healthy-ish

Carrot Miso Soup

2012-01-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

My grade school music class experience was traumatic, but it did give me this gem (which gets stuck in my head every time I eat a carrot):

Donkeys like to munch on carrots

Carrots don’t like that at all

Hee Haw Hee Haw

Listen to that silly call

Anywho…January is National Carrot Month. Could there be a better way to celebrate than eating this delicious carrot miso soup and singing about donkeys and carrots? I think not.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large onion, diced

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

1 generous tbsp. grated fresh ginger (Okay, I confess. We don’t even measure. We just grate it into the pot. Deb, the Smitten Kitchen guru, recommends 1 to 2 tbsp.)

At least ¼ cup gluten-free miso paste (We used South River Chickpea Miso.)

Sesame oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring until the onion is soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).

2. Add the vegetable broth and ginger. Cover and simmer, peeking and stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender (about 30 minutes).

3. Remove from heat and blend. (We highly recommend using an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one and insist on making this soup before you get one, blend in batches in your blender.)

4. Scoop ½ cup of the soup into a small bowl. Add the miso and whisk.

5. Pour the miso-soup mixture into the big pot of soup and stir to combine.

6. Ladle into individual bowls and, if you want, drizzle with sesame oil and top with scallions. We had a minor miscommunication about the scallions so our soup was scallion-less, but I think they’d make a tasty addition—even tastier, perhaps, if you were to sauté the scallions briefly in the sesame oil before plopping them on the soup. (I added a few Mary’s Gone Crackers to my soup. I thought it was delicious, but I’ve been informed that some people think Mary’s Gone Crackers taste like burnt seeds.)

Warm Rice Salad

2012-01-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

This is yummy—really really yummy. There are lots of different textures and flavors and it’s just awesome. Make it. Eat it. Thank me.

[Adapted from “Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef” (the book)]

1 cup black rice

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced plus ½ a medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced

2 cups water

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, peeled and diced

¼ cup sunflower seeds

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. minced shallot

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. stone ground mustard

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. EVOO

1. Combine the rice, sliced onion (from the ½ onion), butter and water in a large saucepan over high heat.

2. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer until the rice is done (and the water is gone), about 20 minutes.

3. Heat 2tbsp. EVOO in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions (from the full onion) and the garlic and cook, stirring every once in a while, until the onion is translucent (about 10 minutes). Stir in the rosemary and cook until you can smell it (about a minute).

4. Combine white wine vinegar, mustard and the itty bitty bit of shallot in a food processor. Process and—while you’re processing—slowly pour the ¾ cup EVOO into the food processor. Blend for about 2 minutes.

5. Dump the avocado and tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the rice, sautéed onions and the sunflower seeds. Toss.

6. Drizzle the white wine vinaigrette on each individual serving. (Frankly, I like it with and without the dressing so, ya know, taste it before you dress it.)

Sausage, Mushroom and Potato Gratin

2012-01-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

Sausage, mushroom, potato, cheese…This is so not my thing. It sounds so meaty and cheesy, so “hearty.” I don’t typically go for hearty fare, but something magical happens when you sprinkle this dish with fresh thyme—it becomes, well, delicious.

THIS is comfort food.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

2 Italian (or spinach and garlic) turkey or turkey sausages, casings removed and sausages sliced

1 tbsp. butter

2 large yellow onions, roughly diced

2 portabella caps, de-gilled and sliced

1 ½ lbs red potatoes, coarsely chopped

½ cup chicken broth

¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1. Preheat oven to 400° and spritz baking dish with oil.

2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until browned (about 5 minutes). Remove the sausage from the skillet. (If there’s grease in the pan, drain it and wipe the skillet down with a paper towel.)

3. Add the butter to the skillet.

4. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and sauté, stirring, for about 4 minutes.

5. Add the portabellas and cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes.

6. Add the potatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (about 5 minutes).

7. Add the sausage and chicken broth to the skillet and remove from heat.

8. Dump the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

9. Sprinkle with cheese.

10. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.

11. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or so (until the cheese is golden).

12. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Gluten-Free Popovers

2012-01-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

Did you know that popovers get their puffiness from steam? (That little factoid will be in the next edition of Things I Learned, but who knows when I’ll actually get around to posting that…)

Popovers used to be a Christmas morning tradition. Then I went gluten-free and ruined everything. And then I saved the day by finding a recipe for gluten-free popovers that are just as awesomely delicate and delicious as the real thing. And we all lived happily ever after. The end.

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose flour

¼ tsp. xanthan gum

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ cup skim milk

4 eggs

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400° and grease 12 cups of a popover pan or muffin pan.

2. Combine milk, butter and eggs in a blender. Mix on medium speed until well-combined.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, xanthan gum and salt.

4. Add the flour mixture to the blender and blend at medium-high until the batter is smooth.

5. Fill each muffin/popover cup about 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes.

6. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake for 10 minutes, until the popovers brown.

7. King Arthur says: remove from the oven and let the popovers rest for 5 minutes before serving. I say: remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Roasted Feta

2012-01-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

You know you’ve been slacking when your mother (who RARELY reads your blog) sends you a one line email saying “nothing since November?!?!?”

For the record, I’ve only been slacking on Healthy-ish (and Mauka to Makai) because I’ve been insanely busy with other things. Alas, my need for sleep is no reason to deny you the deliciousness you deserve. And so, behold…deliciousness:

(Adapted from Food52)

8 oz. slab of Feta (ideally, the local stuff)

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. honey

Dip-ables: I highly recommend sliced pears, but apples or crackers or pieces of pita would be good too.

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Blot the Feta dry and place it in a small oven-to-table dish. Cover the Feta with the olive oil.

3. Bake until the Feta is soft and springy, but not melted, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on the broiler.

4. Microwave the honey until it’s pourable (no more than 30 seconds) and then pour it over the feta.

5. Broil until the top of the cheese starts to brown and bubble, but not burn.

6. Serve immediately.

Things I Learned: 11/29/11

2011-11-29T14:03:00.000-05:00

-T-rex didn’t run. Because it had strong buttocks and weak ankles, it power walked.

-The Egyptian vulture has a yellow head because it eats poop.

-Surficial is a word. It means of or pertaining to the earth’s surface.

-A group of starlings is a murmuration.

-A “mean sidereal day” is the period of time during which the earth makes one revolution on its axis relative to a particular star. (23 hrs, 56 min, 4.09 sec)

-Rabbit hopping is a sport. And FYI: The world record in high jump is 39.17 inches by a Danish rabbit named Tosen. Yaboo, who’s also Danish, has the long jump record with 9.84 feet.

-Delicata squash and sweet dumpling squash are the same squash, in different shapes.

-The woman’s voice in all airport announcements comes from a real person—and she lives in Maine.

-Janet Reno is 6’1”.

-The Astros are moving to the American League.

-Moose calves are born without any bacteria in their systems so mamma moose lick their babies incessantly to give them bacteria.

-Orogeny is the process of the earth’s crust smashing together to make mountains.

-Two hundred years ago there were 27 letters in the alphabet. The last letter was & (the symbol for “and”). Because ending the alphabet with “X, Y, Z and and” sounds funny, people called the & “per se and” and finished the alphabet by saying “X, Y, Z and per se and.” Eventually “and per se and” became ampersand. (And at some point it was booted from the alphabet.)

-22 people invented the incandescent bulb before Thomas Edison.

Pumpkin Flan

2011-11-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

We went to El Camino for my birthday (in October) and had an amazingly delicious organic, local, gluten-free meal (as usual) and an amazingly delicious gluten-free dessert (also, as usual) and then something magical happened. I asked the server if she had any idea how to make the amazingly delicious pumpkin flan I’d just eaten and she said, “sure, wanna look at the recipe?”

Of course I did. So I did. And then I made it. And it was AWESOME—so awesome that we’re having it again on Thanksgiving. And I’m sharing it now in case you want to do the same.

(Adapted from “Fresh From Maine: Recipes and Stories from the State’s Best Chefs”)

¾ cup plus 1/3 cup organic sugar, divided

½ cup water

1 1/3 cup skim milk

½ cup heavy cream

4 large eggs

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

whipping cream

maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 300° and place ramekins in a 9 x 13 deep baking dish.

2. In a small saucepan (ideally, one with a spout), combine ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup water.

3. Bring the sugar and water mixture to a boil and continue to boil until the mixture turns a light amber color.

4. Pour equal amounts of the caramel into the ramekins.

5. Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until well blended.

6. Add milk, cream, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar pumpkin pie spice and vanilla to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.

7. Bring the mixture to a simmer (but not a boil!) and pour the hot mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly.

8. Transfer the almost-flan mixture to a bowl with a spout. (Hold on! If you have a fine mesh sieve, strain the almost-flan through the sieve on its way into the bowl. We don’t have a fine mesh sieve…)

9. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins.

10. Pour boiling water into the baking dish so that the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish with foil.

11. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center of the flan still has a slight jiggle.

12. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to cool a bit before serving (or cool completely before refrigerating).

13. Whip the whipping cream to turn it into whipped cream.

14. To serve, run a knife along the edge of the ramekin. Place an upside-down plate on top of the ramekin and flip, keeping the plate and the ramekin in contact. Gently pull the ramekin straight up off the plate—the flan should remain on the plate like a sand-castle.

15. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. (We skipped the maple syrup because we don’t have an appropriate drizzling tool.)

Maple Pots de Creme

2011-11-18T15:41:00.000-05:00

Pots de crème, pudding, mousse, custard, flan, crème brulee… What’s the difference? Is crème brulee a pot de crème with a torched top? Is flan a pot de crème sans pot? It doesn’t matter. (Except that it does. If you know the answer, please enlighten me.)

What matters is Pete’s love of maple syrup. I like maple syrup, but Pete LOVES it—in a way that only native Quebecers and native Vermonters do. Because I love Pete and Pete loves maple syrup, I made these creamy cups of maple-y goodness.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

½ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 ¾ cups half-and-half

½ tsp. ground ginger

dash of ground cloves

2 short cinnamon sticks

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Add maple syrup, brown sugar and egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine.

3. Add half-and-half, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks and vanilla extract to a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

4. Cook the half-and-half mixture until it reaches that critical pre-boiling phase where bubbles start to form around the edge.

5. Slowly add the half-and-half mixture to the maple syrup mixture, whisking constantly.

6. Pour everything back in the saucepan and reduce the temperature to medium.

7. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken (at least 2 minutes).

8. Remove from heat and (carefully) pluck the cinnamon sticks out of the mixture.

9. Divide the mixture (I suppose this would be the crème) evenly among 8 ramekins.

10. Put the ramekins in a 9 x 13 metal baking pan and add about an inch of hot water to the pan.

11. Bake for 1 hour (or more…), until the center loses most of its jiggle. (See note below.)

12. Cool completely at room temperature.

13. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

NOTE: They never stopped jiggling. I baked my little pots for 90 minutes and finally gave up. I suspect the excessive jiggle was due to my last minute substitution for the half-and-half: I used about ½ cup heavy cream and enough skim milk to reach 1 ¾ cups. They were still yummy!

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese

2011-11-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

There was no way to make this look attractive. We tried...

This dish is kinda crazy and totally delicious. Like traditional mac and cheese, it certainly falls in the comfort food category, but it’s so much more complex (in a good way). You can actually taste the individual ingredients, but they go together really well. It’s hard to describe. Try it. You’ll like it.

(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

olive oil

bunch of basil leaves (a couple handfuls)

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 slices of hearty bread (we used Udi’s Gluten-Free Millett-Chia bread)

1 small head of broccoli, roughly chopped

4 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

1 ¾ cups shredded white cheddar cheese

1 ¾ cups shredded Gruyere cheese

1 package brown rice penne or macaroni (if you’re not gluten-free, go with whole wheat noodles)

1. Preheat oven to 400° and make sure you’ve got a rack set in the center.

2. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the squash is golden brown.

3. Place bread on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for a couple minutes. The goal is to stale-ify (ie. dry out) the bread, not toast it.

4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cheddar and gruyere. Set aside.

5. Combine the now-stale bread, the broccoli, half the basil and a “glug” of olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until it’s a fine crumb mixture.

6. Transfer the crumb mixture to a bowl and set aside. Rinse the food processor.

7. Toss the rest of the basil and all of the grape tomatoes into the food processor. Pulse until it’s well-mixed.

8. Add the tomato-basil mixture to the cheese and sour cream mixture. Stir to combine.

9. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Drain (reserving a little pasta water, just in case).

10. Dump the pasta into a casserole dish. Add the squash and the cheese mixture. Stir it up until the cheese sauce coats the pasta and the squash is evenly distributed. (If you prefer a runnier cheese sauce, add the reserved pasta water.)

11. Top with the green breadcrumbs and bake until the breadcrumbs are crunchy, about 25 minutes.

Not Bananas Foster

2011-11-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

Bananas Foster is an iconic American dessert invented in New Orleans in 1951. It’s a dramatic dessert—the kind that involves flames. This does not involve flames (or the alcohol required to create the flames). This is not Bananas Foster (even though that’s what Cooking Light calls it). It’s a super-easy, super-tasty caramelly banana dessert. If you’re looking for the real thing, go to the place it was invented: Brennan’s Restaurant. If you just want dessert, here:

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

2-4 bananas, sliced (and peeled, obviously)

6 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. (plus a wee bit more) orange juice

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1. Combine brown sugar, orange juice and butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and cook until the mixture begins to bubble, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the bananas to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the bananas start to get mushy (about 2 minutes).

3. Plop some Greek yogurt into a bowl. Top with the banana mixture and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Muffins with Raisins

2011-11-02T13:11:00.000-04:00

My initial feelings on this recipe were mixed. Sweet potatoes? Yum! Sweet potatoes in muffin form? Enh. I wasn’t so sure about the whole vegetable-based baked goods concept…and then I remembered carrot cake. (How could I forget carrot cake?) Putting carrots in cake was a brilliant idea, therefore making muffins out of sweet potatoes must be equally ingenious. Fantastic logic, eh?

Well, it turns out that making muffins out of sweet potatoes resulted in something that had the taste and texture of a biscuit, but was shaped like a muffin. They were good, but a little dry and a little boring. So I added raisins and a bit of cinnamon and they were YUMMY! (So yummy that there’s no photographic proof of their existence. The photo above is of the original sweet potato muffins.)

(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe in Runner’s World)

2 ½ cups gluten-free all purpose flour

¾ cup organic sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. cinnamon (might add more next time)

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ cup melted unsalted butter*

¼ cup vegetable oil*

1 large sweet potato (cooked and mashed)

1 egg, beaten

½ cup fat-free buttermilk (or equivalent…we used skim milk with lemon juice, but plain yogurt might work as well)

¾ cup raisins

*Note: I would usually substitute applesauce for at least some of the butter and oil, but we were out of applesauce.

1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a muffin tin.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix.

3. Add melted butter, oil, sweet potato, egg and buttermilk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until combined.

4. Continue mixing as you gradually add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture. Mix until just combined.

5. Add raisins and stir until they’re reasonably evenly distributed.

6. Pour batter into muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes.

Celery Salad

2011-10-28T13:47:00.000-04:00

We just made this for lunch. (Yes, working from home is awesome.) It was delicious with celery fresh from our CSA.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

celery, washed and diced

walnuts, toasted and chopped

shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. lemon juice

(Quantities of walnuts and Parm really depend on how much celery you have. We used 3 very small bunches of celery, about 2/3 cup of walnuts and about ½ cup of cheese.)

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Serve.

Things I Learned: 10/25/11

2011-10-25T16:59:00.000-04:00

-The Ancient Egyptians invented bowling

-Some dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia use conch shells to catch fish.

-Superior canal dehiscence syndrome, an inner ear disorder caused by a small hole in the bone covering part of the inner ear, causes every sound within the body to be amplified. (People with this disorder can hear their eyeballs move.)

-Wooly rhinos, which lived in what is now Tibet about 1 million years before the Ice Age, had large flat forward-leaning front horns that most likely acted as snow shovels.

-Niacin deficiency causes pellagra, a shriveling disease the Italians got from eating too much polenta (which is made from corn, which is deficient in niacin). Native Americans also ate a lot of corn, but they planted their corn with beans, which are loaded with niacin.

-Thomas Jefferson brought dried pasta to America.

-The model T was offered in colors until 1914 when Henry ford discovered that black paint dried faster.

-Fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than fleas that live on a cat.

-“Thriller” was originally titled “Starlight.”

-People’s tolerance for grossness (measured by their response to images of gross things like a man eating worms) is linked to their political views. People who were more disgusted by gross images tended to be more conservative. Study subjects who opposed gay marriage tended to exhibit the deepest levels of disgust for the images.

-Last year, 25% of the bras sold in intimacy boutiques were size G or larger.

-Dueling is legal in Paraguay (as long as both parties are registered blood donors).

-Personal drug use is not a criminal offense in Portugal.

-In Kentucky, it’s illegal for a human female to appear in a bathing suit on a highway unless she’s a) escorted by at least two police officers; b) armed with a club; c) lighter than 90 pounds or d) heavier than 200 pounds. A female horse can appear in a bathing suit on a highway without any of these silly restrictions.

-Shorter lower legs allow animals (modern mammals and Neanderthals) to maneuver over mountainous terrain more efficiently than those with longer lower legs.

-It’s illegal to plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina.

Grilled Cheese Steaks

2011-10-21T17:53:00.000-04:00

This really doesn’t need an introduction.

(Adapted from “Bobby Flay’s Grill It!”)

Grass-fed steak

2 tbsp. Olive oil plus more to brush on the steak before grilling

7 tbsp. unsalted butter (don’t freak, you won’t use it all)

3-4 cloves of garlic, roasted*, peeled and smushed

sliced gluten-free baguette (or French bread)

aged provolone cheese, sliced (you want equal numbers of cheese slices, bread slices, and steak slices)

3 large yellow onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Parsley Oil (optional)

We found the dish to be too oily with this, but the parsley did add a nice flavor. If you want to try it, combine the following:

¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

½ cup EVOO

*To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 300°. Place unpeeled garlic cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and seal up the packets. Cook until the garlic is soft, 45 minutes to an hour.

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes (until the onions are soft and caramelized).

3. Heat grill to high.

4. Brush both sides of the steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 4-5 minutes (until golden brown and slightly charred), then flip and grill for 6-7 minutes.

5. Transfer steak to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining butter (5 tbsp.) with the roasted garlic.

7. Spread garlic butter on one side of each slice of bread.

8. Grill the bread, butter side down, until golden brown (1-2 minutes). Flip, then top each slice with a piece of cheese and grill until the cheese melts (30 seconds or so).

9. Plate the bread, top with caramelized onions and a slice of steak. (Drizzle with parsley oil if you so desire.)

Gluten-Free Baguette

2011-10-20T18:22:00.000-04:00

All recipes posted on this blog undergo rigorous quality testing. If a dish lacks the awesomeness that we expect, it doesn’t get posted. No exceptions—except this one. This bread is very very good, but we think it could be better. We will better-ify it (sure, “improve” would be appropriate there, but I like better-ify) and then we will post the better-ified recipe. BUT for now, it is imperative that we share this recipe so you have an appropriate surface on which to serve the amazingly delicious cheese steaks we’ll be sharing tomorrow.

(from “125 Best Gluten-Free Bread Machine Recipes”)

2 cups brown rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

2 tsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups water

2 tsp. cider vinegar

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Add the water, cider vinegar and egg whites to the bread machine baking pan. Start the “Dough Cycle” and gradually add the dry ingredients to the bread machine baking pan.

3. Let the bread machine do its kneading thing, but as soon as it stops kneading, turn off the bread machine (the “Dough cycle” won’t be finished).

4. Remove the dough and split it into two lumps.

5. Get your hands wet and shape the lumps into baguettes and place the baguette-shaped lumps on a lightly greased, parchment-paper lined baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.

6. Use a knife to make three to four diagonal slits (about ¼-inch deep) in each loaf.

7. Walk away. (Let the dough rise for an hour, preferably in a warm, draft-free place.)

8. Preheat oven to 425°.

9. Bake for 20-23 minutes.

4-Ingredient Bars and a Prudish Carrot

2011-10-03T15:27:00.001-04:00

Under normal conditions, I like easy recipes. When I only have a couple hours between finishing a half marathon and arriving at a baby shower to which I’ve promised to bring baked goods, I really like easy recipes. This one fit the bill for yesterday’s craziness.

(Adapted from Friesencold)

3 brown bananas, mashed

2 cups gluten-free oats

½ cup chopped dates (without pits)

½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch springform pan (or a 9” x 9” pan).

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

3. Press mixture into pan.

4. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. Cool and then cut into bars.

A Prudish Carrot

Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

2011-09-03T16:28:00.000-04:00

Despite what everyone’s saying, summer is not over. We have three more weeks of it, dammit! To celebrate the fact that it’s still summer, we bring you this awesomely delicious salad, which just happens to taste like summer.

(Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)

½ cup quinoa

1 lb. or so green beans, trimmed

½ cup or so sliced almonds, toasted

¼ cup EVOO

3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. honey

1 clove garlic

handful of fresh basil leaves

zest from 1 lemon

1. Cook quinoa. (In a saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 cup of water. Cover. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and cook for about 15 minutes.)

2. Steam the green beans.

3. Combine EVOO, white balsamic, honey, garlic, basil and lemon zest in food processor and process into dressing-consistency.

4. Combine quinoa, green beans, almonds and dressing in a large bowl. Toss to combine.

Things I Learned: 8/25/11

2011-08-25T18:31:00.001-04:00

I’m still learning things, but I’m changing the rules because:

1. It’s my project.

2. I can’t count (If you’ve trained with me, you know this) and therefore have no idea if I’ve actually learned enough things to account for the time between my last list and now.

3. As you all probably know, I have ADHD. Is it reasonable to ask an ADHD kid to restrict herself to learning a single new thing a day (or to ask her to remember to write down that single new thing)? Hell no.

So here’s some stuff I learned. Enjoy it.

-Multisport started in Mission Bay, CA where the San Diego Track Club started swimming before and after their run workouts.

-James Bond (the fictional one) is named after a real ornithologist. And he’s “007” because that was the number of the bus Ian Fleming took to the local bar.

-The dictionary definition of dork is: 1.) a dull, slow-witted or socially inept person; 2.) a penis.

-One theory of the origins of tennis scoring says that the scores were based on a clock face that was used on the court. Each point was worth a quarter of the clock face (15, 30, 45, 60). The first player to reach 60 won, but to make it so that a player would have to win by more than one point, they introduce “deuce,” changed the 45 to a 40 and awarded 10 points for each point after deuce.

-The origin of the term “love” for zero in tennis may come from the French term l’oeuf (the egg) or from the belief that players have “love for each other” at the start of the match when both scores are at zero.

-Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs, NY by a chef named George Crum, who sent the chips to a diner complaining that his French fries were too thick.

-The first cows brought to America landed at what is now Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park in South Berwick, ME.

-In MA, it’s illegal to frighten a pigeon.

-In Waterville, ME, it’s illegal to blow your nose in public.

-Potatoes come from Peru.

- Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the LA Dodgers, invented the high five in 1977. Burke was also the first Major League Baseball player to come out (after he retired in 1980).

-August is admit you’re happy month.

-Cigüeña means stork in Spanish.

-August 13 was national lefthanders day

-After the BP oil spill oil evaporated and ended up in clouds…and then it rained oil (or at least hydrocarbons).

-If a rat’s whisker is stimulated for 4 minutes following a stroke, the blood will seek alternate routes around the blockage, therefore preventing brain damage.

-El Paso, Texas and Antarctica were right next to each other before Pangaea broke apart.

-You can tell the age of freshwater mussels by counting the rings on their shells. (Confession: I may have known this.)

-Friday, August 26 is national dog day.

-Lager is fermented for longer and at lower temperatures than ale.

-Greater flamingos enhance their pink color using carotenoid pigments secreted by a preening gland on their butts.

-Flamingos have salt glands that enable them to excrete excess salt.

-Flamingos are filter feeders: They submerge their heads upside down, using their upper bills as ladles and their tongues as pistons that pump water (and food) into their bills and squirt water out.

-Flamingos stand on one leg to stay warm.

-Flamingos show “handedness.” When they curve their neck behind them (to stay warm), most curve to the right, but some (the left-neckers) curve to the left.

-Flamingo chicks are more likely to survive if they are surrounded by chicks born on the same day.

Key Lime Pie-ish Fro Yo Sandwiches

2011-08-23T16:53:00.000-04:00

(Adapted from Hungry Girl)

½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 ½ tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. lime juice

graham crackers (we used gluten-free graham crackers, which come in one flavor—graham—but the original recipe called for cinnamon graham crackers)

1. Combine the yogurt, sugar and lime juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

2. Cover and freeze for about 30 minutes.

3. Make sandwiches and freeze for 45 minutes or so, until they reach your desired firmness. (In my opinion, 1 hour in our freezer was too long.)

Gluten-Free Lemon-Raspberry Cake

2011-08-12T17:52:00.000-04:00

This was Pete’s second birthday cake. Actually, he shared this cake with our friend Mike, hence the “69”—Mike turned 35 and Pete turned 34 so the only logical number to put on top of the cake was 69.

Anyway, the cake…WOW. This was one amazing cake. It reminded me of our wedding cake (from Cakes for Occasions), which was quite possibly the best cake I’ve ever had (and was not gluten-free).

(Adapted from The Cookbook Chronicles, via Gluten-free girl and the chef)

For the cake:

½ cup sorghum flour

½ cup white rice flour

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup potato starch

¾ tsp. xanthan gum

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs

1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

3 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. orange extract

½ cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease (lightly, with canola oil spray) and line two 9” cake pans.

2. Combine the four flours, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk.

3. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

4. Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, on at a time, mixing thoroughly after adding each egg.

5. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and orange extract to the stand mixer. Beat in the dry ingredients and then add the sour cream. Beat until everything is combined.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown.

7. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

For the lemony center:

Lemon curd (click here for the recipe)

For the frosting:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

12 oz. light cream cheese

1 ½ cups icing sugar

¼ cup raspberry jam

¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. orange extract

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixture and beat until smooth.

To put it all together:

Smother the top of one cake with the lemon curd. Place the second cake on top and smother the whole delicious creation with the raspberry frosting.

Spinach-Pesto Lasagna

2011-08-11T17:22:00.000-04:00

THIS is delicious. And when I say “delicious,” I mean so friggin’ delicious that my mouth is watering just a bit as I think about it. If you like pesto, make this now.

(Adapted from Women’s Health)

Nino’s pesto (click here for the recipe)

2 cups (or so) part-skim ricotta cheese

9 lasagna noodles (We use gluten-free noodles, which means we have to cook them first. Go ahead and do that no-boil thing if your noodles allow.)

2 cups cooked chopped spinach, drained

Shredded parmesan cheese

Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 350° and drizzle a lasagna pan with olive oil.

2. Whisk the pesto and ricotta together in a medium bowl, adding just enough ricotta so that the mixture maintains a green tinge when thoroughly combined.

3. Place three noodles on the bottom of the pan and spread half the pesto mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, top with half the spinach and sprinkle with mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles, then most of the remaining pesto, some parm, the rest of the spinach and some mozzarella. Top it off with a final layer of noodles, what little remains of the pesto mixture and a whole lotta mozzarella.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Chard with Sherry Vinegar and Walnuts

2011-08-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

We get a lot of chard from our awesome CSA. Chard is great (and super healthy), but we can only eat Chard with Feta so many times before we go crazy. So we’re trying out some new chard recipes. Here’s the first one. It’s quite tasty—rather ugly, but quite tasty.

(Adapted from 3/GO Triathlon)

Heaping ½ cup raisins (maybe closer to ¾ cup)

2 tbsp. sherry vinegar

lots of chard, de-stemmed, leaves sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ cup (a hefty ¼ cup) walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine the raisins, sherry vinegar and ¼ cup boiling water. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.

3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the raisins from the liquid and dump the raisin liquid into the heated pot.

4. Add the chard to the pot.

5. Add the red onion and salt to the chard and lower the heat to medium. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until the onion and chard are tender. (The original recipe said to cook for 10-12 minutes, but the chard was already starting to look dead after 5 minutes.)

6. Add raisins and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

7. Top with walnuts and serve.

Flourless Chocolate Banana Cake

2011-08-02T15:57:00.000-04:00

This was the first of Pete’s two birthday cakes. It was awesomely delicious and insanely easy to make—and it was perfectly attractive until some idiot (me) put the candles in the cake while it was still warm.

(Adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

3 eggs, separated

¼ tsp. sea salt

½ cup agave nectar

¼ cup canola oil

3 brown bananas, mashed

heaping ½ cup cacao powder

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Combine egg yolks, agave and salt in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add oil and banana and blend again until combined.

4. Add cacao powder…and blend.

5. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until they form stiff peaks.

6. Gently fold the contents of the blender into the bowl with the egg whites.

7. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

*It’s quite tasty topped with a dollop of Banilla yogurt.

Why we eat what we eat

2011-07-18T14:08:00.000-04:00

Why don't we eat much meat?

This sums it up quite nicely: EDF's Meat Eater's Guide

Sweet and Sour Tofu Skewers

2011-07-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

It’s still hot. You’re still hungry. How ‘bout more kebabs? (Note: The word kebab (also spelled “kabob”) should not be confused with the word haboob. Trust me, you don’t want to eat a haboob.)

(Adapted from Women’s Health)

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into skewerable cubes

2 medium zucchini, cut into skewerable chunks

1 pineapple, cut into skewerable chunks

1 large red onion, cut into skewerable chunks

2 red bell peppers, cut into skewerable chunks

1 tbsp. maple syrup

3 tbsp. ketchup

½ tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. Asian chili sauce

8 skewers (soaked in water for 20 minutes if wooden)

1. Preheat grill to medium high and assemble skewers: tofu, zucchini, pineapple, onion, red pepper. (Use whatever order you want, as long as the skewerables stay on the skewers.)

2. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce.

3. Brush about half of the glaze on the skewered food and grill, turning occasionally, until everything is lightly charred and the vegetables are at least a little bit soft.

4. Brush the remaining glaze on the food and eat.

Lemon-Garlic-Marinated Chicken and Grape Skewers

2011-07-13T13:49:00.000-04:00

It’s hot. You’re hungry. Here’s a recipe.

(Adapted from “So Easy”)

2 tbsp. olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

finely grated zest from 1 lemon (at least ½ tsp.)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. salt

skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into skewerable cubes (the original recipe calls for 1lb. of chicken, but of course chicken never comes in 1 lb. packages…just use one package.)

8 skewers (soaked in water for 20 minutes if wooden)

1 ½ cups seedless green grapes

1. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and salt in a bowl. Whisk.

2. Transfer marinade to a zip-top bag and add chicken. Seal and squish to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (up to 5 hours).

3. Thread chicken and grapes onto skewers, alternating grape-chicken-grape-chicken, etc.

4. Preheat grill to medium high and prep with cooking spray.

5. Grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

A Small Dose of Things I Learned

2011-06-28T16:25:00.000-04:00

-We get NESN!

-Fingernails grow about three times faster as toenails

-The places where bats hibernate are called “hibernacula”

-Sugoi means incredible in Japanese

-SPF 15 blocks 95% of the sun’s rays and SPF 30 blocks 97% of the sun’s rays

-There’s such a thing as funeral college.

-Hailstones are loaded with bacteria called P. syringae, which causes water to freeze at warmer than normal temperatures. The bacteria uses hail to damage the cell walls of plants so it can eat the inside.

-An aggregation of whale sharks is called an “afuera,” which means “outside” in Spanish.

-To attract females, male alligators use their lungs to produce an infrasound that causes the male to vibrate, creating waves in the water just above his back.

-Wild hamsters exist, but there are only 800 or so left in France.

-Sprouts hold bacteria in their seeds.

-Olives and acai are “drupes,” or pitted fruits.

-In some species of lemur, males and females have different fur colors.

-A “gore” is a plot of land (usually a triangle) that, thanks to surveying error, is not part of any town.

-When kiwis were first imported to the U.S., they were called Chinese gooseberries. They didn’t become popular until they were renamed “kiwis.”

-Alzheimer’s patients tend to be more active at night and sleep during the day, a phenomenon known as “sundown.”

-When worker ants (of the species Pachycondyla chinensis) come across food that’s too big for them to carry alone, they go back to their nest, pickup another worker ant in their jaws and carry it to the oversized prize. The ant drops its helper next to the food and the two ants carry it back to the nest together.

-There’s a fruit called “dragon fruit.”

-The Nova Scotia Association of Architects celebrates National Beaver Day on the last Friday in February.

-Blind people can use echolocation to "see."

Crispy Chickpeas with Spinach and Italian Sausage

2011-06-27T08:49:00.000-04:00

Pete isn’t a bean-lover. He is a bacon-lover. Well, guess what we discovered…when you dry chickpeas really well and then sauté them, they kinda taste like bacon.

(Adapted from The Minimalist)

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and diligently patted dry with paper towels

1 lb. spinach

4 oz. Italian sausage, diced and de-cased

¼ cup sherry

¼ cup olive oil

1. In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the chickpeas.

2. Reduce the heat a tad (to medium-low) and cook, stirring the chickpeas and shaking the pan occasionally, until the chickpeas start to brown (approximately 10 minutes).

3. Add the sausage and cook for 5-8 minutes, until the chickpeas are crisp.

4. Remove the chickpeas and sausage from the pan and set aside.

5. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. When it’s hot, add the spinach and sherry.

6. Cook the spinach until it’s fully wilted and the liquid has evaporated.

7. Dump the chickpeas and sausage back in the skillet. Stir to combine. Serve.

Ricotta-Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-06-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

You know what really bugs/annoys/perturbs/irks me? Better yet, ya know what really gets my goat? When people don’t respond to an email until they have time to write a friggin’ book. I, quite frankly, would rather hear from you in small increments than in your semi-annual tome. And so I must confess: I’ve been procrastinating posting because I haven’t had time to do it properly. I am sorry. Screw proper-ness. Here’s a recipe:

(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)

4-8 large tomatoes

2 eggs

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

1 cup corn kernels

2 medium zucchini, 1 diced and 1 sliced into very thin slivers

Nino’s pesto (I just realized that I didn’t measure this. I’m guessing ¼ cup. Click here for the recipe.)

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a baking dish with olive oil.

2. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp, but don’t be too diligent about scooping—you want it to be a tomato, not a tomato-like vessel.

3. Combine the eggs and ricotta in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the corn, diced zucchini and pesto. Stir to combine.

4. Stuff the tomatoes with the ricotta mixture and top with zucchini slices. You will most likely have more stuffing and zucchini slices than you can fit in the tomatoes. Place the stuffed tomatoes and the extra stuffing in the baking dish. Top the extra stuffing with the leftover zucchini slices.

5. Bake for 45 minutes, until the filling is puffed up and slightly browned.

Things I Learned: 5/2/11 (The vacation edition)

2011-05-02T15:55:00.000-04:00

-In World War I, the British and Germans had an unspoken breakfast treaty.

-Navigating by response (ie. doing what your GPS tells you to do) can cause one’s hippocampus to atrophy.

-Saltwater crocodiles kill their prey using a death roll.

-King crabs are moving into Antarctic waters.

-Hopewell Township, NJ is proposing a law that would limit conjugal visits between backyard chickens and roosters to 10 days a year and no more than 5 consecutive days.

-260 million years ago, there was a saber-toothed animal that only ate plants.

-Three to five million years ago, a giant rabbit species lived on the island of Minorca. It couldn’t hop and, because of its short ears, probably couldn’t hear very well.

-This is awesome.

-Henry Ford and Thomas Edison invented the charcoal briquette.

-The Imperfectionists is a real downer of a book.

-Honeybees can detect pesticides in pollen.

-An invasivore is someone who eats invasive species.

-Bubblegum flavor is a combination of vanilla, wintergreen, peppermint and cassia.

-McDonalds in Hong Kong offers a wedding package.

-Hag fish can die in their own slime.

-The penis of the Queen conch is so long and unprotected that crabs often eat it. It grows back.

-“The Imperfectionists” is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad book.

-CO2 takes up more volume than O2 in our lungs.

-Each state in India celebrates the New Year on a different day.

-There’s a tribe in Africa that steals kills from lions.

-Soldiers guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier in Athens wear traditional attire, including skirts with 400 pleats to mark the 400 years of Turkish rule.

-The Dutch partake of “inter course,” a break between courses of a meal.

-The Swiss were the first to come up with a word for homesickness.

-Santorini, Greece used to be a ring-shaped island with a massive 1,000 + meter tall volcano (surrounded by water) in the middle. A long time ago, the volcano erupted and sank into the sea. The eruption was so big that the lava has been found in Iceland and ash has been found in the soil under the California redwoods.

-The eruption caused a tsunami that covered Crete (wiping out the Minoans), caused the Red Sea to part and caused the plagues…supposedly, the sky was dark for 2 days.

-A hippo’s mouth is half a meter wide.

-Steig Larson’s trilogy is the perfect antidote to “The Imperfectionists.”

-One month after the Olympic games (which were for free Greek men only), Greek women (virgins only) competed in the Heraea games. The women raced 160 meters in short one-shouldered dresses.

-In the ancient Olympics, men who cheated had their names and offense carved on a plaque below a statue of Zeus. Competitors spat on the plaques as they entered the arena.

-Cheaters always “met with an accident” on their way home from the Games.

-Winners of the ancient Olympic games got free food for life.

-When the winners returned to their hometown, they drove right through the town’s barricades because, if a town had an Olympic champion, the townspeople no longer needed a barricade to protect them.

-In ancient times, the motto of Kotor, Montenegro was “What belongs to others, we don’t want. What’s ours’ we’ll never give up.”

-Albarino is a yummy white wine.

-Croatians invented the ballpoint pen and the cravat.

-Continental Airlines SUCKS.

-A coypu is a web-footed rodent.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread (in a bread machine)

2011-03-29T14:47:00.000-04:00

I didn’t realize how much I missed cinnamon raisin bread until I found this recipe—and starting salivating. I’ve always liked cinnamon raisin bread, but it’s not like it was ever a staple in my diet. But, when yummy bread is a rarity, the mere possibility of its existence is exciting. And when yummy bread itself is exciting, yummy bread with juicy little flavor explosions (ie. raisins) in it becomes downright drool-worthy.

This is very close to the real thing (and by “real” I mean glutinous) although we may add a bit more cinnamon next time.

(Adapted from “125 Best Gluten-Free Bread Machine Recipes”)

1 ¾ cup brown rice flour

½ cup potato starch

¼ cup tapioca starch

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. xanthan gum

1 ½ tsp. instant yeast

1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 ¾ cup raisins

1 cup skim milk

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. cider vinegar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Combine dry ingredients (brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast, salt, cinnamon and raisins) in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Add milk, oil and cider vinegar to the bread machine baking pan. Add eggs and egg whites.

3. Select the “Dough Cycle” on your bread machine and gradually add the dry ingredients to the baking pan. (The recipe says to add the dry ingredients once the paddle starts turning, but we have a couple issues with this method. First, our bread machine has a 15-20 minute warming period, which means that the eggs, milk, oil and vinegar would start to bake a little before the dry ingredients went in. And second, if the paddle starts turning without any dry ingredients, it splashes the wet ingredients everywhere, which is rather messy.)

4. Once the bread machine starts mixing, run a spatula down the sides of the baking pan to make sure no flour gets stuck in the corners.

5. Optional: When the bread machine stops mixing, remove the kneading blade. This will maximize the prettiness of your loaf. If you don’t care how friggin’ pretty your bread is, leave the blade in.

6. Let the dough cycle finish and then turn off the bread machine.

7. Select the “Bake Cycle” and set the time to 60 minutes and the temperature to 350°.

8. When the bake cycle finishes, remove the bread and enjoy!

Lentil Salad With Grapes, Mint and Other Yummy Stuff

2011-03-25T13:03:00.000-04:00

I don’t have much to say about this dish other than it’s really truly awesomely delicious.

(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)

1 cup green lentils

2 cups water

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced

2 tbsp. sherry vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 cups red grapes, halved

¼ cup chopped pistachios

3 tbsp. finely chopped mint

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

baby spinach

1. Add the water and lentils to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Drain.

2. In a small nonstick skillet, toast the chopped pistachios over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until they’re tender and translucent (7-9 minutes). Remove from heat.

4. Add the mustard and sherry vinegar to the leeks. Stir.

5. Add the lentils, grapes, toasted pistachios and mint to the skillet. Stir to combine.

6. Serve atop baby spinach. Top each serving with feta.

Crispy Fish with Tomato-Basil Sauce and Things I Learned: 3/18/11

2011-03-18T13:07:00.000-04:00

We made this dish with a new (to us) fish—Pangasius—a farm-raised river catfish from Asia. According to Seafood Watch, Pangasius is a “good alternative” when U.S.-farmed catfish (a “best choice”) is not available. It was delicious.

(Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

4 tbsp. (maybe more) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn (or do what we did and gasp toss in some dried basil)

2/3 cup cornmeal

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

coarse black pepper (a few cranks of the pepper grinder)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 lb. Pangasius fillets (or other sustainable white fish)

*Remember: There’s a Seafood Watch app for the iphone and it’s free.

1. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down (about 10 minutes).

4. While the tomatoes cook, combine the cornmeal, parm and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dunk the fish in the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides.

5. Remove the tomato mixture from the skillet and set aside.

6. Add 2 tbsp. (or more) of olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high.

7. Place the fish in the skillet and cook, turning once, until it’s crisp and slightly browned (8-10 minutes total).

8. While the fish cooks, combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until it reduces to a syrupy consistency.

9. Top the fish with the tomato sauce and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

***********

And now, the things I learned:

-Until recently, it was illegal to sell a motorcycle on a Sunday in New Jersey.

-Five hundred years ago every flatfish was called a butt.

-The fish we now call halibut was only eaten on holy days so it was called a holy butt (tee hee), which was eventually changed to halibut.

-Polar bears can run 100 meters in 9 seconds (the current human world record, held by Usain Bolt, is 9.58 seconds).

-Peaches and nectarines sometimes grow on the same tree.

-Flamingos occasionally “suffer” from reverse migration (a neurological mess-up that makes the bird fly in the exact opposite direction from its intended destination). And so, in November, when flamingos should be leaving Kazakhstan for Iran, some fly to Siberia instead.

-Lakes in the Andes freeze while flamingos are wading. Most of the flamingos wait for the ice to thaw, but a few try to yank their legs out of the ice.

-Scientists use rump size to determine a bird’s body condition.

-A woman named Tabitha Babbitt invented the circular saw and a woman named Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper.

-There’s a salamander called a snot otter.

-Some people get a prolactin rush when they listen to sad music. Some people don’t. The people that get the prolactin rush tend to like sad music. Those who don’t tend to find sad music depressing. (If you must know, I find sad music depressing.)

-A male hawk is called a tercel.

-“Meteorology” means “high in the sky” in Greek.

-In the Middle Ages, people were suspicious of bakers. If a baker didn’t deliver the exact weight he’d promised a customer, he’d be punished. To save himself from what was probably some sort of horrendous punishment, a baker asked to deliver 12 loaves would deliver 13…hence “a baker’s dozen.”

-Humans (males and females) can have up to six nipples.

Zucchini Souffle

2011-03-17T10:58:00.000-04:00

I had my doubts when I put this dish in the oven. It was dense and heavy and totally un-soufflé-like, but obviously something magical happened in the oven (yeah, basic cooking chemistry still kinda baffles me) because it came out as a light, fluffy delicious soufflé.

(Adapted from The Minimalist)

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2-3 zucchini, peeled and grated

6 eggs, separated

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1. Spray a 6-cup soufflé dish with olive oil and preheat the oven to 350°.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

3. When the skillet is hot, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (until the onion is soft).

4. Add the grated zucchini to the skillet and cook, stirring, until it’s very tender (10-12 minutes).

5. Dump the zucchini, etc in a colander and use the back of a spoon to squeeze any excess liquid out of the veggies.

6. Combine egg yolks and cheese in a large bowl and beat. (This is where we started to get worried. There’s not much liquid in 6 egg yolks and a bunch of grated cheese so it turned into a hunk of mush.)

7. Add the vegetables and parsley to the bowl. Stir to combine.

8. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they’re light and fluffy and just hold soft peaks.

9. Gently stir about a third of the fluffy egg whites into the egg yolk-cheese-vegetable mixture. Gradually add the rest of the egg whites to the bowl, stirring gently to combine.

10. Pour the mixture into the soufflé dish and bake 30-35 minutes (until golden and puffy). Serve immediately!

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Meringues

2011-03-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

I used to make these all the time. And then I stopped. In fact, I totally forgot about them until I agreed to make a gluten-free dairy-free dessert for a baby shower. I will not forget about them again (partly because Pete keeps asking for more). And…they’re not just delicious. They’re easy to make—stupid easy.

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

A little less than 1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup organic sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup mini semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips (of course, if you don’t need these to be dairy-free, any mini semisweet chocolate chips will do)

1. Preheat oven to 250° and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place egg whites in a bowl and, using an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites until foamy.

3. Add cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating until the mixture begins to stiffen (ie. hold its shape when the beater stops).

4. Continue beating and gradually add the sugar.

5. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

6. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the mixture using a rubber spatula.

7. Using a spoon, drop the meringues on the cookie sheets. (They won’t expand much so don’t fret about spacing.)

8. Bake for one hour. Let them cool and then store in an airtight container.

Roasted Carrot Salad and Things I Learned: 3/3/11

2011-03-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

The original recipe for this awesome salad came from the New York Times. It called for black olives. We do not like black olives so I left them out—and made a whole bunch of other changes.

1 lb. carrots, washed (don’t bother peeling)

½ cup EVOO

½ - 1 tsp. dried thyme

1 ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 shallots, minced and lightly sautéed (for about 3 minutes)

1 package (about 4 cups) arugula

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup walnut halves

2 tbsp. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Cut carrots into carrot stick size and toss in a bowl with 4 tbsp. EVOO and the thyme.

3. Warm a rimmed baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 minutes, take it out, spread the carrots onto the baking sheet and roast the carrots for about 15 minutes (until they’re crisp-tender and slightly caramelized).

4. While the carrots roast, combine the walnuts and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring, until the sugar becomes gooey. Continue stirring to completely coat the walnuts in the gooey sugar. Remove from heat.

5. In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar and ¼ cup of EVOO.

6. Transfer 3 tbsp. of the red wine vinegar-EVOO mixture to a large bowl and add the roasted carrots. Marinate for 5 minutes or so.

7. Add the shallots to the bowl with the carrots.

8. Add the arugula and the lemon juice. Toss.

9. Add the walnuts and the feta and toss again.

10. Serve. Top with some of the reserved dressing if you want. (Pete likes it with extra dressing. I don’t.)

***********

And now for the things I learned:

-In Nova Scotia, capelin breed on land. (Capelin are fish. The Nova Scotia population is the only one that breeds on land. The rest breed in the ocean.)

-Marine iguanas exist. They live in the Galapagos and eat algae—females eat algae off the rocks and males go for the fresh stuff on the ocean floor.

-Infants can’t hear very well because their auditory systems aren’t fully developed. And that’s why they scream/cry/wail so loudly.

-Bears are groggy (and their metabolism is at about half of its non-hibernation level) for two to three weeks after hibernation.

-My spin class does not like Guns N Roses.

-Wild bananas have seeds the size of peppercorns.

-There’s a cricket team in Portland.

-Bowdoin has a curling team and there are enough curling teams in Maine for the Bowdoin team to win the state championship.

-Gulper eels can’t really swim, but they can eat prey bigger than themselves.

-The fangtooth (a deep sea fish) has the largest teeth in relation to body size. And, because of its disproportionately large teeth, it can’t close its mouth.

-Female lions are better hunters than male lions partly because of the male’s mane. The mane makes the male more conspicuous (not good for stalking prey) and makes him hot, making him an inefficient hunter.

-Hagfish are the only (or at least the first known) vertebrate that absorbs food through its skin and gills—and its mouth.

-Someone who studies moths and butterflies is called a lepidopterist.

Roasted Ratatouille with Honey Polenta

2011-02-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

Looks like compost. Tastes like dinner.

Seriously, this is delicious and—even with all the dicing—it was ready in less than 30 minutes.

(Adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray)

1 eggplant, diced

2 small zucchini, diced

4 plum tomatoes, diced

1 large red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

a few dashes of dried thyme

a few dashes of dried rosemary

EVOO

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups skim milk

1 ½ cups vegetable stock

1 cup quick-cooking polenta

1/3 to ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, thyme and rosemary in a large bowl. Drizzle with EVOO (2 – 4 tbsp.) and toss to coat.

3. Spread the vegetables out on rimmed baking sheets and roast until the veggies are just tender (18-22 minutes).

4. Heat milk and vegetable stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and cook, whisking, until it’s thick and creamy (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.

5. Stir butter, honey and cheese into the polenta.

6. In another saucepan, heat a dollop (a little less than 1 tbsp.) of EVOO over medium heat. Add the beans and cook, stirring, until heated through.

7. Add the beans to the roasted vegetables and toss.

8. Serve the ratatouille on a bed of polenta.

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

2011-02-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

It’s no secret that I love tofu. I love it with vegetables and marinades and whatnot—as a meat substitute, essentially. I have never had tofu with chocolate. I understand that tofu is a fantastic source of protein and all that, but tofu is a main course type of food, not a dessert food. Just as there are breakfast cereals (like cornflakes) and dessert cereals (like frosted flakes), there are main course foods (like tofu, vegetables, fish, beef, etc) and dessert foods (like chocolate, cake, cookies, brownies, etc). The two things are separate—for a reason. Combining chocolate and tofu would be like combining chicken and frosting… And yet, I tried it (chocolate and tofu). Why? Because Mark Bittman said it was good. He was right.

(Adapted from The Minimalist)

¾ cup organic sugar

¾ cup water

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 lb. silken tofu

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. chili powder

1. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside, allowing the mixture to cool for a few minutes before adding it to the blender.

2. Combine the melted chocolate, tofu, vanilla, cinnamon, chili powder and sugar water in a blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into ramekins (we filled six ramekins and one small bowl).

4. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes. (The pudding is still rather delicious the next day so chilling for 24 hours seems totally appropriate.)

Things I Learned: 2/18/11

2011-02-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

-Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid that acts like either a solid or a liquid depending on the force with which you hit it. (ie. You can run on top of it, but if you try to walk slowly you’ll fall in.) It’s made of two parts cornstarch and one part water.

-Research suggests that people with allergies are less likely to get glioma (the type of brain tumor Ted Kennedy had), colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.

-Florida state law requires sea turtle rescuers to return sea turtles to the place they were found—even if that place is so disgustingly polluted that it was part of the reason they needed rescuing in the first place.

-The Incan king planted the first quinoa seed of the season with a golden spade.

-The whole idea that only children are odd comes from an 1896 “study” by Granville Stanley Hall who asked teachers around the country to submit examples of children who were different. Some of the kids the teachers described were real kids (who were exceptionally pretty, remarkably ugly, surprisingly strong or just plain picky eaters) and some were fictional characters from novels. Hall tallied the numbers and determined that the majority of these “peculiar and exceptional children” were only children or children of immigrants.

-The Aztec word for avocado is ahuacatl, meaning testicle.

-Moose eat pine needles (live ones).

-Bladderworts (carnivorous plants) trap their prey at an acceleration of 600G. That’s a lot faster than a venus fly trap does it.

-A street without left turns is called a “Michigan left” and it’s safer and more efficient (both in terms of time and fuel) than a regular ol’ street.

-Rothschild’s giraffes, which are endangered, have five horns. (Other giraffe subspecies have two horns.)

Polenta, Beans and Beef- Catalan-Style

2011-02-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes (okay, maybe just one time), we actually add meat to recipes. This is one/that time.

(Adapted from Eating Well)

4 tsp. olive oil, divided

tube o’ polenta, cut into cubes

grass-fed beef (a small steak’s worth, maybe ½ pound), sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small-ish onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ tsp paprika

1 15-oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1 package baby spinach (4-5 cups)

¾ cup vegetable broth

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 tsp. sherry vinegar

1. Heat 2 tsp. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until browned (and safe to eat), about 5-7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Add the cubed polenta to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown and get kinda crispy (about 10 minutes). Remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and add 2 more tsp. of oil to the skillet.

4. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the pepper is tender-crisp (3-5 minutes).

5. Add the paprika to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the white beans, spinach and vegetable broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted.

6. Add the beef to the skillet. Stir to combine.

7. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, sherry vinegar and polenta.

Sun-dried Tomato and Avocado Pasta

2011-02-15T13:31:00.000-05:00

I was skeptically optimistic about this dish for two reasons. First, I was really uncertain about mixing the strong flavors of basil and green bell peppers. Verdict: DELICIOUS! Second, because the Aztecs thought avocados looked like testicles, they called them ahuacatl (testicle) and forbade virgins from leaving their homes during the avocado harvest. For some reason, this led to the belief that avocados are aphrodisiacs. Verdict: Wouldn’t you like to know?

(Adapted* from Intercourses)

*Just a reminder: When we say “adapted” we mean it. We have a tendency to mess with the quantities of ingredients and change/omit some stuff completely. We, of course, think our version is better, but please consult the original recipes if/when you doubt our wisdom.

1 tbsp. EVOO

¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes

2 tbsp. sherry vinegar

1 ½ tbsp. lime juice

1 green bell pepper, diced

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 avocado, diced

1 package quinoa spaghetti

1. Combine everything but the pasta in a large bowl.

2. Cook the pasta until al dente.

3. Add the pasta to the rest of the ingredients and toss well.

Things I Learned: 2/8/11

2011-02-08T11:23:00.001-05:00

-Feb 1 is National Freedom Day, a day to commemorate Lincoln’s signing of the 13^th Amendment (that’s the one that outlawed slavery). I am embarrassed that I’m just learning this now.

-The tailbone is unnecessary, just like the appendix.

-Kids have more taste buds than adults.

-They only change the plastic cover on the fish scale at Hannaford after 3-4 customers so if you’re allergic to shrimp, tell them before they weigh your fish. (Luckily I narrowly missed learning this the hard way.)

-Proper running form is controlled falling. Therefore, running in the snow with Makai on a leash attached to my waist should be amazing training.

-Onion juice is a commonly recommended natural cough remedy. Pete wouldn’t try it.

-The term “put a sock in it” comes from a method of dealing with the lack of volume control on the first gramophones. To lower the volume, people would shove a sock in the horn.

-When cheetahs run they exhale when their front paws touch the ground (because their internal organs slosh forward and slam into their lungs).

-Woodpeckers peck wood at a rate of 22 pecks per second and experience decelerations of 1200g. (Humans get concussions when they experience decelerations between 80 and 100g.)

Gluten-Free Beer-Battered Tilapia Tacos

2011-02-06T21:35:00.001-05:00

Super speedy and yummy. Perfect Super Bowl dinner.

(Adapted from Eating Well)

2-4 tilapia filets (farmed in the U.S. or central America), cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup gluten-free beer (we used Redbridge)

5 tbsp. all purpose gluten-free flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)

2 tsp. canola oil

1 avocado, diced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, sliced

brown rice tortillas, heated

lime juice

crumbled feta cheese

1.If desired, sauté the onion for 3-5 minutes. We did this because we both love the taste of red onions, but hate the never-ending after-taste. If you (and you’re loved ones) don’t have a problem with the after-taste (and smell) of red onions, skip this step.

2. Combine avocado, tomatoes and onion in a medium bowl. Add a splash (a tablespoon or so) of lime juice and mix well. Set aside.

3. Combine beer and flour in a small bowl. Mix well to get rid of any clumps of flour. It’ll be pretty runny.

4. Heat canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Dip tilapia in batter and then plop in the skillet. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-4 minutes per side.

6. Build a taco: Top a tortilla with the avocado salsa, a few pieces of fish and a sprinkling of feta. Fold it into a taco and eat.

Garlic-Roasted Cauliflower

2011-02-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

This is delicious! We know what you’re thinking…cauliflower can be good, but the term “delicious” is rarely used to describe this boring-looking veggie. Trust us. We know yumminess—and boring-ness. This is yumminess (despite its bland appearance).

On another note, this recipe starts with an odd step (boiling the garlic). We suspect this speeds up the roasting process so that the garlic and cauliflower are done at the same time, but our knowledge of cooking chemistry is not so impressive. So, if you know the reason for this step, please enlighten us.

(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa “How Easy is That?”)

1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

1 big head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets

4 ½ tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the garlic cloves and boil for 15 seconds. Drain the cloves, peel ‘em and cut the big cloves in half lengthwise.

3. Combine cauliflower, garlic and 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss to make sure everything is coated in the oil.

4. Spread the cauliflower mixture out in a single layer on an edged baking sheet.

5. Roast for 10 minutes, stir. Roast for 10-15 minutes more until the cauliflower is tender and starting to brown.

6. Dump the cauliflower (and everything else from the baking sheet) into a large bowl. Add the pine nuts, lemon juice and 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil. Toss and serve.

Lentil Pilaf and Things I Learned: 1/31/11

2011-01-31T19:08:00.000-05:00

Lentils are funny. They’re like a cross between beans, peas and pebbles and yet, they’re tasty.

(Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s “So Easy”)

1 cup green lentils

2 cups water

2 tbsp olive oil

4 shallots, diced

1 package baby spinach

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Add lentils and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. (The lentils will be tender, but not mushy). Drain.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

3. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until tender (about 3 minutes).

4. Add the spinach to the skillet. Wilt.

5. Add tomatoes, lentils and parsley to the skillet. Cook, stirring until everything is well combined and warm.

6. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

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And now for the things I learned ~~this week~~ since the last time I posted:

-Bactrian camels eat 2 ½ gallons of snow a day.

-Woodcocks are also called timberdoodles.

-Humans tend to choose mates whose immune systems are different than their own.

-I learned why squatting during labor is “easier,” but, since this is a food blog, I’ll spare you the explanation.

-This is hard—not the learning something new everyday part, but learning something shareable everyday.

-There’s a bird called the “splendid fairy-wren.” It’s related to the “superb fairy-wren” and the “lovely fairy-wren.”

-The use of the word “mug” for face comes from the tradition of making beer mugs look like grimacing faces (in 18^th century England).

-The Norwegian lundehund (a dog just recognized by the AKC) has such a flexible neck that it can bend backwards to touch its nose to its back.

-The great bustard is the heaviest flying bird in the world. (Most males weigh between 22 and 35 pounds.)

Great bustard

Things I Learned: 1/22/11

2011-01-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

-1 inch of water equals 10 inches of snow, more or less…

-The Burmese snub-nosed monkey sneezes when it rains (presumably because it gets water in its upturned nostrils).

-In 500 B.C. the Celts made beer that was more intoxicating than our current brews—and, according to some sources, “smelled like a billy goat.”

-Some amoebas are farmers.

-Some people are really good tweeters. My friend Amy is one of them.

-When they feel threatened, some species of tarantula rapidly flick their legs against their backs, launching a fine mist of tiny barbed hairs towards their attackers.

-The “gin” in cotton gin is short for “engine.”

Squash and Arugula Not-a-Pizza

2011-01-20T14:10:00.000-05:00

This is yummy yummy yummy yummy!

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Giada, and inspired by Bobby Flay’s “Grill It!”)

gluten-free pizza dough

1 acorn squash (about 1 lb.), halved, seeded and sliced into half-moon-shaped slivers

1 tbsp olive oil

zest of one orange

1 cup orange juice

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1 cup arugula

lemon juice

½ cup walnut halves

2 tbsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375º.

2. Combine squash and olive oil in a bowl and toss to coat the squash with the olive oil.

3. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until it’s tender and golden, about 25 minutes.

4. While the squash cooks, combine the orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, allspice and cinnamon in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, until reduces at least a little bit. Set aside.

5. Roll out the pizza dough and sprinkle with the mozzarella and feta.

6. Place the cheese-covered pizza dough in the oven. Bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, combine the walnuts and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring, until the sugar becomes gooey. Continue stirring until the walnuts are completely covered in the gooey sugar. Remove from heat.

8. When the squash is done (and cool enough to handle), remove the skin.

9. Combine the squash and the orange glaze in a bowl. Toss to smother the squash in citrusy yumminess.

10. When the cheese-covered pizza dough is done, top it with the glazed squash, then the arugula. Sprinkle with a few splashes of lemon juice and top with the candied walnuts.

11. Serve.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Peppermint Snowcap Cookies

2011-01-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

I could tell you all about the origin of this recipe. I could rant about poorly written recipes and excessively anal instructions. I could bore you with all the ways I tweaked the original recipe (butchered it beyond recognition, actually, but in a good way). Or I could just give you the freaking recipe.

Voilà:

½ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)

½ cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tbsp skim milk

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

½ tsp peppermint extract

confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Fill a small bowl with confectioner’s sugar. Set aside.

4. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a medium bowl. (Don’t fret about those little lumps that don’t sift through. Dump ‘em in the bowl anyway.) Stir to combine.

5. Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

6. Add the egg, milk, semi-sweet chocolate and peppermint extract to the butter-sugar combo and beat until thoroughly combined.

7. While the mixer mixes (at a medium-low speed), gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. The batter will be ridiculously thick. Your mixer can do it. Your wrist, however, may not be able to do it so I would advise against attempting this recipe without a stand mixer.

8. Roll the dough into balls, roll the balls in the confectioner’s sugar and place the snowy balls on the cookie sheets.

9. Bake 12-14 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are cracked.

Things I Learned: 1/15/11

2011-01-15T12:48:00.008-05:00

Last week, I came across a piece by Giles Turnbull, a British writer who set out to test the theory that we learn something new everyday by recording the one thing he learned everyday for all of 2010. His new knowledge includes vocabulary (1/8/10: Bundles of nerves inside the body are called fascicles), history (5/26/10: The Greek philosopher Chrysippus is said to have died laughing while watching a donkey eating figs), personal experience (9/10/10: You can use the word “alienate” to mean “turn into an alien”—if you’re 8) and opinion (2/19/10: Mission Impossible III is an appalling pile of shit.) He can’t guarantee that all 365 factoids are true of course—“I read them in newspapers and on the internet, after all.”

I’m going to try something similar. But if I write down one thing a day with the intent of compiling it all at the end of the year, I’ll lose interest quickly. Instead, I’ll do a weekly post starting now:

-Carrots are naturally purple. The Dutch created orange carrots in the 17^th century.

-Horseradish is a root vegetable.

-A banana is an herb.

-Meraki is a Greek word used to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love — when you put "something of yourself" into what you're doing.

-Not only is it wrong to double space after a period (I learned that a few years ago), but it’s been wrong to double space after a period since the early 20^th century.

-The oriental hornet gets some of its energy from its solar-powered exoskeleton. It gets the rest of its energy from food, like most animals.

-Canada is the world’s largest export producer of lentils, which have the third highest level of protein of any plant-based food (only hemp and soybeans have more).

Meg’s Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Chips

2011-01-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

Once again we’re making food that’s ugly, but delicious.

Our friend Meg gave us this recipe. It’s not her recipe—it’s adapted from allrecipes.com—but we like to give credit to people who share awesome recipes with us. (Hint, hint…you too could have your name on Healthy-ish!)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 large onion, diced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups skim milk

Apple chips (click here for the recipe)

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. When the olive oil gets shimmery, add the butternut squash and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash turns golden (7-8 minutes or so).

3. Turn the heat down to low and add the butter, maple syrup and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 more minutes. The squash and onions will take on a spotty caramel hue.

4. Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).

5. Add the chicken broth and increase the temperature to medium-high.

6. When the soup starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and partially cover the pot. Cook until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

7. Remove pot from heat and blend until smooth.

8. Add milk and blend until it’s a uniform (albeit ugly) color.

9. Serve topped with apple chips.

Hawaiian Chicken Fried Rice

2011-01-05T14:52:00.000-05:00

We made this up (with a teeny bit of inspiration from Cooking Light). It was yummy so we’d like to make it again. To do that, we’d need to have some idea of what went into it. And so, we’re posting it here—for us…and for you. (We’re selfish sharers.)

1 lb (more or less) Chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 generous handful of snow peas

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (divided)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 soy sauce

3 tbsp honey

3 cups leftover cooked brown rice

1 tbsp olive oil

*Note: All amounts are guesstimates.

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add chicken to the skillet and sauté until fully cooked and lightly browned (5-7 minutes). Remove and set aside.

3. Add the red bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender (2-3 minutes). Remove and plop on a plate with the chicken.

4. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and half of the ginger. Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

5. Dump leftover rice into the skillet and stir to mix in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring only once or twice.

7. While the rice cooks, combine ketchup, soy sauce, honey and the second half of the ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk.

8. Remove the rice from the skillet and set aside.

9. Add the pineapple to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender and juicy.

10. Add the snow peas to the pineapple in the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.

11. Dump the chicken, red peppers and rice back in the skillet. Stir.

12. Add the sauce. Stir until combined.

13. Remove from heat and serve.

Prolotherapy

2010-12-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving week was my designated rest week. And by “rest” I mean no training and lots of time to sleep in, catch up on things I’ve neglected while training and, in the words of the great KP, “FUCKING EMBRACE [the laziness].” It seemed like a perfect time for prolotherapy.

I don’t expect you to know what that is—I first heard of it a couple months ago—and that’s why I’m writing this post.

“Prolotherapy is a treatment that stimulates the body to repair painful areas. Specifically it involves the injection of natural substances into painful areas to stimulate the body’s own repair mechanisms to strengthen and heal injured structures. Mostly, Prolotherapy is used to strengthen ligaments and tendons.”

-Journal of Prolotherapy

If you read my Pumpkinman race report, you know I dealt with some serious pain in my ankles and lower legs this past season. If you know me, you know that I’ve been dealing with the same (or similar) f***ing pain for years (somewhere between six and 17 years, depending on when you start counting).

I was determined not to be in pain this season. I started working with an amazing physical therapist in May. She taught me to walk properly and taught me to use my butt when I run. I made huge improvements—but the pain came back.

So my amazing physical therapist shipped me off to an osteopath where I learned just how messed up I was. Among other things, my tibia and fibula were externally rotated, my ankle ligaments were way too loose and my feet were too stiff. The osteopath, who is also amazing, did some manipulations and gave me homework. Some things improved (my feet got more flexible), but the pain persisted and my ankles stayed floppy.

This is where prolotherapy comes in. My doctor would inject sarapin (pitcher plant extract) into the injured areas to promote inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s way of repairing itself. For some reason—perhaps it was my diligent use of ice and anti-inflamms or maybe just my body’s ineptitude—my body wasn’t healing.

And so, on the first day of my rest week, I got 15 or so injections in each leg/ankle. Needles touched my bone. [I’m sorry. Did you come here to read about food?] It hurt, but frankly I was braced for a lot more pain. I spent the rest of the week embracing the pain of inflammation while I lazed around (as much as one can laze while hosting Thanksgiving). The following week, I started running no more than three miles at a time. And after three weeks (when my body was nearing the end of the healing cycle), I went back to the doctor for another round.

What happened? Good things. And pain, but the good things totally outweigh the pain. I still feel pain in my legs when I run, but at a tolerable level. My ankles feel stiff (in a good way) and I can actually push off my big toe when I run (something I’ve been trying to do since May). My doctor thinks that my ankles are about 40% stronger than they were before prolotherapy.* In other words, so far, so good.

I started round 2 this week. I’ll keep you posted…

*For the record, I was doing a whole lotta ankle strengthening before the first round of prolotherapy. I got better at the exercises, but my foot continued to flop around as though it was disconnected from my leg. In other words, prolotherapy alone may not have been the cause of my increased ankle strength.

Orange Pan-Glazed Tofu

2010-12-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

This is delectably delicious. That is all. Enjoy!

(Adapted from 101 cookbooks)

1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (from 3-5 oranges)

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tsp soy sauce

1 ½ tsp mirin

2 tsp maple syrup

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained, cubed and patted dry

2 tbs olive oil

1 lime, quartered

1. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, mirin, garlic and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Mix well.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add tofu to the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden (about 5 minutes). Flip it and cook until it’s golden on the other side (another 5 minutes or so).

4. Add the orange juice mixture to the skillet and simmer until it’s reduced to a thick glaze, about 10 minutes. Flip the tofu after 5 minutes. (While the sauce simmers, be sure to thoroughly douse the tofu in the sauce.)

5. Serve over quinoa, drizzling any remaining sauce over the tofu. Squeeze lime juice over everything, to taste.

Creamy Chicken-Apple Chili

2010-12-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

We don’t like chili—at all.* If you’ve invited us to a chili cook-off, we didn’t come. We probably had a great excuse and that excuse was probably totally valid, but we were really truly grateful for whatever that excuse may have been.

We like this chili—a lot—and both admit that chili might not be quite as horrific as we once thought.

*Actually, I had fantastic chili at a friend’s house in 8^th grade, but between that chili and this chili, I’ve been totally chili-phobic.

(Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tenders), cut into ½-inch chunks

olive oil

4 tsp chili powder

2 apples, peeled and cubed

1 onion, chopped

3 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup brown rice flour

2 cups chicken broth

¾ cup skim milk

2 cans of white beans, rinsed

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add chicken and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the chili-ed chicken to a bowl and add a little more olive oil to the Dutch oven (about 1 tbsp), if needed.

4. Add onion to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes (until starting to turn translucent).

5. Add apples and cook for another 2 minutes

6. Transfer the apples and onions to the bowl with the chicken.

7. Turn the temperature down to medium-low and add the butter to the Dutch oven.

8. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.

9. Add chicken broth and milk. Whisk for about 3 minutes, until thickened.

10. Add the chicken, apples, onion and beans. Stir and bring to a simmer.

11. Add cheese. Stir until combined. Serve.

Orange-Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

For those of you who, like me, aren’t what one would call “planners.” For those of you who might be thinking, “hmmm, I suppose I should make some cranberry sauce tomorrow,” here ya go:

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 large orange, zested and juiced

½ cup natural sugar

½ cup water

1. Combine water, orange zest, orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves (2-3 minutes).

2. Add cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries explode, about 7 minutes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

2010-11-18T14:18:00.000-05:00

Since I’ve vetoed pie at Thanksgiving this year, I’ve been on a quest for alternative desserts. I’ve figured it out: we’ll have pumpkin pie pudding, chocolate peppermint bark and this cake. (If you’re coming for dessert and have problems with any of those selections, zip it, please.) This cake is light and fluffy and deliciously delicate. If I didn’t know better, I’d call it pumpkin angel food cake. But, thanks to Joyofbaking.com, I know better. Apparently, chiffon cakes include egg yolks. Angel food cakes do not. Therefore, this is a chiffon cake.

(Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 ¼ cup organic sugar

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

9 eggs total (4 yolks and 9 whites—all at room temperature)

1 cup pureed pumpkin

confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly spritz a tube pan with canola oil.

2. Combine flour, ¾ cup sugar, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix well with a whisk.

3. Combine egg yolks and pumpkin in a medium bowl. Mix well with a whisk.

4. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

5. Place the 9 egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.

6. As the mixer continues whisking, gradually add ½ cup sugar.

7. Turn the mixer speed up to high and beat the egg white mixture until it becomes stiff, but moist, 1-2 minutes.

8. Gently fold about a quarter of the egg white mixture into the pumpkin batter until no streaks remain. Repeat, gradually folding the rest of the egg white mixture into the pumpkin batter until no streaks remain.

9. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 55 minutes. (The cake should be sproingy.)

10. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes and then flip the pan over* so the cake can cool upside down for about 1 ½ hours.

11. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

*Our tube pan has spikes on the rim so we flipped the pan over and put it on top of a cooling rack. If your tube pan doesn’t have spikes, try balancing the tube on a narrow-necked bottle.

Pumpkin-Ricotta Gnocchi With Sage Brown Butter

2010-11-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

We’ve had mixed success with gluten-free gnocchi. (And by “mixed” I mean we've had "very little" success.) Gnocchi is all about texture. If you nail it, it’s perfect. If you don’t, you’re stuck with little turd-like things with the consistency of soggy paper towels (in my opinion).

This gnocchi was perfect—so perfect that I got cocky enough to make it again with pumpkin.

(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Ricotta Gnocchi recipe in the New York Times)

Note: The ricotta and pumpkin measurements are approximate. The original recipe calls for 15 oz. of ricotta. I used the pureed pumpkin I had left over from the pumpkin pie pudding and filled the rest of the measuring cup with ricotta.

10 oz. fat-free ricotta cheese

5 oz. pureed pumpkin

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ¼ cup shredded Parmesan (plus more for serving)

¾ to 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

3 tbsp unsalted butter

10 (or more) fresh sage leaves

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese. Add about ½ cup of flour and stir. Add a little more flour and stir. Repeat until you get a very sticky dough.

3. Scoop a spoonful of dough and drop it into the boiling water. If it falls apart, add more flour to the dough and try again. If it stays together, wait until it floats to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Once you have successful dough, cook the gnocchi in batches (about 5 spoonfuls at a time). One at a time, remove each floating gnocco from the water and set aside.

5. As you near your last batch of gnocchi, add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts and starts to brown, add the sage leaves.

6. Add the gnocchi to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the gnocchi start to brown.

7. Serve immediately. Top with shredded Parmigiano.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

2010-11-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

I have two confessions.

1.) I only like the innards of pumpkin pie. Sure, I’ve eaten plenty of pie crusts in my day, but only because Miss. Manners says it’s rude to scoop out the good stuff and leave a pathetic-looking crust on one’s plate. Of course, now that I don’t eat wheat, I have a perfectly valid excuse for leaving the crust on the plate…OR I could just make this pudding, which takes all the good stuff of pumpkin pie innards and makes it better—and more pudding-like.

2.) This is my second attempt at this recipe. It was successful. The first attempt produced a very tasty pumpkin pie soup. Why? Because I decided the directions were dumb. Why would you heat sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat without any liquid? To make pudding, apparently. I learned my lesson. Trust the directions—in this case, at least. No need to go overboard.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

6 tbsp organic sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 ¾ cup skim milk

1 egg

½ cup pureed pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

¼ cup walnut halves

2 tbsp organic sugar

¼ cup whipping cream

1. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and egg. Whisk. Set aside.

2. Combine 6 tbsp sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes.

3. Gradually add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture. Whisk! Keep whisking and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute (keep whisking). Remove from heat.

4. Combine the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir to combine.

5. Add the pumpkin mixture to the milk mixture (one dollop at a time), whisking constantly.

6. Move the saucepan back to the burner and cook the pudding over low heat—don’t stop whisking—for 3 minutes. (They warn you not to let the mixture boil. I say, if it boils, you don’t have it over low heat.)

7. Pour the pudding into individual bowls or ramekins. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

8. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and the walnuts to a small nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar get gooey and turns golden brown. (They say this will take 3 minutes. Perhaps it will, if you’re using “low heat” with the ability to boil something, but it took our sugar 12-15 minutes to become gooey—and that’s after I turned the heat up to medium.) Toss the walnuts to cover them with the gooey sugar.

9. Transfer the gooey walnuts to a plate or a parchment paper-covered plate or a cooking spray-coated aluminum foil-covered plate. Let them cool, then chop into chunks.

10. Place the whipping cream in a bowl and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.

11. To serve, top each bowl of pudding with whipped cream and candied walnuts.

General Tso's Tofu (or chicken)

2010-11-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

We don’t remember the last time we had General Tso’s (or General Tsau’s or General Tau’s or General Gau’s or General Gao’s) chicken, but we know it was yummy and extraordinarily unhealthy. We can’t vouch for the accuracy of the General Tso’s taste in this dish, but it’s really tasty (and a hell of a lot healthier than the original deep-fried version).

(Adapted from the Canyon Ranch Demo Kitchen cookbook)

3 tbsp low-sodium gluten-free tamari sauce

6 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp hoisin sauce*

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cubed (or 1 lb. skinless chicken breast, cubed)

¾ cup organic chicken stock

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water

3 tbsp canola oil

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 zucchini, diced

1. Combine tamari, vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well.

2. Place the tofu or chicken in a shallow baking dish or pie plate and combine with ½ cup of the sauce. If using chicken, marinate for 1 hour. If you’re using tofu, 15 minutes’ll do.

3. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir well with a fork.

4. Add the chicken stock and the cornstarch-water concoction to the rest of the sauce. Set aside.

5. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Stir fry tofu or chicken until starting to brown (and until chicken is cooked through). Remove from wok and set aside.

6. Re-oil the wok, if necessary, and sauté the red peppers and zucchini until tender-crisp.

7. Add the tofu or chicken and the remaining sauce and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

*Most store-bought hoisin sauce has wheat in it so we made our own (following a Canyon Ranch recipe):

2 tbsp canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch chili flakes

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp low-sodium gluten-free tamari sauce

5 tbsp white vinegar

3 tbsp water

1/3 cup black beans

1. Combine oil, garlic and chili flakes in a skillet over medium heat. Saute until garlic turns golden brown.

2. Add brown sugar to the skillet and cook until the sugar caramelizes.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Set aside until cool.

4. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. (Can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for a week.)

Pasta Al Forno with Butternut Squash (or Pumpkin)

2010-11-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

I came across this recipe on the Food52 blog. Doesn’t it sound amazing? Now, check out the ingredients. Doesn’t it sound like a heart attack?

We lightened it up a little and came up with this decadent, yet delicate creation. We know it doesn’t look particularly delicious. The mustard yellow hue is a bit off-putting. And when you place a spoon in the pasta to serve it, it makes a dense gloopy sound that’s also rather off-putting. BUT, trust us. This is one tasty fall dish!

A 3 to 4 pound butternut squash or cheese pumpkin (we used butternut squash)

Olive oil

4 pieces of turkey bacon, cooked until crispy and broken into bits

16 oz. brown rice penne pasta

1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

¾ cup fat-free half and half

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded fontina cheese

2 tbsp. fat-free ricotta cheese

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

walnut halves (about a cup), toasted

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line two baking sheets with foil.

2. Cut squash into equally thick slabs (leave the skin on) and place on the baking sheets. Drizzle the squash lightly with olive oil and bake until the squash is tender and slightly caramelized, about 1 hour. Set aside until it’s cool enough to handle.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until it’s under-done (not even al dente), about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.

4. Jack the oven up to 500º.

5. Cut the squash away from the skin and measure out 2 cups of squash, cut into chunks. Combine the squash chunks with the Greek yogurt and half and half in a blender. Puree until smooth.

6. Combine the squash puree with the cheeses, sage and bacon in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

7. Cut the rest of the squash into chunks and gently fold the squash chunks and the penne into the slop in the large bowl. (Remember: it tastes delicious!)

8. Spread the pasta, squash, etc evenly into a lasagna pan or casserole dish and bake for 7-10 minutes, until the top layer of pasta starts to brown and the bottom layer is tender.

9. Top each serving with toasted walnuts.