Eat Seasonally: August Edition

It's August which means it is tomato season! If you have never gotten the pleasure of eating a home-grown tomato (not one from the grocery store), then you, my friend, are missing out. Tomatoes are good, but homegrown tomatoes will blow your mind!

So... the great debate... are they vegetable or fruit? Technically tomatoes are fruit BUT everyone counts them as vegetables, including me. The way they grow makes them a fruit, BUT nutritionally, their caloric composition is more similar to that of a vegetable. So my vote is.... they are vegetables!

Tomatoes also make up 80% of the lycopene consumption in the US. This is mostly because of high consumption of pasta sauce and ketchup. That doesn't take away from the fact that tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which is a carotenoid that is linked to lower prostate cancer, reduction in oxidative stress, eye health, heart health and skin health. Lycopene is better absorbed with a fat source, which is one reason why this recipe ROCKS!!

Avocado Toast with Basil, Heirloom Tomatoes and Balsamic Reduction:

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread

• 1/4-1/2 avocado

• 2-4 slices heirloom tomato

• basil, chopped

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• salt and pepper

• eggs

• bacon

How to:

1. Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, while whisking. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be careful, it will burn easily and tastes pretty awful when it's burnt.

2. Cook your eggs and bacon.

3. Toast the toast. Top with mashed avocado, tomato slices, chopped basil and balsamic reduction. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

4. Serve with eggs and bacon on the side.

Eat Seasonally: July Edition

Okay.... I am late to the game with July's recipes BUT these ones are totally worth the wait!

This months seasonal foods are peaches and blueberries!! Here in Spokane, we are so lucky to have Greenbluff so close. Picking my own fruit is like a novelty because we never had anything like that in Denver where I grew up. So, I LOVE going to pick my own fruit. One of the best parts is that they actually tell you to eat while you pick... for free! UMM yes please!!!

Before I dive into the recipes, let me tell you about these gifts from God!

Peaches:

Just like with all the fruits and vegetables that I have posted about, peaches help prevent chronic diseases which can be a blanket statement for all fruits and vegetables. These little gems are high in vitamin C which helps with collagen formation. So all you thinking about taking a collagen supplement- my advice to you is to eat your vitamin C, and your body will build its own collagen. Peaches also have vitamin A and beta-carotene to help your vision and skin!!

Blueberries:

Blueberries are like a staple child for fighting inflammation. They have a low glycemic index score and a bunch of antioxidants which help them be a strong shield against inflammation. Blueberries also contain calcium for you bone health... so thats cool too!

Now to the yummy part!! This month I picked Salmon Burgers with Peach Salsa and a Corn and Blueberry Salad on the side.

A few notes about these recipes:

• I used canned salmon which is not the most appealing when you open it up. But, we have a hard time justifying putting a nice fillet of salmon in a food processor. Canned salmon is also cheaper, and contains a good amount of calcium because the bones are still in the fish. Here is my tip: take it out of the can and try and think about anything else except the fish. Peel off the skin and move on!

• If you are using canned or non-canned salmon, look for wild salmon, not farm raised.

• Each portion of this recipe calls for jalapeno, onion, and cilantro- chop all of it at once and separate it into the different parts of the meal. (2 jalapenos, 1 cup cilantro, 1 large red onion).

• If you are like me and have skin that can't stand jalapeno, use medical gloves while you handle the jalapeno. If you don't have any, use the inside of a produce bag.

Salmon Burgers with Peach Salsa

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb salmon (we used 2 cans canned salmon)

• 1 TBSP chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 jalapeno, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 TBSP lime juice

• 1 egg

• 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil

For the Peach Salsa

• 3 large peaches, chopped

• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 TBSP lime juice

• dash of salt and pepper

How to:

1. Place 1/4 cup quinoa in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and cover and reduce heat and cook until cooked through.

2. If you are using a salmon fillet, put it in the food processor and pulse until it resembles ground meat. If you are using canned salmon, place it in a bowl and mix it up until it has flaked apart.

3. Add 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 bell pepper, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, 1 TBSP lime juice, and 1 egg.

4. Mix together and form into patties. It may be easier to place the patties in the refrigerator for a while to allow to bind.

5. Meanwhile, combine the peaches, 1/4 cup onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1 TBSP lime juice and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

6. When ready to cook, place 1/2 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil in a saute pan. Place patties in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. You will likely work in 2 waves. If so, add more Ghee/avocado oil to prevent sticking.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of corn

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 small cucumber, sliced

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 jalapeno

• 2 TBSP lime juice

• 2 TBSP olive oil

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt

How to:

1. Bring water to a boil. Cook corn for 8-10 minutes. When it is cool, cut the corn off the cobb.

2. Combine the corn with 1 cup blueberries, 1 small cucumber, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 chopped, jalapeno, 2 TBSP lime juice, 2 TBSP olive oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Mix to combine and enjoy!!

Eat Seasonally: June Edition

We were at the Perry Street Farmers Market trying to decide what seasonal food we were going to buy for this month's post. As we were walking around the weather turned in an instant and all of a sudden we found ourselves in a downpour, so we quickly grabbed beets and ran...but paid for them first ;-)! We grabbed beets because there is so much fun stuff to do with beets! I grew up thinking beets tasted like dirt BUT as I experimented with them more I realized how sweet they actually are. So with this month's post, you get beets 3 ways!! But first- a little about beets:

Beets contain a ton of good nutrients, but nitrates are one in particular. Nitrates are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide works to relax and dilate blood vessels. This benefits:

• Blood pressure: if there is more room in the vessels for the blood to flow, there isn't as much pressure making it easier for the blood to flow

• Brain function: if there is more blood flowing to the brain, it will in turn work more sharply

• Endurance: Again, more blood can flow with less resistance in the vessels means more blood to your muscles making you perform better

We often make a beet smoothie (recipe below) after our Wednesday bike rides and I have definitely experienced the nitrates effect on my blood pressure. Exercise also releases nitric oxide, so when I exercise and have beets, I sometimes feel like my blood pressure is too low! It is kind of cool to be able to feel what science says should be happening :-)

The three recipes this month are

1. Beet Green Pesto

2. Beet Smoothie

3. Beet, Fennel, Apple Slaw

Beet Green Pesto

The root itself it great for you, but so are the leaves attached! 

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups washed beet greens

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

 

How to:

1. Place all ingredients through pepper into a food processor.

2. Pulse until finely chopped

3. Add olive oil and continue to pulse until it reaches your desired consistency

4. Enjoy!

Beet Smoothie (makes 3-4 servings)

This is a go-to around our house! Vegetables are something I often don't get in for breakfast, so this is a fun way to incorporate vegetables at the beginning of my day!

Ingredients:

• 3 beets (cut in quarters, steamed and refrigerated)

• 1 orange, peeled

• 1 banana

• 1 cup frozen berries

• 1 LARGE handful spinach

• 1 cup milk (any kind)

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup oats

• *optional to add protein powder

• Your favorite granola

How to:

1. Stick all ingredients (except granola) in a blender and blend until smooth

2. Serve in a bowl topped with granola

Beet, Fennel and Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 medium raw beets, cut into matchsticks

• 1 fennel bulb, cut into matchsticks

• 1 tart apple, cut into matchsticks

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 3 TBSP olive oil

• 1 TBSP lemon juice

• 1 orange, zested

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

How to:

1. Combine chopped beets, fennel, apple and parsley in a bowl.

2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, orange zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl

3. Pour dressing over salad and mix together

Eat Seasonally: May Edition

Can you feel it? The abundant fresh produce will be here SO soon! For now, if you have visited any of the local farmers markets, you have likely seen a lot of greens and radishes and seed starts. May is the in between month where the markets don't have too much, but you can get excited by the fact that more is coming!!

This month's recipe is a Cauliflower and Roasted Chickpea Salad with Radishes, Avocado and Apples!

Some seasonal highlights of this recipe are:

Cauliflower is a Brassica crop, which is known to help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and diabetes. It is high in vitamin C and vitamin K.

Radishes are great for your liver. They are also high in vitamin C which is a precursor to collagen formation. Which is good for your tissues and skin! Radishes have a notable amount of folate, which can be hard to get for individuals who don't eat a lot of grains. Folate is very important in pregnancy and fetal development. 

Avocados are one of my favorites! Yes, they are high in fat, but they contain monounsaturated fats, which are healthy healthy healthy!! They are also high in fiber. Between the fiber and the amount of fat they have, avocados can be a great food to eat to help you feel full and satiated!

Chives also have many healthy characteristics. One to note is that they are good for digestion and can help get rid of bad bacteria, fungus and yeast in your GI tract to help it function as it should. 

So yea... this salad is packed with a punch and has many health benefits!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 4 TBSP lime juice + zest of 2 limes

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• chili powder, to taste

• 2 TBSP Dijon mustard

• 1 head of cauliflower, core removed (or cauliflower rice)

• 8 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1 cup parsley, chopped

• 4 mint leaves, chopped

• 4 green onions, diced

• 1/4 cup chives

• 1 1/2 crisp apple, diced

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix chickpeas with 1 TBSP olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast until slightly crispy, about 15 minutes.

2. Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard and 3 TBSP water. Set dressing aside.

3. In a food processor, place cauliflower and chop until it is in small granules- like rice. You may have to do this in batches. Place in a large bowl.

4. Place radishes, parsley, mint, chives, green onions, apples and sunflower seeds in the bowl with the cauliflower. Add the chickpeas. Mix to combine and add 1/2 of the dressing from step 2.

5. Serve the salad topped with avocado and add dressing as needed.

*We served ours on a bed of spinach and added salmon and quinoa to make a complete dish!

Eat Seasonally: April Edition

Spring is officially here which means we have busted out the grill! This month's vegetable is artichoke, and yes, we decided to grill it!

Artichokes always take me back to one of the first years Kevin and I were dating. He came with us to a family friends house for a fairly fancy dinner event and artichokes were on the menu. He had never eaten an artichoke before and proceeded to stick the whole leaf in his mouth. About 5 minutes later, I realized he was still chewing and was struggling to get the leaves down. I had to signal to him how to eat the properly eat the artichoke without brining too much attention to us and he had to figure out how to get rid of the leaves that he had been trying to eat for the last 5 minutes! We then had to fight the laughter- which I know you all know that feeling of trying not to laugh, so then you just laugh harder- yea... that was us. It still makes me laugh just thinking about it. All that to say... if you're eating artichoke for the first time- DO NOT EAT THE WHOLE LEAF! There is "meat" at the bottom of the leaf that you use your teeth to peel off. As you get to the center of the artichoke, you can peel away all the leaves and the fuzzy stuff and find the heart- which is my favorite part!

This vegetable is unique to say the least, but it does have many health benefits. Artichokes have been shown to help digestive tract irritation and aid in creating a healthy gut environment. They have been used to treat high cholesterol because they increase the production of bile which helps to decrease excess cholesterol. This bile production also aids in the health of your gut by improving gut flora and reducing inflammation and irritation of your digestive tract. They are also full of antioxidants which help all sorts of functions in your body.

Artichokes are also full of fiber, B12 and vitamin K. Overall, this vegetable is full of health benefits!

So, here is how we cooked them!

Grilled Artichokes:

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes (one artichoke per person)

• One pot full of boiling water

• 1-2 TBSP olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1+ TBSP butter, melted

How to:

1. Chop the artichokes in half lengthwise

2. Boil in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the grill.

3. Drain water out of artichokes and mix in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated.

4. Place on grill for about 5-10 minutes, turning as needed.

5. Serve with melted butter to dip the leave in. Once you have peeled the "meat" off of the leaf, discard the leaf.

6. As you reach the center, peel off remaining leaves and wash the fuzzy part off. This will leave you with the heart. Dip in butter and enjoy!

We served ours with grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. 

Falafel Greek Nachos

Okay... here's the story: Kevin has been wanting nachos for weeks which has been so funny to me because it isn't something we eat often... or like ever... But he kept telling me we would make them more topping and less chip, so I was starting to be on board with the idea.

On Sundays we try to mix it up and do something different and fun for dinner, so we were trying to think of what, and of course nachos were suggested. I knew we had leftover pitas that we had to use...so the idea of Greek Nachos was born! We made pita chips out the of the pitas and created Greek Nachos!

Here's the recipe:

Pita Chips:

Ingredients

• pitas

• olive oil or avocado spray

• salt, pepper, garlic powder

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. Cut the pitas into chip sized pieces

3. Place chips on a baking sheet and lightly spray the pita chips with oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder

4. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until they are crunchy

Falafel:

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until it becomes a paste

3. Let the paste sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes

4. Using 1/4 cup, scoop and form into patties and place on a baking sheet

5. Bake for 20 minutes on each side

6. *forming and flipping the patties will be a lot easier if the paste has more time to cool in the refrigerator

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 red onion, diced

• 1/2 cup parsley

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 TBSP cumin

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/4 cup flour

Meat:

How to:

1. Mix ingredients into meat and cook in a saute pan until cooked through. Break it into pieces as you cook the meat.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 TBSP fresh mint OR 1 tsp dried mint

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• dash of salt, pepper and cayenne

Greek Salad:

How to:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Ingredients:

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 2 bell peppers, chopped

• 1 cucumber, chopped

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped

• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

• 3 TBSP lemon juice

• 3 TBSP olive oil

• Dash of balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp thyme

• salt and pepper

Tzatziki Sauce:

How to:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp dill

• 1 clove garlic

• salt and pepper

To make the nachos:

Combine vegetables and meat and top with falafel and tzatziki sauce. Top with feta. Enjoy with pita chips. 

Eat Seasonally: February Edition

Whew! February has come and gone pretty quickly! I wanted to add a post highlighting February's Seasonal Produce and a favorite seasonal vegetable: cauliflower!!

This cauliflower recipe was a new one for us. It was inspired by a local restaurant- Wandering Table- who makes buffalo cauliflower bites that literally will leave you dreaming for days! When highlighting a vegetable I usually like to keep it simple, so if you are trying that vegetable for the first time, you can taste the food for what it is. BUT.... this month I couldn't resist hopping on this one. The beauty of this recipe is if you don't like cauliflower, I almost 100% believe you will like this. For parents out there- this is a great way to get your kids to eat some vegetables too!

Cauliflower is very nutritious and helps fight oxidation and inflammation. It is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, B6, folate, and choline. Folate and choline are two nutrients that American's often don't get enough of. Also, because of the vitamins and minerals, cauliflower may help fight many kinds of cancer and reduce oxidative stress. Eating cauliflower when it is in season ensures the richness of these nutrients. So... eat your cauliflower!

Heres the recipe:

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• Frank's buffalo hot sauce

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Create batter by mixing flour, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. This should be the consistency of pancake batter. If it isn't, add more water until it is.

3. Cut the cauliflower into florets and mix into the batter.

4. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes or until crispy.

5. Place in bowl and pour buffalo sauce on the cauliflower until coated to your desired amount.

*An important note: we also tried this recipe without that batter. This was still delicious, but a little less crispy tasting. If you are wanting to do this, skip the flour & water, and instead mix the cauliflower with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder before roasting. Below are pictures of roasted and battered- so you can see the difference.

Battered

Roasted

Sweet Potato Chili and Cornbread

We always had chili the night of Halloween when I was a kid. Thinking back, I don't think it was a spoken tradition, but we did it every year. My mom made a good choice to fill us up with a warm and hearty meal because we would refuse to wear jackets over our costumes on the frigid October night. Kevin and I have stuck with that tradition and I wanted to share one of our favorite chili and cornbread recipes with you to eat this Halloween or anytime this winter!

The chili can be made in the crockpot or all at once. And the cornbread can be made into muffins or squares!

Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground turkey

• 1 red onion diced

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 29 oz can low sodium tomato sauce

• 1 15 oz can low sodium petite diced tomatoes

• 2 15 oz can low sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1-2 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup carrots, sliced

• 2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 TBSP thyme

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 cup chili powder

• 1-2 TBSP adobo chilis in sauce, dice the chilis (do less if you don't like spice)

• 1 TBSP oregano

How To

1. In a large saucepan, brown ground turkey, onion, and garlic. Drain off extra fat.

2. Meanwhile, combine tomato sauce, petite tomatoes, kidney beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, thyme, salt, pepper, chili powder, adobo chilis, and oregano in the crockpot.

3. When meat is cooked through, add to crockpot. Stir all ingredients together and add chicken broth accordingly. Start with 1 cup and add more if you want more liquid.

4. Set crockpot for low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

5. If you are not using a crockpot, follow the same directions, except cook in a large saucepan. Once ingredients are combined, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 TBSP baking powder

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 egg

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup butter

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl of mixer.

2. Add cornmeal and mix.

3. Add egg, milk, butter and mix until combined (no more that 1 minutes)

4. Grease 9 muffin tin slots and fill each evenly with batter.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

6. Can also make cornbread squares by using a 8x8 pan and baking for 20-25 minutes.

7. Serve with honey butter

*Cornbread recipe from Bob's Red Mill cornmeal package. 

Serve with salad, steamed broccoli or sautéed green beans to make a complete and nutritious meal!