Yerba Mate

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Allison

I love coffee. But I have come to adore a kind of tea introduced by a dear friend called yerba mate. It’s fantastic in taste and just happens to be really good for you. The package boasts that it has the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate” all in one beverage. I don’t disagree.

I understand that all tea is good for you, but this particular variety happens to be the national drink of Argentina and Southern Brazil. I only have one editorial comment about this fact; the women from those countries are beautiful, and I am going to attribute a fraction of that radiance to the consumption of yerba mate.

Also, my husband now works at Whole Foods Market, so he often comes home with new and unusual products to try. When he brought home a package of Guayaki Yerbe Mate, it was fun for me to tell him that I had already tried and was fond of this product. We bonded a little over tea. It made me smile.

This stuff is great, especially with a shaving of fresh ginger and a touch of agave nectar. I make it in my french press, but they make these neat little straws for preparing single servings. I purchase it in a loose leaf format as opposed to bags, so the straw was created with a screen to keep the little bits of tea leaves out of the tea and in the cup. Pretty clever, right?

In the words of the monsters from my favorite kids show, Yo Gabba Gabba, “Try it, you might like it!” Because you probably will.

 

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Black Bean Burrito

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Allison

Want to get your day started right? Try changing your routine. Most people resort to some combination of bacon, biscuits, eggs and cheese first thing in the morning when we really should be consuming more whole grains, low fat protein, and raw vegetables. So instead of the traditional breakfast burrito from a local fast food restaurant, I suggest that you make a much healthier version at home. Sometimes you have to think about food in a different way and try something new, so here is a fresh perspective on breakfast.

My focus today is the legume. It’s the obvious low-fat high-fiber choice for any meal,  so I always have a good variety on hand. Beans offer a healthy amount of iron and B vitamins, they are a fantastic source of protein and they contain carbohydrates, which provide long lasting energy. So I suggest you always keep prepared beans in the ice box. Canned beans are ok, but often contain a lot of sodium, so it’s better to soak and cook your own.

You’ll need:

  • leftover beans
  • whole grain tortilla
  • grated cheese
  • spinach
  • grape tomatoes, quartered

Warm the tortilla under the broiler or for a few seconds in the microwave. Warm up the beans in a small frying pan, maybe with a little olive oil, and smash them a bit. This should only take a few minutes. Remove the tortilla and add the beans, grated cheese, spinach, and quartered tomatoes. Sprinkle it with some salt and pepper, and wrap it up. The whole process will take about ten minutes, but let me tell you, you will feel so much better than if you indulge in the alternative.

This breakfast will fill you up and keep you feeling good until its time for lunch. Pair it with a hot cup of green tea with local honey and you have yourself a really smart breakfast.

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Cheesy Puff Pastry

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Allison

A few months ago I pretty much fell in love with puff pastry. I blame it on a dear friend, Michelle Donaldson, who works at this really neat restaurant called Smoke here in Tulsa. Her food is always amazing, inspired and relatively simple to execute, but she ends up with very complex flavor profiles. The dish that made me fall in love with puff pastry was one she featured at a Bacon and Bourbon dinner at The Polo Grill, and it was freaking delicious. Imagine a creamy béchamel, crispy bacon, and caramelized onions on puff pastry. Is your mouth watering? Mine is just thinking about it.

So now I always have a box of frozen, premade puff pastry in the freezer. It’s so versatile and fun to work with that I will probably never get bored with the stuff. Here’s a recipe for something simple and quick that will help you clear out the fridge too!

To start, preheat your oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove your puff pastry from the freezer and let it thaw for about thirty minutes. When it’s room temperature, unfold it and sprinkle it with four. I cut mine into nine squares to make nine cute little tarts. You can leave them square so you don’t waste any dough, or you can use the rim of a glass to cut them into circles.

Once you have them cut out, you need to score each one with a glass or a cookie cutter that is a bit smaller than what you used to make the circle. Or just use a knife. You can’t really mess this deal up, and if it comes out looking whoppy jawed, just call it “rustic.”

SIDE NOTE: I think that when you are creating any dish you should combine textures and flavors to make a well rounded sensory experience. There should be something sweet and salty, buttery and acidic, fatty and fresh, and gooey and crispy. Then it is perfect.

So to top my tarts I used:

  • 1/4 cup low fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup random leftover cheeses from the fridge, grated
  • 1 tbs sour cream
  • olive oil, to taste
  • fresh thyme. to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 slice of “All Pork Bologna” from Pork & Greens, diced

I combined all of the ingredients but the last in the food processor and blended until smooth and creamy and delicious. Then I spread about a spoonful on each of my cute little puff pastry cut-outs and topped them with the diced bologna. I had a little bit of the blended cheeses together left over, so I added extra on top of each one. And for dramatic effect, I melted some butter with grated garlic and brushed all of my cheesy puff pastries with this buttery garlicky goodness. Sometimes eating well means eating butter. I don’t care what the people say. Butter is good for you.

So, I guess this is where you get creative. I mean, that’s what I did. Take what you have in your fridge and make the most of it, and most importantly, DO NOT WASTE YOUR FOOD! You worked hard to buy it, so don’t throw it out. Experiment, have fun, eat well, and love life.

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Egg Salad

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Allison

Yes, this is another blog post about eggs. I’ve been flirting with the idea of becoming a vegetarian again, so eggs have been taking center stage lately. But really, they are the epitome of affordable healthy food, so please, read on.

As a busy family of four, we often need something healthy and tasty to eat in a rush, and what could be better than a hard boiled egg? We keep them in the ice box regularly, and they usually end up packed in the kids lunch boxes or eaten on the way to school in the morning. One egg has less than 100 calories, about 6 grams of protein, and contains all of the amino acids our bodies need, which makes a hard boiled egg a perfect snack. Plus, my kids freaking love them.

A few days ago it dawned on me that I had completely forgotten about egg salad. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m sure glad that I remembered because I made some of the best egg salad I’ve had in a while.

I had worked that day, and I arrived home at about four o’clock, famished due to the fact that I hadn’t had time to eat since breakfast. I needed something quick with protein, so I turned three hard boiled eggs into a delicious snack for me and the kiddos. Here is my incredibly simple and easy to remember recipe:

  • 3 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 Tbs finely diced sweet red pepper
  • 1 Tbs sweet relish
  • 1 Tbs mayo
  • 1 Tbs spicy mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Place the peeled eggs in a bowl, and with two knives, chop them up sort of like you would cut butter into flour. This is by far the most efficient way to chop eggs without making a huge mess, but it takes a little practice to get the technique down. Once your eggs are chopped to your liking, just add in the rest of the ingredients and mix it all up. Pretty easy, right?

I lightly toasted three slices of fancy wheat bread and then topped them with a slice of swiss cheese, frisee, and egg salad. The warm hearty bread with crisp lettuce and mild, but pungent cheese compliment the sweetness of this egg salad perfectly.

Simple and satisfying, this is a recipe that should be a staple in your every day kitchen routine.

Posted in SALAD, SIMPLE, SINGLE SERVING, VEGETARIAN | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fancy Egg Sandwich

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Allison

Organic greens. Vine ripened tomatoes from my backyard. Brie. One local egg, gently cooked to over easy. Sourdough. Best egg sandwich I’ve had in some time.

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Keeping Tradition Alive

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Kristen

It’s the end of summer vacation for us and I am letting the kids choose our activities for the week. Most of the things they choose were very simple and relaxing. That’s fine with me!

One thing Layla asked to do was make banana muffins. Today was the second time in a week that we did this “activity” and it was quite entertaining for her. She did all the pouring, stirring, mixing and mess making.

I read somewhere once that cooking and baking are good for kid’s growing brains. I can’t remember why really. I guess I have some of my own theories. Layla loves being in the kitchen with me. She loves helping and I am sure that it is good for her confidence. She loves being a part of what I am doing which probably helps us bond. She likes measuring the ingredients and learning what goes in first and how many eggs, which I am sure helps with math or something that would otherwise be boring, but isn’t when you have flour and egg yolks all over your fingers.

To me, the most important part of her helping me in the kitchen is that I am teaching her the things that my parents and grandparents taught me. They taught me how to make a home made meal and serve it with love. They taught me how important it is to teach my children how to cook and how to cook well. I feel like I am keeping old, very old, traditions alive. These things matter. It is important to stop and take a moment to pass on a tiny little thing like how to crack an egg.

I learned how to crack an egg in the kitchen of La Cuisine. La Cuisine was my Grandmother’s restaurant in Tulsa and I spent summers in that kitchen when I was a very little kid. I loved that place and I still use many of their recipes to this day.

Layla chose to wear this apron, a genuine La Cuisine apron, today while we were making our banana muffins. I couldn’t help but take a picture and I couldn’t help coming upstairs and writing this little bit of my history on our blog.

Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that make me smile, but sometimes it’s the big things, like passing down something to my children that they don’t even know they are learning.

Posted in THOUGHT | 1 Comment

Broccoli Pesto

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Allison

Pesto wasn’t the first thing that came to mind when I found a half empty bag of broccoli in the freezer. But after taking inventory of my pantry and my ice box, it seemed to be the most obvious thing I could make. I have basil coming out of my ears right now and I have been making basil pesto regularly, so adding a bit of broccoli to the mix all of the sudden seemed like the most brilliant thing I have ever come up with. I then consulted the all-knowing Google machine, and realized that I wasn’t any more brilliant than the hundreds of other food bloggers and recipe creators out there.  I still made the pesto and it was delicious, so I thought I’d  share, even though a whole bunch of people already have.

To make this super simple and healthy condiment, gather these ingredients:

  • three cups of frozen broccoli
  • a handful of fresh basil, about ten leaves
  • 1/2 cup of pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
  • zest and juice of one lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like the picture above. It’s going to be more like a spread, or a paste, than a sauce. Store the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge. I portioned mine out and froze some of it so I could use it later. Funny that the broccoli ended up back in the freezer after all this, eh?

Now that you have all this broccoli pesto, what the heck are you going to do with it? My number one suggestion is to make tiny broccoli quiches in fillo shells, because alongside that bag of frozen broccoli, I found a box of Athen’s Mini Fillo Shells. I don’t even know why I bought them, but they were there, so I used them.

To make these delicious miniature quiches, follow these super simple steps:

  1. Whisk two eggs with a splash of cream, a pinch of salt, and fresh cracked pepper.
  2. Add three healthy spoonfuls of broccoli pesto.
  3. Stir it all together, and scoop the mixture into the fillo shells.
  4. Put them in a 350 degree oven for about fifteen minutes.

I had some filling left over, so you might play with the ratios to get it just right. Or you could just save it and add it to your scrambled eggs the next day. Don’t spend to much time trying to figure it out, but don’t throw it away!

 

Posted in APPETIZER, LEFTOVERS, SIMPLE, SINGLE SERVING, VEGETARIAN | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spaghetti Casserole With Leftovers

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Kristen

I absolutely LOVE using stuff in my fridge that would otherwise go to waste. I made a casserole the other day and every ingredient I used was a left over, except the spaghetti and the chicken breast. These are two things that most of you have already. All you need are some random left overs and you can make your own creation.

The best part? My hubby RAVED about it for days, which isn’t really something he always does. (He is used to my cooking being great.) (Just kidding.) I think he liked it so much because it was something different and frankly, it was pretty darn great.

The worst part? It did take a while. I guess if that’s the worst part then I am doing alright.

I started with two chicken breasts. I stuck them in a large ziploc and pounded on them til they were flat, like you would to make chicken parmesan. Then I added some seasoning and put it in the fridge for a few hours. I used fresh herbs from the garden, garlic, greek seasoning, and of course olive oil and salt and pepper.

While the chicken was soaking in the yummy stuff in the ziploc, I started pulling some stuff out of the fridge. This is the part that your dish will vary from mine.

In my fridge I found grilled bell peppers, a few sun dried tomatoes, a few slices of uncooked bacon, half an onion, some random green onion flavored cream cheese and teensey bit of mozzarella.

From here on, use your common sense on how to prepare your dish.

I started with the bacon and fried it in the pan I planned on using for the chicken. I cooked it, but didn’t let it get too crispy then cut it in small pieces and set it aside. Then I pulled out the chicken and cooked it in the frying pan. When you pound it out to make it flat, it makes it easier to cook thoroughly. Cook spaghetti, or whatever pasta you have or want to use, while the chicken is cooking.

After the chicken was finished, I tossed in the chopped onion and cooked until soft then added the sun dried tomatoes and chopped up bell pepper.  The veggies soaked up that flavor of the bacon fat and browned chicken goodness.

In my round casserole dish, I tossed the spaghetti with the onion, peppers and tomatoes. Make sure to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan and put them in with the spaghetti.

Add the bacon and sliced up chicken. Toss it all up again.

On top, I smeared a mixture of the cream cheese and mozzarella. Then baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes. So good.

I know this isn’t a recipe, although you could totally copy it even if you don’t have all these things as left overs, but it is meant to get your mind going about all the things you could do with random stuff in your kitchen. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

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Pickling Project

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Allison

I need your help, interwebs. I want to know the BEST pickling liquid recipe EVER. I pickled peppers, cauliflower, and carrots recently and they turned out good, but not extraordinary. How do you do it? Or even better, how did your grandmother do it? What kind of vinegar is your favorite? I need answers people, because as the season comes to an end, I’m gonna have a trillion cucumbers and peppers to preserve. Let me know what you think. I’ll all ears.

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Watermelon Slush

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Allison

As a bartender, I have a natural fondness for mixing drinks. At work I don’t get to be creative and I don’t have fun and unusual ingredients to experiment with, so when I come home at night, I get a little crazy with my cocktails. In the summer time, when fruit and herbs are plentiful, it widens the playing field.

I got home from work on Friday and was taking inventory of the contents of my ice box, when I realized I had about two cups of cubed watermelon that had gotten, well, soggy. What do you do with leftover watermelon that has lost it’s crisp, freshly cut texture? You put it in the blender with ice, vodka, and honey to make a delicious drink. The fact that it is super simple, super refreshing, and has no artificial sugar makes this a perfect summer cocktail.

All you need are those four ingredients, but I have to remind you that the higher quality they are, the better the end result will be. I used a locally grown, seedless watermelon purchased from the farmer’s market. The honey I buy is also local, which also helps to combat regional allergies. And the vodka, well, it’s getting all blended together so it doesn’t really matter.  However, I used 360 Vodka, which I like to buy because of it’s eco-minded philosophy. Also, it comes in a really cool bottle that not only is made from recycled material, but can be easily re-purposed because of it’s super nifty design.

Here are some tips to recreate this cocktail in your own kitchen:

  • Puree the watermelon with the honey first. I had about two cups of watermelon, so I used a healthy spoonful of honey.
  • Pour the watermelon puree into a measuring cup so you can be sure to get your ratios right.
  • When you are making a frozen drink, a good rule of thumb is to add one and a half times as much ice as the container you will serve the drink in.
  • I measure my booze with my eyes, but  you can use a jigger. One and a half to two ounces is a good pour.
  • You can crush ice easily by putting it in a towel and whacking it the counter.
  • If you have fresh basil, mint, or cilantro, don’t be afraid to use it to kick up the flavor.

Now, let’s get started. Since you are making two drinks, you will add a little less than three glasses of ice to your blender. Add about four ounces of booze and six to eight ounces of the watermelon and honey puree. Pulse your blender until the mixture becomes, well, slushy. Add a quarter of a glassful of crushed ice, and then pour your drinks. You should have enough watermelon puree to make another round, but it will keep in the fridge. It will separate, so it must be blended again to restore it’s texture, so my recommendation is to just go ahead and make another round. What is it that they say? Ah, yes. “Two is always better than one.” Cheers!

 

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