Penne with Brussels Sprouts, Pear and Fontina Cheese

Happy Monday!  I am so excited to tell you all I have joined the "Food Matters Project".  The Food Matters Project was created by Sarah of 20 Something Cupcakes and Kate of Cookie and Kate and is based off of Mark Bittman’s the Food Matters Cookbook.  If you're not familiar, Mark Bittman is a popular and well respected food journalist, and the author of the New York Times column called The Minimalist.  He also regularly appears on my favorite morning show, the Today Show!   His philosophy is simple - eat more plants and eat less animal products and processed foods.  He believes (and so do I) that this food philosophy will positively impact our health and the environment.

“If you swap the basic proportions in your diet—increasing unprocessed fruits, vegetables, legumes, nut, and whole grains—you’ll wind up losing weight and improving your overall health while also improving more difficult-to-measure situations like global warming, the environment in general, and animal welfare.” ~Mark Bittman, The Food Matters Cookbook

Don't get me wrong, I love a bloody piece of filet, and I obviously have a pretty serious relationship with cheese, but I think it makes a lot of sense to go easy on those types of foods, not eliminate them, but just make fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains the star of our meals.  Healthy with an occasional splurge.... it a lifestyle that really works.  Recently I have been eating pretty clean, and therefore not creating the most interesting food blog worthy recipes.  Who wants to read about sauteed kale?  Millet anyone?  But when I decided to join the Food Matters Project, I thought it would be a great way to try out new healthy recipes.

Each week on Mondays, a different member of the Food Matters Project will choose a recipe from the cookbook for the rest of the members to try out and post about.  This first week's choice was made by Marcia at Twenty by Sixty and that choice being Bittman's Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs and Blue Cheese.  Members will also try out the dish, putting their own spin on it.  I decided to swap out pears for figs, and fontina cheese for the blue.  This dish is unusual, and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.  However, if you love brussels sprouts, you will love this!  (Dad, I'm thinking of you!)  The ingredients somehow all come together and work.  For more takes on this recipe, check out the comments here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 oz whole wheat penne

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, roughly chopped 

4 oz Fontina cheese, diced or crumbled

2 ripe pears, chopped

Black pepper

Sea Salt 

1/4 cup chopped almonds, for garnish 

An unusual assortment, right?

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add chopped brussels sprouts to water and cook for another 3 minutes.  Drain and return brussels sprouts and pasta to the pot.  Add pears and fontina cheese, add olive oil and give it a quick stir.  Transfer the ingredients in the pot of a baking dish.  Top with almonds and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Turkey Caprese Panini

Turkey + sun-dried tomato goat cheese spread + red onion + spinach = Turkey Caprese

This panini was inspired by a sandwich at one of my favorite spots in Charlotte, The Common Market.  The Common Market is quirky, eclectic, non-pretentious deli with a large beer and wine selection and a slew of kitschy knick knacks.  They're also dog friendly, and have a awesome outdoor patio.  Excellent for an afternoon with the hubs and the pup.  Love this spot!

I tend to order their turkey caprese over and over again, it's that good.  Over the weekend I was craving it and decided to make my own version.  The secret to this sandwich is the sun-dried tomato and goat cheese spread...  It is definitely why I ordered it the first time, and why I keep going back for it!  Turkey breast, red onion and spinach keep this sandwich fresh and healthy.  When I eat it, I feel good.  You will too.  Give it a shot! :)

Ingredients
serves 1

2 slices hearty whole grain bread
1 oz honey goat cheese
1/2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
4 oz turkey meat
1 tbsp thinly sliced red onion
2 tbsp baby spinach leaves
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Combine goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto in a small bowl.  Spread mixture onto one slice of bread.  Pile turkey, red onion and spinach on the same slice, top with other slice of bread.  Spray each side of the sandwich with a little bit of olive oil (or brush on lightly).  Place panini on a panini maker on medium high heat until bread is toasted and cheese begin to melt (about 3 minutes).

Vanilla Strawberry Pancakes

Things that I love:

my handsome husband
goooey grilled cheeses 
goldendoodle puppies
long flowy maxi dresses
live music
warm weather
sunsets
foreign countries
salty snacks
traveling the world, with my hubby, in a long flowy maxi dress :)
yoga
my family and my other family - my girlfriends
the first cup of coffee of the day
fireplace fires
champagne toasts (or prosecco, my favorite of lately)
all things mini - whisks, baking pans, espresso cups, etc... I am such a sucker for these!

And these moist and fluffy Vanilla Strawberry Pancakes.  I made these for my Valentine this morning...  He loved it!  What are you making for yours?

Ingredients

1 cup of white whole wheat flour
1 cup of skim milk
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp organic vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup slice strawberries

Method

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add the wet ingredients, the milk, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Fold in strawberries.  Heat a saute pan or griddle to medium high heat.  In batches, add pancake batter to pan and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until batter bubbles.  Flip over for another 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.  Happy Valentines Day!  Hope your day is full of love and laughter! Xoxo

Tip: Use a 1/4 measuring cup to create the perfect sized pancakes

White Bean Basil Dip with Whole Wheat Rosemary Flatbread

I once spent a weekend at a friends house who served a white bean pesto dip during happy hour.  I had never had such a dip and instantly fell in love.  When I find a dip that isn't mayonnaise or sour cream based, I get pretty excited.  I despise mayonnaise.   Anyone else out there feel that way?  Yuck. There is something about it, the taste, texture, that will never win me over.  And since it isn't the best for you, I'm not upset.  Alright, enough mayonnaise hate...  I am however a huge fan of white beans, I tend to use them a lot.  They are especially good in a dip!  Add some fresh basil.... and you are at amazing, without any mayonnaise.

I wanted something to dip into this dip with (does that makes sense?), but didn't feel like going to the store last Sunday.  So I decided to whip up some easy flatbread.  I used white whole wheat flour to keep things a healthy as I knew chances were this, and many a glass of Louis Latour's Macon Villages Chameroy (a DIVINE french wine that isn't too expensive) would probably be my dinner.  The secret tastiness is adding chopped rosemary into the the dough. 

  

Ingredients

White Bean Basil Dip

1 can of white beans
1 cup of fresh basil, rinsed
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Rosemary Flatbread
source: Gourmet Magazine 
  
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
1 tbsp chopped rosemary 
1 tsp baking powder 
3/4 tsp salt 
1/2 cup water 
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing 
Sea salt

Method

For the dip, add beans to a food processor, process until the consistency of hummus.  Add fresh basil, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Process until smooth.

For the flatbread.  Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.  In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and a few pinches of sea salt. Place parchment on preheated baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces and enjoy with the white bean and fresh basil dip! 

P.S. The white bean basil dip tastes amazing on a sandwich or wrap the next day for lunch.  Just sayin!  Enjoy! :)

Roasted Salmon with Fennel and Orange Zest

 
Fennel.  I have always wanted to cook with it as I've read so many recipes that use this interesting and foreign-to-me vegetable.  I do know fennel has been classically paired with salmon forever so I was excited to give this complementary flavor combination a try.  Chris and I tend to eat simple and healthy meals, so this was in-line with a usual weeknight dinner.  Also I've observed that fennel is frequently paired with oranges in a salad, so I decided to pair them together with salmon.  All together it turned out delicious!  An orange is zested, juiced and then whisked together with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Half of this zested orange juice is poured over a fennel and sweet onion mixture.  The other half is used to flavor wild salmon as it roasts in the oven.  Serve this with brown rice and a light spinach salad for a healthy, satisfying meal.

Excuse the poor pics this post, taken too late at night :)

Ingredients
serves 2

2 6 ounce pieces of salmon
2 bulbs of fennel, thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp of freshly chopped thyme
1 tbsp fennel leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

salmon before it goes in the oven

Method  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  While oven is preheating, thinly slice fennel and the onion.  Zest orange into a small mixing bowl.  After the orange is zested, squeeze the juice from the orange and add to small mixing bowl.  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with a few pinches of salt.  Whisk together.

In a glass or ceramic baking dish, cover salmon with half of orange zest mixture, chopped thyme and fennel leaves.  Bake covered for 25 minutes.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Add thinly sliced onions and fennel and half of the orange zest juice mixture.  Saute on low heat for about 25 minutes while salmon cooks.  Serve salmon on top of the fennel with a side of brown rice.   Enjoy!

Lemongrass Chicken Soup

It's been a cold (for Charlotte) and very dreary Saturday.  I hate the days when the sun doesn't shine.  And when it rains.  And not to mention when the rain makes my puppy's paws very muddy.  I now have little puppy paw prints all over my floor.  They're kind of cute though....

Rainy days, however, are good for making soup.  This recipe was inspired by an Asian stand at our farmers market which periodically has fresh lemongrass on sale.  I bought some before and it just sat in my fridge.  But for a dollar, I can't resist purchasing it in hopes I'll make something wonderful.  This time, I decided to use the lemongrass to create a soup, and it's wonderful.  Lemongrass has to be one of the best natural scents in the world.  I'll let you in on a little secret - it makes your entire kitchen smell like a luxurious spa...

This flavorful lemongrass soup gives you a taste of an authentic Thai or Vietnamese recipe, but without using all the hard-to-find ingredients.  If I could get my hands on some kaffir lime leaves... that would be a different story.  So, instead I used ingredients already common to your kitchen. The fresh Asian flavors of lemongrass, lime, fish sauce, and soy sauce pull this dish together.   Chicken stock and coconut milk are the base for shredded chicken breast and brown rice.  Long noodles also could be substituted, but again, I wanted to keep it simple and used what I had on hand.   To learn how to chop lemongrass, check out these tips.  In the end, I added a Thai red chili to the soup, which really gave it some heat (and is great for boosting your metabolism).  My husband says that words don't give justice to the tastiness of this dish.  Overall, this soup is comforting, healthy and packed with flavor... such a treat on a dreary day!

Ingredients

2 stalks of lemon grass, chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 cups of chicken broth (I used organic 99% fat free)
1 large chicken breast or two smaller chicken breasts
2 cups of brown rice
1 cup of broccoli florets
1/2 cup of sugar snap peas
1 1/2 cups of mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 can of lite coconut milk
1 red thai chilli
 juice of 1 lime, plus additional lime pieces for garnish
fresh basil for garnish

Method

Prepare rice according to package instructions.  In a food processor, combine lemongrass and ginger and process till finely chopped.  In a large sauce pan, heat chicken broth on high until it boils.  Reduce heat, add lemongrass, ginger and your chicken breast.  Cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat until chicken is done.  Remove chicken and shred with two forks on a cutting board.  Add shredded chicken back to the pot.

Next, add all of your veggies, including the Thai chili.  Slowly add the coconut milk and reduce heat.  Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Top with fresh basil and additional lime.  Enjoy!