Life of Leisure

Yes, I am living the life of leisure. However, I'm not so sure if this is how life should be at 26 years old... but I'll take it for now. The best part of unemployment is having time to realize what it is I truly want to do as a career. The bad part of unemployment is that my blog title no longer makes sense: nope, not a working girl - nope, not in the corporate world. Although I have to admit it feels really good to read that previous sentence.

The world is my oyster! I can now move forward towards my personal legend! I have seen the light! And I will be taking this amazing avocado salad dressing with me to top all the bland cooked chicken and boring vegetable salads that cross my path!

Smooooth Avocado Dressing

adapted from Choosing Raw

1 avocado

1 garlic clove

4 tbsp olive oil

1 lime (juice & zest)

salt to taste

pepper

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp cumin

* I'd add a cup of cilantro if you have it on hand

1/4 cup - 1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients, except the water, in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add the water until you get the consistency you are looking for. The sauce is great on salads, chicken, pork tenderloin, grilled eggplant, the list goes on.

Almond Butter Banana Blondies

Decadent and healthy? It's possible with these Almond Butter Banana Blondies. They're dairy free, sugar free, gluten free and yet they still taste pretty amazing. I think I ate about half the pan over the course of a week... a little bit at work with my coffee, a little bit after dinner, a little bit for breakfast... ridiculously delicious and satisfying.

This is what I like to call a "one bowl" recipe. "One bowl" recipes use one bowl to mix all of the ingredients . . . they're great if you don't have too many tools in the kitchen or if you are just too busy to bake.

Almond Butter Banana Blondies

adapted from Elana's Pantry

1 (16 oz) jar of roasted Almond Butter

1.5 ripe bananas

1 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 scoop Chia Seeds (optional... you could add flax seeds too)

1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees. Dump the almond butter into a large mixing bowl, add the banana and stir until banana is incorporated. Add the maple syrup then the eggs. Once all of these ingredients are well combined, add the sea salt & baking soda, mix well. Lastly add the chia seeds and chocolate chips (reserve about 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips).

Pour the batter into a well greased 9 x 13 pyrex baking dish. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter to make it look pretty! Bake for around 35 minutes. I had to bake mine for longer . . . I've accepted the fact that every oven is different.

Remove from oven and let cool. You can store these awesome Almond Butter Banana Blondies in the fridge. Next batch I may even try freezing.

Enjoy!

Quick Cooking with Quinoa

It's amazing how fast the natural foods industry moves to get popular items on the shelf for the masses. There's the soy milk craze, acai craze, and now I'm starting to get the sense of a quinoa craze. It's everywhere! Its even showing up at local restaurants as side dishes, who would have thought? Check out this recent article Link

So, I've been cooking with quinoa for a couple years now. At first it tasted funny, there was no satisfaction from eating it, and I always ate it plain. . . a huge mistake! After lots of experimenting in the kitchen, I now love how versatile the seed is - I eat mine for breakfast with almond milk, coconut flakes and a banana, for lunch in my salad or for dinner with some veggies & protein! The best part is, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook. The second best part is, you can really make quinoa suit your personal tastes.

For savory, I'm posting one of my favorites. . .

Quinoa with Leeks & Asparagus

3 leeks chopped up (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 bunch of asparagus (I pick the skinny stalks)

Pepper

Pinch of Salt

Maybe a tablespoon or two of white wine

2 cups cooked quinoa

Olive oil

Cooking the quinoa

The proportions are simple: 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. Place everything into a sauce pan, turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to simmer, cover and let it sit until water is fully absorbed. This may take around 20 minutes... not that long.

The good stuff

Dice leeks into small slices. Be sure to clean them really well before chopping. Wash and dice asparagus. In a large sauce pan, add some olive oil over medium heat and stir in the leaks. Once leeks become transparent, add the asparagus. Add salt & pepper to taste... I even threw in a couple tablespoons of white wine (psst secret ingredient). Let everything marinate. The asparagus will turn a vibrant green and the leeks will start caramelizing. After about 8-10 minutes, add 2 cups of cook quinoa. Toss around to soak up the flavors. You could even let the quinoa crisp up a bit on the bottom of the pan.

This makes about 4 ample servings. I topped mine off with a fried egg and some avocado.

Breakfast for Athletes

I love pancakes but I don't love the heavy, slouchy, lazy feeling I have after I gorge myself with buttermilk pancakes, french toast or waffles. As a result, I rarely eat such high density, carb overloading options for breakfast, especially during the week days.

This new recipe is anything but unhealthy, yet it also satisfies the pancake cravings. Using coconut flour (you can find this at your local Whole Foods), whipped-up egg whites and a ripe banana, you are able to achieve a "pancake" like breakfast that leaves you feeling satisfied and ready to take on the day. I promise.

Just check out this recipe below...

Banana Pancakes... a lighter version

2 large bananas, smashed

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 tbsps high quality honey

2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour (or Almond Meal)

Olive oil or butter for the frying pan

Directions

Combine smashed bananas, eggs, honey, vanilla and baking soda with a whisk or fork. Add the coconut flour and combine well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped egg whites into the pancake mixture.

I like to top mine off with some blueberries while they are cooking in the frying pan. You could also add some coconut flakes, strawberries, walnuts, you get the idea.

In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp butter or olive oil. Lastly, fry up your "pancakes"!

Recipe courtesy of a new Paleo/Gluten/Fitness friendly blog, SweetCheeksHQ.com

Recovering, then doing it all over again.

This recipe is all about recovering. Earning back those calories you spent on pumpkin pie, extra gravy, delicious homemade challah stuffing ... ehem the best stuffing ever... and whatever it was that your little heart desired. I almost feel like Thanksgiving sets off a feeding frenzy, one that is influenced by cold weather and the fact that my office is starting to fill up with gifts in the shape of Holiday treats. I pride myself for my usual resistance to free treats in the office, but this time of the year, my self control dwindles. A little bite here, a handful of something there and all of a sudden I am slumped over my desk with very little energy to do anything else but head back to the break room and, well, eat more.

Back to recovery. Ellie Krieger's Curried Butternut Squash Soup from her book "The Food You Crave" is a healthfully sweet dish that will leave you dishing for more. Full of vitamins and minerals, also free of cream, sugar, and grease, it's filling and delicious. The perfect compliment to nursing a Thanksgiving feast hangover, and it will definitely never leave you slumped over your desk at work. I recommend making a big batch, freezing some, and saving some for lunches and dinner. It goes great with some homemade croutons or shaved Parmesan cheese.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)

One 2 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used vegetable)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons honey

You will need a large soup pot and a blender or hand help immersion blender. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the honey. In two batches, puree until smooth in the blender. Make sure soup is very smooth with no lumps. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Top it off with some homemade croutons, Greek yogurt or Parmesan cheese.

The Paleo Diet

For the past two weeks I have joined a group of Crossfitters in the attempt to eat like a "caveman" for the entire month of October. Supposedly the Paleo Diet is the healthiest diet in the world - removing all dairy, sugar, alcohol, wheat, rice... you get the picture... from your diet. Yes, this has been very very difficult.

I work the typical 8 to 5 with occasional overtime days just because life err work gets busy. A diet like this could seriously damage your routine. I've realized all of my vices were affecting my day to day existence; however, with these changes my life is healthier and my body is happier.

There has definitely been some cheating... drinking my favorite brew of dark coffee in the morning and a glass of wine last Friday night. There have also been some amazing recipes exiting my kitchen. Forced to cook my own food each night, I've surrounded myself with the freshest produce making my creations endless.

Fish in a Pouch (en Papillote)

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 red onion roughly chopped

1/2 bell pepper roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped dill

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 small fillets of any white, flaky fish (I used Tilapia)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cut out a large piece of parchment paper (about 12'' by 12''), this will be the Pouch for the fish, etc. Chop the garlic, onion, bell pepper, dill and anything else you find suitable for flavor. Place the clean fillets of fish on the parchment paper and top with the other ingredients. Squeeze lemon over the top and add a dash of sea salt (no table salt).

Fold & twist up parchment paper creating a pouch. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Cooking en papillote is a different way to steam your food. No oil is needed and your dish always comes out moist and flavorful. I try to add as much intensely flavored ingredients to a white fish en papillote so I won't need to use salt in the end. In fact, you could even top off the steamed fish with this lemony pesto . . .

12 more days to go . . . wish me luck!

Cooking with Quinoa

Personal trainer, check. Mental commitment to getting into shape, check. Healthy diet, Quinoa! Summer is just around the corner and I've come to realize this new Southern California tan will look a lot better once I get myself in tip top shape. Hell no, I'm not going on a diet, just cleaning up my act. This next recipe comes from a cooking class I took about a year ago in Ojai, CA at the Lavender Inn. The woman who ran the class was such a wonderful resource for all things food - nutritionally speaking.

Quinoa is an amazing grain that you should incorporate into your diet no matter what. Two things that I love about Quinoa: it cooks in less than 20 minutes and it is so easy to prepare. One thing that I don't recommend for quinoa is eating it plain. Instead, incorporate this awesomely complex carb with vegetables and protein.

Summer Picnic Quinoa Salad

Recipe from Suzanne Landry

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup green peas (fresh or defrosted)
1/3 cup cucumber, peeled & diced
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Optional: 1/2 cup precooked chickpeas

Cook the quinoa in the water on high temp. Once the water starts to boil turn the temperature to low and simmer. Should take about 15 minutes, or until the grain is translucent. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

In a large pot of boiling water blanch the carrots for 30 seconds, strain and drain in cold water to stop the cooking. Add the chopped vegetables and chickpeas to the cooked quinoa and toss together. Lastly, toss in the fresh herbs, vinegar and olive oil.

This dish is great served immediately or the next day!

Psst... Quinoa is a great carb choice if you live your life gluten free!

A Sunday Recipe I can call my own

This weekend started with debauchery and has ended with a productive yet calm Sunday that I decided to make my own. It's one of those days where you unwind, answer emails from friends, browse the net, clean a bit ... Oh! and make flourless macadamia nut coconut cake... a recipe I can also call my own.

Derived from John Ash's cook book From the Earth to the Table, this recipe outlines the basic components of a delicious flourless cake: the division of the egg yolks and whites, a base of finely ground nuts, and the addition of subtle flavors that add depth to a relatively simple recipe. Once you have mastered this recipe it is very easy to improvise and alter the ingredients. A flavor combination that I can't get enough of is macadamia nut and coconut. Both are very rich on their own so I figured it'd be a great combo for a relatively dense flourless cake. Served with fresh berries or chocolate sauce, this cake is sure to be a hit!

Flourless Macadamia Nut & Coconut Cake
4 large eggs separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
12 ounces roasted & unsalted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit

Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan. If you eat your cake gluten free, use olive oil and pam with a little bit of gluten free flour.

In a food processor combine macadamia nuts and coconut until finely ground. In an electric mixer combine the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest. In another bowl (or transfer yolks to another bowl and use electric mixer for egg whites as well), whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, then fold in the chopped nuts and coconut. Once combined fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour batter into the greased pan and cook for about 50 minutes on the middle rack. Keep an eye on this cake as it can brown fast. Baker be warned, it may quickly brown but the center takes a while to bake.

I'm enjoying mine right now with some chocolate sauce and leftover coconut flakes. This would be a great dessert for Valentine's Day if topped with some raspberries and powdered sugar.

Gluten Free Can be Delicious & Easy

My list of gluten free friends is growing but my savings account has been shrinking... it's the holidays of course! This quick peanut butter cookie recipe just had to be my next post. For those of you that cringe at just the thought of anything "insert here" - free, I have to tell you, Delicious can sit next to Gluten Free. It does so quite elegantly next to these gluten free peanut butter cookies. For anyone with not much time on their hands, with not much experience in cooking or with an empty fridge and one jar of peanut butter laying around (me), this is the recipe for you. Lets get cooking!

Quick & Easy, Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter ( I used Organic, creamy PB )
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350F
In a bowl, combine all ingredients with a spoon. Make sure PB is near room temperature, otherwise you are in for a good workout. Once combined, with your hands roll dough into small balls. Place on a greased baking sheet and press down with a fork to create the chic peanut butter four square logo. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes and let cool for another 10-15 minutes. Grab a glass of milk and dig in!

Side Note: At around 7 minutes, I sprinkled some turbinado cane sugar on top of my baking cookies to give them a little sparkle and crunch

Thanks for this awesome recipe Carrie!