MAKE (these) GREAT RECIPES AGAIN

There is profuse jabber about making America great again, but I like to make great recipes again and again.  In an effort to think about the parts of my life that are great, I think about my inspirations and journeys that have contributed to my efforts in writing a blog about my family's experiences with coping and adjusting to multiple food allergies.  Today, I share my top 10 viewed blog posts on blogger.  Will you say "I am with her" after reading?  

10: The Art of the Picnic:  How we have embraced simplifying and enjoying the local sights when traveling and feeding the family.

9:  Knives, Cutting Boards, Kids, Oh My  Sweet memories of living in Virginia, volunteering with a kids cooking program in local schools, and being inspired to engage my own children in helping out with any meal.

8: How to be the Worst Soccer Parent Ever  An argument for healthy snacks for all of our little athletes.

7:  Go Broncos!  Orange Food!  Ginger Carrot Dip and Butternut Squash Tacos.

6: Wheat Allergy and a First Holy Communion  What to do when your food allergies and faith mix.

5: Eat More Kale  This salad is a great way to introduce yourself to the kale lifestyle.

4: New Mexico Style Vegetarian Thanksgiving  Just in time for Thanksgiving meal planning. Acorn squash, red chile, and pumpkin butter.

3: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins  This muffin is a great way to start the day.

2: 10 Reasons to be Thankful for Food Allergies this Season  Embrace it!

1: The Allergy Friendly and Gluten Free Lunch Box for Kids  This is one of my original posts and I still have friends tell me how much it helped and re-inspired packing lunches for their kids.

Remember to let me know how you vote...about your favorite blog post!

Rule 15: Get out of the supermarket whenever you can

The farmers market is a happy place to be during the summer and fall.  Around here, fall brings the distinctive scent of roasted green chiles in addition to fresh tomatoes, hard squash, fresh pinto beans, potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, beets, okra, sweet corn, apples, peaches and other seasonal foods.

I visit every week to load up on a variety of local fruits and vegetables and its a great excuse to skip the supermarket!  

Inspired by my harvest at the market and Rule #15 from Michael Pollan's Food Rules, An Eaters Manual, I often cook this meal of fresh beans, oven roasted tomatoes, spicy green chile, and crunchy kale.

Fall Harvest Beans and Seasonal Vegetables

The night before....

Place 2 cups of dried pinto beans in the slow cooker crock and cover generously with water.

The morning of...

Rinse beans and add clean water to the beans and crock of the slow cooker and cook the beans on low all day.  Add a clove of garlic and a red chile pod if desired.

At dinner time...

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit

Slice 3 large tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a foil lined cooking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

Rinse and tear kale into bite size pieces.  In a large bowl, combine kale, olive oil, salt and pepper until kale well coated. Place on another foil lined pan and roast for 15-20 minutes. Make sure that the kale is placed in a single layer.

Place green chile pods directly on the grill or in the oven and roast until the skin blackens and blisters.  Place roasted green chile in a ziploc bag and allow them to steam.  After 10 minutes, rinse chiles under cold water to remove skins.  Remove seeds and chop.  Note: If you wear contact lenses, remove them prior to chopping the chile (a lesson learned the hard way).

Serve a generous bowl of beans with your roasted vegetables and enjoy with either corn or flour tortillas.

Happy Fall!

Yellowstone: Epic Adventure!

Old Faithful

A week in Yellowstone

Summer 2016

Bison in Lamar Valley

We recently returned from weeklong trip in our nation’s first national park, Yellowstone.  It was a week of extraordinary sights and amazing encounters with wildlife.   It was also a week of long days in the car across Wyoming and cooking every meal at the campsite.  Due to the food allergies in our family, we packed everything we would need for the week as we didn’t know what types of food would be available at the simple grocery stores in Yellowstone. 

Lower Falls at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

For the most important meal of the day, I planned for a variety of meals as my kids could not face oatmeal for week straight.  I made Banana Bread in loaf pans ahead of time and we enjoyed heating up the slices at the campsite in a frying pan with our dairy free butter.  I also tried “Make Ahead Yogurt Parfaits” with a layer of frozen fruit, dairy free yogurt, and granola.  We also indulged in breakfast sausage and hash browns, balanced with a morning of oatmeal and dried fruit.

Steam rising from the Caldera

No swimming in this hot pot

Lunch was always on the go and always in a different place as we explored all areas of the park.  We generally ate homemade lunchables with allergy friendly ingredients, cashew butter and jam, and tuna salad.   The tuna salad included egg free mayo, tuna, shredded carrots, and mustard.  As a surprise to everyone, our picky eater loved it.

Sunset in the Lamar Valley

We ate simply, but well with an assortment of beans, tortillas, canned and frozen vegetables, rice, and pasta.  We had everything from Frito Pie to smoked salmon pasta salad. 

Tetons

We all enjoyed S’mores and when we were not enjoying those, we ate my Sweet and Salty Cookie Brownies.

We had a great week made even better with showers, a dishwashing station, flush toilets, and an air mattress!

PS: Wyoming is beautiful

Sweet and Salty Cookie Brownies

Rule #39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

Sweet and Salty Cookie Brownies

I was inspired to create a version of this layered cookie after enjoying one after a day of mountain biking in Moab, Utah.  A friend shared his homemade baked goods with us after the ride, but my kids were not able to have one due to the egg and milk ingredients.  

Delicate Arch, Moab

I promised my kids on the spot that I would figure out a recipe that they could also enjoy.  I am happy to announce that I had success on my first trial. 

I recommend the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix because it is dairy free and can be made without an egg.  Follow the basic instructions and add ¼ cup flour to the mix.  Set aside.

For the cookie, I used my basic recipe and excluded the chocolate chips and added roasted, salted, sunflower seeds.

Cookie batter on top of brownie batter

1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats or quinoa flakes

1 cup of flour

1/3 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or dairy free margarine*

1 Flax egg (click for link) 

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.  Add flax egg and beat until well blended.
4. Add remaining ingredients to the butter mixture and combine until well blended.
5. Spread brownie mixture into baking dish.
6. Add cookie batter evenly on top of brownie batter.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Allow cookie brownies to cool and place in refrigerator.  Cut into 1 inch squares.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

It was more work and required more effort to make these cookie brownies as compared to buying something at the bakery or store, but as Michael Pollan points out in his book, “Food Rules”, you can enjoy a treat every day if you make them yourself. Chances are you are not going to actually make them every day. ;-) Try applying this same viewpoint to french fries, potato chips, ice cream, etc. 

We are looking forward to bringing this cookie along for our future hiking, biking, and camping trips-where ever in the world they take us.

Rule #13: Eat only foods that will eventually rot

I receive a fresh vegetable and fruit delivery weekly.  It forces me to plan meals around these fresh foods because they will eventually go bad.  I hate throwing away food (and money).

I had lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and a craving for an Asian inspired salad.  Since we deal with food allergies, I had to modify the salad to avoid soy sauce and nuts.  I replaced the soy sauce with savory toasted sesame oil and the crunch of nuts with seeds.

Toasted Sesame Asian Chicken Salad

Makes 10 generous servings

Greens:

½ head of green cabbage, sliced thin

½ head of purple cabbage, sliced thin

1 small head of green or red leaf lettuce, sliced thin

5 spring green onions (scallions) chopped

1-2 cups of julienned carrots (look for pre-cut carrots at the store)

4 stalks of celery, sliced

½ cup of chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

• Combine above ingredients cabbage in a large salad bowl.

  

  Colorado National Monument

Chicken:

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger

4 chicken breast, pounded flat until thickness is about ½ - ¾ of an inch

• Place chicken in a large baking dish and cover with chopped garlic and ginger and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked.  You may also grill the chicken.  Slice cooked chicken into bite sized pieces. 
• Vegetarian options:  Steamed edamame, lima beans, or green peas

Dressing:

¼ cup toasted sesame oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil, olive oil, or regular sesame oil

Juice of one lime

2 teaspoons of agave nectar or honey

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

• Whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified.

Add in’s:

Sunflower seeds

Quartered limes

Sriracha sauce

Rule # 47: Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored-then eat pizza salad

How often do you open the pantry door and just stare?  Are you opening your refrigerator out of habit?  Nibbling on those cookies and donuts in the office?

Or

Does your child’s classroom have a designated snack time every day but not a recess time?  Do you kids ask for a snack at random times-sometimes within an hour of eating?

Biking in Moab

You might be bored and your kids might be bored. 

The cure?   Go and do something, anything, outside.  When you done, reward your family with a great meal that everyone help make, Pizza Salad.  Recipe below. 

In my own experience, my kids ask for food when they seem bored, eat snacks purely out of habit, and I find myself doing the same thing.  As a family, we make a very conscious effort to go outside, find a project, or otherwise occupy ourselves.  The iPad doesn’t count! 

As parents, we are the examples of choices and habits that we eventually expect out of children.  It’s okay to challenge them, make them look at the world differently, and to expect great things. 

Pizza Salad is a great way to start looking at the world differently, as it is a twist on pizza that is almost unheard of (unless you live in my town).  Pizza Salad is the creation of a local pizzeria and it is a large salad atop a pizza crust.  Minimal cheese, lots of greens, and I added some smoked salmon.  Every plate was cleaned! 

Pizza Salad

Dough: 

½ cup of flour

1 ½ teaspoons of active dry yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 cup of warm water

Mix above ingredients and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  This creates the ‘sponge’.  Add 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt.  Knead for 10 minutes and allow dough to proof in a warm, sunlit area of your home for 1 hour.  Divide dough into 6-7 equal balls of dough and roll out dough into plate sized rounds.

• Clean salad greens and tear into small pieces.
• Add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green onion, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc.
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Go for hike

Bake dough in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or place dough directly on a hot grill (400 degrees) for 3 minutes on each side. Top each pizza dough round with a mixture of salad greens, vegetables, cheese, and balsamic dressing.  Serve each person their own pizza salad.

Making this dinner is also a great cure for your boredom.

The Great Grandmother Rule

Rule #2: Don’t eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.

This rule from Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules, an Eater’s Manual has been on my mind for the past few weeks.  Recently, both my grandparents passed away after a long life that was devoted to one another, the land, their community, and their faith.  

Both children of farmers, one of immigrants, the other not, growing food and understanding the intricacies of land and water was a central part of their lives. 

So what did they eat? 

What was their secret to a long life? 

What can we learn from them?

My grandparents made homemade meals, preserved seasonal foods, and pickled nearly everything; ironically, they also had a sweet tooth and liked Pringles.  Chips and sweets hardly sound healthy or the secret to a long life, but they balanced everything they did with hard work.  They were not idle people. They continued to care for their home and yard, farm and equipment, remained active with volunteering and politics, and even learned new skills to keep their minds sharp.

No Eggs

As I page through my recipe book, I am glad to see that I have handwritten recipes, and even typed recipe cards, from my grandmother.  I share the recipes for nostalgia, as we are rapidly losing people who lived great lives despite the challenges of the Great Depression and the agony of World War II. 

A recipe for my bridal shower

Our challenge is also to live a life that matters, that gives, and that will not be forgotten.   Don’t be idle, work hard, do what is right, and show love to those in your life.

Eat Your Colors: Red Beet, Purple Cabbage, and Green Kale Salad

Beet Juice and Olive Oil

It would be a distraction to speak of the merits of antioxidants and phytochemicals because it is not my specialty.  I find it much easier to follow the food rule: “Eat Your Colors” from Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual.  

Eating your colors will pretty much ensure that you are receiving a variety of beneficial nutrients while expanding your personal palate for fruits and vegetables. 

Beet, Cabbage, Kale Salad

Red Beet, Purple Cabbage, and Green Kale Salad

4-5 red beets, peeled and quartered

½ head of purple cabbage, sliced into ½ inch slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch of green kale, torn into small pieces

Roast beets at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until able to pierce with a fork.  Heat olive oil in a large pan and add slices of purple cabbage and sauté until the slices just start to wilt.  Wash and dry kale. 

Place washed kale into a large salad bowl.  Add warm cabbage and beets to kale.  Cover salad bowl to allow the kale to steam slightly.

Serve with your choice of dressing or a simple lemon dressing:

Simple Lemon Salad Dressing

½ lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together above ingredients.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

A new year is always a good time to think about change and taking steps to achieve goals.  I usually think about eating better due to the gluttony of the holidays. 

Sun Setting on 2015

Recently, one of my favorite authors, Michael Pollan, had a television show based on his book, “Food Rules”.  It captured my attention and gave me some inspiration for eating, cooking, and making change for 2016 because the rules were simple and funny.

In 2016, I will share in this blog, the rules set forth in his book, and how I try to apply them to my daily life with a job, family, and other responsibilities. 

Michael Pollan is not a scientist or a nutritionist, but a regular person like you and me, who just wants to know how to eat better.  As a parent of a child with food allergies, shopping and cooking safe, healthy, and nutritionally packed food is a daily focus.

Michael Pollan suggests in his book, “Food Rules” that how to approach eating and nutrition can be boiled down to these seven words:

“Eat Food, not too much, mostly plants”

Eat Food:  Early on in managing food allergies, most people discover that the best option for eating is real, whole food.  My son’s packed lunches have always garnered the attention of his daycare providers, teachers, and other parents with comments like: “He has the healthiest lunch” and “You are lucky he eats vegetables”.  Trust me, there were many mornings that I wished he could just eat something from the store shelf, but in the end, I am thankful that we were pushed into eating more whole foods and less processed foods.

A sample of my recent order

Mostly Plants: I thought that I was doing a good job of providing vegetables and fruits in our diet, but realized that I depended on mostly broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cucumbers, apples, bananas, beans, and potatoes.  I have been influenced over the last two year to add more variety in our vegetables and eating more of them on a daily basis.  We recently subscribed to a home delivery for organic fruits and vegetables.   Everyone in the house looks forward to our weekly box of veggies and now I hear my family say things like kiwi, squash, and kale.  Let me know if you want more information about home delivery as I can help you save $$$ on your first order.

Not too much: Admittedly, pregnancy had a big influence on me for “not too much” as I couldn’t handle larger meals and switched to smaller portions with healthy snacks.  The following recipe incorporates all of these rules.  This meal feeds my family of five for two dinners. 

Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas

1 butternut squash

¾ cup of chicken stock

12 corn tortillas

1 can of white beans

2 chicken thighs

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Chopped Cilantro (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Prepare the butternut squash by slicing in half, lengthwise and removing seeds.  Place in a casserole dish with ¼ cup water and salt and pepper. Salt and pepper chicken thighs and place in dish with squash.

-Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove chicken and continue to bake squash for another 20 minutes or until it can be easily pierced with a fork.

-While the squash is finishing, sauté onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon of oil.  Divide onions and garlic into two equal portions.

-Remove skin and meat from chicken thighs.  Discard the skin and bones and cut the meat into small bite sized pieces.  Remove the rough skin from the squash and mash squash.  Divide the chicken and squash into two equal portions.

-In a large casserole dish, pour ¼ cup of chicken broth on bottom of pan. Layer 6 corn tortillas on bottom of dish.  Next, place a layer of squash, chicken, beans, onions, and garlic. Pour ¼ cup of chicken stock over dish.  Repeat sequence of tortillas, squash, chicken, beans, onions, and garlic.  Once more, pour ¼ cup of chicken stock over dish. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with shredded cheese and cilantro and a bountiful salad.