First Harvest & Tomato White Bean Soup & Swiss Chard Bruschetta

I never thought I’d actually be able to harvest something from the garden so quickly! We’ve had strange weather this month and this past week we’ve had a bit of rain and cooler temps – apparently that was good news for many of the plants in our garden. This swiss chard that I was worried about after a bunny got to it has grown leaps and bounds the past few days and today I was able to harvest some of it to use with dinner. Thad and I were out there cutting leaves and out of nowhere came this downpour with big huge raindrops! We ran for the house!

Tonight’s dinner featured two recipes from my new favorite cookbook, Fresh & Fast Vegetarian: Recipes That Make a Meal. Everything I’ve made from this book so far has been excellent and flavorful. It was a chilly 65 degrees out today and rainy off and on – perfect day for soup! I altered the bruschetta a little bit, so my version is here.

Tomato and White Bean Soup with Spinach Pesto

serves 4

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 TB tomato paste (I bought a tube at Whole Foods – under $2 and great for these types of recipes that just need a little bit, I hate wasting a whole can of tomato paste!)
• 2 TB torn fresh basil (also harvested from my garden!)
• coarse sea salt
• 1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans
• freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Ingredients:

• 2 TB pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TB grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in soup pot over med-low. Ad onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 min. Add garlic and cook for 1 min.
2. Add 3 cups water, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Stir beans into the soup. Cover and cook over low for 20 min. Add a generous amount of black pepper.
3. Meanwhile, make the pesto. Spread the nuts in a small skillet and toast over med-low heat, stirring, until they turn a light golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Then, using a food processor, combine the nuts, garlic, salt and spinach and process to a coarse puree. With it running, add the oil in a slow steady stream. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cheese if using.
4. To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a generous spoonful of pesto to each and serve at once. Garnish with additional cheese.

Braised Swiss Chard Bruschetta

serves 4

Ingredients:

• Swiss Chard leaves
• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced or sliced
• coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
• crusty bread, sliced (I found some amazing crusty chewy walnut bread at Whole Foods today!)
• Pecorino Romano cheese wedge

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Wash the swiss chard and tear leafy parts away from thick center ribs. (I chopped up the ribs and threw them into the soup). Tear the leaves into 2 inch pieces.
2. Combine 1 TB oil and garlic in a skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the swiss chard leaves to the pot and cook, covered until wilted, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and drain any excess moisture.
3. Drizzle 1 TB oil across the slices of bread spread on a baking sheet. Put in the oven for several minutes until toasted lightly. Remove from oven, spread swiss chard on bread slices and top with curls of cheese (I used a veggie peeler). Put back into oven for a couple minutes til cheese starts to melt. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Heaven!

Sunday I got to spend a wonderful day with Thad. Lately I’ve been working more or he’s had work to do, or somehow just other plans that waste away the day minus quality together time. Not this Sunday! After yoga in the morning I packed us a picnic lunch and we took Izzie to Kensington – walked a bit, ate lunch, laid on a blanket (sounding great so far right?) . . . and then Thad’s allergies got the best of him with all the trees at the park and so had to leave after less than an hour. On our way home we talked about what else we could do today and I suggested strawberry picking. I haven’t gone strawberry picking since I was a kid and have been wanting to. We just went to a farm a few miles away, spent an hour or so picking strawberries and came home with 8 quarts ready to be cleaned and transformed.

I used half of them to make strawberry jam! (btw - I use Pomona pectin because it’s all natural and uses much less sugar.) I forgot how much work it can be to all the cleaning, hulling, mashing, cooking and then processing the jars. The result was of course a delicious fresh jam.

 

But I still had half of my strawberries left. I’ve added them to salads and tonight made a yummy ‘breakfast for dinner’ whole wheat pancake strawberry stack (recipe from Oh She Glows) with a bunch of them. Barely looks like I made a dent! I still think another small batch of jam is in my future tomorrow!

The best laid plans . . .

I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m jaded or pessimistic – because I truly am not – in fact I would say I’m more positive today than I’ve been in years, more free and open to the possibilities of life than ever before. Life has taught me so much in my 30s and it was starkly clear to me today at work -- I actually had this moment of suddenly feeling older and wiser with so much clarity and peace. An extremely nice and happy young couple (newlyweds) in their 20s came in to view the model I was working at today. A new job for him, a new degree for her, a year of marriage under their belts and they are looking to plan the rest of their lives and  build their dream home on a beautiful private lake. They went on to tell me they want to have 4 or 5 kids and want this to be their last home! So much hope for what the future holds for them and so much fresh excitement – I couldn’t help being caught up in their happiness. I truly hope life brings them what they desire most. In my mind, I couldn’t help but think to myself that what they want most or place a high value on now is going to change. How can they plan their entire lives based on what they want at 25? I do think many of us at 25 thought we could too. At some point, your life experiences alter what fulfills your dreams and makes you happy. I’ve only really come to understand that for myself in the past couple years and there is an immense feeling of freedom in accepting that and being open to the possibilities of where our lives may take us. Now that is something to be excited about!

Maple Mustard Balsamic Vinaigrette

With a huge tub of spring mix greens from Costco in the fridge I decided I’d better make up some dressing to have on hand. I adapted a recipe from Eating Well.

Here’s the salad I made tonight for this dressing – spring mix, cucumber, roasted grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, walnuts and feta, plus 2 TB of this dressing. This is a pretty typical salad for us, but this dressing made it truly delicious!

Maple Mustard Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup walnut oil
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 TB dijon mustard
• 2 TB tamari/soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together.
2. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

per TB: 62 calories, 6g fat, 0 cholesterol, 3g carbs, 0g protein, 0g fiber, 143mg sodium, 16mg potassium

Mushroom Fettuccine

Today just seemed like a good one for pasta. I also had a bunch of mushrooms in the fridge that needed to be used and a bag of shallots on borrowed time, so this recipe was born! It was much enjoyed tonight and I’m excited to have it again for lunch tomorrow!

Mushroom Fettuccine

5-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 bag wild mushroom fettuccine by Al Dente Pasta
• 2.5 cups chopped baby portabella mushrooms
• 8 shallots chopped into fourths
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5 TB extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 4 TB plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, freshly shredded
• fresh ground black pepper (about 1/2 tsp)
• sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Spike seasoning
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1 TB lemon juice

 

Directions:

1. Chop & prepare all veggies
2. Bring pot of water to a boil and cook pasta at the same time as veggies
3. Heat 1 TB olive oil in large skillet. Saute shallots until softened. Remove from pan.
4. Heat 2 TB olive oil in large skillet. Add chopped mushrooms and a large pinch of sea salt. Saute until mushrooms start to brown and release liquid.
5. Add in minced garlic cloves and mix for about 30 seconds. Add shallots back in and combine. Remove from heat. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mushroom mixture into a separate bowl and set aside.
6. When pasta is drained, add pasta into large skillet and combine with mushroom mixture. Add in spices, cheese, lemon juice, 2 TB olive oil and greek yogurt. Mix well.
7. Divide onto plates and add reserved mushroom mixture on top.

Note: if you have some fresh basil or italian parsley, they would make nice additions here as well.

Banana Oat Breakfast Cake

Perfect for a chilly ‘almost-summer’ morning in Michigan!

I’ve seen a few variations of these on food blogs and decided this morning would be perfect for one and quick to make. This is a flexible recipe you can add other things that sound good or subtract what you don’t have on hand. Just try to keep the same liquid/dry ratio.

Banana Oat Breakfast Cake

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large banana or 3/4 small banana, mashed
• 3 TB dry old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 TB  brown sugar (you can play with this, I used less and might try substituting honey next time and upping the oats)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TB chia seeds
• 1 TB coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• 1 TB walnuts

Directions:

1. Mash banana in small bowl
2. Add all other ingredients and combine thoroughly
3. Spray a small clean microwave safe bowl with nonstick spray
4. Place mixed ingredients in bowl and distribute evenly
5. Microwave for 90 seconds. Take out and let it cool for a minute.
6. I then flipped it out onto a small plate and put 1 TB almond butter on top. mmmm!!

Taking Yoga Off the Mat

Ever since I started practicing yoga I have heard this talked about – whether it’s during a class, in a magazine, a book or a blog I’m reading. I guess my initial reaction to the phrase was probably along the lines of ‘oh that sounds lovely’, but not really understanding how that would happen. After 5 months of regular practice, I get it, I really do.

Last week I was at Kensington for a morning walk with Izzie. I wasn’t in the best mood that morning, frustrated with the scale not moving last week even with all the healthy eating and extra walking I was getting in. So I was there for my walk with more of a ‘must do’ attitude than a ‘want to do’ one. Izzie obviously felt my attitude because she was doing everything possible to frustrate me and prevent me from getting my 3 mile walk in. Not listening when I told her ‘let’s go’ or ‘come on’, planting her feet down firmly while she sniffed plants, dragging me as she tried to run after a chipmunk or stop and stare at a turtle. Then I realized, Izzie wasn’t trying to frustrate me (of course not!), she was simply enjoying herself! Yoga teaches me not to fight things, to enjoy the present moment. In an instant I realized that Izzie was helping me take my yoga off the mat and into the world! I changed my attitude in a split second, acquiesced and let her lead me to the water’s edge where fish were jumping around in the water. I stopped worrying about my pace and getting my heart rate up and instead enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning at the lake and the joy and amusement at watching Izzie jump back after sniffing the water. How did I ever let negative thoughts overtake enjoying the present? What a great lesson to learn – and I can thank both my yoga practice and Izzie for it!

Tilapia with Cilantro Butter

For the most part I’ve replaced butter with olive oil in my cooking, but this recipe seemed meant for butter. It’s a small amount and the recipe is still healthy – plus quick and delicious! Definitely wanted to save this one to make again. I found it at Cooking Light.

Tilapia with Cilantro Butter

serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

Cooking spray

1 lemon, quartered

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of fish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Coat both sides of fish with cooking spray; place in pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish on a serving platter; squeeze lemon quarters over fish.
• Place butter and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Serve with fish.

Nutrition:

194 calories, 6.9g fat, 30.5g protein, 1.2g carbs, 88mg cholesterol, 354mg sodium, 32mg calcium

I served this dish with a side of grilled asparagus, sweet potato fries, and a little bit of quinoa. yum!

Citrus Carrot Smoothie

I usually like my smoothies ultra-thick, but I also enjoyed this one that was almost more of a juice. And what a burst of energy it gave me this morning! Made in my VitaMix of course.

Citrus Carrot Smoothie

makes 3 large glasses

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh pineapple (including core)
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 cups ice
• 1 cup water
• 2 TB lemon juice (or 1/4 inch slice lemon including peel)

Directions:

Combine in Vitamix, start on variable setting 1, quickly increase to 10, then to high. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth.

Cannellini Bean Spread

I’m working today so need to pack a lunch – but we have no leftovers from dinner last night! A grilled veggie sandwich sounded good, and this bean spread would be perfect for it – and I’m sure it will make a great dip too!

I made it this morning – it’s delicious, although very garlicky and spicy so I think a little bit will go far on my sandwich (I am talking to people today after all!). This recipe is from Whole Foods.

Cannellini Bean Spread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 can cannellini beans
• Juice of 1 lemon or more to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in small pan. Add garlic and cook over low for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add crushed red pepper and let sit for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
2. Remove garlic from oil (I used a small strainer) and combine garlic and beans in food processor or Vitamix. Process until smooth.
3. With motor running, add in olive oil, lemon juice and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste and combine.
4. Serve at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil.

 

Nutrition:

4 servings per batch, each serving contains:

Per serving (about 4oz/119g-wt.): 260 calories (130 from fat), 15g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 8g protein, 25g total carbohydrate (10g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium

Garlic Roasted Shrimp and Swiss Chard Pasta

Earlier this week I’d bought a beautiful bunch of swiss chard. Other than having it in mixed baby greens, I’ve never cooked with it before today. I was in the mood for shrimp and Thad wanted pasta, so there dinner was born!

Garlic Roasted Shrimp and Swiss Chard Pasta

serves 3

Ingredients:

• 36 shrimp (I used pre-cooked tail off shrimp from Costco that I had in my freezer)
• 1 large bunch of swiss chard
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions
• 1/2 package Al Dente Spicy Sesame Linguine
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Directions:

1. Bring pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Peel and slice garlic cloves. Chop onions. Chop swiss chard leaves (not stems). Place all in a large bowl with shrimp. Pour in olive oil, season with salt and hot pepper flakes. Combine well.
4. Spread mixture on large baking pan. I use my Pampered Chef large bar pan.
5. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from pan and mix with pasta. Stir in cheese and serve!

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

Yet again I wasn’t fast enough to remember to take a photo – but I want to be sure to get this recipe down since it was so delish! I think I will always use this recipe to grill eggplant from now on, it was so good!

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 orange or red bell peppers
• 2 small or 1 large onion
• Pesto
• Goat Cheese
• 1 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 TB balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• baby spinach (or arugula)
• garlic salt
• nonstick spray
• 8 slices bread (I use High 5 whole grain from Great Harvest)

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2” thick rounds. Spread on a platter/cutting board or covered surface. Sprinkle garlic salt on each piece. Walk away for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, grab a paper towel and wipe off the top of each slice of eggplant. What this does is the salt helps draw out the bitterness of the eggplant, but you want to wipe away all the liquid and salt that is on top of the slices before continuing.
3. Mix up balsamic dressing – combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Place in a medium bowl.
4. Go turn on your grill, set it to medium-hot.
5. Dredge each slice of eggplant in balsamic dressing mixture, tap to remove any excess and set on platter/baking sheet to take out to the grill.
6. Prepare bell peppers. Slice off top and bottom, remove insides and cut each pepper into two halves. Dredge through balsamic dressing, tap off excess and set on platter.
7. Peel and slice onions into large slices – run a metal skewer through each slice horizontally – should probably fit on two skewers. Spray onions with nonstick spray on each side. Set on platter.
8. Take platter and bread slices out to grill.
9. Place all veggies on the grill – grill approx 5-6 min each side for eggplant. Keep an eye on the peppers and onions. Remove from grill.
10. Place bread slices on grill to toast, flip, then toast other side.
11. Toss baby spinach with remaining balsamic dressing.
12. Assemble sandwiches – Spread 1 TB pesto on 1 side of 4 slices of bread. Spread 1-2 TB goat cheese on 1 side of the other 4 slices of bread. On pesto side of each sandwich, layer two slices of eggplant, then slice of bell pepper, onion slices, then 2 more slices of eggplant. Top with baby spinach, then other slice of bread with goat cheese spread on it. Press down, slice in half and enjoy!

Thad also thought fresh tomato slices would be a nice addition – I was worried about the sandwich falling apart from being piled so high so did not include them. My plan was to serve a tomato and cucumber salad on the side. (of course I didn’t because I forgot I was going to do it until after the sandwiches were made and we were sitting down! Next time I’ll make that after Step 1 – perfect use of time).

Enjoy!

First Time Gardening

For years I’ve wanted to have a vegetable garden, but lack of time for many years when I ran our business prevented it. And last year, when I finally had time, the big dilemma was not having the extra money to build planter boxes. Well this year I stumbled upon a win-win situation with my next door neighbor! She has 6 planting boxes with built in watering systems, but with juggling a new job and family life, not enough time to plant and maintain them all. She offered me to use a couple of them, and I couldn’t turn that down! I told her I’d weed all of them this week so we could both get things planted this weekend. Yesterday I spent 4 hours weeding 2 beds, today I spent several more doing 2 more. Thad got some bags of new soil to add to my 2 beds and I prepped them as well today.
Yesterday I went to the South Lyon farmer’s market and was delighted that my favorite vendor who sells beautiful heirloom tomatoes and veggies (and practices organic farming) was there selling plants! I bought 3 varieties of heirloom tomatoes (yellow, purple and red), a jalapeno plant, purple bell pepper, mini sweet red pepper, eggplant and cucumber. I got those planted today and now still have most of a bed to fill! I am beyond excited!
I am also doing herbs in containers – we started some from seed, but I also bought a couple well established plants yesterday too to make sure we have an herb crop!
Wish me luck!