in fact, you can make the sauce a few days ahead and assemble the rest later. I make a batch on the weekend for a quick weeknight meal. Once the sauce is made it literally comes together in 15 minutes. Talk about convenient! 

improv style:

soba noodle?! who keeps that on hand? not to worry, you can use your favorite noodle... even spaghetti noodles will be just fine! if you're gluten free try it with a rice noodle and tamari instead of the soy. rice noodles are little more delicate but it still works just fine! cashew butter is spendy. if you like peanut butter, use that instead! you could also try this with any other nut butter (almond?!). if you do, let me know how it turns out! if you don't have greek yogurt you can use plain non-fat yogurt or even sour cream (light, fat free, full fat) whatever you want. if you're dairy free you can leave it out. that's what i did on the detox. i really like the tang and consistency that the yogurt gives the dish though. no fresh ginger?! i think this is a pretty important ingredient. i buy a big hunk of it and keep it in the freezer so it doesn't go bad. if you don't have any you could try dried ginger but i really recommend you go out and get yourself a hunk of the fresh stuff! same goes with the rice vinegar. you could use another type but rice vinegar has a nice subtlety to it. in a pinch i would use white wine vinegar. if you don't have siracha you can use dried pepper flakes, your favorite hot sauce, cayenne, or if you're not into spicy, leave it out. you can adjust the heat to your liking. this version is VERY subtle on the spicy front. if you don't like scallions, leave them out. you can put your favorite veggies into the dish. it's really flexible. 

lunchtime snoozfest

I try to be good and bring my lunch to work every day. Not only does it keep me healthy but it helps me save a TON of money every month. Ironically, I didn't bring my lunch today. The problem with packing a lunch most days is 1. I don't have a lot of time in the morning and 2. sandwiches, while easy, get boring day after day. My new mission is to come up with some tasty and easy lunches for work.

This recipe is my first solve for the boring sandwich blues. I love this pasta salad, it's easy and quick to make. It fits perfectly into a small tupperware container and I can get it ready the night before aka more time for me to sleep in the mornings! This recipe is packed with flavor and the whole grains fill me up!

Lime Cilantro Pasta Salad

ingredients:

for the dressing:

¼ c. red wine vinegar

¼ c. lime juice + zest

2 T. honey

1 small shallot minced

½ c. cilantro leaves packed

1 clove garlic

salt + pepper

for the salad:

1 c. whole wheat orzo pasta

2 chicken breasts (cooked and thinly sliced)

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

1 c. cherry tomatoes halved

cilantro leaves for garnish

yields 2 hearty servings

In a food processor, combine all the dressing ingredients and pulse until garlic, shallots, and cilantro leaves are pulverized (basically until you have your dressing at a consistency you like).

Meanwhile, heat chicken stock and water in a saucepan for the orzo. Cook orzo until al dente, drain pasta. Add lime cilantro dressing to the warm pasta. It will absorb more flavor this way. Combine chicken slices, tomatoes and cilantro leaves with the pasta. It's that easy! If you like, you can double the dressing recipe and marinade your chicken in it to add even more flavor.

improv style:

for the dressing you can substitute honey for agave nectar or a pinch of sugar instead. Also, you can make this with basil instead of cilantro and add mini mozzarella balls and tomatoes for an italian spin on the dish (think caprese salad)! the recipe isn't set in stone so substitute the herbs and veggies for ingredients you have on hand. don't have orzo? use a different pasta or even a quinoa or cous cous and make it gluten free! you can add some pine nuts or almonds for a bit of crunch too.