product review

I snagged this carton of Silk coconut milk when I found it very on sale at Target (hence the red sticker).  I'd never had it before but it sounded fun to try.

And it was great!  It does have some added sugars and quite a bit of saturated fat due to the coconut milk, but it was a fun and tasty addition to lots of things.  It gave a hint of coconut flavor, not overwhelming or too sweet.  Beck even loved it and said "mmmm" when he drank it. :)  Some of the ways I used it: 

• in my cereal (I mixed it with regular milk)
• homemade coconut pudding - topped with shredded coconut of course
• in raw oatmeal (like cereal)
• poured over fruit crisp (recipe in previous post)
• in greek yogurt (I like to thin it out... it's a little too thick for my likings)

Obviously there are endless ways to use it.  Had my ice-cream machine not konked out on me, I would have likely made coconut ice-cream with it... which sounds so good.  So yes, I recommend picking up a carton and trying it out! 

fruit crisp

Sometimes you just need to have a good dessert after dinner.  Last night was one of those nights.  The peaches and apricots that were past their prime were calling to be eaten, so fruit crisp it was!  I like my fruit crisp with a lot of fruit and a little topping, so that's how this one turned out.  You could make more topping if that's how you like it. 

Fruit:

4 peaches, sliced (I didn't peel mine)

2 apricots, sliced (or just use another peach or other fruit)

1/4 c. chopped dried plums, or other dried fruit

juice from 1/2 a lemon - about 2 T

2 T honey

1 T agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

Combine all ingredients and put in an 8x8 pan or other small baking dish. 

Topping: 

1 c. oats

1/3 c. walnuts, chopped

2 T whole wheat flour

2 T chia seeds (optional)

2 T brown sugar

2 T chilled butter

1 T canola oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients except for butter and oil.  Cut chilled butter into small pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a fork, pastry mixer, or your fingers (the best way :) ) until mixture is crumbly.  Add oil and stir until combined.  Add more oil if mixture is still too dry.

Spread topping over fruit and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.  Serve with ice-cream and coconut (if you like it.. I didn't take time to toast mine, but that would be good).  Serves 6-8 people.

side note:  The version I made wasn't any extra sweet, so if you like it really sweet, add more honey or agave nectar (or sugar).

kale pesto

I saw a recipe somewhere for kale pesto, so when I grabbed a huge bag of kale from Costco, I decided to try it out.  

I love basil, so I usually make basil pesto, but this was a nice change... more of a "tangy" flavor and not quite as rich tasting as basil pesto. 

Mine ended up on a pizza, with roasted grape tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan... very good.  However, it would be good on pasta, a sandwich... anything you would do with basil pesto. 

kale pesto

Recipe: (all in generic measurements)

several handfuls of raw kale, around 2-3 c. (the bag I bought was little baby kale leaves, but if you buy big leaves, remove the tough centers and chop it up)

2 cloves garlic

a generous drizzle of olive oil

a handful of pine nuts

a handful of parmesan cheese

juice from 1/2 a lemon

salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Keep adding a little more of everything until the flavor and consistency is just right.  

I had to start with 1 or 2 cups of kale and then add more after that had blended, since my food processor isn't large enough to hold all of the kale at once... you might need to do the same.    

polenta

Polenta is one of those things that I wasn't afraid to try, just never got around to making it... maybe a little worried that it would just be plain and boring?  I had randomly grabbed one of those packaged logs if polenta at Trader Joe's several months ago and then it just sat in the pantry after that.  After seeing a recipe similar to the one I made in a magazine at the dentist's office, (during a visit that turned out to be not so fun.  I found out that I have a cavity!  my first one!  my pride was shattered, as I thought I would forever be able to brag that I didn't have any cavities :) ) I was inspired to finally make that the night we tried polenta for the first time.  

And it exceeded my expectations!  It was even good plain, without the tomato sauce and just a little salt and olive oil after it was cooked.  I will make it again, in a some new way.  Any recommendations?

polenta rounds with tomato basil sauce

Polenta:

1 log of polenta (or you could figure out to make it the hard way using instant polenta :) )

olive oil

salt

You can make the polenta a variety of ways - bake it in the oven, cook it in a skillet, etc... I chose to cook it on a grill pan over the stove.  If using a grill pan, place the grill pan on the stove and turn the two burners it covers onto medium heat.  Drizzle the pan with a little olive oil.

Cut the log of polenta into ~1/2" slices.  I think I got 9 or 10 slices out of one log.  Once the grill pan is hot (it will sizzle when you put the polenta on the pan if it's ready), put on the polenta and sprinkle slices with salt.  Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until each side is golden and you can see the lines from the grill pan.

Tomato sauce:

4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed & cut into small pieces 

1/3 - 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce (I used up a jar of roasted tomato & garlic)

2 cloves minced garlic

large handful of fresh basil, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Combine roma tomatoes and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil in a sauce pan.  Cook for just a minute or two minutes to warm tomatoes.  Add spaghetti sauce, basil and salt & pepper.  Cook another couple minutes to warm spaghetti sauce.  Tomatoes should be warm and tender but not mushy.  And it should taste very fresh and delicious!

couscous salad

I realized that I've been posting lots of salad recipes lately... must be summer time. :)  This is an easy couscous salad to throw together for lunch or to take to a summer cookout.  The veggies can be changed for whatever you have on hand - peppers, zuchinni, carrots, asparagus, corn, edamame, etc.  I made a cob style version of this salad that had bacon, corn, tomatoes, edamame, walnuts, and blue cheese that went over well at a cookout.

greek couscous salad

Salad:

2 c. Israeli couscous

1/2 can black olives, halved

1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 c. arugula, finely chopped

2 c. blanched green beans (long ones cut in half)

1/4 c. fresh basil, finely chopped

8 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
3 green onions, chopped 

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

handful of pine nuts

Bring 2 1/4 c. water to a boil.  Add couscous and simmer until cousous is al dente, about 8 minutes.  While the couscous cooks, blanch the green beans by bringing some water to a boil (enough to cover the green beans), then adding the green beans and cooking until tender crisp, 3-5 minutes.  Drain the beans and place them in a bowl of ice water to keep them crisp.  Once the couscous is done, drain that as well and rinse with cold water to keep it from sticking together.  Combine couscous, green beans and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Dressing:

2 T. sugar

3 T. red or white wine vinegar

3 T. canola oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Pour over salad and stir until mixed in.  Add more olive oil if salad needs more moisture.

 

asian salad

This recipe was passed along to me from my aunt, who found it quite tasty... and I had to agree with her.  I love asian food and salads, so this was a perfect combination.  The salad dressing is super good and what really makes the salad.  The original recipe's salad toppings were steak, grilled asparagus, red onions, mango, and daikon or radish sprouts, but I didn't have several of those ingredients, so I made my own combination, of course.

steak salad with hoisin vinaigrette

Steak (and asparagus if using):

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp salt

1 lb. steak (called for New York strip, but can use other kinds)

 1 1/2 T. olive oil

1 lb. asparagus

Coat the steak with 1/2 T. of olive oil and spices and set aside for 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours.  Toss the asparagus with the remaining 1 T. olive oil and season with salt & pepper; set aside until ready to grill.

Grill the steaks until grill marks form, or about 5 minutes, then flip and grill about 4 more minutes (steak will be about medium).  Let rest on a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm while the asparagus grills.

Spread the asparagus on the grill (or on a grill pan) and cook about 5 minutes or until tender crisp, turning a couple times while they cook.

Vinaigrette:

3 T. chicken broth or water

2 1/2 T. hoisin sauce

2 T. olive oil

2 T. white or red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp dijon or chinese mustard

1 tsp minced garlic

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix in a blender or with a whisk until smooth.

Salad:

4 - 6 c. watercress or mixed greens

1 large mango cut into thin wedges

1 avocado cut into thin wedges

1/2 c. edamame

1/2 small red onion thinly sliced or green onions

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

handful of chopped peanuts

Daikon, radish, or pea sprouts 

Arrange cress or mixed greens in bowl and top with steak, asparagus, mango, avocado, edamame, and onions.  Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with peanuts, cilantro and sprouts.

asparagus pizza

Yum. Yum. Yum.  I Loved this pizza, and so did my 1 1/2 year old son, but not my husband, so I guess it's not for everyone!

grilled asparagus pizza with goat cheese and pine nuts

If using homemade pizza crust, roll into a thin crust and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.  

While the pizza crust bakes, grill the asparagus.  Once grilled, chop up into 1 inch pieces and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.    

Once the crust is done baking, brush with olive oil and 2-3 cloves minced garlic.  Top with grilled asparagus, pine nuts and goat cheese.  The pizza doesn't need to bake any longer, unless you want to soften the goat cheese.  To soften the cheese, bake just a few minutes on 400.

Recipe for homemade pizza crust:

1 c. lukewarm water

1 package yeast

1 tsp salt

1 T honey

2 1/2 - 3 c. wheat flour

2 T ground flax seed

1/4 c. cornmeal

Pour 1 c. lukewarm water over yeast in a large mixing bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast starts to react and bubble up.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until dough is soft and elastic.  I start with 2 c. flour and add more until the dough is no longer sticky and can be handled.  If you make dough in a mixer or bread machine, it kneeds the dough for you, so no extra kneeding is needed at this point.

Place ball of dough in a large bowl, coated with cooking spray or olive oil and brush the top of the dough with a little olive oil.  Cover with a towel let rise until dough has doubled in size, for about 30-45 minutes.  I can get 2 thin pizza crusts from this recipe.

sweet treat

I found these little nuggets of deliciousness on a fantastic new food blog I just discovered, www.loveandlemons.com.  The cookies were modified from this recipe.  I accidently wrote down the recipe wrong and forgot about the coconut oil, which would have been a good addition, as well as a little coconut... I was also too lazy to shred the carrots, so I left those out. :)  However, the good news is that these cookies have no butter or oil, and they're still very tasty (chocolate chips make all cookies good in my opinion :)).

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Recipe:

1/2 c. almond flour *

1/2 c. oat flour *

1 c. rolled oats

2 T ground flax seed

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

1/3 c. walnuts

1/2 c. dried plums, chopped (or any other dried fruit)

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c. maple syrup

1 egg

3 T plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients.  Bake on greased cookie sheet for 9-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

* I used almond meal instead of almond flour, which is much cheaper and works fine - I found mine at Trader Joe's.  For oat flour, I ground up instant oats in my coffee grinder.

stuffed peppers

I made these little guys for a recent gathering with friends and they went over well.  I used mini peppers, so it took some time to stuff them, but other than that they make for a great appetizer.  And there are many options for how to stuff them... you could do more of a cheesy mixture or a more traditional rice & sausage that you often find in stuffed peppers.

couscous stuffed peppers with tomato sauce

Stuffed peppers:

mini peppers (the filling made enough to stuff about 20 peppers, or 40 halves)

1 c. couscous

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

10-15 sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 c. chopped fresh spinach

couple handfuls of walnuts, chopped

4 oz. goat cheese

1 lemon

2-3 T olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Bring 1 1/4 c. water to a boil.  Add couscous, cover, and set aside for about 5 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and fluff with a fork once fully cooked.

While the couscous cooks, saute the onion, garlic, and sundried tomatoes, and herbs in olive oil until onions are tender (if you have some dry white wine on hand, it would be good to add a little).  Add spinach and cook just until the spinach wilts.  Add onion mixture, walnuts, goat cheese, the juice of one lemon, 2-3 T olive oil, and salt & pepper to couscous.  Stir until combined and add more olive oil if it's too dry.  The mixture should be a moist enough to stick together and stay in the peppers.

Cut peppers in half length ways and remove the stem and seeds.  Fill with couscous mixture and place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until peppers are just tender and the couscous starts to brown a little.

Tomato sauce:

1/2 c. spaghetti sauce (any kind)

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cloves minced garlic

crushed red pepper flakes (add as much as you like, depending on your spice tolerance)

1 tsp dried basil

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Puree with hand blender until diced tomatoes are chopped up.  The sauce will still have some texture and won't be really smooth.  You can top the peppers with the tomato sauce before serving, or let people add their own (I chose to let people add their own, as they are good without the sauce and I made my sauce pretty spicy).