Mediterranean Lamburgers & Crispy Dijon Brussels

Finally got to pick up the whole lamb that we ordered from Mirror Lake Organic Farm in Capac, MI. Since it was a perfect 60 and sunny fall day, I hit up the Royal Oak Farm Market where my favorite find was a huge stalk of brussel sprouts. It was kind of obvious what I was making for din. FIRE UP THE GRILL!

Lamburgers:

1 lb ground lamb (organic)
1 tbsp finely diced onion
1 egg
Breadcrumbs - a small handful
1-2 tsp seasoning of your choice (I used Bragg's Sea Kelp Delight)
Worcestershire sauce - few dashes
Salt & Pepper

Mash up, form into 4 patties and let sit for 20 min or so. Fire up the grill & you know what to do. :)

Sun Dried Tomato Aioli:

5 sun dried tomatoes (diced finely)
2 tbsp real mayonnaise (none of that fake crap!!)
1 clove garlic (diced finely)
Few DRIPS of fresh lemon juice

Stir.

Brussel Sprouts:

2 cups brussel sprouts (washed and quartered)
3 tbsp finely diced onion
1 tbsp butter
Dijon Mustard (1-2 tsp)
Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (1-2 tsp)
Olive oil (1-2 tsp)
S&P

Heat a pan to medium. Melt the butter and add onions, stir for a minute or so. Add quartered brussel sprouts and cook until some are starting to get a nice golden-brown color. While cooking, Mix & whisk equal parts of dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and olive oil (about a teaspoon or two of each) and add some salt & pepper. When the brussels are done cooking, pour in the dressing. Toss to coat & serve!



I served the lamburgers on whole wheat pitas (I used Trader Joe's) with some baby spinach, feta cheese & sun-dried tomato & garlic aioli. Tangy, delicious, nutritious. Maybe it's the local, grass-fed, hormone & anti-biotic free and just processed yesterday part, but there is something MAGIC about lamburgers! Enjoy!

Squash Squared {Vegan + GF}

We've been eating less & less meat around here.  Not really on purpose, but neither of us seem to be "craving" meat as much.   There's always the battle of finding good quality (sustainably raised) meat, save for a Whole Foods or Farmer's Market trip. Anyway, it's a cool time of year where both fall & summer squash share shelf space. (say that 5x fast...) ;)  This dish is tasty, nutritious....and great for pretty much any diet. Enjoy...

Acorn Squash Spaghetti Sauce 

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (mine came out of the garden...still going strong at the end of September!?)
• 1 small yellow onion (roughly chopped)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Olive oil (about 1/4 c)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs fresh
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• Sea Salt, Fresh ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut your acorn squash into 4 equal pieces and remove seeds & pulp.  Drizzle olive oil,  salt & pepper over the squash, tomatoes, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until you can stick a fork through the squash (doesn't have to be completely mushy).  Heat a few tablespoons of oil on a large skillet and heat to medium.  Cook onion until light brown.  When veggies come out of the Add your tomatoes, acorn squash, roasted garlic, 1 cup of water (or broth).  Add some S&P, thyme, red pepper and simmer until soft, stirring occasionally. At the very end, add the lemon juice, little more olive oil and blend with an immersion blender (LOVE mine!), food processor or a potato masher if you want it a bit chunkier. 


Yellow Squash Pasta

• 4 medium yellow summer squash
• Sea Salt

Slice squash lengthwise in strips and again so that it sort of resembles linguine. Toss it with a bit of sea-salt.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook squash for 3-4 minutes, until flexible but not mushy.

Drain pasta and serve with a few ladles of sauce, nice & hot. I topped it off with some Bragg's Sea Kelp Delight.  The acidity of the lemon & tomato gave this a great bite.  This makes a very flavorful side dish or meal. Grilled chicken or portabella mushrooms would be nice additions!

Roasted Chicken Drummies & Baked Apples, Sweet Potato & Onion

Fall is here. Ya know how I know??  Cider mill time = fall time. There's nothing quite like a fresh, crisp Michigan apple.  I couldn't resist buying a peck them today at Cider Mill.  At this point in the Apple Season, Galas were the best bet for fresh and baking use so that's what I bought.  The mill had a Kream-Mustard from Brownwood Farms in Traverse City for sale, which the sweet older woman at the counter told me was perfect on chicken...and since I had chicken drumsticks thawing....

Mustard Chicken Drummies

4 chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp artisan mustard (a honey mustard would be the best)
3 large celery stalks (cut in half)
2 large whole carrots (chopped in half & large side halved lengthwise)
4 garlic cloves (sliced in half)
Sea Salt, Black Pepper

Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 45-50 min

Wash & prep your carrot and celery and arrange (along with  garlic) on the bottom of a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.  Wash and pat dry chicken drumsticks and give them a good salt & pepper rub.  Use your hands to coat the chicken in mustard and make sure to get it under the skin.  Arrange on top of your "baking rack".  Using the vegetables allows heat and air to circulate around the chicken and keep them moist, while adding flavor. Roast uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until skin is crispy and juices run clear. Flip half way through and baste with some more mustard (baste one more time 5 minutes from done).  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.


Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apples & Onions {VEGAN}

2 fresh MICHIGAN apples!
1 small yellow onion
1 large sweet potato (I used a Red Garnet yam)
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp organic brown sugar
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes if you wish :)

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min

Preheat oven to 400. Chop sweet potatoes and apples into equal sized wedges. Slice onion into thick wedges also. Toss in a bowl with coconut oil, brown sugar and spices.  Arrange in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil (poke a few holes in the top). Bake for 30 minutes, take the foil off and stir.  Bake for another 10 minutes or until you can get a fork through your sweet potatoes. 

Served with lightly steamed local kale (+lemon, EVOO, sea salt).

Whitefish Baked with Summer Vegetables

Hola! It's been a while; dinners all summer have been super fresh & simple garden goods & grilled stuff.  We wanted fish tonight, for sure.  Had beautiful locally grown zephyr squash and ripe tomatoes & eggplant on their vines in the backyard.  Taking inspiration from one of my Dad's favorite fish dishes, I threw together a kind of Plaki (a Greek dish consisting of baked fish/vegetables), and switched it up from the usual mirepoix-ish ingredients and used what I had on hand!


Whitefish Plaki with Eggplant, Squash and Tomato 
Prep & cook time: 45 min
Nutrition Infos:  N/A too lazy to add today, but for sure diet friendly!

Ingredients:

• 1 wild-caught whitefish fillet (or cod, tilapia, perch, white sea bass...any will do)
• 1 small eggplant cut into discs and then in half
• 1 small summer squash (same way)
• 1 tomato (don't even waste your time with a conventional store-bought one) cut like the other veggies
• 3 cloves garlic sliced very thin
• 1/2 small white or yellow onion, sliced thinly
• Fresh thyme
• Sea salt, coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Wash & prep veggies and toss in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.  Place fish fillet in a large baking pan. Pat dry and season with salt & pepper.   Spoon vegetable mixture over and around the fish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil, stir vegetables and baste fish with the juices. Bake another 20 minutes uncovered, until fish is flaky and veggies soften up a bit. During the last 5 min, sprinkle fresh thyme and the juice of a lemon wedge or two over the dish (Stir again).   Seriously simple, delicious and nutrient-dense!  I prepped this in 5 minutes before yoga and stuck it in the fridge ready to go in the oven.  Serve by itself or over brown rice. 

Served with fresh steamed beet greens with lemon & evoo

Enjoy :)

Breakfast for Dinner: Savory French Toast w/Poached Egg & Honey Drizzle...

Leftover from weekend festivities, we have SO many dinner rolls.  Seeded, plain...probably at least 20.  What to do with them?!  I know I'll be making breadcrumbs, but one great use for day-old bread is French Toast.  To give it a savory flare, I added some herbs and onions in the egg wash, topped it with a perfectly poached egg and a drizzle of honey...seriously delicious!

Savory French Toast (2 servings): 
2 leftover Italian sandwich buns (6 medium slices of bread)
3 eggs
1/3 c milk (I used almond milk)
2 tbsp finely chopped Vidalia onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I did thyme, rosemary and basil, equal parts)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Butter & Olive oil (for the pan)

Heat a large pan or griddle with a little bit of butter and olive oil.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with the onion, herbs and S&P. Slice bread into 1/2 - 3/4" slices.  Soak each piece in the egg wash for about 45 seconds.  Place slices into hot pan. Spoon extra egg wash onto slices as to avoid waste and to get some of those tiny onion pieces on.  Pan fry on on each side until they are golden brown with some crispy texture to the edges (approx 5 minutes per side).


Poached Eggs:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar
Ice bath

Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and the vinegar.  Heat water until hot, but not boiling.  Don't let any of the little bubbles break the surface of the water.  When the water is hot, crack one egg at a time carefully and place into a small bowl.  Pour each egg gently into the water and with a slotted spoon, create the motion that you are spooning the egg back into place, so that the egg white stays as in tact as possible.  Cover the pan and let the eggs poach for 2-4 minutes, until the egg whites are medium-firm and yolk is still runny.  Carefully spoon each egg out into an ice bath for 30 seconds and place gently on a paper towel to dry.

Arrange 3 pieces of French Toast onto a plate and gently use your hand to cup the poached eggs on top.  Finish each plate with a drizzle of honey and some more fresh thyme.  Enjoy!

What are Greens???

Baby greens growing in the garden (6/20/11) MUSTARD GREENS (LEFT), RAINBOW CHARD (RIGHT) and BEET GREENS (BACK)

WHAT ARE GREENS??

I've realized that a lot of people are unaware of what a "dark leafy green" is. Friends will ask what I'm growing in the garden this year. I start listing "tomato, cucumber, eggplant, soybeans, colorful peppers"...but then when I get to "rainbow chard, mustard greens, kale, beet greens", they have this confused look. "What is rainbow chard? What does it taste like?" Even the cashier at the grocery store stopped me mid-order the other day to marvel at the GORGEOUS orange, red, pink and yellow stalks of the rainbow chard I was buying. "What IS that??", she asked, in awe of the beautiful colored stalks and perfect slightly crinkled hearty leaves. She wanted to know what it tastes like and how to prepare it.

I thought I'd write a little bit about greens and how they are SO healthy and beneficial for a lot of your body's key functions. Once I started incorporating them into my diet (at least 3-4x a week), I noticed that I even developed cravings for them. Greens are wonderful for bone health, digestion and supporting free-radical oxidative damage. And, eating them makes me feel positively vibrant!

What does the "dark leafy green" category consist of, you ask? Sorry, not broccoli, peas, green beans or leaf lettuce. Here's a pretty comprehensive list describing what you'll find lining the walls of the produce stores and farmers markets here in Michigan:

VARIETIES OF GREENS (at least, here in Michigan!):

• Swiss Chard - Mild, sweet green similar to spinach. Large leaves (about 8 inches long, 5 inches across) and a light green-white stalk. Baby greens are great in salads, large mature leaves can be steamed or sauteed.
• Rainbow Chard - Swiss Chard's more beautiful cousin. Gorgeous bunches of red, orange, yellow, pink stalks with a bright green leaf.
• Spinach - duh, Popeye's fave! Nice mild flavor, softer texture. Baby spinach leaves are nice raw in a salad or scrambled with eggs; the bigger more dense, crinkled leaves are best steamed/sauteed/incorporated into pasta dishes.
• Kale - comes in many different varieties: dinosaur, curly, flowering (a green and purple curly leaves that grow in a beautiful flower formation) etc. Kale is one of the heartier greens! I recommend either massaging it, and eating it raw in a salad or steaming or sauteeing. Sometimes I throw a handful of greens into my smoothie in the morning for added nutrition. 
• Beet Greens - the green tops of a growing beet root. The leaves are smaller and more delicate, but resemble that of rainbow chard. This is a tasty sweet green that has a bit of the beet flavor to it.
• Mustard Greens - a SPICY variety of green. This is a lighter-in-color green. The leaves have lots of texture to them and curl around the edges. It's one of the more potent greens. I like to saute mustard greens with a bit of Dijon or whole ground mustard, lemon, olive oil, salt. It also makes for a delicious addition to a salad for a bit of a kick.
• Collards - known for their use in soul food, collards have big, flat leaves. This is one of the more hearty greens. My favorite way to prepare is chopping and sauteing with bacon/bacon grease, red-wine vinegar, S&P. Delicious!!!
• Turnip Greens - like the beet greens, turnip greens are harvested off of growing turnips. Has a spicy, slightly bitter taste, and a more narrow, delicate leaf.
• Dandelion Greens - the most bitter of all of the greens, this is actually the green part of your dandelion weeds growing in the backyard. This makes it a very cheap green and easily accessible. My grandmother and grandfather told me stories of their parents, born in Greece, harvesting dandelions to eat on the side of the road for cheap nutrition.  They are best cooked in olive oil, lemon, garlic & onions (see a trend here?)  Fair warning, if you're new to greens, you may want to work your way up to this one!  

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GREENS:

...the benefits of incorporating greens on a regular basis are innumerable and I'll go as far as to say "critical". Greens provide fundamental nutrition that support everything in your body. I'm no Doctor, Nutritionist or Dietitian, but working with a certain Naturopathic Medical Doctor is where I get boundless information about nutrition for holistic health & wellness. I also do a lot of my own research on the web, by checking in with World's Healthiest Foods, and NutritionData. Greens are fantastic to help "move things along" in your digestive system. They're cleansing, fresh and to boot, a CHEAP super food.   Unlike $15/lb Acai berry, you can buy a huge bunch of greens from $1-3 bucks (depending on if you're at the farmer's market or Whole Foods organic section)! ;) Greens are high in:

• Iron - Many people claim that you need red meat in order to get enough iron, however 1.25c kale has the same amount of iron as 4 oz lean beef. Vegans, vegetarians...all plant-eaters rejoice!
• Calcium - supporting bones, preventing colon cancer, PMS, cataracts, high blood pressure and poly cystic ovarian syndrome to name a few. Greens have between 86mg (spinach) to 266mg (collards) per 1 cup serving. This is about the amount you'll find in an ounce of cheddar cheese!
• Vitamin A - preservation of eyesight, helps fight viral infections, supporting cell growth, preventing of vaginitis, acne, AIDS symptoms, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, varicose veins, inflammatory bowel syndrome. Greens have in the range of 6,519 IU (spinach) to a whopping 17,709 IU (kale) per serving of Vitamin A. If you want another source of Vitamin A, turn to carrot, sweet potato, squash or Calves Liver (mmmm).
• Vitamin K - critical to bone health, preventing oxidative damage, regulating the inflammatory system, supporting the brain and nervous system, preventing calcification of blood vessels and heart valves and preventing dreaded kidney stones. Greens contain anywhere from 420mcg (mustard greens) to 1,062mcg (kale). Greens, romaine lettuce and broccoli are pretty much your ONLY good source of Vitamin K.
• Magnesium - good for muscle and nerve relaxation, circulation, building bones, imbalanced blood sugar, elevated blood pressure, controlling diabetes, PMS, hypertension and asthma.

...among the MANY other nutrients are Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium and Copper.

*Not only are greens rich in nutrients and super cheap...they're very LOW-CALORIE. Each serving (1 cup) has between 21 (Mustard Greens) and 49 (Collards) calories per serving. Great for dieting.*

GREENS FOR GUT HEALTH:

So, maybe you've heard a lot recently about friendly gut bacteria and how it plays a huge role in our digestion, mood, immune system and overall health. These friendly gut bacteria (pro-biotics) occupy our stomach by the billions and need PRE-biotics as food. The fibers in our foods provide fuel for these gut bacteria and guess what? It just so happens that greens are a fantastic source to feed your gut bacteria.

Not only do they help your stomach feed it's army of healthy gut bacteria, but the high folate content may aid in the prevention of cancer.

PREPARATION OF GREENS:

Where to start? At your local farmer's market, in your garden (SUPER easy to grow) or at your nicer grocery store. Pick one or three and get cookin'. A couple basic tips: certainly don't over-boil them; it reduces the fiber content and reduces the overall nutrient value. Also, make sure to serve with olive oil or even bacon fat...and an acid. This helps to extract the nutrients in the food and make them more easily absorbed into the body. Here are my favorite ways to use greens:

Steam - heat a pot or pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Salt the water and heat to medium. Throw in the greens and saute just long enough for the greens to wilt and turn a nice bright shade of green. This will vary depending on the type. For example, spinach only needs a few minutes, while kale, collards and mustard greens will need the longest, more like five minutes. Season with salt, pepper, an oil and an acid. Olive Oil and Lemon are my standbys.

Saute - heat a large pan to medium heat with some olive or vegetable oil (or that bacon fat if you're doing mustard or collard greens...mmmm). You can toss in a bit of garlic and/or onions and get those browning before throwing the greens in. Saute until leaves are wilted.

In Salads - beet greens, spinach, baby rainbow chard and baby mustard greens all make for delicious salads, or just incorporate with your regular romaine or mix. Pictured below with grapefruit: http://adventurouspalate.blogspot.com/2011/01/kale-grapefruit.html

In Soups - Just today for lunch, I made a chicken, orzo and kale soup. Delicious. Just add your finely chopped greens when the soup is about 10 minutes from being done. Great way to make your soup more flavorful, nutrient dense, colorful and hearty!

Snack Foods - I posted a recipe a while back for Kale Chips: http://adventurouspalate.blogspot.com/2011/04/baked-kale-chips.html Great way to get your greens in during a DVR session snack-attack on the couch!

In a Lasagna or Vegetable Bake or Pasta Sauce - Yup. Put it right in there between the layers of sauce, veggies and cheese. Or even chop it up fine & put it in your homemade pasta sauce! Your family might not even notice. ;) Here's a hearty and healthy pasta sauce with a ton of veggies that I came up with over the winter: http://adventurouspalate.blogspot.com/2011/01/veggie-lovers-pasta-sauce-and-lamb.html

Eat your greens every day. Your body will thank you. :)

My ALL-TIME FAVORITE:

Southern Greens: Collard Greens sauteed with bacon and onions. MMMM!
http://adventurouspalate.blogspot.com/2012/04/southern-style-greens-bacon.html














*NOTE: Bacon, hot dogs and most conventional lunch meat contains lots of sodium nitrites to preserve. When cooked at a high temp, they form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. So let's be safe and find bacon at a local farm market or whole foods, where (MOST LIKELY) the meat is fresh, there are no added preservatives or hormones, and best of all, the pig was raised humanely.

Food Renegade!

Savory & Sweet: Vegan Mini-Muffins

Happy Freaking Summer. :) I have been completely slacking on new recipes since the weather has been nice! We've been grilling and eating al fresco as much as possible. 

So, I was invited to a vegan brunch yesterday.  Of course, I eat mostly plants, but don't have too many fun vegan brunch recipes under my belt, especially in the baking department.  I did a little internet research on substitutions, got some ideas, tweaked some recipes, and somehow happened to have everything on hand to make these delicious mini-muffins, Vegan style.  Perfect for parties, picnics or your daily brown bag.  Gotta say, they turned out beautifully and were a huge hit. GO OMNIVORES! ;)

Savory: Zucchini, Onion & Herb {Vegan}

Prep time - 10 min, bake time - 17 minutes
Makes 20-24 mini muffins

• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme, parsley and mint from my herb pots)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (and more for sauteing)
• 3/4 c soy or almond milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1.5 tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup
• 1 c organic whole wheat flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt (I had rosemary gourmet sea salt on hand)
  
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
•  Dash cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, heat some olive oil. Saute your veggies, seasoned with a few dashes of additional salt & pepper. Saute for about 7 min, until soft and starting to turn golden brown. Set aside to reserve in large mixing bowl.  In a another mixing bowl, sift flour and rest of the dry ingredients (including fresh herbs).  In the veggie mixing bowl, add lemon juice,  lemon zest, honey, olive oil and soy milk.  Stir.  Slowly fold in dry ingredients. Spoon into greased mini-muffin pan, filling cups almost to the top.  These don't rise too much.  Bake for 16-18 minutes (rotating pan at the 3/4 time mark) and let cool.

Sweet: Banana-Pecan {Vegan}

Prep time - 10 min, bake time - 17 minutes
Makes 24 mini muffins

• 3 very ripe bananas*
• 2 c flour (I mixed whole wheat and white)
• 1/2 c raw organic sugar
• 1/2 c organic brown sugar
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1/2 c shelled and chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 dash ground cloves

 *I freeze my bananas (sans peel) when they start to turn spotty.   They generally defrost very nicely in 5-10 minutes, ready for use.

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees. Cream together oil and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Mash bananas into the sugar/oil with a potato masher.  In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, sifting the flour and baking powder & soda to avoid clumping.  slowly fold into banana-sugar mixture.  Fold in pecans at the end.  Spoon into greased mini-muffin pans.  This one will rise nicely.  Bake for 16-18 min (17 min works really well for me!), rotating pan 3/4 through bake time.  Let cool.