Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa
Posted On Friday, March 12, 2010 at at 11:54 AM by Lori
With all the running we’ve been doing, me training for my first half marathon and my husband training for his first full, I’ve really been trying to up the vegetable intake in our diet. After reading 50/50 by Dean Karnazes
(an incredibly inspiring and informative book even if you are not a runner, by the way) my husband’s request was an increase in dark, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.
(an incredibly inspiring and informative book even if you are not a runner, by the way) my husband’s request was an increase in dark, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.It’s not that we don’t eat these foods, but with our travel the end of last year and our recent move I’ve had a hard time getting back into the groove with my cooking. Things are getting better though. I’ve been relying some on cauliflower for part of our cruciferous intake.
In the research world, cruciferous veggies get most of their attention for the potential to reduce cancer risk. Cauliflower, specifically, is also an excellent source of vitamins C, K and folate. Cauliflower also happens to be one of my favorite veggies. In addition to liking the flavor, I like that I can prepare it in a variety of ways. We eat it mashed, steamed, raw, and in a bit of a stir-fry or sauté which happens to be how I prepared it for my lunch yesterday.
I had some quinoa left over from a meal earlier this week and I decided to make the base of my lunch. I chopped the cauliflower in small florets, cooked it in a skillet, and then added some chopped walnuts and spices. To finish it off I combined it with the quinoa for a bowl of whole grain and veggie goodness. The nutty flavor of the walnuts and cauliflower and the seed-like crunch of quinoa paired well with the bold spices of the poultry seasoning I tossed in.
Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa
1 cup quinoa, soaked, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
¼ cup water
¾ cup walnuts, chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
Combine the water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a secure lid, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add water, reduce the heat just a bit, cover with a lid and allow to cook until the cauliflower is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and ensure all the water has evaporated. Add the walnuts (you can also choose to toast them before adding), and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the seasonings and stir to coat the veggie and nuts.
In a large bowl toss together the quinoa and cauliflower mixture and serve. This recipe serves about 3 as a main course, or 6 as a side.
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Although I ate this as a meal it would also make a great side dish so I’m submitting it to this month’s Side Dish Showdown at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.
Health Nut also happens to be having a Cruciferous Veggie Challenge so I’m sharing it there as well.
More info on cauliflower and cruciferous veggies:
WHFoods: Cauliflower
Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute: Cruciferous Vegetables
Pastured Pork and Black Beans
Posted On Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at at 3:37 PM by Lori
Sometimes I think I try so hard to get creative with recipes that I forget just how simple a good meal can be. For example, this past week I picked up an order from Pike Valley Farm. A small order since it is the time of year where the selection is low until the spring season. They did have some pastured pork chops available, though, so I decided to get a pack for something different.
I was trying to decide what to do with them. I was a bit stuck because they were the type of chops that looked to be best slow cooked, not a lean center cut chop for grilling. I showed them to my husband and he said, “Why don’t you just throw them in a crockpot with some beans. Then serve it with rice, kind of like a feijoada.”
I couldn’t help but wonder to myself – now I’m the cook in the family, why didn’t I think of that?
It turned out to be a great suggestion. Throughout a day of simmering, the fat melted away allowing me to easily remove any bones, leaving tender pieces of meat. Not to mention the soft and smoky black beans.
A heavier, filling meal I’m glad I got it in for the season. The weather is turning warmer here and the trees out front are beginning to bloom. However, I think the leftovers will be perfect for the rain that is predicted for the next few days.
Pastured Pork and Black Beans
16 oz bag of black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
¾ to 1 lb. pastured pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the pre-soaked beans, onion, garlic and spices in a Crock-pot and add the water. Place the pork chops on top of the beans and cover the pot with the lid. I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then on low for 2 more hours. This had it finished by about 4:00 pm so I kept it on warm until dinner. If you are gone all day, cooking it on low for 8 hours would likely work out fine. Add salt and pepper to taste near the end of cooking. I added about 1 ½ tsp salt and ¾ tsp of black pepper. Serve with rice and/or some greens and hot sauce, of course.
7-Grain Blackberry Pecan Muffins
Posted On Monday, March 8, 2010 at at 6:02 AM by Lori
I’ve been in a breakfast rut lately. Between oatmeal, muesli and some fruit I haven’t broken my pattern in a few weeks. However with a newly completed kitchen, all the kitchen boxes unpacked and a freezer still full of last summer’s berries I decided to climb out of my rut and get baking.
I was at Whole Foods last week and picked up my favorite 7-grain cereal from the bulk bin. I just love the bulk bins. You can get so many grains at a great price. Since I have yet to make it down the aisle without bumping someone with my basket or receiving an accidental elbow I don’t worry too much about lack of turnover. The grains seem to fly off the shelf there.
I cooked up a big batch 7-grain cereal for us to eat throughout this week and I thought it would make a good addition to the muffin batter. Then I decided on a blackberry and pecan combo. I used butter this time, but next time, when I have fresh berries, I want to try these muffins with coconut oil. I was worried the coconut oil would solidify in the batter when I added the frozen berries since this has happened to me before.
The muffins baked up beautifully. They have a hearty, yet soft texture on the inside and are overflowing with tart berries. The pecans add a toasty crunch with each bite. This combo would work for a lot of different grain cereals, even steel cut oats, and with a lot of different berry/nut combos. I like this one because the muffin itself is sweet, but the blackberries add a strong pucker effect because they are a tart variety.
As of this week, the breakfast pattern has been broken, at least for a little while.
7-Grain Blackberry Pecan Muffins
1 cup milk
½ cup grain cereal, cooked
¼ cup butter, melted
1 egg
½ cup minimally refined sugar (I used mascavo)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup frozen blackberries
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease the bottoms of a 12 serving muffin pan. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and cooked cereal. Stir in the butter, egg and sugar. Add the baking powder and salt and then gradually stir in the flour. Stir just until combined, the batter will be very thick. Gently stir in berries and nuts.
Divide batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in muffin pan for about 5 minutes and remove to a cooking rack or enjoy warm.
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Our fridge is finally in its appropriate spot and the kitchen is complete! I still can’t get over all the space I have. I love that I have to actually take a few steps to walk to the fridge from the stove! I’m looking forward to a lot more baking now that I have all this counter space for kneading, mixing and tossing around ingredients.
February in Food
Posted On Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at at 6:38 AM by LoriWe have successfully moved into the new house! I've had a minor bump in the kitchen set up so no pictures yet, but they are coming. We have to get some cabinet/counter top shaving done to get the new fridge to fit properly. It is currently in working order, but out in the middle of the kitchen!
I am absolutely loving where we are living! I can buy my pastured meat and eggs from a farm not far from here and I discovered a honey supplier nearby. I've got fields and cows in view out the front and back windows, and the quiet is overwhelmingly pleasant. Yet, at the same time, I'm back to (moderately-sized) city life in 30 minutes. It is perfect.
While I plan to take full advantage of this new country life you still can't take the love for a big city or for travel out of me. So rest assured my future plans are to continue with a balanced blog, just as I strive to maintain a balanced life.
It will be at least a few days before I'm back to cooking something worth posting about, or have the time for writing about a thought provoking perspective. Until then I've completed my Project 365 of February in Food. I hope you enjoy the photos and I'll be back to regular posts soon!
I am absolutely loving where we are living! I can buy my pastured meat and eggs from a farm not far from here and I discovered a honey supplier nearby. I've got fields and cows in view out the front and back windows, and the quiet is overwhelmingly pleasant. Yet, at the same time, I'm back to (moderately-sized) city life in 30 minutes. It is perfect.
While I plan to take full advantage of this new country life you still can't take the love for a big city or for travel out of me. So rest assured my future plans are to continue with a balanced blog, just as I strive to maintain a balanced life.
It will be at least a few days before I'm back to cooking something worth posting about, or have the time for writing about a thought provoking perspective. Until then I've completed my Project 365 of February in Food. I hope you enjoy the photos and I'll be back to regular posts soon!
1. Goods the International Market;
2. Zucchini Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust;
3. Quick Broccoli Potato Soup for Two;
4. Aloo Cholay (first attempt);
5. Chocolate cupcake from Gigi's;
6. Vanilla cupcakes with bourbon vanilla frosting and blackberry frosting for Super Bowl;
7. Baked Pastel Romeu e Julieta;
8. Chocolate cherry bread sample from Great Harvest;
9. Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheddar from Quirk in Midway, KY;
10. Smoky Sauteed Kale & Mushrooms;
11. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies;
12. Duane Purvis All-American Burger from Triple XXX in West Lafayette, IN;
13. Japanese Pan-fried Noodles from Noodles & Co in West Lafayette, IN;
14. New Belgium 2 Below;
15. Peanuts, dried cranberries and chocolate chips;
16. Potato Soup;
17. Cashew Cookie Larabar;
18. Whole wheat pasta with cauliflower, zucchini and ricotta;
19. My Muesli;
20. Pantry Veggie Burgers;
21. Jasmine Tea from Hong Kong;
22. Coconut Crusted Salmon over Cauliflower and Kale;
23. Food gifts from Brazil;
24. Husband's bday cake - Scarlet Red Velvet from Gigi's cupcakes
Links to a Healthy Weekend
Posted On Saturday, February 27, 2010 at at 6:37 AM by LoriIt’s a big weekend around here. Believe it or not, we are finally moving! I honestly didn’t think the time would ever get here. We’ve been hit with delays right and left, but it looks like I may finally have a fantastic (and big) kitchen to cook in and a designated office to write in! We should have the appliances in soon and I’ll be sure to share some pictures.
On top of that, tomorrow is my husband’s birthday. It won’t be a typical celebration considering we have to scrub the apartment down and hand over the keys by 4:30, not to mention no oven for baking a cake, but I’ll find some way to make it special. It seems I’m the one with all the gifts, though. He returned Wednesday from a business trip to Brazil and brought back all kinds of fun stuff.
I’ll highlight some of the coffees in a later post, but here is what was in my goodie bag: specialty coffee from my favorite coffee shop in Curitiba along with some Café do Ponto, some Café do Ponto chocolate truffle powder for coffee, goiaba (guava) jam, mascavo sugar and demerara sugar. Non-food items included some new Havaianas, and a friend from there sent me a super cute dish towel. Fortunate, I am.
Despite all that is going on, I just couldn’t leave you without any links two weeks in a row. There is so much great stuff I’ve come across recently. I hope you enjoy!
Is Local Food Better? from World Watch isn’t a post or article from this week, but I found it while searching for references for an article recently. This contains information I’ve heard bits and pieces of, but it is nice to have it all put together to more fully answer the question. If you have questions about transporting food and how that effects the environment, you should read this.
Coconut Cilantro Rice from The Dabble sounds so great. I’ve had coconut rice before, but I haven’t made my own. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
Curried brown rice pilaf with pistachios and cherries from Fabulous Food Finds has way too many good things in it. This is something I may consider for our Easter table.
The Benefits of Bulgur from the NYTimes.com Well Blog had me happy that bulgur was one of the ingredients in the Pantry Veggie Burgers I made this week.
From Grass to Cheese: The Nolan Family Farm was posted on Farm Stories. This video tells the story of a family, grass-based cheese operation. It is also part of a KickStart project where the public can financially support it. The video is definitely worth a watch. I find family farms so fascinating and love that we as consumers are being given more opportunities to support them.
Coconut Crusted Salmon over Cauliflower and Kale
Posted On Thursday, February 25, 2010 at at 3:30 AM by Lori
At the end of the month I’m always focused on using up what I have on hand. I enjoy working with a monthly food budget because I get shop away the first half of the month and then I challenge my creativity at the end. This process of using up all that I have really keeps me from overbuying fresh foods that might wilt or spoil before I have the chance to use them.
This recipe came about as a way for me to finish off the leftover veggies in the fridge and to finally put a can of coconut milk to use that I’ve had for a few weeks now. I wanted some protein with the meal so I turned to my freezer where I have some wild Alaskan salmon stocked up due to a recent sale.
I wanted to keep the flavors similar and I often coat chicken with coconut so I decided to try it with salmon too. A little curry with the veggies and the meal was set.
I wasn’t sure how the coconut and curry would mesh with the flavor of salmon, but I was pleased with the result. Creamy, spicy, sweet and salty, it is almost as if the three were made for each other.
Coconut Crusted Salmon over Cauliflower &
Kale in Curry Coconut Milk1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion, sliced
½ large head of cauliflower, florets sliced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped, about 3 cups raw
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
½ can coconut milk
2 salmon filets, thawed
2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Pinch of salt and pepper
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Pinch of salt and pepper
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Next add the cauliflower and kale. Turn to coat the vegetables in the oil and cook until the cauliflower is slightly browned and the kale begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and curry powder, add the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
The salmon can be prepared in a variety of ways. I use a grill pan with a press. This doesn’t result in the tenderest salmon, but it is the quickest method for me with very easy clean-up. Searing it in a standard skillet or baking it would work well too.
In a small dish, combine the bread crumbs, coconut, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over both salmon filets. Place the filets in the pre-heated grill pan. Top with crumb mixture, pressing it into the fish. Place the press on top of the salmon and cook on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the press and gently flip the salmon, place the press on top again and allow to cook 3 to 4 more minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Divide the vegetables on two plates, top each with a salmon filet, and serve.
Unhealthy Obsessions with (Un)Healthy Foods, Part 1
Posted On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at at 5:20 AM by Lori
Last week, I came across an interview with Michael Pollan from Active.com. Despite hearing or reading the same message about food and responsible eating, I never seem to tire of getting the message again and again. I always seem to find something new that gets me thinking.
My Muesli
Rolled oats
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts, pecans and almonds
Unsweetened, shredded coconut
Sprinkle of mascavo sugar
This time it was the phrase, “an unhealthy obsession with healthy food.”
For a long time before I even had ideas for this blog, as I was studying nutrition and creating my own path to health, I felt that an obsession with healthy practices was as negative for wellness as not caring about what you put into your body. I remember verbalizing this thought to those around me at the time. Addiction comes in many forms and those related to overeating can easily be transformed into under-eating and counting every calorie, gram and milligram.
This phrase really brings about two different thoughts for me and today I’ll concentrate on the first one.
When we become so concerned about what a food will do for us, or how it will affect us we stop enjoying the food. Often in our society it feels that we are so desperate for perfect health that we’ll pay any amount of money and believe any bull to get it. So we’ve reached this point where we’ve forgotten about food, the art of making it, the benefit of eating it together and eating slowly.
Food is a thing, a thing that can make us fat or thin, disease-ridden or disease-free. A thing that must be consumed when our stomach growls, when we are stressed or when the clock strikes a certain hour.
The irony is that even when we have health as our number one priority those foods, those things, we are obsessing about aren’t even healthy. (Preservative-filled, artificially sweetened, artificially-thickened, fat-replaced yogurt, anyone?)
Sadly, the unhealthy obsession with healthy foods that I’ve battled from time to time made me miss out on some great stuff. The one thing that stands out in my mind is that I avoided some truly healthy foods because they were high in calorie only to eat fake foods with lesser nutritional value.
What was I thinking? Well, I’ll be easy on myself and say I was thinking what society and food companies wanted me to.
Nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain cereals and bananas are all examples of food that at one time or another I ate very little of because of the calories they contain. Instead I ate fat-free yogurt, low–fat crackers, processed cereal bars, frozen diet meals and light ice cream.
Just think about all those calories I was saving! Funny how my struggle with carrying a few extra pounds never changed. Not to mention the fact that I was getting very few nutrients when I could have been getting a multitude of vitamins and minerals, protein and heart-healthy fat.
An obsession in any form can be damaging to wellness, but can be especially so when directed at what the food industry and society convince us is healthy. An unhealthy obsession with so-called healthy foods can cheat us of both the enjoyment of food and of eating real food all together.
When we eat real foods, there is no need to obsess because health will naturally fall into line.
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Muesli is one of those foods that I knew about years ago, but wouldn’t eat because of the fear of calories, despite the fact that it is packed full of nutrients. Fortunately, we were re-introduced to it at a hotel breakfast while traveling around SE Asia last October. I’m so glad my views on healthy food have changed! Now I’m making my own and breakfast has never been better.
My Muesli
Rolled oats
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts, pecans and almonds
Unsweetened, shredded coconut
Sprinkle of mascavo sugar
