Veggie Lunch

Fiddleheads are an amazing food. They're the blossoming young fern plant. They are only in season for a few weeks each year. If you are lucky enough to see them in the store buy them up - and fast! They taste like buttery greenbeans mixed with asparagus. As soon as they are out of season they're actually terribly poisonous, so never buy them if they aren't all currled up like this. 

Asparagus 

Fiddlehead ferns 

Shitakii mushrooms 

Hummus 

Today is a nice day, so after my run I dedcided it was time for a nice sautéed veggie plate. I individually sautéed the asparagus, fiddleheads, and mushrooms. I used less than a tablespoon of olive oil to sauté and I made sure to salt and pepper each ingredient. After I took them out of the pot I set them on paper towels to help absorb the excess olive oil they soaked up. The hummus on the bottom helped contrast the harsh green flavors of the asparagus and fiddleheads. Remember to remove your stems from the shitakii before sautéing them. 

Do NOT throw away shitakii stems. They are so full of flavors, but to fibrous to eat. So what do we do with them? We use them to make mushroom broths. Simmering them in some water with onions for a few hours leaves a beautiful rich earthy flavored broth that you can use to make soups or rice or whatever you'd like!

Enjoy!

Guilt free "pancakes"

This is not your average pancake. I did not use a pancake mix, and I feel much better about eating them. Whenever you make anything from scratch you should always feel much better about eating it. Total control of ingredients is a fun key about eating healthy. 

1 banana 

2 eggs 

1 tablespoon oats 

1/2 teaspoon sunflower seeds 

1/2 scoop get lean protein powder 

You literally take your ingredients and blend them together in a blender until it appears homogenous. Lightly spray Pam on a nonstick pan and warm it up before pouring your mix onto it. Flip when golden on the bottom and cook as thought it is a real pancake. A few notes: because of the banana it will be a very moist pancake. Do not take this as being undercooked.

I like to eat mine with a drizzle of agave nectar or honey. On Sundays I like to pile on some Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. If I have vanilla extract hanging around I also like to add a dash of it into the mix. Sadly, this morning I did not have any handy. If you do not have any type of protein powder feel free to substitute in more oats or even some flour. I was using it more for the consistency than anything. 

Enjoy!! 

Grilled Octopus Stuffed Clam

I am a big lover of seafood.  Clams and octopus speak to me, and this is one of my favorite recipes that I am about to share with you.  I actually won first place in the Tapa Competition that I entered with this at the Culinary Institute of America.  

1 small octopus

1 gallon chicken stock (or water)

4 tomatoes 

1/4 stick of butter 

12 clams 

1 thick slice of toast, cubed

1 bunch scallions 

4 tablespoons Salsa Maya

dash black cyprus salt

First you need to get the octopus cooking.  It takes 3-4 hours to simmer it until tender.  If you are going to be using water to cook the octopus then I suggest you season the water with liberal amounts of salt and pepper.  Add 3 tablespoons salsa maya to the simmering liquid (for flavor).  After tender remove from the water and pull off as much of the skin as possible.  Take the liquid and place in a large pan with a lid.  Add the clams to the liquid and steam them open.  Small dice the tomatoes and set aside.  Take your butter and place in a pan until browned.  The butter should smell slightly nutty.  A good rule of thumb with browned butter is to wait until it starts foaming, and shortly after remove from the heat.  Add the tomatoes to the browned butter.  Throw the octopus on a HOT grill for a few minutes until it begins to look slightly charred.  Dice up the octopus and add to the tomato and butter mixture.  Spoon some of the mixture into the opened clams, garnishing with the cubes of toast and a dab of salsa maya.  Remember to add your chives and some black cyprus salt before you eat it!

Enjoy!

Popped Amaranth

So everyone loves popped corn! Amaranth is another grain which is easily popped.  Amaranth seeds contain lysine, an amino acid.  They may be a good source of protein for people who are sensitive to gluten.  Amaranth contain thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and manganese.  

Guilt- free this snack is my favorite to eat with movies. Take your raw amaranth...

And toss them in an already hot pan. Have a cover handy because they pop everywhere! They should begin popping immediately - if they didn't then your pan want hot enough. They should all stop popping after about 30 seconds.  Be careful not to leave your amaranth on the stove too long, as they burn very quickly.  

You can shake some salt or sugar on them if you'd like.  They have a delicate flavor, so you may not want to add butter.  However, if you toss a dash of cayenne and onion powder you will have a nice garnish for salad.  

Enjoy!!

Almond Butter

So everyone knows that nuts are good for you. Studies have shown people who eat 3 oz of nuts a day have significantly lowered their chances of heart disease and weigh less than those who don't. Almonds are particularly good for those people who are allergic to peanuts. They're sweeter than peanuts, which makes almond butter a more dessert/snack friendly option. 

Take whole "raw" almonds and blend them in a food processor until thick and creamy. I personally like to eat it either with a spoon or on banana or apple slices. Almonds help you to lose fat and retain muscle. They are particularly helpful at satisfying your hunger because of the fats in them.