OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes

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Brussels Sprouts with GrapesFood and the internet are such an amazing marriage. I remember even a few years ago it was hard finding dairy-free recipes or any kind of whole food recipe besides what I could dig up on the almighty epicurious. Look how far it’s come! Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos for one, are knocking it out of the park. Even the ones I have no desire to try, I become memorized by. I love it all.

You know what else the internet just taught me? It’s brusselS sprouts. I didn’t know brussel was plural. How have I gone this long without knowing that? I’ve worked in restaurants with brusselSSSS sprouts on their menu for god sakes. Ah thank you internet, for all you do.

This is side dish is so damn good. They are shredded and roasted to a slightly charred salty chip. The best. Let me add that I buy them shredded in a bag because why the heck wouldn’t you.

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
 
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Recipe type: SIde Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 10oz (or 1½ cups) Trader Joes shredded brussels bag
  • ½ Tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup sliced red grapes
  • ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Pour the oil into the bag of brussels and toss
  3. Arrange them onto a baking sheet large enough to spread them into one layer, salt and pepper them and put them in the oven
  4. After 15 minutes, add grapes and walnuts and stir
  5. Roast for another 5-10 minutes, or until brussels are slightly charred

 

Meatloaf Vegged

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meatloaf_vegged_2Some flavors are instant reminders of my childhood, sugar cereal, cottage cheese, bologna. All things I no longer eat, or would even attempt to eat. Something like meatloaf, minus the breadcrumbs, is totally tolerable. It brings me back to those annoying dinners you didn’t want to eat and would sneak half of the food in my mouth and half into my napkin. Obviously I had much more distain for the all-mighty-loaf than I do now. I’ve embraced it by adding loads of vegetables, two kinds of meat, yet still drowning it in ketchup.

Meatloaf Vegged
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 1 T coconut oil
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 1 celery stalk, quartered
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled & quartered
  • 2½ cups fresh spinach
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1¼ lb ground beef
  • 1¼ lb ground turkey
  • 3 T balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ ketchup (sugar free or homemade for whole30)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a small baking sheet or bread pan with parchment paper
  2. Heat oil in skillet
  3. Place onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the large, oiled skillet. Add carrot and celery to the food processor, and pulse until chopped. Add spinach and pulse a few times more. Add to the skillet.
  4. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring. Continue cooking until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
  5. Add egg, ground meat, balsamic, salt and black pepper to the bowl, and mix gently with your hands. Scrape mixture into the bread pan or onto the baking sheet and form into a loaf approximately 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Spread top of loaf with ketchup. Bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Broiled Grapefruit

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Broiled_GrapefruitI’m feeling uber-inspired these last few days. Last night I listened to J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt on the Freaknomics podcast about the science of food and Jo Robinson talk about the nutrition of food. Both really great conversations that inspired me to immediately buy their books, The Food Lab and Eating on the Wild Side. Lopez-Alt’s site Serious Eats has been a great resource for me when trying to find the best way to prepare something. Check it out if you feeling like geeking out on food.

Since sickness has been spreading slowly through my family these last few weeks, I’ve been pushing citrus down their throats. Grapefruit being one. I had heard of broiled grapefruit some time ago but had never tried making it. One try was all it took for me to fall in love.

Broiled Grapefruit
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ of a grapefruit, cut crosswise
  • 1 teaspoon honey (optional, omit for whole30)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut milk
  • 1 sprig of mint
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Cut a thin slice of the bottom rind so the grapefruit stands upright. Cut around the meat of the grapefruit to loosen the segments from the rind.
  3. Drizzle with the honey and place upright on a cookie sheet.
  4. Place in oven about 5 inches from the heat source.
  5. Broil for about 4 minutes.
  6. Drizzle with coconut cream and garnish with mint.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

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carnitasOh for the love of my crock pot. What would I do without you? I guess I’d have to shorten roasting times and have to stay put whilst cooking. Sounds like too much work to me.

Carnitas are a family favorite here and yes, super easy. You don’t have to sear the meat beforehand and using jarred salsa is an instant flavor maker. I prefer Trader Joes Salsa Autentica. I keep saying this on my blog, but I like easy and I like leftovers. This one is great with a fried egg on top with some avocado. Drooling just typing about it. In the picture I served it with green cabbage, pickeled beets, avocado, red onion and cilantro with some additional lime and orange juice.

Slow Cooker Carnitas
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 4lb pork roast or shoulder
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • dash of cinnamon
  • dash of cayenne (optional)
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 T molasses
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ½ broth of choice
Instructions
  1. Mix all the seasonings and rub mixture on the pork
  2. Place the pork in the slow cooker
  3. Add lime juice, orange juice, molasses, salsa and broth
  4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours
  5. Shred meat and serve

 

Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes

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CodI didn’t post yet this week due to the extra work I needed to get my blog more organized. Oh and my Mom visited and we pretty much FINISHED our Christmas shopping. Feels so good.

Cod has become my new favorite fish to make at home. It takes minimal work and super quick to cook in the oven, stovetop or grill. This recipe could easily be replaced with Tilapia or another flakey white fish you prefer. Cod usually runs a little cheaper, especially the frozen kind at Trader Joes. Although, fresh always tastes the best.

Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 cod fillets, each about 8 ounces
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • lemon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 400°F
  2. Place tomatoes in a 9X13 baking dish with ½ T of olive oil and salted
  3. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes
  4. Remove the tomatoes and decrease temperature of the oven to 350°F
  5. Mix the thyme, remainder of olive oil, white wine and garlic into the tomatoes
  6. Place the cod on top of the mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper
  7. Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the fish
  8. Season with lemon juice

 

Raw Chocolate Pecan Cookies

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Chocolate Pecans Cookies

My Grandma used to say “If you aren’t having fun, it’s your own damn fault.” Well, it’s Halloween tomorrow and what I consider the fun part is eating enough sugar your teeth curl. With my dietary restrictions, Halloween candy is in general a no-no, so I made my own sugary delight.

This is NOT my creation but instead a recipe from my favorite vegan chef, Isa Chandra and her book Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. It’s THE BEST if you are looking for dairy-free treats of all kinds. Her website, Post Punk Kitchen is a great source too. If you don’t like pecans, I’m sure almonds or macadamias could work just as well. Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!

Chocolate Pecan Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Serves: 16 cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 cups pecans, divided
  • ½ cup brown rice syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, melted (Enjoy Life is dairy free)
Instructions
  1. Place 1 cup of the pecans in a processor into coarse crumbs
  2. Roughly chop the other cup
  3. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together the rice syrup, salt and vanilla
  4. Mix in the pecan crumbs and chopped pecans
  5. Add the melted chocolate
  6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto it
  7. Place the cookies in the fridge for one hour to set. If it's warm outside, keep them refrigerated, otherwise they should be fine at room temp

 

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

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Thai Coconut Chicken SoupCold and rainy weather means soup in this house. It makes it smell so good, cooking all afternoon. Plus, being able to just walk away while the magic happens makes evenings so much easier.

I used to cook Asian food quite often until I had to avoid soy. I miss it so much but have found satisfaction through other dishes like curries, coconut flavors and fish sauce. This recipe was a quick creation when I specifically wanted a soup with some heat. It turned out perfectly.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • 4 cups chicken, veggie or bone broth
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 2 med carrots, diced
  • 1 med celery stick, diced
  • 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 T fresh ginger, grated
  • ½ canned coconut cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • (optional) chipotle pepper or red chili flake
  • a bunch of cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat
  2. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes
  3. Add mushrooms and ginger and sauté for another 5 minutes
  4. Add broth and bring to a boil
  5. Add chicken and lower heat to a simmer
  6. Cook for 10 minutes
  7. Add coconut cream, coriander, lime, fish sauce and salt
  8. Serve with cilantro and a dash of chipotle or chili flake

 

Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie

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Pumpkin Smoothie

I guess I am a little fall-obsessed right now. I think it’s because of the beautiful weather we’ve been having. In the past, it’s always felt like immediately after my birthday (10/13) the weather takes a giant poo and it’s cold and rainy till the inevitable snow. Not this year friends. It’s been 60 and gloriously sunny here in Minnesota. That means being outside as much as possible.

All week I’ve said to myself-

“Clean up the kitchen or go outside?”

“Fold laundry or go outside?”

“Put on some decent clothes or go outside?”

No joke. We just go outside. Decent clothing not required.

This explains my short recipe this week. It’s inspired from a Whole Foods Pumpkin Smoothie recipe that I tweaked. If you don’t like pumpkin pie or anything pumpkin, I’d steer clear friend. If you do, drink on up!

Pumpkin Smoothie
 
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Recipe type: Smoothie
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1 ripe banana
  • ¾ canned coconut milk (I used TJ's coconut cream)
  • ½ water
  • 1-2 T maple syrup depending on your sweetness preference
  • 1 T ground flax seed
  • 1½ t pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 t vanilla
  • juice of one lemon wedge
  • 5 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into blender and blend

 

Monster Noodles

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Monster Noodles BologneseI’ve never eaten so much zucchini in my life. I love these little “monster” noodles and they are so damn easy. I should clarify, I named them “monster” so my kids would eat them and I think it helped. I did the same with broccoli calling them “little trees” which for some reason made them eat them like candy. I guess it’s a form of playing with their food.

Here’s the the recipe for the bolognese sauce minus the slivered almond garnish.

Monster Noodles
 
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Recipe type: Staple
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Oil of choice (I prefer coconut)
  • 3 med size zucchini
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Trim off zucchini stem
  2. Spiralize zucchini into a bowl
  3. Salt the zucchini with a few shakes and let sit for 30-60 minutes (This step helps eliminate some of the water from the zucchini so it's not so soggy after cooking)
  4. Press the zucchini with a few paper towels
  5. Use a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat
  6. Oil the pan
  7. Sauté the noodles for 5 minutes

Here are a few extra shots showing the spiralizer I have. I like it because it takes up little cupboard space and super easy to clean.Monster Noodles In ProgressMonster Noodles Finished

Roasted Acorn Squash

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Roasted Acorn SquashFall fare can be so lovely but I think I over due it every year and by Thanksgiving, I’m over it. I watched this Whine About It about Fall—ROFL “Pumpkin is like putting cinnamon on a sandcastle.” Matt Bellassai is pretty hilarious and his points are valid but I still embrace it. I won’t be drinking rum and cider—–yet, but I’m using a lot of this autumnal vegetable, acorn squash. It’s so warming on my belly. I love it and so do my girls.

If I could eat cheese, I’d top this with some pungent blue cheese or gorgonzola. If only..

Here’s a quick tip. Partially cook the squash in the microwave before roasting it in the oven to save some time. With this recipe, it saves about a half hour of cook time.

Roasted Acorn Squash
 
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Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 acorn squash, cut length-wise and seeds removed
  • 1 T of pecans, chopped
  • 1 T of pomegranate seeds
  • coconut oil
  • maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
  2. Rub each half of the squash with coconut oil
  3. Place the squash on a microwave safe plate, face up and cook for 10 minutes
  4. Transfer the hot squash to an aluminum pan, face up
  5. Add more coconut oil and the pecans to each half
  6. Roast in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes
  7. Dress with pomegranate seeds
  8. Drizzle with maple syrup