Every Day Breakfast Smoothie

Looking through some of my old posts yesterday, I realized that many of the breakfasts I have posted are our Sunday Breakfasts. No, I do not eat like this every day! So, today I decided to share my go to breakfast smoothie recipe. One serving of vegetables and three servings of fruit hide within this smoothie. What makes this the perfect every day breakfast? The fact that it is quick, easy, nutritious and delicious!

The ingredients are kale, banana, kiwi, strawberry, nutritional yeast and plain coconut water. Seasonally, the ingredients may vary some but this is my basic recipe. This smoothie packs a nutritional punch!

Roughly chop three nice size kale leaves. Kale is high in antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Slice one banana. In addition to providing a smooth textures, bananas are also high in fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, copper, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.

Cut the tops off of six strawberries and cut them in half. Strawberries add antioxidants, B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, potassium, manganese, fluorine, copper, iron and iodine.

Remove the skin and cut up one kiwi. Kiwi is a fairly new addition to my morning smoothie, providing high amounts of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium.

Layer the kale, fruit and one tablespoon of nutritional yeast into a blender. I use my single serving blender to make taking it with me one step easier. Nutritional yeast adds protein, B-vitamins, folic acid, selenium and zinc. It has a mild nutty flavor to it, which works well in smoothies.

Add in four ounces of coconut water. Coconut water provides simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish hydration levels within the body. It also contains enzymes which aid in digestion, Vitamin C, B Vitamins and potassium.

Start blending.

When you can no longer see the individual ingredients, your smoothie is ready.

I know, I know, it is green! Don’t let the color fool you. This smoothie is not only filling and nutritious, it is also delicious. The kale and nutritional yeast balance out the sweetness of the fruit nicely. All that is left is to put the lid on, head out the door and enjoy during my morning commute. When I drink all sixteen ounces of this it keeps me full until lunch time. No need to reach for that mid-morning snack!

Easy Cioppino

During lent, I try my hardest to remember to make seafood dishes on Friday for my Catholic husband. I must admit, some weeks it works out better than others. For Good Friday, I decided to try my hand at a quick and easy cioppino. This is one of my favorite rustic italian dishes. Best part? A healthy and nutritious one pot meal that can be on the table in around thirty minutes!

To start, the aromatics. One medium onion, two shallots, and five cloves of garlic.

Roughly chop the onion and the shallots. I left the garlic whole to put through the garlic press. If you prefer, the garlic could just as easily be diced or grated.

The onion and shallot go into my favorite dutch oven with about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. My favorite olive oil right now is Arbequina because it has such a rich buttery taste.

Once the onion and shallot start to get tender, press in the garlic. Add dried oregano, basil, red chili flakes, salt and pepper. In the summer, I would definitely use fresh basil and oregano. Sadly, this time of year, I didn’t have any on hand. Saute two to three minutes until fragrant. By now, the smells of the spices wafting through the house will make your mouth water.

Add four cups of unsalted seafood stock. If you don’t have seafood stock clam juice or vegetable stock would work nicely as well. Whichever stock you choose, I recommend sticking to unsalted so you control the sodium in the recipe. Also add in one thirty-two ounce can of chopped san marzano tomatoes.

Now for the seafood. This can be varied according to your preference, what looks fresh, and what inspires you at your local seafood monger. I decided on one pound of cod, one pound of oysters, one pound of scallops and one pound of shrimp. Confession time. I bought the preshucked oysters. Less work and still fresh and delicious! The cod gets cut into roughly one inches cubes, while everything else stayed whole. I completely forgot to take pictures of the rest of the seafood, but I am sure you get the idea.

Add in a handful of chopped fresh parsley, the cod, scallops and oysters. Are you drooling yet? I was at this point! Cook for approximately three minutes.

Now it’s time to add in the shrimp. Had the scallops been on the small side, I would have waited to add them until now as well. Simmer, covered for an additional four minutes or so until the shrimp are a beautiful shade of pink and fish flakes nicely. Most important word of advice? Do not over cook the seafood!

At the last-minute, add in another handful of fresh chopped parsley.

Enjoy with some nice crusty bread. My only regret with this meal? That we do not have larger bowls!

Scrumptious Shrimp & Grits

A few years ago, my hubby and I spent the weekend in DC and had the pleasure of eating at Founding Farmers. If you’ve never been there and find yourself in DC, I highly recommend it. My hubby ordered the shrimp and grits and we agreed that it was the best shrimp and grits we had ever had. Since then, I have been dreaming of those shrimp and grits. Finally, I decided to create my own version. According to my hubby, they are even better. I am not so sure about that, but they are scrumptious!

First things first, get the grits on the stove top. These will take the longest, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Boil three and a half cups of water in a large skillet. Once boiling add three-quarters cup of grits, one teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of earth balance. Cover and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, dice up one onion and one serrano chili. I was looking for a little kick to balance out the creaminess of the grits and I found it in the serrano!

Melt one tablespoon of earth balance in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, serrano and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion is translucent, only a few minutes.

This is where the creole mix comes in. You can use store-bought mix, but I prefer to mix up my own so that the seasoning can be switched up to taste. It is like a party in your mouth! I always have some on hand.

To make the creole mix, in a small mason jar combine: six tablespoons of sweet paprika, two tablespoons of onion powder, two tablespoons of garlic powder, two tablespoons of dried oregano, two tablespoons of dried basil, two tablespoons of cayenne pepper, one tablespoon of dried thyme, one tablespoon of black pepper, one tablespoon of white pepper, and one tablespoon of celery seed. Shake well to combine.

Generously coat one pound of peeled and deveined shrimp with the creole mix. Get your hands in there and get dirty! Our hands are our best kitchen tool.

All this time, the grits should have been stirred occasionally. At this point, add in one-half cup of non-dairy cheddar cheese and stir well to combine. Continue to simmer.

Add the shrimp into the skillet with the onion and serrano. Saute until the shrimp begin to get pink. It will not take long, only two to three minutes. Do not over cook the shrimp! Rubbery shrimp will not be scrumptious shrimp.

The grits are done when they are nice and tender, as well as deliciously creamy.

The shrimp are done when they are nice and pink. I can not say often enough….do not over cook the shrimp!

Time to plate up and enjoy. Create a pool of the cheesy (non-dairy that is), creamy grits and spoon the shrimp mixture over them. Dig in!

If you are in DC and want to check out Founding Farmers, and the dish that inspired this recipe, their website is:

http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/

I promise you will not be disappointed!

Home Brew Beef Stew

That’s right, I said home-brew! I am fortunate enough to have a hubby who brews his own beer and mead. This recipe includes one of his home-brewed beers and I was very pleased with the flavor it provided. In the bitter cold of winter, nothing warms me up quite like a good stew.

Start by coating one pound or so of stew meat in seasoned flour. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Whatever seasonings you want to include will work though.

Next, in batches, brown the meat over medium-high heat right in the dutch oven you will use to build the stew. The browned bits left behind will provide another layer of flavor.

Once browned, remove the stew meat to a paper towel lined plate to drain. This will make for a non-greasy stew.

While the stew meat is browning, prepare all of the aromatics. Peel ten cloves of garlic and leave whole. Rough chop two onions, two parsnips, two carrots and two celery stalks. I include the leaves from the celery stalks as well.

Once all of the stew meat is browned and resting, start sauteing the aromatics. Saute until they begin to get tender. At this point grate in the garlic using a microplane or garlic press.

While the aromatics are sauteing, chop four potatoes. I had some plain old russet potatoes on hand. Red potatoes would work nicely as well.

Once the aromatics are beginning to get tender, add the stew meat and potatoes in. Looks and smells fabulous already.

This is where the home-brew comes in. Of my choices in the pantry, I decided to use on of my hubby’s Everyday IPAs. Everyday IPA is a moderately hoppy IPA. Perfect for in my stew. If you are not lucky enough to have a hubby who brews his own beer, twelve ounces of your favorite beer will work.

Pour the beer into the stew and stir well. Take a moment to admire the beautiful caramel color and the bubbles the beer brings to the stew. Be sure to scrap all the lovely brown bits off the bottom of the pot. They will add an incredible depth of flavor.

At this point, add in thirty-two ounces of beef stock, a handful of bay leaves, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer for several hours until the vegetables are all tender and the meat falls apart in your mouth. Stir occasionally.

After several hours of simmering, the stew will thicken considerably and become a beautiful deep brown. The house will smell amazing as well. This is how you know the stew is done.

This stew requires no accompaniments. It will fill you and warm you to the core all on its own.

Yesterday’s smashed potatoes? Today’s potato pancakes!

I love do-overs. In this context, when I say do-overs, I mean taking one day’s leftovers and creating a completely different meal with them. Anyone can heat leftovers up in the microwave. A do-over takes some real thinking though.

These potato pancakes are one of my favorite do-overs by far. One morning, I was scrounging through the fridge looking for something to eat for breakfast and this recipe was born.

Start with leftover smashed potatoes. Of course, ours are dairy free. Maybe about two cups worth. If you have more and want more pancakes, just up the rest of the ingredients as well.

Next I chopped up half of a white onion and half a poblano pepper for a little zip. You could switch this up by adding scallions, chives, any type of pepper, or red onion.

In a large mixing bowl, to the smashed potatoes add: one large egg, three-quarters cup of flour, one-quarter cup of non-dairy cheddar cheese, the chopped onion and poblano, salt and pepper. To make these vegan, you could use a tablespoon or so of canola oil to replace the egg.

Mix until well combined and they no longer stick fast to your hands. If needed, add more flour.

Take a meatball size amount of the potato mixture and form pancakes. As you can see, this recipe made six decent sized pancakes.

While getting the pancakes ready, my favorite cast iron skillet was on the stove. Heating in the skillet, over medium heat, is a small amount of canola oil. I like canola for this because it doesn’t change the taste of the potato pancakes.

Drop the pancakes carefully into the skillet. Don’t cramp the skillet! If you do the pancakes will be greasy. In my nine-inch skillet I fried up three at a time.

Once you drop them into the skillet do not move them for three minutes! Allow the pancakes to get nice and browned and then flip.

After cooking an additional three minutes remove the potato pancakes to a paper towel lined plate while you cook up the remaining three. This will absorb any of the excess oil.

These would be delicious and flavorful if you stopped and ate them right here! You could also add some sour cream and it would be like eating a crispy loaded baked potato.

For me? Sriracha is the perfect topping! Gives them a little additional kick and also makes for a nice plate. No need to wonder what to do with those leftover smashed potatoes anymore.

One year Blog-versary!

This week was my one year blog-versary. One year ago, several good friends finally convinced me to start blogging my recipes and thoughts on food. It had actually taken them a couple of years to convince me, but one year ago I actually did it.

Thanks to all of you who are following me here or watch for new posts on Facebook I am loving it! I honestly wasn’t sure anyone would have any interest in what I had to say when I started this. Now, when we have a good meal, my husband asks if I plan to blog it. When I post pictures on Facebook of what we have had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner I now get requests! It amazes me!

I’m not going to continue to ramble on, but wanted to take a moment to say thanks to everyone who follows me, comments, or even just reads my blog occasionally. I appreciate every single one of you!

Scallop Ramen

I love ramen. No, not the stuff in the styrofoam cup. Way too high in sodium! Since sodium is not my friend and there are no good noodle shops in our area, I set out to make my own. This recipe was my best attempt by far.

Most of the ingredients can be found in the asian section of your grocery store. Mirin, sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, black sesame seeds, and ramen noodles. The scallions and baby carrots can usually be found in the produce section. If your store doesn’t have fresh baby corn, you can probably find canned baby corn. If you use canned make sure to rinse and strain it so you don’t get the added sodium. You will also need four cups of broth, I used chicken but vegetable would work nicely as well.

I was lucky and found these beautiful scallops at my local grocery store as well. If not, a fish market would have them. A good quality frozen scallop, shrimp or sliced tuna would also work.

In a four quart stock pot over medium-low heat, combine four cups of stock, two cups of water, four tablespoons of mirin, two tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce and Maldon to taste. Simmer while preparing the remainder of the dish.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in four bundles of ramen. Cook four minutes, rinse with cold water and drain.

Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat and toss in a quarter cup or so of black sesame seeds. Toast a few minutes to release the flavor and remove from heat.

Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil in a second skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the scallions and saute them for three minutes until they begin to get tender.

Clean, dry and cut the scallops in half. Add the scallops and the baby corn to the skillet with the scallions. Saute two to three minutes, then add in a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of mirin and a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce. Simmer for a minute or two to combine the flavors.

Next, to build the perfect bowl of ramen! Add some noodles to your bowl.

Next a scoop or two of the broth.

Add some of the scallops, baby corn and scallions.

Sprinkle with some of the toasted black sesame seeds.

Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of your favorite sake or plum wine!

Finally the perfect meal is complete! My hubby said this was the best ramen he had ever had, even better than the noodle shops!