Walnut Frittata

The idea for this recipe came to me as I dreamed of a holiday favorite, Tegliate di Biete. Could I make it whole30 friendly? And most importantly, could it work without cheese? Yes and yes! I've recently discovered that the key to a good frittata is to keep the egg on the down low. Your ingredients are the stars and the egg is there just to keep them all together. What a wonderful addition to my breakfast repertoire! This could also be cut into small pieces for a fancy brunch spread or as an appetizer.

Walnut Frittata
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch swiss chard, stalks removed and leaves cut into small pieces
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten

Toast the walnuts for a few minutes in the oven.

Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the chard and mix everything together. Cover for a few minutes until the chard wilts. Remove from heat.

Combine all remaining ingredients except the eggs in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs, mixing gently. It should look pretty thick - remember the eggs are just there to hold these things together. Pour into an oiled 8 inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.

Paleo Beef Stroganoff

3/4 cup of cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
1 1/2 cups broth
1 lb beef sliced into strips (I recommend a tender cut, we used chateaubriand)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp dry thyme
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine (omit for Whole30 and replace with more broth)
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper

Drain the cashews and blend with the broth until smooth (I use an immersion blender for about 3 minutes).

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Fry it in the oil in batches, in a deep pot or skillet, searing the outside. Do NOT crowd the pan as this will cause your meat to boil and lose it's tenderness. Set the meat aside.

Using the same pan you used to fry the meat,  sauté the onion for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Then add mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste and a pinch of salt and pepper and turn the heat to high until the wine reduces, about 5 more minutes. 

Turn the heat down and add in the cashew cream. The sauce will thicken pretty quickly - feel free to thin with water if needed. Add the beef back into the pan and taste for seasoning.

Serve over cauliflower rice or steamed broccoli. 

Grilled BBQ Oysters

Just when the sun came out to play, I realized how much the warm weather makes me think of patios, parks, cold beer and champagne. Instead of sulking in the "can't have" we ventured to a seafood market, on a mission to grill and spend some time on our porch.

I'll let you in on a secret: Oysters, often dismissed as an at-home treat for the difficulties of shucking, will open up all on their own on a grill. No fuss. No mess. No skills required.

Line them up on a pre-heated grill. Close the lid and wait approximately 10 minutes

When the first oyster opens, remove all of them from the grill with an oven mitt

Gently peel the oyster open, being careful not to spill the delicious juices!

 Top with bbq sauce or lemon and enjoy your oyster feast, at home, in under 20 min!

Whole30 Week One Roundup

I purposefully chose to start at a busy time at work and thankfully my wish to breeze through week 1 came true! The most pleasant surprise was how the Whole30 plan kept my energy leveled through the day, no snacking or grazing through some very long days.

It's hard to plan and cook as much as I want to when I'm getting home late so I stuck to a few go-to dinners like the thai-inspired Larb Salad. An easy one-pot meal, this always delivers fresh flavors and is a friendly "pantry" recipe, meaning you can play with using a different kind of meat or alternate veggies. 

Turkey Larb Salad
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch knob of ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1 lime
handful of basil
dash of salt
2 tbsp coconut aminos (if not on Whole30 or off soy, soy sauce works)
hot sauce to taste

In a deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and cook on low for another 2 minutes. Add the turkey, salt and saute until cooked through. Add the kale and cover or simply allow the heat from the pan steam it gently. When the kale has reduced, season the pan with juice of the lime, coconut aminos/soy sauce and hot sauce. Adjust flavors as needed. Serve in a bowl topped with basil leaves.

The big star this week was the West African Chicken Stew from Well Fed 2, the sequel to the original book of the same name and equal deliciousness. Remember what I said about Melissa Joulwan always knocking my socks off? Just when I needed something seductively delicious, Mel delivered (well Joe did but you know what I mean). This dish was a flavorful blend of ginger, spices, tomato, and is finished with sunflower seed butter. It also made the house smell amazing! You can check out some great pictures (I was so hungry I forgot to document this!) and the full recipe on The Healthy Foodie site.

Whole30

This week I decided to start my Whole30, a plan created by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig in which you commit to eating only the most nutrient dense foods for 30 days: protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. The idea is to clear the body of all inflammation and test for intolerances at the end. If you are interested in learning more, go straight to the source on the Whole30 page. Everyone's reasons are different, I just felt like I needed a dramatic investment in my health. All those happy hours add up!

I started on a Sunday because I love taking a day to relax and cook and prepare for the week ahead. The key to success on this plan is preparation (and lots of dishes). Here's what I made on Day 1:

Sweet Potato Hash
For breakfast I made a batch of Nom Nom Paleo's Sweet Potato Hash with enough leftovers for the next day or two. These came out really well and were a fair match for the fluffy pancakes Joe was eating. I topped them with an egg and a small side of organic bacon. My understanding is bacon is accepted in Whole30 IF it does not have weird ingredients or sugar and IF it is not your main source of protein. I'm not planning on making it a Whole30 staple but I happened to get started when this was waiting to be cooked!

Super Boost Tomato Soup

This is a great way to add some power foods to any meal, as a side or as a base by adding some shrimp or protein of choice to the soup.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 28oz can diced tomato
1/2 of an onion (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 - 4 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1- 2 cups spinach
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1 cup fresh basil
dash of salt and black pepper

In a soup pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and oregano and cook on low for another 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Now add in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, spinach and nutritional yeast.  Bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Finish by adding the basil. You can leave it as a chunky soup or blend it up with an immersion blender as I like to do. Test for salt and seasoning. I divide these in portions so I can grab and go on my way to work!

Photo Credit: theclothesmakethegirl.com

Bora Bora Fireballs

Well Fed was the book that made me realize I could get through a Whole30. Melissa Joulwan creates some magical combinations using all Whole30 approved ingredients. This recipe is one of my favorites! On the side I stir fried zucchini, asparagus, and carrots in a lemon, garlic, cumin marinade.

So far so good!

Winter Soup Swap

As a native of a tropical country, I am often intimidated by the diversity of root vegetables and squashes that take over the markets in the winter. After living in Vermont and California I have practiced with several of these veggies and have grown to love the bounty of the winter as much as the bounty of summer. Today I experimented with Parsnips, an often overlooked winter root that can be turned into several delicious dishes.

Having been invited to a soup swap, I decided to make Curried Parsnip Soup. For those wondering, the soup swap is the brilliant idea of a dear friend who lives alone and got tired of eating her same pot of soup. The plan is for 4 of us friends to each bring 3 jars of a soup we make, and come home with 3 different jars of a soup each other person has cooked up. Make sense? I love the idea because I too get sick of my gigantic pot of soup, and I also enjoy putting that extra love in my cooking, knowing that not one, but three other households will partake! Without further delay here is my recipe for the Soup Swap:

Curried Parsnip Soup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb Parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves
1Tbsp curry powder
4 cups of water or your choice of broth (homemade beef stock would work well here)
Garnish with bacon, chives if desired

Melt oil over medium heat. Saute parsnips, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes. Mix in curry and saute for another 2 minutes. Gradually add water or broth. Increase heat to medium high, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree or transfer to a blender. Add any garnishes before serving.

Day 16 - Adjustments

One of the main goals of this program is to incorporate more fresh food into ones diet. This is something that I already do naturally but since there is always room for improvement, I am going to try and make some changes. First, I will try to shop less but more often, I am usually racing against the shelf life of my produce to cook it. Also, I will be integrating more sustainable fish and organic white meat into my diet. I eat mostly vegetarian but have found that a lot of these meals tend to be on the heavier side and end up making me feel sluggish, and with being light-headed during yoga, I’m thinking the extra protein might be a good thing. So if I cannot continue to lead a meat-free life I will do my best to be responsible about where it comes from.

This all occurred to me while I was shopping at Bi-Rite on Friday. I was stimulated by their fresh produce, fabulous cheese and grass-fed, massaged, happy cows. I realized that going to the market is a blissful, almost meditative experience that inspires me to make beautiful food at home. I am hoping to be able to thrive through this experience more often.

During this particular trip, I was inspired by the summer corn and avocados. Avocados are technically a no-no for my dosha because of their heavy properties but it's still a better indulgence than cheese. About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas, are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K, and they have the highest fiber content of any fruit. I was never a fan until moving to California; now they are one of my favorite foods.

Avocado Salad
3 avocados, cubed
1 head of raddichio, sliced into ribbons
2 corn cobs, boil first then slice off the kernels
1 lime, juiced
1 poblano pepper, diced

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and serve with corn chips or tortillas. It tastes incredibly fresh!

Day 7 - Dancing

Last night we stopped by our friend Heaven's birthday party and then went to The Mighty to check out Bonobo's new set up with a live band. It was fire hazard crowded and sauna hot but it rocked my world. Especially the surprise appearance of Bajka, I had no idea she would be there. Joe and I danced and sweat for a good chunk of the night and it felt so good! I drank water for most of the night and was really proud of it, not to mention nicely hydrated and hangover free this morning. When we got home Joe wanted a midnight snack of cheese and crackers and I had also made Brigadeiros earlier that day thanks again to Mercado do Brasil. It reminded me of my teenage days when me and my girlfriends in brasil would come home late at night and raid the refrigerator and make brigadeiros, trying to keep it down and not wake up the parents. I have never met anyone that loves chocolate as much as my friend Tassi and I did at that time.

In case you are wondering, brigadeiro is a very simple brasilian desert made from condensed milk, chocolate powder and butter. Just mix one can of condensed milk, 3 heaping tablespoons of chocolate and one tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Keep mixing over medium heat for about 10 min. Pour it out into a buttered plate and let it cool. Roll into balls and coat with sugar or chocolate sprinkles. Heaven.

Day 5 - Unwind

TGIF! I went to yoga last night and it was fantastic, I love Lauren's classes! As I had suspected, practice is a little easier now than it was on Monday. There was something though, and it's not the first time it happens. Sometimes when we start moving through sun salutations I get really lightheaded. Lauren later told me that it could be the detox, blood pressure issues or in her case, she had problems with iron deficiency. This really scares me because I've always had a low iron issue and it seems every time I go veg my body tells me to eat meat! I'm not a full-on vegetarian as most of you know, it's just not in Brazilian blood to give up red meat forever, but I probably only eat it once or twice a month. Now I'll have to get a blood test to make sure I'm doing ok. Blegh.

I love Fridays. Everyone starts to relax and gear up for the weekend and I am just one day away from sleeping in. This week has been one of tremendous mental and physical effort and I have not had a moment to lay on my couch and appreciate my lovely apartment, my patient boyfriend, relax (meditating is not relaxing, in case you were wondering) and finally catch up on True Blood. I am planning on some yoga this afternoon and then an evening at home with wine, fog and comfy brazilian food. I am going to do my best to adapt my strogonoff recipe to fit my ayurvedic restrictions, but I am going to eat meat! The recipe is as brazilian as it gets, meaning a lot of it is just a guessing game but this is the basic outline of how I make it.

Brazlian Beef Strogonoff
1 lbs beef (filet mignon or tri tip)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 tsp dry oregano
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
dry white wine
heavy cream or Brazilian creme de leite (I'm going to attempt using yogurt and skim milk)
3-4 tbsp ketchup (I am going to sub with tomato starter sauce)
3 tbsp yellow mustard

Cut up meat into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and mix with garlic, half of the onion, salt, nutmeg, oregano. Let it marinate for 1 hour. Sauté mushrooms and onions in a large saucepan with a little white wine and set pan aside. Fry meat briefly in batches in separate frying pan and transfer to pan with onion and mushrooms. When ready to eat, add catsup and mustard and cream and let cook for one minute. This last part is all about your palate as far as quantities and final taste.

Serve over white rice and with matchstick potato chips (in Brazil, they're called batata palha and sold in bags and thanks to Mercado do Brasil I have some at home).