July 29, 2011 · 4:14 pm

Creative Salad Spins

I have eaten so many salads recently that I think I might turn into one.  Salads have become very trendy, as well as very creative, in restaurants.  Instead of the boring tomato, cucumber, lettuce routine, restaurants are always using unusual ingredients to try to get us to eat our veggies while they market a healthy menu item.  Well, I have had a couple of salads recently that are worth mentioning and are worth recreating.

In Australia, I had one of the best salads I think I have ever eaten.  It’s lettuce base was rocket… that is Australian for arugula… and was topped with avocados, green beans, smoked salmon, and a basic lemon vinaigrette (white wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs).  There was something about the combination that was just so refreshing.  So, naturally loving a challenge, I tried to make it myself when I got home.

Here is the restaurant salad:

Here is my salad (with cucumber instead of green beans):

Ok, so my salmon wasn’t nicely twirled as it was in the restaurant, but the flavor was pretty similar!  The smoked salmon was such a great change from the usual chicken that I put on salads for my protein fix.

The other noteworthy salad was served at a friend’s house the other night.  She took it from a Top Chef cookbook.  Over mixed greens, there were chickpeas, kidney beans, green beans, beets, artichokes, and grilled chicken.  All the ingredients were marinated in a vinaigrette that had olive oil, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, and mint.  The combination was so hearty that it really was a meal instead of a dinky side salad.  And, it actually required little chopping… you can get some of these ingredients in a can if you are in a rush!

Here is the Top Chef salad:

No boring tomato, cucumber, lettuce combinations here!  These combinations inspire me to get creative with my veggies… and they make all the peeling, chopping, and slicing worthwhile.

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July 26, 2011 · 5:49 pm

Smoothie King… I mean, Queen

Half of my diet is meat/protein.  The other half is fruits and veggies.  For someone who used to actually have to count to see if I got in my minimal five servings of fruits and veggies a day, being dairy and gluten free makes that easy… fruits and veggies are present at almost every meal.  With such a hot summer upon us, smoothies have become my go-to snack.  With my Cuisinart blender, I can whip up a delicious and nutritious snack in no time (no packaging or preservatives needed)… and can come up with endless varieties!

Method:

In the winter, I use frozen fruit and fruit juice… fill the blender cup with fruit and pour juice until three quarters full.  (Added bonus- no need for ice because the fruit is already frozen.)  In the summer, I use fresh fruit, juice, and ice… fill the blender cup with fruit, 3-4 ice cubes, and pour juice until half full.  (Added bonus- summer fruits are amazingly tasty and fresh.)  I like my smoothies more on the juice side instead of on the suck-so-hard-you’re-cheeks-hurt side.

Madness:

In the winter, I stick to frozen strawberries, raspberries, and cranberry juice.  But in the summer, I am all about crazy combinations.  Here are some of my favorites:

Watermelon, strawberry, lime juice (I use Limeade juice)

Strawberry, pineapple, lemon juice (fresh or lemonade)

Cranberry, watermelon, orange juice

Cantaloupe, honey, lime juice

Strawberry, pomegranate, lime juice

Cranberry, ginger, apple juice (my recent personal favorite)

Other ideas still in the works in my kitchen include enhancing flavor with mint and other herbs, using soymilk and flaxseed for added nutritional benefits, adding rum for a grown up summer eve cocktail, and even sneaking a few veggies in there as well.

Happy Allergy Free Eating… and Healthy Living!

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July 24, 2011 · 5:59 pm

Punchy Pistachio Pineapple Salsa

In the summer, I have a field day in the grocery store.  For someone who eats fruits and veggies for half of her diet, fresh summer produce is exciting!  Tonight, I took some of that fresh produce and made chicken fajitas with a punchy salsa.  Instead of the usual cheese and sour cream that I would put on fajitas, I stuffed them with this flavorful salsa and spiced corn and beans. What a healthy alternative!

I baked chicken tenderloins seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, and lime juice.  You can use a traditional fajita season packet, but those tend to have a big salt content (there is enough salt in my margaritas, thank you very much).  I baked the seasoned tenderloins at 375 for about 20 minutes, until done.

To make the salsa, I bought bulk pistachios (so that I only had what I needed) and shelled them myself (money saver!).  I put the pistachios in a bowl, along with fresh sliced pineapple, chopped red onion, fresh squeezed lime juice (about one whole small lime), and freshly grated ginger.  Stir together and let the flavors sit together for a few minutes while the chicken is cooking.

I then also took a can of black beans and a half of a bag of defrosted frozen corn (ok, so this part wasn’t fresh!) and mixed them with fresh squeezed lime juice and chili powder.  I put some corn and beans in the fajita, and ate some in a bowl on the side.

In a corn tortilla (gluten free!), put a piece of chicken, some punchy salsa, and corn and beans.  Fresh, summery, and delicious!

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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July 21, 2011 · 2:31 pm

Searching for Spices

I really believe that spices make a dish go from good to great.  I am always looking for spices to add to my drawer… anything unique or just different from what I already have.  So, during my recent travels, I was on the hunt.   In Napa Valley, I found some rich and unique spices at the St. Helena Olive Oil Company.  In a place where fruit comes directly from the land, I knew this store was going to be a winner.

I bought four spices… fresh herbs de provence (which my mother swears by, and I do now, too), poultry spice rub, beef spice rub, and truffle sea salt.  The truffle sea salt is something I have never seen before, and the rubs were intriguing to me because everyone puts something different in their own meat rub.

(there is also another salt/spice packet from Australia under there)

This week, I couldn’t wait to try out the new spices.  I cooked chicken breast simply… I put the chicken rub on the top of each chicken breast along with a slice of lemon, and baked for about a half hour at 375 degrees.  The spices were so flavorful, I didn’t need to do anything else to the chicken.  The ingredients are sea salt, garlic, onion, sugar, paprika, mustard, rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper.  So, even if you can’t make it to Napa Valley, you could make your own spice rub with these basics.

As for the veggies… I cut up a summer squash and an orange pepper.  I baked the slices on a baking sheet, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of the truffle sea salt (also at 375 degrees).  I then toasted some pine nuts and celery seed in a pan over low heat for just a couple of minutes.  Pour the nuts over the veggies, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve.  Delicious!  It was a unique combination, and very tasty!

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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July 17, 2011 · 4:12 pm

Back from Oz!

Hello again, America!  Well, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind.  I don’t even know where to begin.  I spent 6 days in California and 12 days in Australia.  I saw some amazing views, spent quality time with friends, and ate my way across the globe.  Here is a small sampling of my most interesting meals…

1.  Airline food.  Yep.  I ordered a gluten free meal from Qantas Airlines and boy, did they deliver.  I was so impressed.  On each leg of my trip, I had some sort of gluten free roll/bread, chicken and veggies, and even dairy free butter for the roll and soymilk for my coffee.  I certainly did not expect such white glove service, and didn’t need many of my snacks.  I even got my meal before everyone else!

2.  Pig tail.  Now, this one took some bravery.  My friends and I were at a very nice restaurant in Sydney, and if there were ever a time to try some obscure part of a pig, this was it.  Pork is not my favorite meat, but it was one of those things I just “had” to try.  So I swallowed hard, and took a bite… it tasted like pork, but was very lean and very sweet.  I tried to eat it quickly because its presentation was a little too realistic…

3.  Kangaroo!  We went to Hunter Valley one afternoon, Australian wine country.  The mountains and valley were breathtaking, just as Napa was.  But I have to admit, Australian wine is sooo much better than American wine.  And what really made the experience complete was seeing kangaroos in the wild… just hopping along the valley!  So naturally, we had to grill kangaroo fillets for dinner that night, which of course we found in the local grocery store.  I wish it was available here, because it is my new favorite red meat.  It tasted like venison… smokey and rich in flavor, but very lean.

It was a pretty unbelievable trip… so much that I sometimes don’t believe that I traveled 10,000 miles to such a beautiful and far away land!  Here are some of my favorite sights from Australia…

Kangaroos in the wild!

Sunset

Sydney skyline

The sky feels slanted, like you are on the edge of the earth.

Breathtaking Blue Mountains

Happy Allergy Free Eating… and adventure taking!

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July 5, 2011 · 9:47 pm

Findings from Down Under!

What a journey we’ve had so far! I am in awe of all the amazing sights we have seen in California and now Australia. I am trying to soak in every moment and take mental pictures of very scene. From deep fruitful valleys to relaxing beaches to jaw dropping cliffs to busy city life, we have seen it all… and ate it all!

As I sit here admiring this view of Sydney from my friend’s apartment, here are some random food facts we have discovered…
Seafood and wine are so fresh in CA. I swear fish are caught within minutes of serving.
Fresh cherries and strawberries are sold anywhere along the side of the road in CA… and soy plants grow in rows as far as the eye can see.
Everything tastes better when you can eat it along a beach in CA.
Carrots in Australia are as wide as your wrist.
The only chains in Australia are KFC and one Starbucks… so we know we have eaten authentic food.
A latte is called “flat white.” How genius to call coffee by how much milk there is in it!
I have never tasted better lamb in my life. Amazing.
I am still waiting for an opportunity to try kangaroo. I hear it’s actually delicious.
An Australian pub is a place where you order drinks at a bar and meat at a counter… and then have to cook the meat on a grill yourself.
You don’t tip in a restaurant! But everything is much more expensive.
Walking on the left side of the road is a serious challenge (ok not food related, but nonetheless important!)

More to come when I return to the states!
We are off to eat another meal…

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June 24, 2011 · 2:30 pm

Up, Up and Away!

This is Goodbye… for just a few weeks.  For three weeks of my summer vacation, I will be traveling to CA and Australia.  To say that I am excited is an understatement!   A friend and I will be visiting LA, San Francisco, Napa, San Diego, and Sydney.  Along with the amazing sights, I also know there will be amazing food.  I will try to update the blog on our travels as best I can.

For now, here are the snacks I will be bringing for our 20 plus hours of flying…

Dairy and gluten free granola bars…

Some trail mix…

Lauren friendly brownies…

And gluten and dairy free chocolate bars.

Forget airplane food!

Can’t wait to tell you about all of our adventures… especially the culinary ones!  Happy summer 🙂

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June 22, 2011 · 6:09 pm

Steak with a kick!

Not having a grill, I am always looking for great ways to cook steak.  I recently fell in love with flank steak.  It’s so easy to cook and so tender.  To add some kick, I made a horseradish sauce to put on top… and the sauce made its way on my veggies, too!

To cook the flank steak, I marinated it in some red wine, red wine vinegar, chopped garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.  A good marinade always has an acid (vinegar) to tenderize the meat, and some strong spices that will infuse into the meat.  I then cooked the steak in the oven at 375 for about 8-10 minutes, for a rare taste.

To make the sauce, I combined 3 tbsp. horseradish, 3 tbsp. dijon mustard, 1 tbsp coconut creamer (remember, it has NO coconut taste!), 1 tsp. agave nectar, and a pinch of salt.  Mix together well, and adjust the spice to your taste by adding more spice or more sweet.

Pour the horseradish sauce on the meat and some on your veggies (here I have beets and mushrooms) for an extra kick!

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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June 19, 2011 · 4:03 pm

Pulled Chicken

First ingredient in bottled barbecue sauce: high fructose corn syrup. If I am what I eat, I certainly don’t want to be a processed sugar. If I’m going to have sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, it’s going to be one I make and can feel good about. So here goes!

Pulled Chicken

In a crockpot, put 3-4 chicken breasts or 9-12 tenderloins.
Add one quarter cup natural ketchup, one half cup cider vinegar, one quarter cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp olive oil, and one half of an onion (chopped).
For seasoning, add a few shakes of chili powder, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.
Turn crockpot on low and cook 4-5 hours.
When cooked, use two forks to pull the meat apart into shreds.
Serve on a sandwich or in a bowl.
(I also served corn on the cob with fresh orange juice and ginger shmear, just like chili lime shmear. Yum!)

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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June 16, 2011 · 5:53 pm

My Big Fat Greek Salad

Salads have become my lunch routine.  I especially love a big salad at a restaurant not only because someone else made it, but also because there are all kinds of great ingredients beyond just lettuce and tomato.  So this week, I decided to be my own restaurant.  I made a Summer Greek Salad for my lunches… I added strawberries and basil for some summer flavor.  (And no feta cheese, of course… but honestly, I didn’t really miss it because of the other flavors.)

Summer Greek Salad

(You can really take your liberties here with your favorite ingredients… my measurements are just approximations!)

A bunch of your favorite lettuce (I prefer Olivia’s Organic Lettuces)

Some chopped grilled or baked chicken

One quarter cup chickpeas

Some chopped up cucumber

5-6 kalamata olives

One half cup chopped up strawberries

A few torn basil leaves

For the dressing, combine 3 parts red wine vinegar to 1 part olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano (and any other of your favorite herbs), the juice of one half of a lemon, salt, and pepper.

Toss to combine, and enjoy!

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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