Quinoa and Egg Mini Muffins

I cooked lots of goodies this weekend!  But took no pictures at all.  My favorite thing I made were quinoa and egg mini muffins.  I made 2 dozen and will be eating them for breakfast all week.  I based it on a recipe I found on this website. And stole a picture from there as well:

I swear...mine look JUST like this!  Cross my heart.

I modified mine a little.  Here's how I made them...

2 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked) -- I cooked mine in vegetable broth 

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 cup zucchini, shredded

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and spoon mixture to the top of each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the mini muffin tin.

They are delicious and have nearly 3 grams of protein per mini muffin!

Last, but not least, here is my meal plan for the week....

Sunday (yesterday): Eggplant parmesan
Monday: Fried rice with soy glazed tofu
Tuesday: Taco salad (a new Steve fav!)
Wednesday: out
Thursday: William's Birthday!!  William has requested "fancy meat" - which is filet.  I am going to get some bison filets.  William likes them still mooing, so they will be served extra rare for the birthday boy!
Chocolate mint cupcakes to follow.
Friday: Personal tortilla pizzas - I haven't decided what veggies will go on them yet
Saturday: Salmon (last week's salmon was bow tie pasta with salmon and pesto)

avocado banana chocolate mousse and meal plan (a Jess post)

I happened upon this recipe (another Pinterest find) last week. I'm not actually a huge dessert person. I do like to indulge occasionally, but I don't usually search out sweets. I was intrigued by these ingredients though. No sweetener? No dairy? It fit in with the way I now eat, but could it be good?

The answer is YES. It is thick and creamy. It tastes utterly decadent. You would never know it isn't filled with sugar and cream. It is the type of thing you could feed company for dessert and have them think you are a superstar. Or make yourself for an evening treat and never have to feel guilty about it.

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
2 ripe bananas
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

In a food processor, combine the avocados and bananas until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients and processed until completely combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Scoop into a covered container and refrigerate at least an hour until thickened, chilled, and flavors combine.

Serve as is or topped with nuts, coconut flakes, or fruit. I used granola.

YUM. But in the nature of full disclosure, I should tell you that Drew HATED it. Enough to spit it out as though he was a small child. No explanation, really- he said it just "reminded him of something he didn't like once". TOTALLY fine with me- that means the rest is mine, all mine.

And now here is our meal plan for the week:

Sunday: leftover pork fried rice and edamame
Monday: shredded adobo pork tacos
Tuesday: spring pea and barley risotto with salad
Wednesday: salad with tangelos and leftover adobo pork
Thursday: brown rice and tofu pancakes with fruit
Friday: red wine bison stew
Saturday: out

My change in diet has actually been going super well and for the most part I don't miss anything! My face has cleared up significantly, I have more energy, and I've even lost 5 pounds. Lets hope it continues!

Black Bean Tortilla "Pizza"

WINNING!  Steve said, "You really nailed this one - I am a happy husband! I could eat 10 of these!!"  Check out the happiness:

Refusing to eat it as a pizza...but still good!

What caused the Usually Less Than Supportive of Kitchen Innovations Spouse to be so effusive?  (And, if you know Steve, you know that that's about as excited as he gets.)  Black Bean Tortilla Pizza!

I took a tortilla, put some of the black beans I made last week on it, a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and threw it into a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  (The beans became the "sauce.")  Then,  I took it out and put some shredded lettuce on it, tortilla chip bits (they are purple, per William's request, so they don't show up well), a light splash of Ranch dressing, and salsa.  I meant it to be eaten as little personal pizzas, but Steve sort of folded his in half and ate it as a taco.  I ate mine the RIGHT way.  The PIZZA way.  But we can't all be as awesome as I am.  So - eat it how you want.  Just know...you're doing it wrong.

Collard Green Pesto (a Jess post)

I LOVE pesto. The standard basil pesto is great, especially in late summer when the basil was grown in your own pot. But it is such a versatile sauce and can be made with practically anything green. My personal favorite is asparagus pesto, though I haven't made it yet this season. Tonight I made collard green pesto. I buy huge bunches of various greens every week and I try to find new yummy ways to use them up. This was definitely a winner.

Ingredients:
1 bunch collard greens (you could use any green- kale, chard & spinach would all be awesome), ribs removed and coarsely chopped
1/4 c flat leaf parsley
3 T pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1 T dried Parmesan, Romano, or cheese blend
salt & pepper
1/2 c olive oil

Heat pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant.

In a food processor, combine greens, parsley and garlic. Add pine nuts and cheese, processing until finely chopped. Slowly add olive oil while processing until sauce takes on a thick, creamy consistency. 

Add salt & pepper to taste. Toss with hot whole grain pasta.

The greens are slightly bitter but are balanced by the pine nuts and cheese. This recipe is also pretty healthy considering it is mainly raw greens! And unlike typical pesto, it uses very little cheese. I really liked it- I thought it was fresh and light. Griffin did NOT and I had to make him macaroni and cheese. It's ok, he'll learn I'm sure!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chips Cookies

The fricassee was a major fail tonight.  But, I am happy to report that my relatively healthy, gluten free chocolate chip cookies are DELICIOUS!!  Steve has eaten 5 of them already.  He says they are just plain good cookies - i.e., they don't taste "healthy."

I based the recipe off one that I found on one of my new favorite blogs Chocolate Covered Katie.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (make sure to use gluten free if you want to make sure they are gluten-less)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBSP brown sugar
1-2 TBSP honey (I used 2 and they are pretty sweet)
2 TBSP oil of your choice (I used olive oil since I always have it on hand)
2-3 TBSP of milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk)
Small handful chocolate chips

Blend first 4 ingredients in food processor.  Mix in other ingredients.  Put spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes at 375.  Makes a dozen.

I also forgot to show you what Wm is eating this week!  Here is Wm's bento:

Back left: blue tortilla chips that Wm picked out

Back right: broccoli

Front left: black beans, cookie (recipe above)

Front right: strawberries

After this week, we will have eaten up the GIANT pot of black beans I made.  Now I have to think of something for next week!  I think I am going with sardines. Wm loves sardines!!  What a weirdo.

Meal Plan

I am late posting my meal plan...but it's not my fault.  Steve worked all weekend, so I was on Munchkin Duty solo.  Then, we were all tired yesterday and Steve's boss gave him $100 gift card to Carrabba's, so we decided to go out to dinner on the spur of the moment.  Steve got a lemon bread pudding for dessert and ate himself into a coma.  Meanwhile, I had salmon.  Because I'm awesome.  And I don't like lemon.  Without further ado, here's what we're eating this week...

Monday: Tempeh Fricassee
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Jess's quinoa meatballs
Wednesday: Brown butter and Sage Chicken (this is a Steve favorite!)
Thursday: out!
Friday: Mini pizzas made on tortillas with black beans, a bit of cheddar cheese, a drizzle of Ranch dressing, lettuce, and shredded tortilla ships (Wm will be having a cheese quesadilla)
Saturday: Some sort of salmon.  Last week, I ended up making a yummy salmon skewers.  I just put pineapple with salmon and marinated in soy sauce.  I wanted to add mushroom and red peppers, but had none on hand.   Next time!

eating better and a meal plan (a Jess post)

A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with PCOS, which is essentially a hormone imbalance. I was actually thrilled because it meant that years of various symptoms and issues now had an explanation. I went back to see a specialist last week and I got some more information and advice. Because the hormone imbalance is largely caused by an insulin resistance, I am on some corrective medication and herbal supplements and I also need to change my diet. The doctor suggested cutting out juice, soda, milk, and "white" foods (i.e. processed pastas, breads, sugar, white rice, russet potatoes etc). He also wants me to increase vegetables and whole grains, weaving in lean meats and fruit. This echoes the anti inflammatory diet Cory has been doing in many ways- so at least she can give me some pointers! I have high hopes for this making me feel a lot more normal.

That being said, here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday: pizzas on brown rice flour crust with cheddar cheese (mine will be veggie, Drew will have bison pepperoni!)
Tuesday: Asian marinated pork tenderloin with roasted sweet potatoes and carrots
Wednesday: whole grain pasta with collard green pesto & salad
Thursday: leftover pork and pineapple fried rice (with brown rice) & edamame
Friday: tostadas on corn tortillas (Griffin & I will have bean and avocado, Drew will have ground bison) with spicy quinoa salad
Saturday: Drew and I will be out celebrating our SEVEN YEAR wedding anniversary! Griffin will be partying with grandma & grandpa. Diet may be flying out the window just this one night...

Excited to see how it pans out!

Whole Grain Granola Bars

Granola bar success!

William often has a Clif bar and some fruit for breakfast.  And Clif bars are pretty good for you.  But, as with all store bough processed foods...who knows what's in there.  "Natural flavor" is pretty ambiguous.  So I decided to make my own granola bars that were lower in white sugar, and heavier in the grains.  They have just been taste-tested by William, who declared them "better than the ones you buy at the store."  And they weren't too hard to throw together, either!  Here's how I did it:

2 cups oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup oat flour (just whir some oats in the food processor until they're flour-like)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp salt

4T brown sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon (I decided at that last minute not to add this, because William is not a fan, usually.  But, I think it would add some yumminess if you like cinnamon!)

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup almonds (or other nut, but this is William's favorite)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 13X9 inch pan.

In a large bowl, mix oats, wheat germ, flours, salt, sugar, and cinnamon (if using).  Make a well in the center and add honey, egg, peanut butter, vanilla, and applesauce.  Mix well.  Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.  Bake for 30 minutes.  

Tomorrow I am making Wm's healthy, flour-free (gluten-free if you get gluten-free oats!) chocolate chip cookies. Yummmmm!

Bento

I thought I'd update with how the bento for William's lunch is working out.  He loves it, he says the kids at his table think it's awesome, and the lunch monitor even came over to comment on how nice William's lunch looked.  But he ate virtually none of it!  When I asked why not, he said, "my belly just was not hungry at lunch - it's hungry now.  Can I eat it?"  So he sat down after school yesterday and plowed through the entire thing!  I packed him the same thing again today and he says he will definitely eat it all up at lunch time.

Front left: rice topped with black beans, raw sugar-free "cookie" bar

Back left: whole grain tortilla chips

Back right: baby carrots

Front right: trail mix of dried cherries and sesame sticks

I know it's not fancy like those people who mold their rice into Mickey Mouse - but I don't have time for that jazz.  And William seems fine with it, as is.  Every scrap of it went into his belly yesterday!  His favorite things, of course, are the sesame sticks, chips, and bar. 

As I have mentioned earlier, William complains A LOT that his tummy hurts.  He said it hurt really bad on Sunday and I couldn't figure out why.  Then, I realized...it was the chocolate mint pie.  William has a very mild soy allergy that has never manifested, but the doctor told us it shows up in his blood work.  Well, I guess eating a bunch of dessert with tofu as the main ingredient did not sit well!  Once I stopped giving him that (to his chagrin), his belly is all better!  He said it felt "two thumbs up" all day yesterday.  Keeping him off the milk, giving him a probiotic every day, and making sure he has yummy and good foods (like his bento lunch) keep him in good working order.  I've added a DHA supplement to his routine, so the kid is on supplements galore.  Daily, he gets: a multi, probiotic, calcium, and now fish oil.

I've already figured out the treat that will go in his lunches next week: whole grain chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.  I need to test the recipe first since I am winging it -  but I will update with how they turn out and the final recipe!

Lemon Parsley Chicken (a Jess post)

I had written out a whole clever back story about how I have no idea where this recipe card came from. That I've had it in every kitchen I've ever occupied since I moved away from home a billion or so years ago and yet I've never actually MADE it and so I finally felt compelled when I ran across it this weekend! But blogger lost my post. STUPID BLOGGER. And I don't have the energy or desire to re-create. Just know that it was wrought with hilarity and wit and would probably have been the best thing you have EVER read. I'm sorry for your loss. So here is the recipe (and honestly- you should try it before it hangs out in your kitchen for 15 years. It's GOOD.)

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, divided into squeezed juice and grated rind
3 T flour
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" pieces
3 T olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 T fresh or freeze dried parsley
salt & pepper

Combine flour, lemon rind & garlic in large bowl. Add chicken and toss until coated. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat and add chicken, reserving remaining flour mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned- about 10 minutes. Whisk together the reserved flour mixture, broth, sugar, and ginger. Add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces, about 5 minutes. Combine mustard and lemon juice. Add to skillet and stir until heated through. Add parsley, salt & pepper. Serve over hot rice or egg noodles.

Everyone loved it. The lemon flavor was bright and not at all overpowering. And since it didn't contain a single vegetable, Drew was beside himself with glee. I'll have to start working through the rest of my old and forgotten recipes. This vintage thing was a gem didn't

quinoa "meatballs" & meal plan (a Jess post)

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Pinterest? So much inspiration in one concentrated space. I've found so many amazing looking recipes which then leads me to incredible food blogs... there is so much I have to try! Quinoa "meatballs"was another Pinterest find. I am trying to eat less meat overall and this seemed like  one of those meals where I wouldn't miss it at all. I tweaked my recipe from this one at The Small Boston Kitchen.

Ingredients:
1/2 c quinoa
1 c chicken broth
drizzle of olive oil
5-6 baby bella mushrooms, cleaned & diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c onion, diced
about 3/4 oz (1/2 a bag) of fresh mixed greens such as spinach, kale and arugula, chopped. I used this one.
2 T pine nuts
2 eggs (one for recipe, one for egg wash)
splash of water
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
salt & pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions using chicken broth & set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 400. Saute mushrooms, bell pepper & onion in olive oil until veggies are soft and mushrooms start to brown slightly. Put cooked veggies into a large bowl. In the same frying pan, cook greens over medium low heat until wilted. Add greens and cooled quinoa to bowl with the other veggies. Add pine nuts, spices, and one egg. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Roll mixture into 1 1/2" balls and place on cooking sheet. Mix egg and water together in a small bowl and brush each "meatball" with the egg wash.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until "meatballs" are cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside.

I served these with tomato sauce and a side of whole wheat pasta. They were wonderful! Dew loved them, although he said "I don't think there is much meat in these..." actually, there's none! And I didn't miss it AT ALL!

And now for my meal plan:

Sunday: quinoa meatballs (obviously)

Monday: lemon chicken over rice

Tuesday: spinach & cheese noodle casserole & salad

Wednesday: soy bourbon pork tenderloin and sweet potatoes

Thursday: tempeh "wings" with veggies and dip

Friday: pork fried rice

Saturday: friends over for enchilada casserole

Taco Salad and Raw Chocolate Cookie Balls

We are big fans of Chipotle.  Steve's favorite thing is to get a burrito bowl and then eat it up with their chips as an edible spoon.  So, I tried to recreate that at home - only a bit healthier!  I made a base of rice, then topped it with black beans, cheese, lettuce, homemade corn/pepper salsa - and Steve added sour cream and salsa to the top of his.

Most of the fixin's laid out

Mine

Steve's

It was a BIG hit!  Steve said at least three times, "THIS IS GOOD!!!" And all I saw was the top of his head as he shoveled it in.  I will DEFINITELY be making this again!  William likes rice and black beans, so I can just serve it to him as separate things.

Then, I made THIS.  And holy monkey, was it GOOOOOOOD.  It will be made again and again and again.  And, the best part is, Steve hates it!  MORE FOR ME (and William who is also a big fan).  

I have William's bento box (thank you, Mimi!) all packed and ready to go tomorrow!  His raw, sugar-free chocolate cookies are made.  Here's how I did it:

Take a heaping 1 cup of cashews (I used walnuts for the Omega-3's and they worked fine!) and throw them in the food processor.  Whir them up until they are are as fine as you can get 'em.  Add half a cup of pitted dates to the food processor and process until they are totally mashed up with the nuts.  Add 2 tablespoons of flax meal and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and whir again until everything is blended.  From there, you can do whatever you want with them: roll them into balls, form them into bars.  I made William balls for his lunch and me little bars to take to work for a mid-morning snack.  

Salmon...and a Flaming Update

By Cory

I have been struggling.  Hence the lack of posting.  I haven't felt much like talking about food.  Because it seems like all I do is worry about food.  Is there sugar in it? Dairy? Meat? Wheat?  After 5 days on the anti-inflammatory diet (hard core), I actually have more aches and pains, feel a general malaise, am STARVING all the time, gained a pound, and broke out.  Soooo...yeah.  I'm not *completely* giving up, but I am definitely taking a step back.  I am loosening up all the weird food constraints.  I am going back to my previous belief that any diet that eliminates entire food groups (unless you have an allergy or intolerance) is not so good.  So, it's all back in!!  The sugar, red meat, and dairy will still be in serious moderation.  I modified it a couple days ago after feeling so gross.  Aches are better, feeling good, lost 1.7 lbs, and am clearing up.  Something about that anti-inflammatory diet did not agree with my body.  My theory: it's cause I'm SMOKING HOT.  I need the flames, baby.  

I made pan fried salmon with roasted root veggies (taters, sweet taters, beets, and onions) and wilted beet greens.  It was pretty darn good!  One of the few successes!

And now, for this week's meal plan...

Sunday: White Bean and Mushroom Soup (first time recipe!) 

Monday: Cashew chicken with rice

Tuesday: Trying Jess's brine recipe, but with chicken breasts

Wednesday: Haddock fish cakes (from an anti-inflammatory recipe book - they still sound good, so I'm giving them a try!)

Thursday: out

Friday: Some sort of salmon - if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!!!! I'm running out of ideas.

Saturday: Black beans and rice

As a relatively healthy treat for William - who LOVES chocolate and mint as much as I do! - I am making this pie. Jess emailed me the recipe this morning and I can't wait to try it!

We are also doing something new for William's lunches.  I am breaking out the bento box and plan to fill it with this...

Big compartment: rice

Regular compartment: black beans

Back compartment 1: dried cherries

Back compartment 2: baby carrots

Back compartment 3: dessert - a raw, sugar-free chocolate cookie made from cashews, dates, unsweetened cocoa and flax seeds.  William actually really likes them!  I will post the recipe once I have perfected it!

brined pork chops, Twenty, and our new family member (a Jess post)

One of my favorite chefs is Michael Ruhlman. He is a culinary genius and has penned several books attesting to such. And he is a Cleveland guy which I have to admit wins him LOTS of points in my book. I got his most recent cookbook, Twenty, for Christmas and I am smitten. Instead of being lots of random recipes, he writes about twenty specific techniques and gives recipe examples to showcase each one.

I decided I was going to make the pan fried pork chops in lemon caper sauce (in the "fry" chapter). It sounded incredible. The first suggested step, however, was brining the pork chops (in the "salt" chapter) to infuse them with flavor before cooking. I made the brine last night (which smelled INCREDIBLE, by the way) and then went on to make the pork chops today. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) we got a call in the middle of my cooking dinner-- our delivery would be here shortly!

isn't she lovely? *swoon*

Meet Delilah, my brand new convection oven and my second child. She will be my new kitchen partner in crime, replacing the grody old white monstrosity I suffered with for 8 months.

Anyway, her arrival cut my cooking time short. Instead of making pan fried pork chops in lemon caper sauce, I made pan fried pork chops. With applesauce. But let me tell you- that brine did something absolutely AMAZING to the meat. It was more flavorful than any pork chop I have ever made. EVER. Here is my adaptation of Ruhlman's genius:

For the Brine--
Ingredients:
3 3/4 c water
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 large shallot, sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 lemon, halved
1 T dried sage
2 bay leaves
1 T black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar & pestle
2-4 boneless pork chops

Combine the water, salt, shallot, garlic, lemon and spices in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove brine from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Refrigerate brine until cold. Put pork chops in brine and refrigerate 6-8 hours. One hour before cooking, remove the chops, discarding the brine, and pat dry. Let the chops sit for an hour or until room temperature.

For the Pan fried Chops--
Ingredients:
2-4 previously brined chops
salt & pepper
1 c flour
1 egg + 2 T water beaten together
1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
oil for frying (I used a canola/ olive/ grapeseed oil blend)

Sprinkle the room temperature chops with salt and pepper. Set the flour, egg mixture, and panko out in 3 different bowls. Pour approximately 1/4" oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium until shimmering. Dredge each chop in flour followed by egg followed by panko. Fry breaded pork chops approximately 5 minutes on each side (less depending on thickness) or until cooked through.

Like I said, these were by FAR the best chops ever. And I didn't even get to the lemon caper sauce! I will try that next time fore sure. In the meantime, if you are looking for me, I will be canoodling with Delilah...

Greek Mahi Mahi (a Jess post)

Even though I had this on my meal plan, I totally forgot to take the fish out of the freezer this morning. I was dreading finding something for dinner all afternoon and even contemplated takeout, but it was such a lovely day and I really thought dinner had to reflect that. So I took the fillets out, tossed them in a plastic bag & submerged them in water for about 20 minutes. Voila! Ready to rock & roll as they say. I found this recipe in Gourmet several years ago (sniff... Gourmet... how I miss you) and I've made it about a billion times since, tweaking as I go. It's delicious, simple, and pretty. Can't beat it.

Ingredients:
2 mahi mahi fillets
1 T feta cheese
1 T mayonnaise
1/2 lemon (divided into 1/2 T juice and 4 thin slices)
1/2 T finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 425 and lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the feta, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mint, dill and pepper in a small bowl. Lay the mahi mahi fillets in the baking dish and top each with half of the feta mixture. Lay two lemon slices on top of each fillet. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through.

I served mine tonight with lemon garlic orzo, a mini Greek salad, and some crisp white wine out on our back deck. Bliss. And yes, both of the boys loved it- it's almost impossible not to! SO GLAD I decided against takeout!!

Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

By Cory

Well, Day 1 on the hard core anti-inflammatory diet has come and gone.  And it wasn't easy.  Kinda sucked, really.  It doesn't help that William's Easter baskets are sitting around the house staring at me.  But I stood strong!  

So - the oatmeal pancakes were a MAJOR fail. Like...an inedible fail.  SO GROSS I can't even stand to look at them fail.  I had carrots, an apple, and a salad of greens and tuna for lunch.  Did not cover me.  For dinner, I made tofu and veggie stirfry.  It turned out pretty well! Steve said it was good - AND that the tofu was good!  He even willingly took leftovers for lunch today!

I  drained and pressed the tofu, then sliced it and browned it in some grapeseed oil.  Then I removed it from the pan (and let the chunks sit in a bowl with soy sauce) and added chopped up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms and cooked them until they were slightly softened.  Then I added the tofu and soy sauce back to the pan and heated it all up until it was hot.  Then served it over rice.

For a snack later that night, I had air popped popcorn.  Today has gone significantly better.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting into the swing of things or if it was because I had to go to the dentist this morning so my tummy was all knotted with anti-dentite anxiety.  But, I had an egg white omelet for breakfast, leftover tofu stir fry for lunch, and am making salmon for dinner.  And - let me tell ya, I can breath out of my nose today and I am totally off all allergy meds.  Winning!  (It could be because it's all cold today, but things are still blooming and thinking that my diet is helping is keeping me strong...so don't rain on my parade.)

fruited jello salad & meal plan (a Jess post)

My Aunt Diane was one of the most important people in my life. Among the wonderful things she made and did was this amazing jello salad. I know, I know... jello. Ick, right? NO. This stuff is incredible. She made it every Easter and it was always my favorite part. When I moved from Ohio, I made sure to get the recipe so I could continue her tradition in my own home. She passed away about a year & a half ago so it's even more important to me now. It's one of the small ways my son will know her even though they never met.

And here is her recipe for you, in case you should ever want a creamy, fruity treat on a special occasion.

Ingredients:
2 small packages strawberry jello
2 c boiling water
2 10 oz packages frozen strawberries, slightly thawed (softened)
1 14 oz can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 11 oz cans mandarin orange segments
1 16 oz container sour cream

Empty jello packets into large bowl and add boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir until strawberries begin to increasingly soften (about a minute).

Add pineapple and oranges, stirring to combine. Pour half of the jello mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and chill until set (about an hour). Chill bowl of remaining jello as well, stirring every 10-15 minutes so it does not set. Once pan of jello has set, evenly spread sour cream over entire dish.

Pour remaining jello mixture on top and spread evenly. Return entire pan to refrigerator and chill an additional hour or more before serving.

Griffin was in HEAVEN with this stuff. Any kid would be. :) It's a good thing too because this recipe makes a LOT (it was enough to feed my whole huge family back home!) so we have TONS of leftovers!

And now here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday- Easter redux (ham, JELLO SALAD!!, asparagus & leftover homemade pierogis)
Tuesday- Greek mahi mahi (this was a leftover meal from last week)
Wednesday- pan fried lemon caper pork chops (ANOTHER leftover recipe. No idea what happened last week. Don't judge.)
Thursday- quinoa "meatballs" & salad (made in my BRAND NEW OVEN!!!!! WOOOO)
Friday- out
Saturday- potluck dinner with friends

Easter Meal Plan

By Cory

Tomorrow starts The Big Change in our diet to shift to being more fully anti-inflammatory.  And I am exhausted.  I have been in the kitchen all night!  (While Steve mopes around on the couch complaining that his tummy hurts.)  I made Serious oatmeal pancakes.  I'm actually a little scared of them.  They are 100% oatmeal - no flour at all.  They are weirdly thick and I have a sneaking suspicion that while the outside in almost to the point of overdone, the inside is not cooked at all.  I will find out for sure tomorrow at 6AM.  I got frozen berries that I am going to leave out all night to thaw to put on top.  For my morning snack at work, I made a trail mix out of toasted walnuts, pepitas, and chopped up dried apricots.  I am hoping to have some leftovers for lunches, but will otherwise be eating tuna on top of mixed greens with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing and some fruit and veg.  All of that is now prepared and waiting for me.  And Steve is SUPER pissed that I "destroyed the kitchen" and says he will not clean it up.  He's probably totally fine and faking his ailment to get out of kitchen cleaning.  This week's dinner meal plan includes...

Monday: Tofu and veggie stir fry (going back to white rice in an attempt to lure Steve into the fold)

Tuesday: Pan seared salmon with roasted root veggies (quick story on why Whole Foods is awesome: I have never made beets and misunderstood the beet pricing.  So when checking out, the checkout guy - super cute, btw - says the beets are sold by the bunch.  I was all, "Oh, ya know, I've never made beets before and I am a little intimated about buying a giant bushel of them, so I'll just put it back."  And he says, "You've never made beets?  Here - it's free, go try beets!  They're so good!" And then proceeded to give me a cool recipe on preparing the greens!  FREE BEET!  What what!)

Wednesday: Soup with rice noodles, veggies, and a few thin slices of chicken

Thursday: out! (this will be a challenge, but I refuse to give up my one night of not cooking...)

Friday: Spaghetti (still using up that sauce!)

Saturday: Taco salad with black beans and corn

roasted vegetable and meatball pappardelle (a Jess post)

It was the world's most perfect spring day today and I think I made the world's most perfect spring dinner. Earlier today we stopped at Rocky Plains Meats to stock up. I did get the grass fed beef for this recipe there, but they also started selling local pasta so we got some wonderful Pappardelle's pappardelle too. Bonus!

I originally found this recipe in Sunset Magazine (which I am currently obsessed with). The only changes I made were to allow for the specific ingredients I had on hand and personal tastes. So here it is:

Ingredients:

for the meatballs-
1 lb. grass fed ground beef
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 c finely chopped flat leaf parsley (I DID actually break down & use fresh this time!)
3/4 tsp each salt & pepper
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 T bread crumbs
1 large egg

for the pasta & vegetables-
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound fingerling potatoes, quartered
3 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
8 oz dried pappardelle pasta
1/2 c frozen peas
1/2 c dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 c roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all meatball ingredients. Scoop into small portions and roll into approximately 1 1/2 inch balls. Chill on a baking sheet until ready to use. In a large bowl, toss onions, potatoes, garlic, salt & pepper with oil until mixed and coated. Arrange potato mixture around meatballs.

Bake until potatoes are tender and meatballs are cooked, approximately 30 minutes. While the potatoes & meatballs are baking, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas during last two minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving some pasta water and return pasta and peas to pot. Stir wine into cooked meatballs & vegetables.

Pour mixture into pasta. Add remaining lemon zest & parsley. Stir to combine, adding pasta water if necessary. Serve & enjoy the warmer, longer days!

Everyone LOVED this. Including Drew despite of the vegetables! And Griffin loved it so much he kept begging for extras from my plate! I really loved the light, fresh flavors. This is a new warm weather favorite!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Cory

In my swan song to sugar, I made the ultimate in deliciousness: oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies.  The things turned out the size of baseballs. This *could* be because I used double stuff oreos (I thought: go big or go home).  I did refrain from triple stuffed, which I did not even know existed before my trip to the devil store (oh, oreo...what will you think of next?)  These aren't even "Newman O's" - I went with the HFCS, god knows what else, chemical-laden, worth-the-cancer legit oreos.  And...man, are they good.  

I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone looking to get diabetes, a tummy ache, or is just serious about their desserts in a nearly competitive way (my BFF Suzanne and Steve had a cookie-off, which they both likely regretted later).  So, for all of the HARD CORE cookie lovers out there, he's how it went down:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar• 1 cup granulated sugar• 2 large eggs• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract• 3 1/2 cups flour• 1 teaspoon salt• 1 teaspoon baking soda• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips• 1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer until well combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In medium bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

Then, make 2 fairly flat chocolate chip cookies by mashing the hell out of the dough between your palms.  Place a delicious, delicious Oreo cookie on top of one cookie and place the other flat-ish chocolate chip cookie on top.  Seal the seams of the two chocolate chip cookies, engulfing the Oreo in even more goodness.

Place onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and bake cookies for approximately 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

potato-leek hash (a Jess post)

Tonight I made potato- leek hash. It is one of my favorite things ever. I originally got the idea from this recipe in Cooking Light, but I have made it about a million times since then in many different iterations. Sometimes I substitute spinach for the chard. Sometimes I use red potatoes or yukon golds instead on fingerlings. Sometimes I use onions or shallots instead of leeks. And I've played with all different kinds of spices and cheeses. Tonight, however, I kept it simple and close to the source.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 large leek, sliced
about 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, divided
salt & pepper
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed & thinly sliced
4 large eggs
1/4 c shredded swiss cheese

heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until leeks have softened significantly & are just starting to brown. Add potatoes and garlic and cook approximately 15 minutes, or until potatoes have become tender. Stir in 1 tsp paprika and salt & pepper to taste. Add chard and cook, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Form 4 wells in the potato mixture and crack an egg into each well. Sprinkle the eggs with the remaining paprika and some salt & pepper. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle entire dish with cheese. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until yolks have set. Serve each person an egg with some potato-leek mixture alongside biscuits or toast. Make sure you scrape up all the good browned bits from the bottom- its where some of the best flavor is!

I love how the creamy egg balances the slightly bitter greens and warm spices. Griffin is lukewarm on this one though. I'm not sure he likes the paprika. And Drew likes it too (at least he always HAS) though now he's claiming he's not a fan of the chard. Such a liar!!

Totally in Flames

They say bread is life. And I bake bread, bread, BREAD.

But - I have been sucking hard core at this whole anti-inflammatory diet business.  I've been doing pretty well about limiting the meat.  But, limiting my delicious, delicious homemade french bread is HARD.  And, don't get me started on my success with limiting dairy and sugar.  Oh, chocolate, sweet nectar of the gods...why must you torture me with your creamy goodness?

So, I am seriously buckling down.  I even called my doctor for a referral to a nutritionist to help me meal plan (as would be expected, she hasn't called me back...the only thing worse than doctors are dentists).  I have been eating my way through all the delicious foods I have in the house so I can restock with anti-inflammatory foods (I'm talking to you, super yummy brownies I had in the freezer).  Steve is not as committed. He goes, "can't we just eat the good stuff now and then die of cancer later?"  William is pretty much OUT.  I told him what was allowed on the anti-inflammatory diet, and he goes, "I'll just drink water."  So, William will clearly be do a modified version.

As a last hurrah before really going at it, I am making chocolate chip cookie covered Oreos for a friend's birthday tomorrow.  I will report the hell out of how good those are.  Then, you should expect sad, sad posts about vegetables and fish....and tears.

Oatmeal Pancakes

My quest for a relatively healthy, hearty breakfast has kicked off to great success!  I made a double batch of oatmeal pancakes yesterday and reheated a couple for breakfast this morning, along with some fruit.  SO GOOD!  And, I think pretty darn easy! I'll share the regular recipe - it doubles nicely....

1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
1/2 cup oats
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk (or buttermilk, but I didn't have any)
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP canola oil
1 egg

Put the oats in a food processor and whir the crap out of them until it's the consistency of flour.  Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Pulse to combine.  Pour in milk, vanilla, oil, and egg. Process until smooth.

It was pretty runny, so I poured it into a liquid measuring cup for easy pouring.  It was so runny, I was actually a bit nervous.  It may be thicker if you used buttermilk?  In any case, they ended up turning out perfectly.  A breakfast to look forward to all week!!

broccoli cauliflower macaroni & cheese (a Jess post)

I am a HUGE fan of comfort food. Almost every week I try to slip something in that is either creamy or cheesy or rich. It's good for the soul even if it isn't always good for my hips. That's why I usually try to slip some kind of vegetable in and/or lighten the recipe a bit with extra flavor as opposed to extra fat (not that fat is always a bad thing). This broccoli cauliflower mac & cheese is one of those comfort foods for sure. Even after a super busy day, one bite in and I immediately heaved a sigh of contentment. And there really isn't THAT much cheese in it, so I don't have to feel bad about my GIANT serving (or the servings I'll be eating every day for lunch this week...)

This mac & cheese is VERY loosely based on this Real Simple recipe. When I've made it in the past, the only veggie I used was cauliflower (which I actually prefer). Drew HATES cauliflower though so I figured I'd throw him a bone and balance it with broccoli, which he does like. So here's what I ended up with:

Ingredients-
12 oz elbow macaroni
3 c roughly chopped cauliflower and broccoli
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper
1 T onion flakes
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
1 T dried Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c seasoned breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta according to directions, adding cauliflower & broccoli during last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain. Toss pasta mixture with oil, salt, pepper, onion flakes & onion powder. Mix in cheeses, sour cream, milk & mustard. Transfer to 9x9 baking dish, top with breadcrumbs & bake until browned (12-15 minutes). Makes apprx. 6-8 servings.

Like I said, I adore this recipe. Griffin loved it too! Drew, on the other hand, despised it. He said he couldn't pick out the cauliflower and the taste made his stomach hurt. He literally had to go eat pretzels to "wash the taste out". SO looks like Griff & I have lots of leftovers to ourselves and it will be BROCCOLI mac & cheese next time. Sigh. He's lucky he's cute and handy.

Meal Plan & Pancakes (a Jess post)

Well, it's been quite an adventure around here lately. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have some idea what I'm taling about. So in the midst of all of these tiny crises, running errands, and just living life, I somehow managed to misplace the meal plan I wrote out. Luckily I already went shopping so I can recollect most of it from the ingredients (insert smiley face).

So here it is. Or what I think it was and so by default is now:

Sunday: cauliflower mac & cheese
Monday: grandma's vegetable beef soup & biscuits
Tuesday: fingerling potato-leek hash & toast
Wednesday: roasted vegetable and mini-meatball pappardelle & salad
Thursday: pan fried lemon caper pork chops (I was supposed to make them this week but never got around to it) & rice
Friday: Greek mahi mahi & salad
Saturday: Chinese take out & Easter egg coloring!
A few of these are family favorites so it should be a fairly easy week... fingers crossed!

I also wanted to post about the pancakes I made the fam for breakfast this morning! I know Cory is planning to share her oatmeal pancakes and I don't want to over-flapjack you, but I figure they're different enough that it's ok and I was so excited about mine, I had to share!

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes (adapted from this recipe at Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:
1 c white all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk
1/4 c sour cream
2 eggs
3 T melted butter (cooled)
cooking spray for greasing the pan

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Gently stir until batter is combined and slightly lumpy. Allow batter to sit for 10 minutes before cooking.

Coat skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Using a small cup or ladle, portion apprx. 1/4 c batter into 3 or 4 areas on skillet. Cook until sides look dry and bubbles form on the top. Flip pancakes over and cook until second side is golden brown. Remove to a warm plate. Repeat until batter is completely used.

These were so good- nice and fluffy- and the whole wheat flour makes it just slightly healthier. Pancakes are hands down Griffin's favorite food so he was thrilled... and even Drew said I am "an amazing cook". I make this shit look easy. Ha! We had lots of leftovers so I think Drew is going to heat them up before work this week. Two birds with one stone!!