Snacks

I'm soooo ready for warm weather, a little sunshine, and a tasty fresh garden salads. The produce aisle has been looking (and tasting) pretty sad lately.  I know it's late in winter when the novelty of squash and root vegetables has worn off and even the apples start tasting like mushy cardboard.  So what does one do? Turn to processed comfort foods of course. 

I noticed myself sliding down the slippery slope....Honey Chex for breakfast, overdosing on tortilla chips, tempted to buy frozen mac n cheese for dinner.  Don't do it!  Spring is on the way (Jim has mini lettuces and bok choy sprouted in the basement as we speak).  Until then I'm trying to make the best of what's available.  A few of my favorite healthy snacks lately include:

Grapefruit

We were on a real clementine kick for awhile but the prices spiked and the sweet juicy factor plummeted.  Grapefruits have recently been running around $1.00 each at our local grocery store.  It might sound a little pricey but Jim and I always split one so $.50/person for a mid morning snack is not bad at all. Not to mention it's juicy, delicious, packed full of antioxidants, and can even help lower your cholesterol. 

Carrots & Hummus
I usually enjoy an almost daily snack of blue chips & hummus but I found myself eating WAY too many chips so I've made the switch to carrots and throw in a few chips as a reward at the end. Hummus has a good amount of Omega-3 fatty acid and carrots improve your vision, nourish your skin, and lower your risk of heart disease.

Celery Ants on a log are one of those childhood foods that should not be forgotten.  I got these great containers on Zulily awhile back.  They have a separate little tray designed to keep your granola from getting soggy in your yogurt but works really great for this snack too.  

Celery helps support your immune system, regulate your blood pressure, and is an anti-inflammatory.  I increase the health factor by adding in flax and chia seeds.

 Celery on the bottom and peanut or almond butter topped with sliced almonds, chia seeds, ground flax seed, and raisins.  Just dip the celery in and enjoy. I make this  a lot for Jim and I to take to work.

 
What are your favorite snacks to beat the winter blues?

Gluten Free Vegan Pizza

Doesn't that sound yummy?  Who needs all the chewy crust, oozing melted cheese, and greasy pepperoni?  Pizza was one of those things I've struggled to replace when I started converting to a gluten free diet.  I tried a lot of different crusts. Some pre-made, others from a mix or recipe but they were all obviously not "real" pizza.  I finally stumbled upon Shar's gluten free crust awhile back and have stuck with them every since. 

They come in a pre package box of 2 crusts.  The prices varies depending on the store but I can usually get them for around $6.00.  It seems a little pricey but when you think of how much you pay for pizza when you order out it's not so bad. It makes for a quick and easy semi-homemade pizza night.  We sometimes go the traditional sauce and cheese route, but for Jim's birthday I decided to do a special vegan kale pizza.

Vegan Pizza

Pizza crust of your choice
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 gloves of garlic, chopped
~ 1/2 c. pizza sauce
toppings of your choice
olive oil

Preheat oven according to pizza crust directions.
Cook garlic on medium heat medium skillet using 1-2 Tbsp of oil.  Add cannellini beans and cook until warm.  Mash beans and garlic.

Spread bean mash over crust. Add sauce. Top with choice of  veggies (we went with red onions...I also enjoy roasted red peppers.)

With 2-3 minutes remaining on the recommended cook time I remove the pizza and top with a heaping pile of kale and drizzle a little oil olive around the edges of the crust.  Returning to the oven until the kale is crispy. 

Recipes & Pinterest

I get on kicks every few months where all I want to do is try new recipes.  I guess maybe it's more like I get in ruts and start cooking the same stuff week after week which eventually leads to me desperately needing to try something different.  Either way, the kitchen has been in full go lately. I've been leafing through old cookbooks and hitting up Pinterest for ideas and inspiration and tried out a few things we really loved (and some that were just Ok).

Crockpot Black Beans and Rice for an easy vegan taco night (I used basmiti rice and added 1/2 more broth).  We used gluten free corn tortillas and topped it with avocado and salsa.  I was really wishing for a hint of lime and cilantro.  A definite for next time.  Also would be great for a side dish.

Beet Hashbrowns.  I saw this one in a magazine and was so psyched to try it.  Overall it was just Ok.  It was a lot of prep and took a lot longer to cook than the recipe indicated.  I also had trouble getting the whites to set in the eggs.  I actually think it would have been better without the eggs.

Kale Salad.  This was super easy and so delicious.  Jim and I both love kale and I love finding new ways to eat it raw.  I didn't have (and couldn't find) currants so I used dried cranberries.  Other wise I pretty much followed the recipe.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.  The one thing Jim occasional craves since adopting a vegetarian diet is wings.  This recipe did the trick for him.  I used Bob's Red Mills all purpose gluten free flour and Sriracha hot sauce, which my brother introduced me to.  So so good!  We will definitely be making these again real soon.

More fun Pinterest finds to come.  Click below to follow me....

Burger & Fries

Side Note: Jim pointed out that I reused a few pictures on my last post about Florida, so I switched a few out for new ones.  I know everyone needs as many pictures of cutie pie as possible!  The photobooth pictures are some of my favorite.  The extra cleavage is courtesy of a hungry Miss Riesling.  (See Eating).

On to the recipes.  I've been pretty adventurous in my soup making lately but otherwise I felt like I was starting to get into a little rut with dinner planning.  Not to say that I don't like a lot of the things I prepare but sometimes you just need a little variety.  I decided to hit the cookbooks and magazines to come up with some inspiration and here's what I came up with for our Monday night meal.  

Tuna Burgers
1/2 C. raw, unsalted Brazil nuts (I couldn't find them solo at my grocery store so I had to buy mixed nuts & threw some cashews into the mix just because I'm crazy like that)
2- 5oz cans of tuna (I like Wild Planet.  It's sustainably caught & low mercury.) 
1/2 C. rolled oats
1/4 C. ground flaxseeds
1/4 C. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 onion, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
Pulse nuts in food processor until ground.
Add remaining ingredients and pulse until evenly mixed.  
Shaped into 6 patties (the will be pretty sticky).
Place on parchment line baking sheet.
Bake 10 minutes per side.

I really liked this recipe.  It was easy to prepare, full of protein and other good stuff secretly blended into a little patty.  I topped them with cheese the last few minutes and served with sliced avocado and romaine lettuce on top.  Toasted bread for Jim, none for me to keep it gluten free.  They also heated up well for lunch the next day. 

Roasted Carrot Parsnip Fries
2/3 C. apple cider
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp chopped thyme
salt
1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled & cut into thin sticks
2-3 medium sized parsnips, peeled & cut into thin sticks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   
Whisk together apple cider, olive oil , mustard, maple syrup (or honey), thyme, and salt in large bowl. 
Add carrots & parsnips and toss until evenly coated.
Transfer to foil line large baking dish or roasting pan (with extra liquid)
Roast (uncovered) 35-40 minutes, stirring as needed.

These had a great flavor and went really well with the tuna burgers.  I think they were a little undercoat even though I roasted them for 45 minutes.  Next time I will cut them into thinner sticks or allow longer roasted time.  Also great as leftovers but I recommend heating in oven or toaster oven not microwave.

Apple Picking

We ventured out to Styer's Orchard last weekend for a little family hayride action & apple picking.  It was a little chilly to start but turned out to be a beautiful sunny Fall day.  Riesling really loves being outdoors will stay pretty content in the Ergo for a long while.   I just love this picture of us together.  Doesn't she just look so content?

 Daddy snatched her away for a little while so she could experience some apple picking first hand...

She loved the few and enjoyed numerous "horsey" rides from Daddy...

We always come home from the orchard or strawberry picking with more than we know what to do with, but I make it a point not to let any of go to waste.  I decided on applesauce for our first round of apple treats.  I made a simple batch for Riesling by peeling & cubing a few apples, steaming until soft, than right into the food processor with water until it reached the right thickness.  

For the adults I decided to try crockpot applesauce.  I modified this recipe slightly (less sugar and a touch of vanilla) and it turned out really great!  We had it for dessert all week and a batch in the freezer for later.

Garden Fresh Recipes

The garden has been flourishing lately.  A lot of crops are coming to an end but that usually means we have a large harvest of one or more specific thing.  We've had beets, summer squash, potatoes, eggplant, peppers and green beans galore!  Here's what we've been eating lately....

Squash soup. Squash, onion, & potatoes from the garden!

Grilled jalapeno poppers.  This time we were careful to remove the ribbing and cook the suckers longer and they turned out oh so delicious.

Roasted beet salad with goat cheese.  I honestly didn't think I like beets until we grew them in the garden.  So freakin' delicious!

Peppers stuffed with quinoa, black beans & sauteed onions and carrots from the garden.  Slow cooked in the crockpot.  

And my FAVORITE swiss chard recipe.

Tonight's Dinner

Brought to you by the Robinson Family Garden*....

Eggplant* parmigiana (recipe here) topped with kale* (add after the cheese has melted for about 5-7 minutes until crispy), spaghetti squash* with marinara sauce (follow prep instructions here), and steamed green beans*.

Man o Man do I LOVE garden season!

Curry

It's green bean season at the Robinson garden...

We get loads and loads of these things every day or two.  We share with neighbors, family, and our sitter but we still always have a hefty amount for ourselves.  Most nights we just steam them as a side dish but last night I decided to get creative and tried this curry recipe.  I had everything on hand except the coconut milk, so it was just a super quick trip into the store on the way home from the gym.  I used basmati rice instead of brown rice but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.

It was a little time consuming but mostly because my vegetable prep was interrupted several times by my fussing, teething Miss Riesling.  I ended up strapping her in the ergo and went to town.  In the end well worth the extra effort!  The curry had a nice flavor and I loved the crunch of the fresh green beans.  It made a large enough amount that it's on the menu for lunch today.  YUM!

Summer food

I think the biggest difference between  day to day life before Riesling and present day is I no longer take pictures of food.  Probably for the best.  Your eyes can longer persuade you to try my concoctions.  I guess you'll just have  to trust me.  Then again maybe no one has followed me into the kitchen even with my fancy photos in which case my dreams of becoming a master chef are completely crushed.  The phrase "don't quit your day job" probably exists for a reasoning.  Anyways...

Corn Black Bean Salad

2 C. frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 yellow pepper
1-2 fire roasted red peppers, depending on size
1 medium red onion,
1 lime
olive oil(~2Tbsp)
cilantro
salt & pepper

Dice peppers & onion. Mix with black beans.  Add cilantro & juice of one lime.  Drizzle with olive until everything is evenly coated.  Mix in frozen corn last then salt, & pepper to taste. Serve chilled (the frozen corn will thaw quickly and help chill the other ingredients). 

Raw veggies

As much as I love grilled veggies, I know it's important to balance your diet with raw foods as well.   Summer seems like the perfect season to experiment with new recipes while there is a wide variety of fresh local produce, so I've been experimenting with some new recipes.... 

Asparagus Bean Salad

1 can white beans, drained & rinsed
1 batch of asparagus
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 english cucumber
parsley
olive oil
salt & pepper

Remove the bottom stalk of the asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Peel and cut cucumber into cubes.  Mix beans, asparagus, cucumber, and red onion.  Chopped parsley and add to taste.  Add olive oil slowly until you have an even coating but not too heavy.  Salt & pepper to taste. 

I served it the first night over a bed of fresh lettuce from the garden and had the leftovers solo for lunch the next day. 

Tracey's Taco Dip

I don't actually know Tracey but I do that her taco dip is AWESOME!  I snagged the recipe off of my dearest college friend, Tricia, and have been making it for parties and gatherings ever since.  It's super unhealthy,  so it's best saved for special occasions. 

Taco Dip
2- blocks cream cheese, softened
1- 8oz sour cream
2-packets taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef or turkey
shredded cheese
diced tomato
green onion, black olive, or additional taco toppings of your choice

Brown ground beef or turkey.  Add 1 packet of taco seasoning according to directions.  Let cool.  Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 packet of taco seasoning until well blended.  Spread mixture evenly over serving platter (12-14 inches in diameter).  Top with cooled beef/turkey, then shredded cheese.  Add diced tomatoes and toppings of your choice.  Serve with tortilla chips. 

Tofu

While I'm not a fan of fake meats for vegetarian meals, I have been experimenting with tofu a little bit.  We probably have it once or twice a month.

An easy way for starters (and the way I started) is a stir fry version: slice firm or extra firm tofu into cubes, marinate in soy sauce for 5-10 minutes, saute in grapeseed oil until both sides are brown and crispy, then toss with veggies and rice.

Last week I got adventurous and made a version of this recipe.  It was a bit time consuming for some reason, maybe it was all the prep work.  But, it did turn out really good and was a new and exciting flavor for us.  We paired it with a heaping pile of roasted kale.  YUM!   The potatoes were also great as leftovers, although I personally don't think tofu reheats well.

A Veggie Sandwich

The vegetarian and I enjoyed a simple, yet delicious, dinner Friday night: succotash, avocado sandwiches, and french fries.




Mediterranean Succotash (modified from a Racheal Ray recipe)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 yellow or red peppers, seeded & chopped
2 C. frozen corn
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained & rinsed
Salt, pepper, parsley

Sautee garlic & peppers until soft.
Add frozen corn (I used my last batch of frozen corn from last summer) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add beans and cook until heated.
Add salt, pepper, & parsley to taste

Avocado Sandwiches on Gluten Free Bread

Peel & slice 2 avocados (makes 3-4 sandwiches).
Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper.
Toast gluten free bread (I prefer Udi's) and top half the slices with provolone cheese.
Add avocado slices and light smash with fork.
Top with sprouts and romaine lettuce.
Spread your favorite hummus on the remaining slices of the toasted bread & add to your sandwich stack.

Food for Thought

I'm working on expanding my gluten free, vegetarian cooking repertoire. I've been searching the web and digging out the cookbooks this week. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut and eat the same thing week after week, especially in a house where we have somehow developed into picky eaters. I find that planning a menu ahead of time for the week is really helpful. I generally plan four meals plus plenty of stuff for salads. You always end up with leftovers, a sushi night, or pulling something easy from the freezer. Weekends depend on what we have planned and I usually don't mind stopping at the store for anything we might need if we decide on a special dinner.

Last night we had rice with spinach casserole and white bean salad. It was really good. The spinach casserole was easy to throw together in the crockpot and reminded me of the stuff inside spanakopita. I added a little garlic and crushed red pepper as recommended in one of the reviews (I also substituted gluten free all purpose flour). And the white bean salad was quick and no fuss. It also made great leftovers for lunch!

Other yummy treats I'm hoping to try soon:

• A gluten free quiche recipe recommended by a friend awhile back
• This date puree.
• Risotto---anyone have a good recipe to share?
• Homemade granola bars. I tried this recipe awhile back and thought they turned out just Ok.
• Mac n cheese with peas. Um...that sounds good
• The perfect veggie burgers for upcoming grill season. I think I'll start with this sweet potato variety.
• And let's not forget some quick & easy rice pudding.

Any recipes you've been dying to try?

What's cooking?

Dinner is in the crockpot; diapers are in the wash; I've walked the dog, met a friend at the park, went to Target, and completely my "To Do" list for the day and it's only late afternoon. It's a supermom kinda day here. Unlike yesterday when I felt like I was chasing my tail all day and needed a IV drip of caffeine. Take the good with the bad, right?

So what's cooking at the Robinson ranch tonight?

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

3-4 peppers (I like red best)
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 C spinach, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 C. basmiti rice (cooked according to package)
1 C. firm tofu, cubed
1 jar pasta sauce
oregano, basil, crushed red peppers, salt & pepper

Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out seeds.
Combine beans, rice, spinach, onion, tofu, and spices.
Scoop into peppers and place in crockpot.
Cover with pasta sauce.
Cook 3-4 hrs (longer on lower setting)

Grilled Romaine

image

So easy and so delicious.

Cut heads of romaine lengthwise.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic
Repeat on other side.
Grill open face down first until browned (only a few minutes).
Flip with tongs and grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Smoothies

I haven't really been loving food these days which would explain my lack of creativity in meal planning. It just seems like lots of stuff gives me heartburn or indigestion, plus I get full really fast. There's just not enough room in there! As far as dinners go I've been mostly sticking with stuff I've made in the past, I know Jim likes, and I think will be easy on my belly.

But, I have been doing some experimenting in the smoothie and juice category. The juicing thing is new and I don't think we've mastered it enough to share but smoothies on the other hand...I've made up some good mixes lately! They seem to go down easy and are a good source of protein for me, baby, and Jim.

The good thing about smoothies is pretty much anything goes. I guess this can also be the downfall of a smoothie. I found this post on No Meat Athlete to be a helpful guideline. We use to use the Magic Bullet to individual shakes, but it's kinda on it's last leg and I find it's sometimes hard to get everything I want in there and still get the right consistency. So, recently I started making a big batch in the late morning or early afternoon and just put the rest in the fridge for Jim when he gets home. Seems to be working for the time being.


Today's combination was a banana, frozen strawberries & pineapple, water, flax seed oil, rolled oats, a greek yogurt and raw protein powder. Yesterday, which turned out to be one of Jim's all time favorites I used a banana, frozen peaches and mango, soy milk, peanut butter, flax oil, and raw protein powder. Let's see what I can come up with for tomorrow!

Birthday Stuff

Jim's a ripe old 32 today. Happy Birthday Love! We celebrated yesterday with his family & gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM!


Gluten free baking still makes me a little nervous but I used Simply Organic Gluten Free mix, have used the mix before to make pumpkin spice bars so was pretty confident it wouldn't turn out terrible. I made a double batch this time to make 2-8 inch round cakes and added in 2 C. of grated carrots and 1/2 C. applesauce and it turned out awesome! For the cream cheese frosting I basically followed this recipe. I don't really measure the powdered sugar, I just add it until it taste right.

He's been really wanting a juicer so I splurged a little and got him a really nice one. I heard if you're going to do just do it right. He seems really happy with it so far. We experimented last night with a carrot apple variety and a beet one that tasted like dirty ginger. I just can't like beets, but I guess I'll keep trying.

Today I was feeling extra energetic and decided it was a good idea to stock up our fridge and pantry. We're filled up with extra veggies & fruits for juicing and some extra snacks for Jim's lunch. Still a yummy glass of beet dirt juice left....any takers?


I'm also working on a batch of creamy cauliflower soup for birthday dinner. It smells sooo good in the kitchen right now. I pretty much made up the recipe but there are lots of ones that sound delicious on the web like this one and this one.


For last years birthday.
and Jim turns 30 here and here.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. mayo
1/2 grated parmesan or romano cheese (or 1/4 C. each)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1/2 C. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1/4 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease small baking dish.
Mix cream cheese, mayo, parmasan and/or romano cheese, garlic, basil, and salt & pepper to taste.
Once well mix gently stir in chopped artichoke hearts and spinach.
Scoop into prepared baking dish & top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and warmed throughout.

I love this stuff!

Lists & Links

I made these "breakfast cookies" last night and they are completely gone already! Just sweet enough but not the guilty kind of sweet. Kind of like a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form. We've also really been enjoying a juicy tart morning grapefruit together.

I love this color combo with the soft peach peaking out of the bright yellow. I'm been checking out more fashiony blogs lately including here, here, and here. Maybe because I'm stuck in a a crappy, blah maternity wardrobe.

I also have really been into this blog. Lots of quick posts ranging from motherhood to fashion to NYC life.

I'm heading to Ohio tomorrow on a little solo road trip. To battle my loneliness I picked up 5 different audio books and about a dozen new CDs at the library. I've got everything from Fahrenheit 451, Barbara Walters, some David Sedaris, and a bit of little crappy girly fiction.

I'm hoping this beautiful fall weather lasts through my weekend roadtrip. Any fun plans before the frigid temps set in?

Me and the Sofee dog enjoying a crisp fall camping trip (2009)