Power Brunch to Jump-start the Weekend

So you've been doing great with your eating. Everything has been clean, healthy, and delicious. But, now its the weekend and your friends are coming over for brunch! How on earth can you fix a delicious brunch and still keep it clean and healthy!?! Brunch is all butter and bread and calories! No fear, we've got you covered!

Avocado, eggs, and quinoa are all considered power foods! Avocados have monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA's. These are extremely heart healthy and, as a plus, help burn belly fat! They are also relatively low in calories and high in fiber. This means you can eat a larger portion, and they keep you feeling full longer. Eggs are proven to aid in proper dietary decisions. Studies have shown that people that start the day with an egg eat fewer calories throughout the day. Also, the yolks contain nutrients, like vitamin D and choline, that promote heart, liver, and brain health. Finally, quinoa is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. This can reduce cell damage, increase vascular circulation, and protection for the nervous system. These foods are all great options for a tasty brunch and can jump-start your weekend of clean eating!

When buying quinoa, you want to look for organic and sprouted. The color is not important, I am using red because my amazing neighbor gave me over a pound of it because she decided her 5 pound bag was too large and she couldn't possibly consume it all. Quinoa cooks a lot like rice and grits, a 1 to 2 ratio between quinoa and water is best. So, 1 cup of uncooked quinoa gets 2 cups of water. Place the quinoa in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. As soon as you reach a boil, lower the temperature to allow the quinoa to simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, turn off the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and let it sit covered for 5 minutes more on the stove.

With this quinoa, we are going to make "hash browns". Mix in a bowl 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 1 large egg, 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet with about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil melted in it. Once the oil is melted, portion out your quinoa mixture onto the skillet. Flatten them into patties with the back of the spatula and cook on both sides until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Once they are browned, transfer them a plate with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

Now for the avocado, make sure you have enough for 1 half an avocado for each person. To see if an avocado is ripe, gently squeeze it. You want a slight give, but not mush. Another way is to remove the stem cap at the top, if its green leave it be but if its light brown you're good to go, if its a dark brown, or black, its over ripened and you don't want it.... trust me..... blegh!

Turn on your ovens broiler on low and start slicing the avocado from the top and slice down the middle, wrapping around the pit. hold the avocado in both hands and lightly twist to separate the two halves. Take your knife and slam it into the pit, twist carefully to remove the pit. Place the halves, inside up in a baking dish just large enough to hold all of them. Top the avocados with a single slice of prosciutto, with a hole matching the divot from the pit in the avocado. Crack the egg and get the yolk right in that hole. Place the avocados under the broiler for about 7-10 minutes. You want the prosciutto to start to curl and the whites of the egg to turn, well, white. You will also start to see the exposed parts of the avocado to start to toast and turn brown. Once this all happens, they are ready!

When you pull them out of the oven, lightly salt and pepper them and if you like an extra kick, drizzle them with some Sriracha! Place the "hash brown" and an avocado half on a plate and serve with a Bloody Mary or mimosa!

Enjoy your brunch and know that you have just thrown yourself into a weekend full of healthy eats!

What you need:

• Quinoa
• Avocado
• Prosciutto
• Eggs
• Coconut oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sriracha (optional)

Cuban Sandwich and the Start to a Great New Relationship

A new relationship is forming between the US and Cuba, and I couldn’t be more excited! This is a culture that is vibrant and passionate. They love their food and they love each other, and I think we, as Americans, could learn a thing or two from them! One of my favorite Cuban inspired foods is the Cuban sandwich! It is full of flavor and you can taste the love in every bite, if it’s made right.

A Cubano is a hot pressed sandwich consisting of ham, pulled pork, pickles, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard. It brings influence not only from Cuba, but also Italy and Spain. This sandwich is often baked, but to be authentic, it must be pressed on a panini press. Since I’m a “NoPro” I will be using my George Foreman grill as a panini press.

Now, I’m not going to lie and say that this is a simple sandwich that you can make really quick before work. It takes time and attention to detail to make it truly great. On average, it takes me anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to make the sandwich, but it is more than worth it!!! In my exploration of a healthier lifestyle, this is one dish that I intend to carry over. So, with health in mind, I edited the traditional recipe slightly with much success!

The biggest change to help this sandwich go from fat saturated heaven to simply heaven is replacing the butter and heavy oils with a healthier choice. I decided to try coconut oil and was pleasantly surprised! I used coconut oil in everything from the marinade for the meat, to the wash on top, and even for the fries on the side!

Another healthy substitute is using shredded turkey instead of pork. Traditional Cuban sandwiches use ham and pulled pork, both fatty meats. Turkey is a lean meat that can absorb the flavor of the marinade just as well as the pulled pork.

Also, in the Cuban vinaigrette I use coconut oil rather than a heavy olive oil. To make the vinaigrette, mix together ½ a cup of white vinegar, 1.5 cups of coconut oil (liquid), 2 tablespoons of sea salt, 4 cloves of finely minced, or pressed, garlic, ½ a teaspoon of dried mustard, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and crushed black pepper to taste. The easiest way to mix this together is to put all the ingredients in a container that can tightly seal and then shake vigorously. This can be prepared ahead of time and actually makes a great salad dressing as well!

Once the vinaigrette is well mixed, add about 2-3 tablespoons to a ½ pound of shredded turkey. Toss the meat to ensure even coverage and let the meat sit for at least an hour. Once your meat is soaking up all the amazing flavor, go ahead and turn on your pressing device. You want to make sure this has a good chance to get very hot!

While the meat is soaking and the press is heating, you can start preparing to build the sandwich. Now, the only substitute I refuse to make is with the bread. The foundation of the sandwich is the light Cuban bread. This bread may not be the healthiest option, due to lard being included in the ingredient list, but for a Cuban sandwich, I feel that it is irreplaceable. If you must change it out, you can use a whole grain baguette style bread or even an unleavened pita style of bread.

With one loaf of Cuban bread, I usually get three to four sandwiches out of it. Its built, however, as one large sandwich. Starting with the loaf, sliced down the middle, put a thin layer of mayonnaise on the bottom piece. I know what you’re thinking, “mayonnaise is not healthy at all!” but I made my own, and when you control the ingredients, you can make anything healthy. My mayonnaise recipe will be posted at a later date.

On top of the mayonnaise, place an overlapping layer of Swiss cheese, lay one slice and lay the next slice starting in the middle of the previous slice, about 4-5 slices. The next layer is the ham. I do replace the traditional ham with a low-fat ham, because all the extra fat just isn’t needed. Place a single layer of ham over the cheese. Once your turkey has finished soaking up all the flavor, place that on top of the ham down the middle of the sandwich. The next layer is the pickle. It is very important to use a dill pickle here to ensure the proper taste combination. You want the pickles to almost completely cover the turkey. Atop the pickle layer, the final layer is a drizzle of Dijon mustard. The amount of mustard is purely based on taste. If you like mustard, load it on, or you can go lighter.

Once the mustard is on, top the sandwich off with the top of the loaf. At this point, you can cut the sandwich into smaller sandwiches, 3-4 from a standard Cuban loaf. For grilling a Cuban, you are supposed to put a generous layer of butter on the top of the bread to give it a golden, crispy crust. Butter isn’t that great for you though, in case you hadn’t heard. Coconut oil, however, is a great substitute! Brush liquid coconut oil on the top of the bread and prepare to press.

At this point, your press, or George Forman grill, should have been heating, closed, for about 30 minutes, if not just wait and get it very hot. Once the press is super-hot, place the sandwich on and press down to “flatten” the sandwich. The sandwich will not actually flatten due to the shear amount of stuff in it, but you want to pretend that’s what you are doing to it. Let the sandwich cook on the press for about 7-10 minutes, or just until the cheese starts to ooze out. It is imperative not to lift the press while the sandwich is cooking, you want an even crisp crust and constant heat is needed. Once the sandwich is done simply slide it off the press and serve on a plate, in a basket, or wrapped in deli paper. Make sure the sandwich is served hot!

I made a healthy French fry side dish to go with my sandwich, and that recipe will be coming soon! It truly is amazing what you can do with coconut oil!!!

If this is your first experience with Cuban culture, I truly hope that you will do some research into the benefits of a Cuban-American alliance and urge your federal representatives to pursue a healthy diplomatic relationship with our neighbors in the Caribbean!

What you’ll need:

Sandwich:

1-pound low fat ham, deli sliced

1-pound turkey, deli sliced or pulled (marinated in Cuban vinaigrette)

1 loaf of Cuban bread

1 jar of dill pickles, sandwich stacker slices

4-5 slices of Swiss cheese

Dijon mustard

Homemade mayonnaise

4-5 tablespoons of coconut oil (liquid)

Cuban vinaigrette marinade:

1.5 cups of coconut oil (liquid)

½ cup of white vinegar

4 garlic cloves

Sea salt

Black pepper

Dried mustard

Dried oregano

Serving of 3-4 takes about 1-1.5 hours and about $40

-NoPro

Mama's Legacy

Happy mothers day! Today is a special day because I am sharing a guest post from my mother. My mom is the reason why I am who I am today. She always inspired me to be strong and independent, to love myself and my neighbor, and to enjoy life one bite at a time! If it wasn't for her putting me up to the stove by the time I was five, I would have none of the culinary skills I have today. If there is one person that has inspired my life the most, it is her. 

She was inspired by the women in her family before her and I can only imagine how far back the love of cooking goes. I can remember as a kid, being in my Great Grandma's house with her cooking something, always. Unless she was spanking me for pushing her life alert button.... but that's besides the point. For snippets of inspiration from her, you can follow her on Twitter here! Please enjoy her post below, it features the one dessert I ask for the most!

So, I’m Barb, Caleb’s mom.  I guess I have to take credit for Caleb’s love of food and love of cooking.  When my kids were younger, back in the 90’s, we weren’t so concerned with “healthy” foods.  Most things were processed, it was fast, it was convenient.  So unfortunately, that’s what my kids grew up on.  So I guess all that to say, if Caleb asks me to guest blog one of his favorites that mom makes, it’s not gonna be healthy!! (Please note, I am a clean, healthy cook now!)

So back around 1989, we moved to Lawrence, KS.  Caleb was but a twinkle in my eye – or possibly a flutter in my belly at that time.  We attended a small church at the time – you know the kind, great pot luck meals for 50 people with enough food to feed 300!! But, that is when I had my first taste of the most incredible banana pudding!! I couldn’t get enough of it! But, one problem…..I didn’t know all the ingredients.  But, with a little begging and pleading, I convinced my friend to give it up, and my pallet (and waistline) haven’t been the same since!  So here it comes…..it’s not your everyday banana pudding……there is a secret ingredient…..shhhhh…..

Ready for it??? Sweetened condensed milk!  Oh the joy!  Oh the creaminess! Oh the sweetness! I tell ya, it’s the deal breaker. It’s the reason from now through the end of your life people will be asking YOU to bring that banana pudding to the potluck.  And when you don’t….oh, they’ll let you know about it!  Trust me!


So here it is! The complete recipe that will forever change your life…..

Ingredients:

1 large box vanilla pudding (don’t skimp…get the name brand people!)

Milk

1 large size tub of Cool Whip (again don’t skimp! And don’t get fat free!!!)

3 or 4 large bananas

Nilla wafers (come on people, do I have to say it again?? Don’t skimp!!)

I like to construct mine in a trifle dish – it’s just so pretty.  But if you don’t have one just about any dish will do, just so it’s at least 4 inches deep.

1. Mix up the vanilla pudding and milk as directed on the package
2. Remove 2 cups of the Cool Whip – set aside
3. Mix in the remaining cool whip to the pudding
4. Crush up enough Nilla wafers to cover the bottom of the dish
5. Cut up 1 or 2 bananas on top of the wafers (all depends on how bananaey you like it)
6. Pour ½ of the pudding mixture over the bananas
7. Repeat steps 4-6 creating a nice layering presentation
8. Spread the remaining Cool Whip on top of the layers
9. Now make it pretty – I like to put the wafers all around the outside, standing up. Then make your own creation in the middle
10. Let it set up in the fridge for at least 2 hours

Prepare for taste bud explosion!!!

Fish That Caught on Fire and Covered in Mango

No, you're not actually going to catch a fish on fire here.... but, it is going to be fire!

This is pretty simple. Perfect for a busy weeknight or relaxing weekend evening. Also, I made two servings for less than $20, and that included the large bottle of wine!

Starting with the main deal, the fish. For this you are gonna want to use a white fish, haddock or cod are great, tilapia is OK as long as it comes from the USA, I used tilapia for this recipe.... Check out this article here to see my reservations on this fish... These white fish are best for those that don't like the "fishy" taste, or when you are adding bold flavors. We are doing the latter here because I love the fishy flavor!

First things first, prep work! Preheat the oven to 425°. The fish can be sticky when you put it in a baking dish, so make sure to oil the pan liberally! I tend to think of an infant in a bathtub, enough to get the job done but you don't want anything to drown in there! When the fish is in the baking dish sprinkle some Chili Powder over the top and grind some fresh black pepper. Set the fish aside for now and let the Chili Powder soak in a little. While that's chilling out, lets chop some stuff up! Yellow squash, zucchini squash, and butter nut squash are a great mixture for any season! The butter nut squash cooks best when cubed, you can buy it pre-cubed in most supermarkets, while the zucchini and yellow squash should be cut in discs, this allows them to absorb some awesome flavor while maintaining their fresh crunch. Set the veggies aside, just like the fish.

Next we want to get that salsa ready! Store bought mango salsa is really the best option. For one, I hate even thinking about peeling a mango, and buying all the ingredients isn't economical for the amount we'll be using. However, store bought salsas are always way too watery to be added to a dish like this. We want a thicker, chunkier, salsa. So to get rid of the water we are going to put the salsa in a small sauce pot and heat it on the stove over medium-high heat until we see it begin to boil. Bring the heat down to allow the salsa to simmer, leaving it uncovered to allow the water to evaporate off. This will take about 15-20 minutes with occasional stirring.

Once the salsa is on the stove, your oven should be completely pre-heated. Go ahead and put the fish in on the middle rack and KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED! You're gonna leave the fish alone and not even think of it for 15 minutes.

While the fish is baking and the salsa is boiling go ahead and start on your veggies! Bring a skillet to a high heat and drizzle some EVOO all over. (just in the skillet though, could get messy outside of it) Toss in your veggies and season with some season salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Keep them moving for the first five minutes to be sure to get them well coated with the seasoning and oil. You don't want the seasoning to be on only 5 or so pieces, tossing it around in the skillet can help share the goodness! After its all mixed up and cooking well, let it simmer to seal in the flavor. At this point, you may need to turn the temp down on that salsa to keep it at a simmer as well.

Now we have a little intermission time while the food does its thing! Grab a glass of wine, switch to the next Beyonce track, or yell at the kids to keep doing their homework.

And now we're back! So it's been 15 minutes since we closed that door that I trust you didn't open? Now you can open it. Pull out the fish. It should be completely white with some golden edges. Let it rest again while we get everything else ready.

The veggies should be cooked, yellow squash and zucchini should be firm while the butter nut squash is almost mashable. Turn off all the heating elements and prepare for plating.

The fish is VERY fragile! Use a flexible spatula to get as far under the middle of the fish as possible and hold it at a slight angle to drain off as much liquid as possible, should just be a slow drip. Place the fish on a plate of your choosing and top it with about two tablespoons of the salsa, should just cover the length of the middle of the piece of fish. Scoop some veggies next to the fish, using a slotted spoon to drain as much liquid here as well, and done! Serve, eat, and enjoy! You may need a second glass of wine at this point too :)

What you'll need:

• Mild White Fish (tilapia, haddock, cod)
• Mango Salsa
• Zucchini Squash
• Yellow Squash
• Butternut Squash (pre-cubed is great!)
• EVOO
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Season Salt

Total Prep time is 20-30 Minutes