summer sides

sorry it's been so long since i've posted new recipes! here are some of my favorite summer side dishes that feature fresh produce that's in season.

green beans in pesto

1 lb green beans, trimmed and blanched
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can butter beans (aka lima beans), drained
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce (or enough to coat ingredients)
shaved parmesan cheese

toss it all together, and garnish with shaved parmesan.
not an expert on blanching? look at this



tabouli

i used this recipe from the food network. it was delicious. i substituted millet for the cracked wheat.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/tabouli-recipe/index.html

gluten free

ok, so gluten free seems to be the new fad. gluten is a protein found in grains, namely wheat.
i completely understand why people go gluten free if they have celiac disease, but it seems like a lot of work otherwise. the world is made of wheat... bread, pasta, muffins, bagels, cookies, cereal, etc.......
however, i've been feeling pretty sluggish lately. i remembered that i had a lot more energy in college when i did the elimination diet and cut out gluten. i decided to trial it for a few days, and much to my chagrin, i have more energy now that i've cut out wheat. so i'm going to try to keep my wheat intake low and see if my energy lasts.
here are a few gluten free recipes that i really like:

this is my version of rice krispie treats, except it's whole grain and way more delicious!

millet treats

7 cups puffed millet cereal
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup craisins
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 stick butter
1 bag jet puffed marshmallows

just follow the directions on the marshmallow bag.

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as my friend larissa says, this recipe made a "gang" of food. that means it makes a lot. unless you're feeding a small army, i'd say you can cut this recipe in half and use either kale or chard instead of both. i'll post the original recipe though. i got this at work from sarah morales, our work place wellness dietitian at pvhs. thanks sarah!
one more thing, i made this salad with quinoa, which is a high protein grain. i made this as a main dish, it has all my requirements for a meal: protein, starch, and vegetables.

grains and greens greek salad

salad:
2 cups barley (uncooked) - or other whole grain such as quinoa, bulgar, couscous, etc.
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped, stems removed
1 bunch swiss chard rinsed, and finely chopped, tough stems removed
1 bunch curly parsley, stemmed, washed, and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup reduced fat feta crumbles

dressing:
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp lemon zest
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. cook barley (or other grain). drain and rinse with cool water.
2. saute the garlic and onion in olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat; add kale and cover a few minutes until kale is wilted and bright green. (chard can be cooked or added raw.)
3. combine greens, cooked grain, and all other salad ingredients except feta.
4. whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad, gently mix.
5. sprinkle with fetta and enjoy.

muffin meals

my friend katrina suggested that i post some recipes for baby food, so here are elle's favorites. i call elle "the muffin" and her meals are "muffin meals." : )
these recipes make enough for several meals. i cook and freeze in smaller containers.

chicken with vegetables

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and chopped
1/2 bag of frozen peas
1/2 cup water
2 boneless chicken thighs, boiled and chopped

pour oil in a large frying pan and put on medium heat. saute onion 2-3 minutes and then add carrots. cook until tender. pour in water, and then add the peas and kale. bring it to a simmer and cook until the kale is bright green and tender.
put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy in texture.
elle only has one tooth, so if you're preparing this for an older child with teeth, just cut the food into smaller pieces and skip the food processor.

tomato basil chicken with carrots

2 boneless chicken thighs, boiled and chopped
4-5 carrots, chopped and steamed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp basil and oregano

put in food processor until smooth.

pasta with pesto

1/2 cup pasta stars, cooked
1/2 cup lentils, cooked
1 small can peas
3 tbsp prepared pesto sauce

mix all ingredients in just enough pesto sauce to coat. if you haven't introduced nuts yet, you might want to make your own pesto, or look for one without pine nuts.

left over corn tortillas??? TOSTADAS!!

two things that distress me:
1. i hate that a million tortillas come in a package and i can never use them all before they loose their flexibility and start to crumble in my hand.
2. i love tostadas, but am horrified when i look at the nutrition panel for the tostada shells (160 calories, and 10 grams fat per serving!!!).

i have found a way to resolve both problems!
tonight i made tostadas with baked shells. i just used about a tablespoon of canola oil and brushed a light coating on both sides of 10 corn tortillas. i put them in the oven at 400 degrees F and baked them on a cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes, flipped them and then put them back in for another 5-6 minutes. you could also use non-stick cooking spray instead of brushing the canola oil on the tortillas.
i made my tostadas with mashed pinto beans (you can use canned refried beans if you like), a heap of shredded lettuce, and a dollop of guacamole. let's not forget my favorite condiment, valentina hot sauce. YUM!

berries are in!

although i buy a lot of frozen berries over the winter months, when they're fresh and in season, it's very exciting. this morning i made whole wheat pancakes with berry compote and scrambled eggs.

pancakes made easy thanks to krusteaz mix (i read the ingredient list and wasn't completely horrified, so i took the easy way with the mix).

berry compote:
1 pint blueberries, rinsed
1 pint raspberries, rinsed
1 pint strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp sugar

simmer and reduce down to a sauce-like consistency. i thickened mine with a bit of cornstarch so it wasn't so runny. i think i added too much water... i don't actually measure things, my recipes are just guesses on the measurements! :)

friday night dinner

the truth is that i took my mom out for tea @ victoria's tiny tea room and ruined my dinner. i think everyone else had a good dinner through. :)
this is a pretty traditional take on fish tacos, although i LOVE them with mango salsa. since i brought dinner to my grandma who has a broken wrist, i though it should probably be a bit more conservative. here's the menu:
fish tacos
corn-bean salsa
watermelon
green salad
(we ate the salsa over our salad, it was very yummy :)

fish tacos:
i bought a large cod fillet and baked it. fried fish is delicious, yes. but i thought i'd give one of my favorite meals a low fat rendition. i baked it @ 375 degrees F for about 25 min with a sprinkle of season salt, covered with aluminum foil.
i flaked the fish and put the tacos together with shredded cabbage and tartar sauce on corn tortillas with lots of lime juice. yum!

bean-corn salsa:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
cumin powder
cilantro
salt

good morning millet

let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.
this is probably my favorite breakfast.

1/2 cup steamed millet
1 sliced banana
small handful of walnuts
dash of soy milk on top

to steam millet, first measure how much you want to make and then rinse it in a mesh strainer. it has a bitter exterior to deter birds, and you need to rinse it off.
steam it just as you would rice; 2:1 water to millet.
example: 1/2 cup millet, 1 cup water, bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer until the water is absorbed and your grain is tender.

for my dearest ash, just substitute another fruit like strawberries or pears! yes, i recommend pears! : )