Pineapple Cilantro Lime Smoothie
If you are extra lucky, you’ll be drinking one of these green shakes for St. Patty’s Day. And you’ll be feeling pretty good too. If you’re unlucky, you’ll be swamping your diet with green beer (gross).
My friend just informed me that last year she was in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. Although it’s more of a “touristy thing” over there, that makes us feel a little unlucky here, stuck hanging out in North Philly. But I bet they don’t have refreshing Pineapple Cilantro Lime Smoothies over in Ireland. Meanwhile, my refrigerator currently does. How’s that for living in the ghetto? I’ll take it and let myself feel pretty lucky again too.
This is a palate-cleansing, energizing smoothie perfect for days where you’re looking for something on the lighter side. It’s packed with refreshing flavor that adds a nice variance from traditional fruit-sweetened smoothies. Plus, it’s got a little silken tofu for a creamy touch of protein that will keep your tummy satisfied. Serve for breakfast or lunch, or as an after dinner pick me up, and if you’re smart, serve it tomorrow for St. Patty’s Day.
Smoky Garlic Swiss Chard
The only time I buy Swiss chard at the store is when the kale and collard section is looking pretty lousy. Other than that, I only eat Swiss chard when it’s in season in my parents’ garden and I happen to swing by around that time for a visit. Even then, it’s not my first pick of the crops, but I’ll accept the variation it gives to my diet.
I’m not sure why I have a slight aversion to chard. Maybe it’s the one too many times I was forced to eat it at a friend’s house growing up. I get that feeding a vegetarian child can be challenging, but I wouldn’t say Swiss chard stewed in orange juice is the solution. I’ve heard it’s a classic pairing, but I’ll take my OJ in a glass, not spread on my plate of chard. The thought still makes me cringe and steers me away from the leafy green veggie almost every time I’m at the store.
However, recently I decided to give it another go. On my latest grocery trip, just one bunch of kale sat alone on the produce section shelves, growing yellower by the second. It seemed silly not to grab the far more beautiful bunch of red-stemmed Swiss chard just an arm’s distance away.
I ended up just making a simple saute, using smoked paprika and garlic to mask some of its earthy flavor. I’d deem this the perfect dish for those skeptical of chard. It’s more spicy and flavorful than anything, while playing off the tenderness of the leaves, the attribute I do love about this green. Serve as a healthy side or mix into pasta dishes or omelets.
“Have you made anything gluten-free and egg-free before? I’m always prepared for a disaster,” said my friend. My response: “Just this weird chocolate cake once.” That pretty much sums of my experience with gluten-free baking. Weird. Somewhat off. Maybe a little chalky or overly mushy?
I rarely ever play around with this particular method of cooking. At least on purpose. I’ve had a lot of half-decent gluten-free fare, when I really want it to be 100%-decent. So, considering I’m not gluten intolerant, I generally steer clear from labels that tout what seems to be the latest self-proclaimed health fad. If you’re one of those who hopped on this bandwagon and don’t really have an intolerance to gluten (the protein in wheat), well, in my opinion, you’re a tad crazy. But don’t worry. I won’t go all Anthony Bourdain-style on you and will leave it at that. To each his own.
Sure, I’ve made a ton of naturally gluten-free food over the years that is 100% delicious. That’s in no way hard to accomplish. (Beans and Rice, please.) But little of this fare is ever coming from the oven, a feat that seems a tad more daunting.
However, when I recently found out that one of my friends had a gluten (and egg) allergy but was also into baking, I said, “Heck yeah I want to mess around with some gluten-free baking!” It was a good incentive to explore some uncharted kitchen territory and prove yet again, homemade often triumphs over store-bought.
It all started with this recipe my friend chose, which might I add was a kick-butt choice seeing as though sweet potatoes were in the equation. Our expectations, both low at the start, increasingly grew ever more skeptical when we realized we’d have to tackle the icing without an electric beater. Thank god for that versatile thing called a potato masher, which in my apartment, rarely ever gets used on actual potatoes.
After popping these out of the oven and adding a generous smear of icing on top, we held our breathes and went in for a taste. After the first bite, it was declared an immediate victory. In fact, these by far topped a lot of other pumpkin-spiced-esque traditional cupcakes and muffins I’ve eaten in the past. They were perfectly sweetened with a slight contrast from the icing, and were super moist. (I’m sorry. I hate that word too.) So heck yeah gluten-free baking. I might be seeing you more often.
Creamy Taco Mac
I’ve had this pasta dish on my list of bookmarked recipes waiting to be made for awhile. Combining two of my favorite cuisines, Mexican and Italian, I knew before I started that this would be a winner. And it was. Prevention RD often features a lot of yummy vegetarian dishes on her site.
Aside from mixing cuisines, what also captivated me about this recipe was the use of yogurt instead of cheese. It’s a low-fat way to add to add a touch of creaminess to a plate of pasta. Speaking of low-fat, this entire dish is 100% healthy, packed with fiber, protein, and heart-helpful fats. It also comes with a ton of flavor that can jam out entirely in one pan. Hello decrease in extra dishes. Always a good recipe trait in my opinion.
Topped with avocado and fresh cilantro, the king and queen of Mexican adornment, you really can’t go wrong with this dish. And it’s a total success too with whole wheat pasta. Maybe I should let these two cuisines mix and mingle more often.
Curried Chickpea Salad
This is a light and refreshing salad that makes a great addition to any meal, particularly a soup-and-salad kind of lunch or as a side to a sandwich. It’s also a quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for potlucks and picnics.
Savory curry powder always pairs well with something a little sweet. Here, raisins do that job well, while contrasting the slightly sour flavors of the goat cheese and hints of lemon. Chickpeas are a staple item in my cabinet, and when I’m not consuming them in their hummus-like form, I’m looking for other ways I can use the fiber-filled legume. They’re a good source of lean, vegetarian protein, and are frequently found in a variety of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian because of their ability to take on savory spices. This dish is almost as versatile as the chickpea itself, perfectly functional right off the spoon which with you mix the ingredients, or as a tasty pita/wrap filler.
BBQ Tempeh with Avocado
Me and sloppy go hand in hand. Granted, I think I can do an okay job at composing myself to walk out of the house. But when it comes to me in the kitchen, I’m like a kid with an ice cream cone, a mess dripping from my hands to the floor and everywhere in between. I’ve had one too many spills, eventually persuading me into installing an apron-holding hook on the wall. Unfortunately, my mind rarely remembers to grab that bright red apron, and I still continue to stain my white shirts. And shoes. And nearly all the kitchen towels in sight.
I’m clumsy too, especially at times when I’m mad dashing for last minute ingredients. This past week I somehow managed to drop a jar of relish to the ground, among other things, and am now hoping there aren’t any pieces of glass in the remnants I’ve salvaged in my Tupperware. Needless to say, I’m lucky that a kitchen serves as a natural studio because otherwise my house would be a wreck. I’ve always died for a studio for arts or photos or other random avocations of mine. You should’ve seen my mom when I’d get my paint set out at her house…Nervous wreck. But I must say, I’m thankful that for cooking, nearly every house is already equipped with its own studio space.
Anyways, naturally I can get down with this sloppy sandwich because sloppy it is meant to be. I wouldn’t call it a sloppy joe per se, but it’s got all that same messy finger feel. With prepared BBQ, it’s a handy weekday meal that whips up in no time. Just be prepared to get covered in a little BBQ, and if you’re like me, definitely keep a napkin or two on standby.
Broccoli Pesto with Quinoa
Why take a dish that works and change it? Well, for one, if I had basil growing in my backyard, maybe I’d consider using it, but given the frost still occasionally building on my windshield, that’s not looking too promising. However, even if basil were to be in season, pesto proves to work wonderfully in many different forms, so why not test out something new?
Last year’s kale pesto was a perfect exhibit of how pesto can make kale irresistibly delicious, even for the non-kale-lovers. Similarly, this recipe packs a ton of green veggie power (6 cups of broccoli, to be exact) into one easy dish, while surprisingly shying away from having an overbearing broccoli flavor. I’ve even incorporated extra broccoli aside from the pesto into this quinoa dish, but if you’re not a fan of the green crowns, feel free to add another form of green texture instead, like snow peas or string beans. However, if you’re a broccoli lover like me, as an alternative to quinoa, the pesto makes a great dip too. If you choose to go this route, simply thin out with a tablespoon or two of extra olive oil or warm water and serve with lightly steamed broccoli or crudites.
Avocado Salmon Salad
Salmon is by far my favorite type of seafood. Well, actually, I’d probably say Chilean sea bass, but I’m not trying to feed too heavily into their extinction. Anyways, it’s rare that I’ll have leftover salmon from the night before, but when I do, it often gets turned into salmon salad. It’s a nice change of pace from tuna, especially when jazzed up with avocado and lime.
The avocado and salmon combo. is not only a flavor dream team, but it also packs this salad with omega-3s. Omega-3 is that essential fatty acid that keeps your brain running smoothly. My head’s always all over the place, so god knows I could use a little extra brain juice. Luckily, fish are full of them, and concurrently, avocados happen to be one of the highest plant sources as well.
The avocados also add an extra creaminess to this salad, making it pair perfectly with both bread and crackers. You take your pick.
Eggplant Parmesan
The one year we shared a kitchen together, my friend Deirdre instantly won my heart by making me homemade eggplant parm. A couple years later, I had yet to forget the occasion.
My fridge still stocked with eggplant, and my bowl of eggplant ideas running empty, I asked her to share her recipe with me. After planning to make dinner together, there we were again, months till we graduate from college, still feasting side by side on eggplant parm. So much and so little has changed.
Deirdre started making this eggplant parm. with her dad when she was just a kid. As she got older and ventured to a kitchen of her own, she started playing with the recipe a little, abandoning the classic deep-fried eggplant version for a slightly lighter, oven-broiled variation. Genius. You’d never know the difference unless you were standing in the kitchen watching the whole process go down. Much of the crispiness from deep-frying eggplant gets lost in the layering process anyways, while the broiled version is capable of maintaining that breaded, dense texture of the eggplant needed in this dish.
I still wouldn’t label this “light,” but the broiling process definitely cuts down on some of the grease. Today, Deirdre, her dad, and I will all be using this method from here on out.
It makes a good-sized portion, so share with friends, or freeze for later. Enjoy!
Coconut Sweet Potato Kale Soup
When I go to Whole Foods, I’m like a kid in a toy store. I could spend hours perusing the aisles, admiring the colors, and playing with the packages. This goes for farmer’s markets on warm days too. They are trips I always look forward to and on which I nerd out, although I’m sure I’m not alone in the ever increasing world of foodies.
For me, Whole Foods outings are particularly special because although I’m surrounded by two of these produce galleries within a bike ride’s reach, a college kid’s budget makes these trips unpalatably scant. Luckily for me, my mom knows me well and gifted me with a Whole Food’s gift card this past Christmas.
For the first couple months, I’d been saving most of it, dropping by for a bottle of kombucha or two here and there. However, this past week, I decided I needed a getaway from the regular grocery store to one that would surround me with fresh eye candy, left and right. It’s here that I picked up some lovely Lacinato kale and deep orange hued sweet potatoes.
Yes, this post makes me sound like I come from a family of healthy nut hippies, which I guess to an extent could be true, but kale, sweet potatoes, and kombucha could easily become your best supermarket friend’s too. I decided to take my two prized produce purchases and throw them together in a coconut-laced soup. Feel free to indulge in full-fat coconut milk for a richer, slightly sweeter broth, or keep it on the light side and proceed as is.
