Kale Salad with Miso Dressing

CSA season is just around the corner and that means you might find yourself with more kale than you know what to do with. Well I've got the just the recipe for you that was inspired by a trip to Trader Joe's where a new product has arrived -- MISO!

Josh and I lo-ooo-ve miso. We put it on fish and it's just delightfully salty and flavorful. Usually we get it in a huge chunk from our local Asian grocery, but now that we have a baby, it's best not to add another store to the list. So thanks TJs for always having something new in store for us and making life just a tad bit easier.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of kale, washed and torn
• 1/2 cup of craisins
• 1/2 cup of almonds (either chopped, slivered, or sliced)
• 1/2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions sliced

Dressing:

• 1 rounded tablespoon of miso (white or yellow)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• several good shakes of garlic powder and ginger powder (mmmm maybe 1/8 tsp each? ugh I really need to measure for you!)
• 2 tbs (plus a little more) of sesame oil
• 2 tbs of another oil like canola, grapeseed, or peanut
• 2 tbs greek yogurt
• dash of sugar
• dash of white pepper

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and taste for modifications. Especially since I'm terrible at measuring for you (again, so sorry!).

Place kale, craisins, scallions, and almonds in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Then add sesame seeds and toss again. 

You can let it sit for 30 minutes in your fridge to marinate the kale a little or just devour. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Cake)

After a brief hiatus, I'm back! Anyone notice how buying a house, moving, and getting settled in takes up a lot of time?

To kick off 2014 I bring you a very delicious, slightly pound cake-esqe banana bread. But let's back it up a minute because I need to warn you about something...

So last week we had freezing cold temperatures here in Maryland, which wreaked havoc on pipes all across the state. We unfortunately did not escape unscathed and had a lovely [not lovely] little [big, gushing water] flood in our basement. So how does any housewife deal with this type of drama? WINE.

So here I am slightly buzzed, looking at my VERY ripe bananas. Well now I must make banana bread. And so it begins...the dumping of random ingredients into bowls that I'll do my best to quantify below.

• 2 cups of AP flour spooned in so that it's not a packed 2 cups
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup or so of semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl with a whisk until completely combined.

In a stand mixer add sugar and butter. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add your bananas, coconut oil, and yogurt until batter has formed. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until just moist.

On low speed mix in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely.

This little lovely loaf should come out golden and begging to be eaten when still warm. 

Happy New Year!

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Recipes for Crohn's Disease

As a wife of someone with Crohn's Disease, I've gotten very good at developing Low Residue recipes. But what I wasn't prepared for was a flare that didn't respond well to LR. So I hit the boards in search for high-calorie, low volume foods that worked for other sufferers. The most frustrating thing was not finding any suggestions!

Fear not, caretakers of Crohn's patients, I've got some options for you!

This Coconut Ginger Carrot Soup from About.com is now a staple. It's extremely tasty, easy to make, and full of healthy fat for my skinny husband.

Peanut Butter "Fudge"

1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a small pan with wax paper. Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into pan and let set in fridge. Cut into small pieces once hardened.

* Make sure to keep this in the fridge unless you are eating it or it will melt!

Honey Carrots

Honey is supposed to be anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, which is a natural way to help treat Crohn's. These carrots are easy and especially perfect if you are suffering around Rosh Hashanah!

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish add chopped carrots, drizzle over olive oil and honey, toss, sprinkle lightly with ground cardamom, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft, stirring up every so often.

Inflamed intestines need well cooked veggies, so be sure to test them before serving. This is a great side dish to a roasted chicken and some potatoes.

Spinach Omelet

1 egg
1/8 - 1/4 cup egg whites (or just use 2 eggs, but the eggwhites keep it light and fluffy)
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups of spinach
salt and pepper
olive oil

When Crohn's = bleeding, anemia is always lurking around the corner. Which makes it really important to eat foods high in iron like spinach. This recipe will work unless you are also lactose intolerant.

Crack the egg(s) in a bowl, add the egg whites and milk and whisk until slightly frothy. Heat a pan on medium-low and spray with olive oil. Add egg mixture and swirl around pan, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and swirl around pan until completely cooked. Remove egg round from pan and set aside. Add olive oil and spinach to pan and cook until wilted. Add spinach to one half moon of the omelet and fold the other side over the spinach.

There is so much you can do here, add mushrooms, a little cheese if tolerated, roasted chicken. Just keep it fairly mild and you'll have a delicious healthy meal on your hands.

I hope this post helps a little for those of you searching for recipes. No doubt it's hard suffering from Crohn's, but being a caretaker is no walk in the park either. Please feel free to leave a comment of foods that your loved one can tolerate and I'd be happy to create some recipes for you.

It's a lot of work picking up the slack and playing nurse, so I tried to keep these recipes pretty simple. A departure from my norm :)

Sending healing thoughts to all that are suffering from an IBD.

<3

Mini S'mores Pies

There are certain foods that are must haves during the summer, and I think s'mores is definitely on that list. But if your weather has been anything like we've been experiencing in the DC metro area, you probably aren't barbecuing. Rain, rain, go away! So instead try these individual s'mores pies.

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 dry milk powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter melted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Toss the dry ingredients together with your hands until completely mixed. Combine butter and heavy cream then pour over dry ingredients and mix with your hands until the mixture holds together.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees,

3. Coat muffin tin with nonstick spray and press in graham cracker crumbs to make a cup shape.

4. Bake for 5-7 minutes until golden.

5. Run a knife carefully around the edges to loosen and then turn over on to a cooling rack.

Pudding Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 box My T Fine chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups milk

Follow the directions on the box!

Fill the graham cracker cups with pudding and chill to set. Then top with mini marshmallows....here's the fun part: get out your kitchen torch and have at it! Warning: marshmallows are highly flammable so you might have to blow out a small fire.

Truffled Farro Salad

Being the resident foodie at work, people tend to ask me what I'm having for lunch. One day I had a conversation that went a little something like this:

"What are you eating?"

"Farro"

"Pharaoh?"

"No..."

vs

Ingredients

• 1 cup farro
• Handful of arugula
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms (a variety of wild mushrooms would be delish)
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tbs truffle oil
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• dried thyme
• 1 medium onion
• 1/4 cup parmesan chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• handful of walnuts
• salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven 350.

Place farro in a pot and fill with cold water until covered by 1-2 inches. After 20 minutes drain the farro.

Add the same amount of water back to the pot and add a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. If there is any leftover water after cooking you will need to drain.

While the farro is cooking cut asparagus spears on the bias in thirds. Toss with enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake asparagus on a foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice until tender.

Slice mushrooms, but not too thinly. Think 4-5 pieces for a larger cremini. Chop the onion.

Heat 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan on medium and cook the onion for 3 minutes. In a bowl mix your mushrooms with the truffle oil, then add to the pan with the butter. Cook for 5-10 minutes then sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Make sure you don't cook the mushrooms for too long. You want them tender but still with body.

Remove from heat and cool in a bowl. Add cooked asparagus.

Place farro into a mixing bowl and add your arugula. When you mix it in, the arugula should wilt. Set aside to cool.

When farro and vegetables reach room temperature, you can combine them.

Add cheese and parsley then mix.

Toast handful walnut halves in your mushroom pan to toast, chop, and top each serving.

Shout out to my hunnie for inventing this one!!

Seared Salmon on a Bed of Lemon Feta Quinoa

After a one and a half hour drive home I arrived to a beautifully cooked dinner by my hubby. I know --lucky girl. And what was even better, it was DELICIOUS. But...there is always a but...I don't take kindly to my sous chef trying to climb the ranks to head chef. That's my territory! So I got a little competitive.

Enter: my daydreamed dinner. People might dream of the beach, I dream of what to cook next. This meal needed to be more delicious than the last.

Ingredients:
Salmon
Lemon
1/4 cup Baby Zucchini
3 Tbsp Red Onion
3 Tbsp Red Pepper
1 Garlic Clove
1 cup Non-fat Yogurt (or whatever plain yogurt you have on hand)
Fresh or Dried Dill
1/2 cup White Quinoa
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
White Pepper
2 oz Feta
Fresh Parsley

After that list...do you still want to make it? :) And as always, these measurements aren't exact science because I just don't measure.

1. Rise (well) your quinoa to remove the bitterness. You can also soak it, but it's not necessary. Put it in a pot over medium heat with a cup of water, pinch of salt, and half the garlic clove. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 15 minutes.

2. While your quinoa is cooking it's time to chop your onion, peppers, and zucchini. Chop it fairly small...think about a chunky salsa. Heat up a stainless steel pan to medium-low a little closer to the low side if you have a gas stove. Add about a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil so that it will lightly coat the veggies. When you start to see color on your zucchini, add the other half of your garlic clove, but make sure that it is minced. You want to get your veggies soft, but not mushy. They need to hold their shape.

3. If you're a superstar, while all of that is on the stove, go ahead with your yogurt sauce. This one is simple. Grab a bowl, toss in your yogurt, add a TON of dill (so it makes your sauce look almost green), add a dash of white pepper, and a little more than a dash of garlic powder, and finish with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

4. Your quinoa should now be cooked. Remove from heat and set aside still covered for 5 minutes. Take your veggies out of the pan too and put them in a bowl. Set aside.

5. Take the same stainless steel pan and heat it up -- this time to medium (gas) or medium-high heat (electric). Add in your olive oil (not extra virgin!!! we need a higher smoke temp). Salt and pepper the rinsed and patted dry salmon. I used coarsely ground pink himalayan salt from TJs and coarsely ground pepper. When your oil is shimmering, put your fish down flesh first. Cook until the fish releases naturally, then flip to the skin side to finish. When you take it out of the pan, let it cool slightly and the skin should be crisp and peel right off.

6. Remove the garlic clove from your quinoa and fluff it. Add some ground black pepper, lemon, feta, and fresh chopped parsley.

7. Time to plate! Put a dollop of your yogurt on the plate and swirl with a spoon until you get a nice circle. Add a mound of quinoa, gently place your salmon on top, and spoon over your "salsa."

Here Fishy Fishy...Cake

Burgers are extra popular in the summer, but not everyone wants to eat meat. So instead, how about a tasty fish cake?

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp unsalted butter, divided 
• 1 tsp olive oil 
• 1 medium uncooked onion(s), minced 
• 2/3 cups panko 
• 1lb (rinsed) white fish such as tilapia, swai, hake, sole (don't use expensive stuff here) 
• 2 large eggs, beaten 
• 1 Tbsp sherry (dry or sweet) 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise 
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh parsley, fresh, minced (or a mix of parsley and dill) 

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in skillet. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion turns translucent and start to caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in panko; cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, grind up fish. Place fish in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, eggs, sherry, salt and mustard; mix well.

Add mayonnaise and parsley; mix well again.

Working with wet hands, form eight 3-inch cakes, about 3/4-inch thick; place on a metal baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to help cakes stick together while cooking.


Coat a very large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. When skillet is heated, melt half of the remaining butter and add 1/2 tsp of olive oil. Place a batch of cakes in skillet in a single layer and cook until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side; remove to a serving plate and cover to keep warm (or place in a 200°F oven to keep warm). Repeat with remaining ingredients.