squash salad.

The other day, I made this unbelievable pizza for my yoga girls post class.  With a few wedges of acorn squash leftover and only a few days of work this week before Thanksgiving, I assembled a quick salad to take to work.  The squash, pumpkin seeds and cranberries are so seasonal while the gorgonzola (also a leftover) lends richness....

acorn squash salad.

acorn squash (peeled and cut into wedges, drizzled with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper and chili flakes then roasted in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes)

small handful cranberries

small handful pumpkin seeds

small handful gorgonzola cheese

mixed field greens

balsamic vinaigrette

Cut acorn squash into bite size pieces.  In an airtight container, assemble all ingredients.  Add a splash of vinaigrette once ready to eat.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

healthy quick italian wedding soup.

My quest for easy, healthy soups continues!  I love Italian wedding soup - it is perfect with garlicky bread for a post-yoga winter dinner....  But the fatty meatballs and the high sodium broth don't exactly scream "I just worked out" - nor does standing over a stove for an hour!  Enter frozen turkey meatballs, low sodium broth and lots of veggies....

healthy quick italian wedding soup. 

1 handful baby carrots (I always have them on hand), diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 head escarole, rinsed, dried and rough chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 14 oz bottle low sodium veggie broth

1/2 bag frozen turkey meatballs

1/4 cup whole wheat spaghetti, broken into thirds

fresh cracked pepper

salt to taste

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp paprika

1 egg

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan (divided)

 

 

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add carrots, garlic and onion and saute 5 minutes.  Add escarole, salt and pepper and cook down, about 2 minutes.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add spaghetti and spices.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Add meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tbsp of Parmesan.  Slowly pour into the soup, stirring to combine.  Cook about 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.  Serve in a bowl topped with reserved Parmesan and a side of crusty garlic bread! 

 

*This makes enough for a couple meals but it keeps and reheats great!

easy pumpkin waffles.

Pumpkin waffles - along with apples and cold nights - are the signs of fall to me.  I am one of those canned pumpkin hoarders!  Why they don't have it year round at Trader Joe's is beyond me.  Okay - spring and summer get a pass but I wouldn't have to stock up September through March otherwise!  

I know there are now pumpkin baking mixes but they don't taste as pumpkin-y as this one cheater (pancake mix + canned pumpkin) does....  Warmed syrup and a sprinkling of chopped pecans make for a cozy morning in!  

easy pumpkin waffles.

* recipe is interchangeable - makes great pancakes too! 

**I make more than enough waffles and freeze the rest - like I did here

Trader Joe's multigrain baking mix (follow instructions on the box)

2 tbsp canned pumpkin

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend

Heat waffle iron until very hot.  Spritz with cooking spray if needed to prevent sticking.  In a bowl, mix baking mix until smooth.  Add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir to mix.  Drop about 1/3 cup in each waffle mold and press.  If freezing, slightly undercook (the toaster will take care of the rest) and cool completely.  If enjoying right away, top with butter, warmed maple syrup and chopped pecans.  

savory apple brunch.

With my mountain of apples and slight aversion to apple pie (I like things more simple and rustic), what better way to use them up than with a savory breakfast option.  The other day, I posted a savory apple panini (seen here) and had a couple leftovers that would be great for breakfast.  I slept in a little and got to work, pumpkin spice latte in hand (recipe to come!)....  

savory apple sausage saute.

1 small apple, diced

1 chicken or turkey sausage link, sliced

4-5 small potatoes, steamed, cooled and diced

1/4 white onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

fried egg

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add apple and onion, sauteing until tender (about 5 minutes).  Add sausage and continue cooking about 2-3 minutes.  Add potato, salt and pepper and stir.  Cook about 3-5 minutes so flavors combine.  

 

 After adding the potatoes, heat up another small skillet and cook egg.  Remove from heat and scoop apple-sausage-potato onto a plate.  Slide egg on top and enjoy! 

healthy version: french fries

Recently, I made THIS - one of my favorite German dishes: currywurst.  Currywurst is served with french fries in Germany and I have never and will never deep fry anything at home.  I make oven baked fries instead and this recipe doesn't make anyone miss the extra fat!  

oven baked (spiced) fries.

1 russet potato

olive oil cooking spray

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tbsp pepper

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub potato and cut into small spears.  In a zip lock plastic bag, add spices and potato spears.  Shake to coat.  Note: I have tried this without the plastic bag and it just doesn't work as well!  Spritz a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and add potatoes.  Spritz again with olive oil.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Great with currywurst or curry ketchup (ketchup mixed with curry powder to taste). 

fresh israeli couscous.

I love Israeli couscous - the little pearls beg for something really fresh mixed in.  I found a few mushrooms in the fridge and some green onions - perfect for a light blend of toppings for lunch on a scorching (80-90 degree heat!) mid-October....  

fresh mushroom israeli couscous.

1 cup cooked israeli couscous

handful of crimini mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed, sliced

3 green onions, diced

1-2 tbsp. pine nuts

drizzle of white wine or champagne vinegar

EVOO

salt and pepper to taste

Cook couscous according to package instructions.  Heat oil on a small skillet.  Add green onions and mushroom slices.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Remove and combine with couscous in an airtight container.  Drizzle with vinegar and toss in pine nuts.  Keep chilled until ready to eat.

Note: I had more photos but my computer is insisting they are corrupt (again). Of course, this was after I deleted them from the camera.... C'est la vie!

indian zucchini: two ways.

With such warm days and cold nights, I have been in the mood for Indian at night, salads during the day.  One of my favorite Indian recipes is zucchini paneer - minus the paneer.  If I am going to have full fat cheese, it better taste like it!  I actually swap out the paneer for pressed tofu or leave it out altogether as the zucchini is great with a tandoori chicken and chewy naan for dinner.  

To turn the leftovers into lunch, I simply add whole wheat couscous and dash out the door....  

indian zucchini. 

*makes enough for leftovers

3 zucchini, quartered

1/2 large yellow onion, cut into a large dice

1/2 large tomato, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tbsp. coriander seeds, crushed

1 tbsp. garam masala

1/2 tbsp. turmeric (ground)

1 tsp salt

grapeseed oil for the pan

Heat grapeseed oil in a medium - large skillet.  Add garlic, ginger and spices, saute 2 minutes.  Add onions and zucchini.  Cook five minutes, turning to brown evenly on all sides.  Add tomato and saute about 2 minutes.  Add about 2 tbsp - 1/4 cup water to the pan.  Stir to combine.  If adding tofu, add it here.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until tomato is cooked down and zucchini is tender. Serve with naan or basmati rice.  

For lunch, cook 1/2 cup of whole wheat couscous, fluff with a fork and add Indian zucchini, stirring to combine.  Toss in 1/2 cup of chickpeas for added protein.... 

quickie pasta.

The other night, after a not-so-great date, I darted home for a quick and late dinner.  In the fridge, I found mushrooms, a turkey sausage and scallions - perfect for a fast pasta!  The good thing about this is that the vegetables can be swapped out for just about anything you have to use up....

quickie pasta with veggies and sausage.

serves 1

3/4 dry whole wheat pasta (I used penne)

2 scallions, diced

1 turkey sausage link, sliced on the diagonal

8-10 mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

1 garlic clove, minced

splash of red wine

freshly grated parmiggiano

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat large skillet on medium heat.  In a saucepan, boil water and cook pasta according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, in the skillet, add a generous drizzle of olive oil in the pan.  Wait a minute and add garlic.  Saute 2 minutes and add scallions.  Saute another 2 minutes and add mushrooms, salt and pepper and wine.  Cook for 5 minutes and add sausage slices.  Cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms cook down and flavors combine.  Add a splash of pasta water and parmiggiano cheese.  Stir to combine.  Add cooked pasta and fold to mix topping/sauce with pasta.  Serve with a topping of parmiggiano cheese and a grind of fresh cracked black pepper.  

salmon puff pastry.

Now that I can turn my oven on again since the nights are getting chilly, this recipe is my favorite thing to make since it takes advantage of tomatoes still in season.  I picked up some fantastic heirlooms (brandywine of course), some wild caught Pacific salmon and poured a glass of white wine for a cozy night in....

salmon puff pastry with tomato and pesto.

from Epicurious

1 piece of salmon, skin removed

1 piece of puff pastry, just slightly larger than salmon

1 tbsp. pesto

2 slices of tomato

1-2 slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a baking sheet, cover with foil and spritz lightly with cooking spray (I use olive oil spray).  Arrange salmon and puff pastry on the sheet (not touching).  Sprinkle slivered almonds on top of salmon.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until salmon is cooked and puff pastry is golden brown.  Remove and layer puff pastry, pesto, tomato on a plate.  Top with salmon and enjoy! 

vegetable enchiladas.

Since I recently tore out my parsley plant resulting in a bunch of pesto and went to the farmer's market, I decided to make vegetable enchiladas since they are good for lunches and dinners and I can freeze the rest (with my upcoming trip, I need options!).  I ended up making two pans since I got on a roll!  These are a slightly healthier version, not only because of the in season veggies, but the sprouted grain tortillas and cheese made with skim milk instead of whole. 

vegetable enchiladas with parsley pepita pesto.

makes enough to fill two nine inch pans (10 enchiladas)

10 tortillas 

2 zucchini 

1 bell pepper

parsley pepita pesto (recipe here)

1/2 bag Trader Joe's low fat Mexican shredded cheese

1 bottle enchilada sauce (again, Trader Joe's)

1/2 can black beans (approximate)

green onions for garnish

Preheat grill on medium-high.  Cut zucchini and bell pepper into strips and place on olive oil spritzed grill. Spritz other side of veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill until char marks appear on both sides (the darker the better!).  Remove and cut into bite sized pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Working one tortilla at a time, spread a tsp of pesto, add about a tbsp of black beans and about a 1/4 cup of grilled veggies.  Sprinkle with cheese and arrange in a 9 inch baking dish.  Finish with the remaining tortillas.  Pour 1/2 bottle of enchilada sauce over each pan and sprinkle with cheese and chopped green onions. Bake about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. 

radishes: day 2.

Yesterday, I posted this about my $1 bunch of radishes.  They keep forever in the fridge so I was able to get three dishes out of them in the course of a week! 

I was flipping through my fave New York Times food column, The Minimalist, and an idea on his 101 summer salads caught my eye.  I had leftover rice and a couple veggies left in my drawer but not much since it was almost farmer's market time and the supply was starting to dwindle!  Perfect opportunity for creative leftovers!  Cue an easy lunch using up what was left and some leftovers, alongside a simple green salad with smoked salmon and miso dressing.  

leftover rice asian salad.

1 cup cooked leftover rice

2 radishes, sliced with a mandoline

handful edamame, shelled

2 scallions, minced

soy/ginger/lemon vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Add rice and veggies to an airtight container.  Dress with vinaigrette and stir.  Best at room temp! 

soy/ginger/lemon vinaigrette.

drizzle soy sauce

juice of 1/2 lemon

fresh ginger - a couple swipes on a zester

a couple drops of fish sauce

a couple shakes of sesame seeds

drizzle grapeseed oil

Put all ingredients (except oil) in a bowl.  Slowly stream in oil, whisking to emulsify.  

(Sigh - there WERE pictures of the dressing and they turned out great.  My camera decided to die right after I took them and I think sand + hike is the culprit....)

last of the edible flowers.

Since I still had 1/2 a bag of squash blossoms and I was short on time, I made a quick dish before yoga that is a more traditional use of the flowers.  Squash blossoms are actually used in traditional Mexican cooking - often seen in a soup, enchiladas or quesadillas.  My favorite is the latter: quesadillas de flor de calabaza.  Just a couple minutes to assemble and place on my stovetop grill and I was out the door!  

quesadilla de flor de calabaza.

1 flour tortilla (I used one that was whole grain - actually pretty good)

2-3 squash blossoms, cut in half

about 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I cheated and used the Trader Joe's lowfat pre-shredded in a bag to save time and calories)

about 2 tbsp. mild green chilis

about 3 tbsp. black beans (drained and without liquid)

Preheat stovetop grill pan on high.  Lay tortilla on a work surface and layer green chilis, black beans and squash blossoms.  Fold in half and place on grill, weighted down with a plate.  Cook about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate and cut into wedges.  Enjoy with a side of black beans sprinkled with queso fresco or cheat and sprinkle with fat free feta....

more edible flowers.

My obsession with edible flowers - squash blossoms has not ended.  Their season is short so I am taking full advantage of them while I can still buy them at the farmer's market.  Strangely enough, I have a farmer's market shadow: a woman has been following me around and asking me what I do with things as I put them into my bag.... 

I got a bag of blossoms and decided to do them two ways this week: one modern and one traditional Mexican (more on the latter later).  I love Pizzeria Mozza's squash blossom pizza but since I didn't have burrata, I swapped it out for goat cheese, added salty prosciutto and made it a little healthier (and easier) with Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough. 

squash blossom goat cheese pizza.

1 package whole wheat pizza dough, rested at room temp on a floured board for 20 minutes

8 squash blossoms

about 1/3 cup marinara sauce 

1/2 package goat cheese

4-5 slices prosciutto

fresh ground pepper

Note: this makes 2 medium sized pizzas - I made extra for lunch later in the week!  It keeps well, but I would suggest reheating in a toaster oven if possible.  Microwave made it chewy....

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and allow to heat up for at least 15 minutes (I did this when I took out the dough to rest).  Once dough is ready, on a well floured board, roll out dough to form a thin layer.  Top with marinara sauce and spread thin.  Top with blossoms, goat cheese, prosciutto and a couple cracks of pepper.  Bake for about 15 minutes on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Cool on a wire rack for a couple minutes before cutting.