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Wednesday's Weekend Experiment: Lamb

4/25/2012

The first time I had lamb I was living in California with an Iranian Jewish family. It was my first (and only to this point in my life) Passover Sedar. It was roasted, so delicious and tender, not at all what I thought it would taste like. The only other experience I had with lamb was the dinner entree we served at a restaurant I used to waitress at in high school. There it looked unappetizing, especially with the mint jelly packets it was served with. Thank goodness the first time eating it was a positive experience, or I may never have learned to love it the way I do.

When I first cooked lamb, I put a shoulder roast in the crock pot. Afterall, what's easier than a crock pot?   It was so.amazingly.delicous. I don't make it nearly as often as I like, mainly because it's pricey and not always accessible. A couple weekends ago my husband and I came across a farmer selling lamb at our winter farmer's market. They only accepted cash, and I had very little, so I sprung for the ground lamb instead of the rack of lamb. Not the same, by the way, but still tasty!

If you've never eaten lamb, I would suggest rack of lamb or a roast for your first experience as ground lamb doesn't do it justice. However, if you are cooking it for the first time I've got a simple recipe that will go with either ground lamb or roast.   It is actually pretty simple to cook rack of lamb as well, but I understand that might be a bit intimidating for your first time!

Lamb has been known to be higher in cholesterol, so I wouldn't suggest eating it everyday, but the other vitamins and minerals you get from it make up for those times you decide to indulge. Lamb actually has a high nutritional value and is a good source of vitamin B12, zinc and iron.   Did I mention it's delicious?

Greek Pitas with Lamb serves 4
adapted from Women's Health
1 lb ground lamb, or a 2 lb roast
1 cucumber, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 pint kalamata or other Greek olive
1 package feta cheese, crumbled
1 lemon
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 package whole wheat pitas (could substitute gluten-free, if needed)

Brown your ground lamb and drain the fat, or if you are cooking the roast, cook in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.
Cut up all of your veggies, place in a bowl with the feta. Mix the juice from one lemon, olive oil, salt & pepper and pour over veggies/cheese. Let marinate for 30 min.

Assemble everything over a pita. Enjoy!

Easy as pie and the perfect Spring or Summer dinner.

Have you eaten lamb before? If not, is it something you think you'll experiment with? If so, leave us a comment and tell us about it!

XO,
Nicole

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Wednesday's Weekend Experiment: Cauliflower

4/17/2012

8 Comments

When I began to experiment with gluten-free eating I was extremely overwhelmed. I found myself wandering the supermarket aisles aimlessly in search of something without wheat, without flour, without, well, gluten. Gluten was in much more than I thought, and so I started with the basics. I knew the dairy, meat, vegetables and fruit were naturally gluten-free, but I wondered what I was going to do about my favorites. My favorites were things like bread, pasta, pizza and the like. I stocked up on gluten-free pancake mixes, pizza crusts and breads to help make my transition easier.

Don't get me wrong, some people like those premade mixes. I did not. Either did my husband. I began reading different blogs and googling new recipes to try and make homemade versions of my favorites. That required me to purchase a lot of new flours and ingredients that I had never heard of. While I now know how to cook/bake with those items, and also realize how much healthier many of them are than plain white or even whole wheat flours, it may take awhile for you to begin to experiment.

For this week's experiment I chose a vegetable that often gets lost in the shuffle, forgotten if you will. Cauliflower tends to have a reputation of being a bit bland or dull. Many of us grew up eating it smothered in Velveeta or some other processed cheese because we wouldn't eat it plain. Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables. You can boil it, roast it, mash it, eat it raw, etc. It's high in fiber, vitamin C and folic acid.

And it makes a mean pizza crust.

Perfect (and cheaper) for a gluten-free lifestyle, or just a new spin on an old classic.

I'd love to hear how you made cauliflower the main ingredient in your weekend dinner. Leave a comment below.

XO,
Nicole

8 Comments

Wednesday's Weekend Experiment: Salmon

4/11/2012

3 Comments

One of the things I promised when I started this blog, was to help people strive to want good things in their life. That doesn't always include food, but it's sure a large part of the foundation to living the healthiest life you can live. I thought if I could find a way to introduce new foods (maybe they aren't all new to you...but they are probably new to someone!) to people, gradually, they would begin to experiment and play around with what they like. Through this experiment, my goal is to get you to cook more at home, experiment with tastes, see how your body responds, and hopefully begin to want to try more and more new experiments of your own!

The recipes will be simple. Again, my goal is to get you to actually want to try this yourself. However, if you don't use my recipe, that's OK too, that's part of the experiment. I'm posting a new food every Wednesday so that you have enough time to research recipes on your own, shop for the food and plan ahead. The KEY to eating healthy is to plan and prepare. Knowing what you are going to eat, and making sure you have what you need in your home, will ensure that you actually stick to the plan. Not having a plan usually ends up with a trip to your local drive thru...and we DO NOT want that!

So, salmon....salmon seemed like a simple enough start. My guess is that many of you have eaten salmon, but maybe haven't cooked it for yourself yet. My recommendation is to get the salmon from the meat/fish section of your local food store, rather than buying it from the frozen food aisle. A 6 or 8 ounce piece usually constitutes a serving. It should be bright pink and fleshy.

The recipe I used tonight was actually from Giada DeLaurentiis' new cookbook, Weeknights with Giada, which I just received last week at an event she was at promoting the new book.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon
Glaze:
3/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T maple syrup
1 T dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced

Salmon:
4 6oz filets of salmon
olive oil for coating
sea salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place all of the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, place salmon skin side down on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake salmon for 8-10 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

I made quinoa and added chopped kalamata olives and fresh, crumbled feta (both just purchased at my local farmer's market on Saturday). Serve with a side salad, using some of the balsamic glaze as your dressing. I reserved a small amount of the balsamic glaze, and whisked in extra virgin olive oil to taste.

Salmon is a wonderful source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which makes it a superfood you MUST try at least once. It isn't as fishy as other seafood out there, but does have a distinct flavor. This recipe is nice because balsamic vinegar is such a bold flavor, that it helps to cut that fishy-ness you might be fearing. If you're looking for other ideas, try these at health.com

Please share your home experiments with us below. What is your favorite way to eat salmon?

Enjoy!
Nicole

3 Comments

To CSA or Not CSA?

4/5/2012

6 Comments

I have always loved vegetables. I love them more than fruit. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit too but I love vegetables more. My produce bill has always been so much more expensive than it should be. This is the problem with the world we live in: the REAL food costs more than the FAKE food. The real food, being the food that is natural and literally comes from a seed in the ground, sprouts, becomes food and ends up on your plate. Versus the fake food that is often genetically modified, goes through a factory, gets a bunch of stuff added to it, is put in a pretty package with lots of preservatives so it's shelf life is longer and then ends up on your plate (possibly 3 months later...well,
because it's been sitting in your pantry that long).

When we started eating organic my produce bill went up slightly. I was careful about what I was buying, trying to eat in season, and it really did make a difference. However, I knew at roughly $28 a week, it was ridiculous. The local natural food store I went to had a brochure on all of the farms in Southeastern Wisconsin and what they had for sale. I was amazed at just how many farms were offering me fresh, local food...literally in my backyard! My husband and I decided it was more economical to join a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which pretty much means that you buy "shares" in a local farm and when they begin to harvest you get fresh food delivered, either to your door or very close to your home. It's a great way for you to support a local farmer, while knowing you are eating food that was just harvested that week!

For our CSA, we paid $420 for 23 weeks worth of produce (so, now I just saved $10 a week off of my grocery bill, and I was getting local food, and a whole variety of it!). Additionally, we did a winter share for $45 which is delivered at the end of the harvest, and usually contains a 30 lb box of things to last you through the winter (or in WI...most of the winter!) like potatoes, some greens, onions, etc. Our farm also has eggs, which I paid $27 for a half dozen every other week. That comes out to about $2 every other week for 6 eggs. At the store, I'd pay at least $4 or more for a dozen cage-free, organic eggs, so I figured I was breaking even (or better since I knew the farm the chickens were raised at).

So, what's with the title of the post? Why wouldn't you join a CSA? Honestly, I think everyone can benefit from a CSA; however, there are a couple things you want to keep in mind when deciding to join:

        - You get A LOT of food. One box usually lasts us 2 weeks or more, so be prepared.
        - Since you get a lot of food, you don't want it to go bad so you must eat it. Eating it often requires cooking it.
           Cooking it requires effort on your part....(;
        - Be prepared to try new foods. You will get different things, many of which you may have never eaten....or
            prepared before. My first share had me experimenting with tomatillos and squashes.
        - Some CSAs have pick up locations, which are usually at the home of someone in your neighborhood. Be
            courteous and pick your box up at the scheduled day and time of the week. If you can't make it that week, or
            are on vacation, call the farm so they know you won't be needing a share. Often times the farm will donate
            your share to a local food pantry.

If you any of these reasons make you a little nervous about the investment, don't worry! There are ways that you can still enjoy a CSA. If you are concerned about the amount of food you are getting, find a friend and split the share (this can help cut down the cost too, if that's one of your concerns). As well, when it comes to the cost, many farms offer a worker share program. You give them some of your time and "work" at the farm. You help them harvest, wash the produce, pack it up, etc. In exchange, they give you part or all of a share. If you don't know how to cook, or don't feel comfortable cooking new foods many of the farms send newsletters with receipes on how to cook or things to make with the items in that week's box. Some farms even have an exchange program, if there is something in your box that you don't like, you can leave it at the pick up spot for someone else to enjoy (at the same time, if there is something in the exchange box that you do like, you are free to take it). There are pros and cons to everything.

If you're still unsure if a CSA is right for you, that's OK. It's a committment, but one that is well worth it in my book. Even if you decide not to join a CSA, continue to experiment with foods found at your local farm stands or farmer's markets. Once you get to know some of the farmers, you may consider trying down the road.  Just remember, eating local is best!

XO,
Nicole

6 Comments

Super healthy, superfood smoothies

4/1/2012

9 Comments

As many of you know I'm currently in school for Nutritional Health Counseling, which has opened my eyes to so many new ideas and ways of thinking when it comes to my own health. Recently we had a lecture from David Wolfe, a raw foodist (among many, many other things), who inspired me to start trying some new things. David spoke of his beliefs around eatings foods in their natural form (raw foodists do not cook anything over a temperature of 150-170 degrees), and the power those foods have on our bodies and health. David is one of the many guest speakers we've had in my program, that are opening my eyes to hundreds of different dietary theories. While I don't see myself becoming a raw foodist in the near future, I was intrigued to bring some of his ideas into my own diet.....my smoothies.

If you're like me, you probably think of a smoothie as something like frozen or fresh fruit, some juice or water - maybe yogurt, and a little protein powder. As my knowledge around nutrition has evolved, so has my smoothie. Fruits and veggies are important components to any smoothie, but so many of them (bananas and carrots, for example) are loaded with natural sugars that I never realized how to properly balance a smoothie to ensure I wasn't going to crash 2 hours after drinking it.

Additionally, there were these new "superfoods" I was being exposed to that could offer my smoothie new textures and flavors, all while providing me tons of nutrients! The superfoods I'm referring to are ones that are found in nature in the purest form (seeds, berries, etc). I've begun incorporating hemp, chia and flax seeds into my diet, as well as goji berries, raw cacao, dulse and kelp.

Here is a new smoothie I've been drinking recently. Many of the ingredients can be found at Whole Foods or your local natural foods store. I don't really measure the ingredients, so feel free to play around with the tastes and flavors that you have in your pantry.

Brewed tea (about 2-3 cups)
Coconut water (1/2 cup)
Frozen berries (maybe 1/4 cup)
4 or 5 fresh strawberries, with the greens on top
2 T raw cacao powder (my store only had cacao nibs, so I used a coffee grinder to make my own powder)
2 T goji berries, soaked
1 t chia seeds, soaked so they begin to sprout (you'll know they are sprouting when they become a gel like substance)
1 T raw honey
1 T raw almond butter
1 T coconut oil (do not melt the oil)

Blend and strain over your glass (depending on your blender, as this particular smoothie will have lots of seeds). Enjoy!

If you're not ready to add these foods to your pantry, I would encourage you to start experimenting with them a couple at a time. Or start to substitute different natural sweeteners into your smoothie. Rather than using fruit juices from the store (that are often full of sugar), try just a spoonful of natural peanut or almond butter, or raw honey....you don't have to use as much and they have more nutrients than the juice. The goal is to find foods that work for you, that you enjoy and make you feel better!

After you have some time to play around, leave us a comment and tell us what you experimented with!

Enjoy!
Nicole