raw thai salad with peanut sauce shrimp + fried avocado

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So, it’s August. In case you weren’t aware. Where did July go? Or, better question, where did the summer go? It feels like it just started a week ago. But yet, spring classes seem like they were done a million months ago, and I’m starting to get anxious about the fall semester—anxious like, I’m not sure if I remember how to be a student anymore, anxious. 

ANYWAYS. In my never-ending quest to find MORE ways to trick myself and others into eating MORE veggies in MORE delicious ways, I bring you THIS. It was a rousing success in our party of two, and I can promise you it will be trotted out like the trick pony it is for bigger functions.

Now go eat MORE veggies. Your body will thank you.

raw thai salad with peanut sauce shrimp and fried avocado

SALAD

• 1 medium zucchini, julienned
• 1 medium summer squash, julienned
• 2 cups prepared broccoli slaw (I got mine at Trader Joe’s)
• ½ green pepper, sliced
• 6 baby peppers, sliced, assorted colors
• ½ cucumber, sliced and then halved

For the zucchini and summer squash, since I unfortunately neither have a julienne peeler or a spiralizer, I used a box grater, on the side with the biggest holes. BUT if you have a julienne peeler or a spiralizer… you are insanely lucky (and just not lazy like myself) and please use that as it will make your life a ton easier. Okay, moving on. After julienning the squash, add to a colander, sprinkle with salt, and like drain for about 20 minutes. While the squash is draining, prepare the rest of the veggies as specified above and add to a big bowl. Once the squash is done draining, squeeze out as much extra water as you can using a paper towel or something similar. After being squeezed, add squash to bowl with other veggies and mix well.

just the raw salad

PEANUT SAUCE SHRIMP

• 1 pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
• 1-2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

First, add last five ingredients into a bowl, and whisk until well-mixed. It will be thick. No worries! Heat a large sauté pan with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add shrimp. Then add peanut sauce. Mix well. Cook shrimp for about 10 minutes, until warm inside and out.

FRIED AVOCADO... Just follow the directions here!

This is the easy part-- once the avocado and shrimp are done, assemble salad and EAT!

Yummmmm.... a lot of healthy, a lot of savory, just the way I like it!

life lately with a side of lightened up potato salad

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I've failed as a blogger on a couple of fronts: one, I have been MIA. I blame a July Fourth vacation. Among other things. Two, I have zero pictures of this awesomely delicious and not-so-unhealthy potato salad. This creation was born out of necessity of a potato salad, because I was told, duh, no barbecue is complete without one, even though I'm not a huge fan of your standard 'Murican version. But I just knew there was some way to lighten it up using different ingredients with similar textures. I should have snapped a couple of pictures IMMEDIATELY after it was made (like J-Hay told me to) but of course I didn't because it had been a long night and all I wanted to do was clean up and collapse into bed. Of course the next day was OHMYGOSH so busy and it went straight from the fridge to the patio table and into our guests' bellies. Without a single picture taken. Oops. So, instead of a picture of this DELISH potato salad, you get a buffet of random pictures. So enjoy a rundown of life lately, and go make this dish. Like immediately. Seriously, it’s darn gosh good.

Our vacation hangout. Relaxing, yes. Beautiful, yes. Conducive to writing, no.

My first ever attempt at planting and growing flowers. I've got five types of perennials going on there, and I am SO EXCITED to see them grow. Grow, baby, grow!

 Pretty awesome Ford at the Antique Car Show at the Newbury Old Home Day. We had no idea what would entail an "Old Home Day", but we quickly discovered it was kind of like a fair. Sounded good to us!

 A common sight at a recent wedding... 80s and 90s music with air guitar solos. Yesssssss, go J-Hay go!

Saw these at Trader Joe's and knew a bouquet had to come home with me... been thinking of you, Jen <3

Last but most definitely not least, I had the pleasure to celebrate sweet sixteen with my youngest cousin... oh my how the time has flown. 

And finally finally, a recipe for you!

not your average potato salad

• 3 lbs small/baby red potatoes
• 4 tablespoons plain fat free greek yogurt
• 8 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• ~3-4 tablespoons mustard aioli 
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 2/3 oz container fresh dill, chopped

First, prep your potatoes. You can either quarter or dice them, depending on your preference. Add potatoes to extra large pot, and add cold water until the potatoes are covered by about an inch. Boil potatoes for about 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes. 

Add cooled potatoes to extra large bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Cover and place in fridge to cool. 

mustard aioli (adapted from how sweet it is)

I made this earlier in the week as a sauce for salmon for dinner. Some people claim this is hard to make. So I was terrified of attempting it. Don't be afraid, friends, it's not that hard. 

Add spicy brown mustard, egg yolk, and lemon juice to bowl. Whisk until combined. Then slowly drizzle olive oil into mix and whisk slowly. Keep adding oil slowly, whisking until the oil is combined with mustard mix, and then repeat until the olive oil is gone and everything is combined. Finally, add dijon, salt, and pepper, and mix. Keep in fridge until ready to use. It might separate if not used immediately. If that's the case, whisk mixture again until combined. 

• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• pinch salt + pepper

pizza for the win

You know those cliché icebreaker questions? Like, “which utensil would you be?” or “which superhero power would you pick?” or, my favorite, “if you were stuck on a deserted island, and you could only have one food and one book, what would it be?” Those really irk me. I’m just not a very spontaneously creative person. I like to think of myself as creative in nature… but I’m like a wine, my creativity blossoms with time.

ANYWAYS.  I know I could answer that part of which food to have on a deserted island in a heartbeat. EASY PEASY.  Pizza. I absolutely adore pizza. You get crunchy starchy bottom with stretchy oozing middle and OVERLOADED colorful things on top (you know, TONS of veggies… at least on my pizzas, of course).  I know it’s not the healthiest thing out there… which is why I’m on the neverending quest to find a suitable wheat-free (unprocessed) pizza crust that will hold under the weight of lots of veggies and cheese. And I think I found a winner. This crust combines two standard Paleo-pizza-crust options (almond meal and cauliflower), which creates a crust not too dense or crumbly (downfall of all almond meal or cauliflower crusts, respectively). The almond meal gives it some body, while the cauliflower provides some lightness, and the egg keeps it all together. 

 

zucchini, summer squash, shallot with ricotta dollops and shredded guyere on Trader Joe's traditional recipe (e.g. minimal ingredient) marinara sauce YUM

almond meal + cauliflower pizza crust

• 1 cup almond meal
• ½ head cauliflower, riced, cooked, and drained
• 1 whisked egg
• ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, oregano, basil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your cauliflower by first ricing the chopped florets in a food processor, and then cooking for about 3 minutes in the microwave. Once cooked, drain using a tea/dish/paper towel. Doesn’t need to be 100% drained of water. Add cauliflower to almond meal and add remaining ingredients. Combine well. Spray parchment paper with oil and add dough to parchment paper. Shape your crust as you please. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, or until crust starts to brown. Take out crust, let cool for a couple of minutes, and then add toppings. Place back in oven, bake for another 10 minutes or so. Voila! Pizza for the win.

After all this, pizza is decidedly a funny word.

simple eats

Last post was kind of fluffy, eh? It was kind of short and didn't have any recipes or pictures, but I had been grappling with that topic (in my head) for a couple of weeks.  The feelings I hope I had relayed were legitimate-- a busy summer was awaiting me and I was just feeling unbalanced. I wanted to get back to feeling grounded in my life and make sure I understood my priorities (beyond being a good girlfriend, daughter, cat-mom, friend, employee, intern, etc). I wanted to informally commit myself to staying balanced and grounded this summer.

So let's check in and see how my informal commitment is proceeding ...

Dinners recently have been simple and straightforward. Also relatively clean! Goal #2, check; goal #3, check. Some examples for your consideration (and inspiration, I hope!)...

Breakfast... avocado egg salad (mashed avocado mixed with chopped hardboiled eggs) on toasted Ezekiel 4:9 seasame bread. New goal: eat this breakfast EVERY DAY. So good.

 

 

Lunch... leftover tuna cakes from dinner  below on salad with shredded cheddar and hummus.

 

 

Simple tuna cakes with green bean and mushrooms on cauli-rice.

Simple tuna cakes: combine 2 cans of tuna, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp coconut flour, 1 tbsp flaxseed meal, and seasonings to taste (whichever you like... I included cajun blackening seasoning too!). Heat and oil and griddle. Form small patties with hand and cook until browned... maybe 3-4 minutes each side. Since it's canned tuna, no need to worry about undercooked meat!

 

Roasted brussel sprouts. Pan-seared salmon. Cauliflower-mash.
 

Cauli-mash is so simple and delicious and might I say healthier than your typical fare? First, steam chopped cauliflower florets until al dente. Place steamed cauli into food processor. Process until smooth, stopping to add seasonings (I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and basil... may I also suggest grated parmesan? DELICIOUS). Once reaching your desired consistency of smoothness, transfer to bowl and cover until ready to serve. Cauli-mash will thicken as it sits.

One-pan sautee of sweet potatoes, mushrooms, green beans. Haddock served as protein. Nothing fancy about this meal!

 

 

While I love going overboard at times with elaborate meals, last week served as a helpful reminder to me that clean and simple is just as delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

goals for the "now"

Goal numero uno for this summer: committing to the now. Commit to what’s possible in the short-term. Don't get worked up because so-and-so is targeting a fast marathon for the fall AND OH GOSH THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN  and their mother's sister's son just got a road bike for his summer trialthon AND OH PICK ME I WANT TO TOO! I've got an internship that is part of my graduate program, which is somehow going to be completed in between my 40-hour full-time job. So, I am fully expecting there will be less time for the more fun things in life (J-Hay quality time, running, sleeping, cat-cuddling, lifting… you get the idea). Less time for fun things means focusing on the things that matter most in my life and prioritizing smartly... i.e. not overcommitting myself to goals that can wait (fast marathons, triathlons of any sort, etc).

Here are my “now” goals… the goals that I need to commit and achieve NOW and DAILY.

1.    Make time to run, strength work, and stretch. Plan out the day and figure out when there is free time to run. Commit ten or fifteen minutes to do rounds of squats, lunges, pushups, burpees, anything. Dedicate just five minutes after a run to stretch out. There will be dividends in the future.

2.   Eat cleaner and clean-ish. This doesn’t mean I have to commit to clean eating 24/7/365. I could live with 75/25. Yeah, yeah, it's not that standard-you-hear-everywhere-80-20, but come on, you only live once, yo.

3.   Focus on simpler eating for the weeknight meals. Meals that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. Less food prep = more free time for other things, like J-Hay quality time and cat-cuddling!

 

And if a few races here and there get thrown into the mix, I won't be too upset :)

 

 

 

 

spinach + artichoke cauliflower + cheese casserole

Wow, that's a mouthful. I was going to make you suffer through some random blabbering of mine, but I decided against it... you guys are just too nice to torture. Instead, I'll just leave you with a recipe.

Paleomg was the first site that I found in my quest to learn more about being paleo. Not only is she ridiculously humorous, her dishes are full-belly-deli good. When thinking about transitioning to paleo, it’s easy to think you have to throw the baby out with the bathwater… but no siree… you can have your cake and eat it too (as long as it’s made with natural, paleo-friendly ingredients, that is). Her spinach and artichoke dip recipe is one my favorites. It is so simple and easy, even a caveman could do it.

I must warn you, this is most certainly a simple recipe, but it is a MESSY one. If you’re looking for a dish that will only dirty one or two dishes, this isn’t for you. But it’s creamy and comforting enough to make up for its mess.

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE CAULIFLOWER + CHEESE CASSEROLE

Yes, I know this is a pretty horrendous photo. It looks like mush. But I’ll have you know—it is DELICIOUS mush. I totally forgot to take a picture of this dish fresh out of the oven on Mother's Day, so you get a picture of the leftovers instead. 

For spinach + artichoke mix:

• follow instructions at paleomg! 

For casserole:

• 1 head of cauliflower and broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

First, preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare the spinach and artichoke dip as directed. While it’s cooking, steam cauliflower and broccoli. Alton Brown taught me a new technique… place raw veggies in bottom of large sauce pot, add about a half cup of water, cover, and heat on medium. The cover will trap the steam, thus effectively cooking your veggies without a fancy-dancy contraption. (I know they’re not that fancy… I just don’t have one.)

Prepare your topping... pretty simple, just mix bread crumbs and parmesan together in a bowl. Once the spinach and artichoke mix is complete and the veggies are appropriately steamed, mix together. Add mix to casserole dish, and top with parmesan panko bread crumbs. Place in oven and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes, and dig in!

eat. more. KALE!

It's Friiiidayyyy!!! Yeah baby! On tap this weekend is a 10K up in Vermont, and a little Mom's Day celebration on Sunday. But first, in honor of all green super foods, I give you kale three ways. 

1. Kale Chips

This is probably the easiest and healthiest snack ever. If you have a bunch of kale (like not a bag of kale), then you will first need to remove the leaves from the stems. In the past I've stuck with using a knife to de-stem my kale, but this looks like a much easier way.

This time around, I had a bag of chopped kale from Trader Joe's. Some pieces still had stems, so I removed those by hand. Preheated the oven to 400 F. Added the chopped pieces to a bowl, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (yum!) and mixed well. Spreaded kale evenly on a baking sheet. Baked for about 15 minutes, took a break about halfway through to flip so it cooked evenly. After that... it found it's new home in my belly :)

2. Kale Quinoa Salad

Super easy. Super delicious. Heat olive oil in a pan and add your selected veggies (any veggies!). I chose mushroom and the leftover eggplant slices, chopped into smaller pieces. Cook down. Then add kale, and saute for another 5 minutes or so. Add veggie mixture to cooked quinoa and mix well. The end! Healthy, simple, and easy side dish.

3. Toasted Kale Dijon Topping

So I had kale chip crumbs leftover from my early evening snack. How can I use them? Waste not, want not. Then it hit me-- toasted kale breadcrumbs! So I added the kale chip crumbs to a small saute pan with a bit of almond meal and started toasting. A little bit of djjon mustard and coconut milk added, and a spreadable topping emerged. A dollop on top of baked salmon was the perfect touch.

J-Hay and I have been trying to incorporate more kale into our daily life... we're hoping to absorb some of its superpower! :)