Recipe: Protein Salad

During a staycation a few weeks ago, my honey and I did a challenging 8-mile hike. After the hike, we were definitely ready for a cold beverage and food. We decided to check out a local brewery. While I thought the beer would be the star of our meal, it turned out that the beer was upstaged by a salad. Seriously. The salad was so good that I bookmarked it in my brain for a future attempt at home. 

I did, in fact, recreate the salad at home and it turned out amazing. So now I present to you, the Protein Salad!

This salad is hearty and protein-packed, as the name implies. It is easy to prep and all the individual bits hold up well if you want to prep stuff ahead of time. Just toss everything onto a plate when you're ready to chow down. 

Roasted tomatoes? All you need are tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper!

When they look like this, they are good to go!

This recipe is also easy to mix and match, depending on your dietary restrictions and preferences. Don't eat beef? Swap the beer burger with a turkey or chicken or veggie or whatever patty you prefer. Whole30? Just omit the quinoa and cheese. Don't like salad? Umm... I can't help you there, other to suggest you give this one a go, before you swear off salads all together. 

The vinaigrette starts with piling a bunch of fresh herbs into the blender. Mmm...

Juicy...

Protein Salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

Dressing: 

• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 grapefruit (an orange would work too)
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Everything else: 

• 8 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 4 burgers (beef, turkey, chicken, or veggie)

Directions: 

Roast the tomatoes: 

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Line a medium baking sheet with foil. 
3. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. 
4. Roast tomatoes for 10 minutes, stir, and then roast for another 10 minutes, until they begin to burst and shrivel up. 

Make the quinoa: 

1. Cook the quinoa according the package directions. 
2. Let cool slightly. 
3. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the citrus chimichurri vinaigrette.  

Make the dressing: 

1. While the tomatoes and quinoa are cooking, blend up your dressing. Add the top seven ingredients to a blender or food processor and whiz it up until it is nice and smooth and a beautiful green. 
2. Set aside until ready to use. 

Cook your burgers:

1. Not sure how to cook your burger? Check this out.

Assemble the salads: 

1. Pile the mixed greens onto four plates. 
2. Top salads with quinoa and roasted tomatoes. 
3. Add a burger to each salad. 
4. Crumble the goat cheese over the top. 
5. Drizzle salads with the citrus chimichurri vinaigrette. 

EAT. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash

We eat a lot of zucchini noodles (zoodles) in our house. However, sometimes I want a pasta-substitute with a little more bite to it, a little more structure to hold onto a delicious sauce, and a little less water content to water down said sauce. Enter spaghetti squash.

While I'm a fan of spaghetti squash, I always dread cooking it because one of my least favorite things is slicing a spaghetti squash in half to prepare it for roasting. I'm always one slip up away from losing a finger.

Yesterday, I consulted with Google about the possibility of cooking a spaghetti squash in our slow cooker. People said it could be done. Some recipes called for water, others did not. I decided to try the no-water version, in hopes that it wouldn't get too soggy. Well... I can now add this to the "I can't believe I never tried this before!" list.

All you need is a spaghetti squash and a slow cooker.

Three and a half hours on high was perfect for al dente squash. You will want to keep an eye on yours, as I imagine cooking time varies depending on squash size and slow cooker. I checked mine with a knife and once I was able to insert it fairly easily, I knew it was good to go. If you like softer spaghetti squash, just let it cook longer. Once cooked, it sliced SO easily. I'll be cooking my squash like this from here on out.

An ice cream scoop is my seed removal tool of choice.

To put the "spaghetti" in spaghetti squash, grab a fork.

Our sauce of choice for lunch yesterday was a simple meat ragu from Skinnytaste. Another favorite is Mel Joulwan's (Well Fed) Paleo Pad Thai. Her sunshine sauce is one of the best things ever and we've mixed and matched proteins and green veggies with great success. Really, any sauce you enjoy over pasta works with spaghetti squash.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash

The size of your squash will determine how much cooked squash you get. A large squash will lend ~8 cups cooked squash.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash

Directions: 

1. Stab the spaghetti squash a few times with a sharp knife. 
2. Place in slow cooker. 
3. Cover and cook on high for 3.5 hours. 
4. Remove from slow cooker. Slice in half and spoon out seeds. (I like to use an ice cream scoop.) Scrap the squash with a fork to pull out the spaghetti-like strands. 
5. Top with your sauce of choice and enjoy!

Favorite Whole30 Breakfast (Recipe)

Over a month since completing our first round of Whole30, we have carried forward a lot of the concepts. One is eating a good, protein-rich breakfast.

During the work week, I typically eat a couple hard boiled eggs and a piece of fruit. I prep a big batch of hard boiled eggs on Sunday, which gets me through the week. On the weekends, I sometimes "splurge" and cook up a sausage and egg dish. The great part is, it takes all of 10 minutes to make. Tops. Especially easy and tasty after a long run.

The ingredients and directions below are for one person. Just scale it up if you're cooking for more than one.


Favorite Whole30 Breakfast: Sausage, Fried Eggs, & Fresh Tomato

Serves: 1

Ingredients: 

• 1 Trader Joe's garlic and herb chicken sausage, sliced (or other compliant sausage)
• 1-2 eggs, cracked into a small bowl
• 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 small tomato or piece of fruit of your choice, sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• French's yellow mustard (or other compliant mustard of your choice)
• Cholula hot sauce (or other compliant hot sauce of your choice)

Directions: 

1. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, a few minutes. 
2. Drop heat to medium-low and push the sausage to one side of the pan. Add ghee to the now empty side. Carefully pour in the egg(s), tilting the pan slightly for a few seconds to keep it away from the sausage. Season egg with black pepper. Let egg cook over the heat for a minute, until bottom is set. 
3. Remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let sit for 2-3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yellow is still runny. (Let it sit longer, if you like your yellows more firm.) 
4. Carefully slide the sausage and eggs to a plate and add the tomato/fruit. Sprinkle tomato with salt and top sausage and eggs with mustard and hot sauce, if desired. 
5. Enjoy! 

Recipe: Romanesco Cauliflower Mac

No idea what romanesco cauliflower is? Don't worry, you definitely aren't alone. (My spell check doesn't even recognize it.)

Some people call it romanesco broccoli.

Or fractal cauliflower. 

This is what it looks like: 

Pretty.

We had our first experience with this veggie fairly recently, when one arrived in our CSA box. We discovered that it is great straight up roasted with some olive oil and salt and pepper. I think it tastes more like broccoli than cauliflower but also much nuttier. It really has its own flavor altogether.  

You should try it! 

I was ready to try something new this past Monday so, using Martha Stewart's Broccoli Romanesco and Parmesan Puree recipe as inspiration, I decided to whip up a veggie and cheese mac for Meatless Monday. 

This could also be a fun St. Patrick's Day dish. You know, because it's green. 

Romanesco Cauliflower Mac

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 head romanesco cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces small macaroni
• Fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid before draining.
2. While macaroni is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the romanesco cauliflower and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown.
3. Add water, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the romanesco cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork. 
4. Drain any remaining water from the skillet and transfer the romanesco cauliflower to a blender or food processor. Add milk and process until smooth. If needed, add a bit of the pasta cooking liquid to get the sauce to your desired consistency. 
5. Combine the pasta and sauce. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of parmesan and chopped parsley. 

Nutrition:

Based on my calculations, this is approximately 350 calories/serving.

Disclaimer: I don't believe in hiding vegetables to get children to eat more vegetables. Primarily because they don't learn that vegetables are awesome and that they actually LIKE vegetables. However, if you have a particularly picky eater on your hands, child or adult, this may be a good way to sneak in some extra good green stuff. 

Recipe: Balsamic & Bacon Brussels Sprouts

This one time when we were out to lunch with friends, they seemed a bit hesitant of our decision to order a brussels sprouts appetizer. The brussels sprouts arrived, looking and tasting incredible. All four of us chowed down, with our friends gladly accepting the last bites.

I don't blame them for taking so many years to realize that brussels sprouts are awesome. I mean, I didn't know I liked them until I was in my mid-20s. My parents don't like them so I never tried them until a very nice friend showed me the light.

Ready to be roasted.

Shredded with olive oil, lemon juice and avocado.

Shortly after our lunch, I received an e-mail from one of our friends with a brussels sprouts recipe he had just made at home and loved. I quickly added it to our list of recipes to try. After a couple batches, I think I've found the combination of ingredients that we like best. 

Feel free to adjust the amounts to your liking. For example, I won't judge you if you use an entire package of bacon. Promise.

Balsamic & Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Serves: 4* 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
• 1/2 red onion, chopped into large pieces
• 4 slices bacon, chopped into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400º. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the brussels sprouts, red onion and bacon and toss to coat. 
3. Dump everything onto a large, lined baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the brussels sprouts have softened and bacon is nice and crispy. 

*Or less, depending on how much you like Brussels Sprouts. My honey and I can easily finish off a batch, just the two of us.

Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad Bites

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! Like many people, I am starting to think ahead a week to 2014 (YES, 2014 is in a week!) and my goals for the new year. One of them will definitely be to blog more and in an effort to get started now, I wanted to share a recipe! This recipe was recently approved by the 30+ of our framily* who gathered at my parents' house yesterday to eat, drink and be merry.

Chicken Caesar Salad Bites on Parmesan Crisps

These Chicken Caesar Salad Bites are an easy prep-ahead appetizer, and only require four ingredients. The most difficult part is neatly topping the parmesan crisps with the chicken/arugula/dressing mix.

Makes: 5 dozen

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces shredded parmesan or an Italian cheese blend
• 16 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced fine
• 1 cup arugula, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup caesar dressing** (more or less to taste)

Directions:
Make the cheese crisps: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Spoon rounded teaspoons of cheese onto the baking sheet, about an inch apart. I generally do 12 little cheese piles on each baking sheet. 
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. 
4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat this process to make all of the crisps. 
5. If you are not using them right away after cooling, place in a paper towel-lined, air-tight container. 

Assembling the bites:

1. When ready to serve, stir together the chicken and arugula. 
2. Stir in the dressing a bit at a time, until it is to your liking. 
3. Gently top each cheese crisp with a spoonful of salad and serve immediately.

*Framily = friends who are our family.
**We really like Ken's Light Caesar Dressing. It isn't creamy but has good flavor and works well in this particular recipe.

Recipe: Curried Sugar Pie Squash Soup with Crispy Pancetta

Fall is my favorite. I love cool weather, layers, scarves, boots, gingerbread lattes, snuggling at home with my family...

...and soup! I am writing this post about soup while eating leftovers of SkinnyTaste's Broccoli Cheese & Potato Soup for breakfast. Just keeping it real.

I was inspired to make this curried squash soup after receiving a sugar pie squash in our CSA box and when a friend posted a photo of a homemade acorn squash soup on Instagram.

I knew this recipe was a keeper when I said, "I would totally make this again," and my honey immediately responded with, "I would totally eat this again."

First things first, what is a sugar pie squash?? Based on my quick internet research, it is a variety of pumpkin. I didn't weigh it but I would guess 3 pounds or so. Roasting your own squash for this soup takes time but I think it is worth it. You can also roast it ahead of time, like I did, so the soup itself can be a fairly quick, weeknight dinner.

Roasted squash, ready to be scooped out!

Butter + onion + curry powder = Best. Smell. Ever.

Pancetta, crisping. 

Soup -- before blending.

Soup -- after blending.

Making it creamy.

Curried Sugar Pie Squash Soup with Crispy Pancetta

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar pie squash (~3 lbs)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons curry powder
• 3 cups nonfat, low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 ounces pancetta, cut into tiny cubes

Directions:

To roast the squash (can be done 1-2 days in advance): 

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Get a good, sharp knife and cut off the top of the squash to remove the stem. Carefully slice in half down the middle. 
3. Using a metal spoon or metal ice cream scoop, dig out all of the seeds and stringies. 
4. Spray each half with a bit of cooking spray and lay flesh-side down on the baking sheet. 
5. Bake the squash until it is nice and tender and the skin is easily pierced by a fork, probably about an hour. 
6. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the insides and set aside immediate use or put into an airtight container for refrigerating and saving for later. 

To make the soup: 

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and 2 teaspoons curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, 5-7 minutes. If a crust begins to form on the bottom of the pan, add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze.
2. Add reserved squash insides and the chicken broth to the onion mixture. Stir and bring to a simmer. Let it go, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. 
3. While the soup is simmering, crisp up the pancetta. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat, add the pancetta and cook until dark and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove pancetta to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 
4. If you've got one, use a hand blender to smooth out the soup. (You could also ladle the soup into a blender or food processor.) 
5. Taste the soup and if you want a stronger curry flavor, add another 1/2 - 1 teaspoon now. 
6. Stir in the nutmeg and half-and-half and allow the flavors to mingle, without a simmer, for another 5-minutes.
7. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with crispy pancetta.
8. Enjoy!