Make Your Own Granola

After realizing that granola is basically oats, sweetener, nuts, fruit, and spices, I decided to make a home made version.  The easiest recipe I've found so far is from Chow.  Here's the link: Basic Granola Recipe.

Don't be scared.  It's really simple!

Enjoy.

What to do with Quinoa

Quinoa can now be found in most grocery stores.  Great!  Now, how do you cook it?  The first few times I cooked quinoa, Mr. Clementine told me it tasted like glue.  After a few experiments, I decided to change my approach.  Instead of cooking with plain water, cook the seeds (yes, these are seeds not grains) in some sort of stock.  I prefer to use vegetable stock.  Some types of quinoa have to be rinsed prior to cooking.  Look for the type that specifically states "no rinsing required".

Bring two cups of stock (vegetable, chicken, beef, your choice) to a boil, add one cup of quinoa.  Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover the pot, and leave it alone for 20 minutes.  Your quinoa will be ready once all of the liquid has been absorbed and there is an opaque ring around most of the seeds.

Serve as is or add all sorts of veggies.
Enjoy!

Quinoa can also be prepared as a sweet dish.  Check back for that recipe.

Arugula and pepitas

Lately, I've been enjoying arugula.  I can't get enough of the peppery flavor.  Here's a recipe that is really easy and incredibly delicious.  It's also vegan.

5 cups baby arugula
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt
1/3 cup of Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients just before serving.
Enjoy!

Kale Salad

I recently read about massaging Kale in one of my food magazines.  At first I thought it was weird, but after I gave it a go, I became a believer.  The process of massaging makes the kale considerably less tough and more appealing to those who normally can't stand the super green veggie.

Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 cups of Kale
2 tablespoons of Walnuts
1 medium sized apple (I used Ambrosia in this salad)
2 teaspoons of Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt
1 cup of Strawberries

Step 1: Wash your hands!

Remove the tough stems from the Kale

 
Step 2: Wash your hands again, you are about to start massaging!

Add the Olive Oil, salt and walnuts to the leaves and start massaging

Continue to massage until the Kale is roughly half its original size 

Step 3: Wash your hands and..

 Add the rest of the ingredients, toss, and serve

Enjoy! 

Yummy Rice Alternative

Steamed Cauliflower

This is such a great alternative to rice or even pasta.  Here's what you need:

1 head of cauliflower

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1/2 cup of water

1 large sauce pan with lid (for this dish, I used a a Le Creuset Round French Oven)

salt and pepper

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, wash and drain thoroughly.  Turn the stove on to medium-high.  Once the pan in hot, add the olive oil and cauliflower.  Toss the cauliflower and cook for about 8 minutes.  Once some of the edges start to brown, add the water and cover the pan.  Cook, covered, for 15 minutes (caution, each stove is different and different pans hold heat differently).  This dish is done once all of the water has evaporated and the cauliflower crumbles when you toss it.  If all the water has evaporated and the cauliflower is not tender, add another 1/2 cup of water, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add salt and pepper and serve.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Mr. Clementine loves pancakes so I came up with a recipe for something with fiber and antioxidants.

3/4 cups skim milk*

2 tablespoons white vinegar

(In a large bowl combine these two ingredients and allow to sit for 5 minutes, this gives the pancakes a bit of a buttermilk flavor without all the fat of regular buttermilk)

1 ripe mashed banana

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (for some sweetness and antioxidants)

1 tablespoon chia seeds (this is optional, but so nutritious)

Add all of the of the ingredients to the large bowl containing the milk and vinegar solution.  Mix the batter with a fork only until the batter is uniform in consistency.  Do not over mix this.  

Bring a large skillet or pan to medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking oil.  Pour some batter (you can decide how small or large you want to make your pancakes- I used 1/4 cup of batter to make one pancake) onto the pan and flip once bubbles form on the surface.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes (depending on your stove) and serve.

Because this batter already has a banana and dark chocolate chips in the batter, you do not need to use any syrup.

Enjoy!

*to make this recipe vegan friendly, use almond milk instead of skim milk

Kelp Noodles!

Asian Kelp Noodle Salad

Cucumber and Hummus

Mung Beans

It's that time of the week again!  Yes, Meatless Monday.  This week, I took lunch a step further and made it totally vegan.  Here are the recipes:

Asian Kelp Noodle Salad

1- 12 oz. package of raw kelp noodles

(I got my kelp noodles from my local health food store, if you can't find this locally, visit: Kelp Noodles)

3 teaspoons raw almond butter

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Rinse the kelp noodles in cold water and let them drain (do not cook these).  In a large bowl, mix the raw almond butter, two types of vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, and sesame seed oil with a fork until it reaches a smooth consistency.  Add the kelp noodles and toss to evenly coat every strand.  Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, toss one more time and serve immediately.  

Cucumber with Hummus

1 large peeled and sliced cucumber

1 tablespoon of store bought hummus

Arrange and serve. You can easily make your own hummus, but I already some in the fridge, so I took a short cut.

Mung Beans

1 cup mung beans

3 cups water

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Combine water and mung beans in a pot and bring to a boil.  Once the water boils, reduce the heat to simmer.  Cover and let cook for 35 minutes.  Once the mung beans are cooked, add the nutritional yeast and the low sodium soy sauce.  

Enjoy!

NAOE

Abalone 

Naoe is a very special place.  It is where foodies go to experience a small slice of perfection.  There isn't a sign on the door and reservations are accepted only through Open Table.  Come with an open mind and be prepared for a culinary journey through all things sea food related.  It is not a place for the frugal pocket.  For two of us, the bill came out to $300.  If we were heavy drinkers, the bill could easily have been much higher.  We don't usually spend this much on dinner, but in this instance, it was well worth it.  One word describes the service, food, and experience: sublime. 

Another Option for Meatless Monday

Roasted Peas and Cauliflower with Tofu

Ingredients:

14 oz. of Extra Firm Tofu (gently squeeze all the liquid out of the tofu block)

1 teaspoon of sesame seeds

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce

1 head of cauliflower (washed and cut into florets)

1 cup of peas (defrosted)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 baking sheets

non-stick cooking spray

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (convection if you have this feature)

Cut tofu into 2 inch cubes and marinate in the sesame oil, sesame seed, and soy sauce mixture for at least 30 minutes.  In a separate bowl, toss cauliflower, peas, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  

Spray both baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.  On one sheet, spread the cauliflower and peas in one layer.  On the other sheet, spread out the tofu.

Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the edges of the tofu begin to brown.

Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday

Textured Vegetable Protein with Brown Rice

For those of you that don't think you can go vegetarian for one meal, try this recipe.  All of the texture, flavors, and colors in this dish will make you forget that anything is missing.

Ingredients:

1 cup textured vegetable protein (hydrated with 2 cups of vegetable broth)

1 small yellow onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (thinly sliced)

8 fresh green beans (cut into bite sized pieces)

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers (for this recipe I used yellow, red, and orange)

1/2 cup frozen peas (defrosted of course)

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup of water

In a medium sized skillet (on medium high heat) sautée all of the vegetables in the sesame oil.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the textured vegetable protein (TVP from here on out), soy sauce, and water.  Stir well and place a lid on the skillet.  If you do not have a lid, use aluminum foil.  Turn the heat down to simmer and cook (covered) for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove skillet from the stove.  Serve TVP over brown rice or quinoa and garnish with cilantro.  Enjoy!

If this dish is not salty enough, you can add more soy sauce or get really creative by adding nutritional yeast.

Awesome Brownies

I normally like to include a photo with my recipes.  These brownies are just so delicious, they don't survive very long and as a result don't get photographed.  Here's the recipe.  Next time I make them, I'll try to remember to take photos.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.  Take the pan off the heat and stir in the the rest of the ingredients.  Pour batter into a 9 x 9 inch pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spiced Peas with Cilantro and Lime

If you're looking for a new way to serve peas, try this delicious and easy recipe. 

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 pounds of frozen green peas 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves fresh garlic, sliced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (or fresh key lime juice if available)

Defrost peas.  The best way to do this is by leaving the peas out at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the peas, garlic, curry powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant and warmed through (3-5 minutes).  Stir occasionally, but make sure not to squish the peas.  Turn off the heat, add cilantro and lime juice, and toss to combine.

Serve and enjoy.    

(recipe inspired by RealSimple.com)

Adorable Cafe for Valentine's Day

Mr. Clementine and I are going to be in Savannah, Georgia on Valentine's day.  I did a little bit of research and found this adorable place: Papillote.

It's not a place to have a formal sit-down dinner.  It's take-out, which is perfect on this evening.  We'll zip in, grab some goodies, and enjoy our meal (just the two of us).

I can't wait!!!

Do you celebrate Valentine's day?  If so, how?

Arepas

This post is dedicated to my little sister in Houston.
For this dish, you will need:

1 cup of Doñarepa corn meal
1 cup of hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Step 1: pour 1 cup of corn meal into a bowl

Step 2: add salt and pepper

Step 3: slowly add water 1/3 cup at a time

Step 4: after each third cup of water is added, stir mixture with a fork

Step 5: continue to stir until all the water has been absorbed

Step 6: cover and let rest for 3 minutes

Step 7: form into small patties

Step 8: cook in a non-stick pan 

or well-seasoned iron skillet sprayed with cooking spray (pictured above)

over medium heat

Step 9: cook each side for 3-4 minutes

Enjoy!

Baby Bok Choy

A dear friend gave me beautiful and fresh baby bok choy.  I searched online for some recipes and combined a couple of them to come up with this delicious dish.

Here's what you need:

1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger

1 small yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of baby bok choy

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1/2 cup of water

What to do:

Mince the ginger, onion, and garlic and place in it the pan with the water and soy sauce.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Next cut the baby bok choy in half, rinse, drain, and add to the pan.

Stir, then cover and let this cook for about 15 minutes.

Take the lid off and place the pan in the oven.

Broil on high for 5 minutes.

Keep an eye on your veggies as they will burn easily.  As soon as you see the edges of the baby bok choy turn brown, pull the pan out of the oven.  Be careful, this is really hot.

Serve this over quinoa, rice, or farro.

Enjoy!

Sharing a discount

I love discounts and often don't pay retail for anything.  Who doesn't love a good deal?  A friend just stumbled upon this really cute company called Moo.  She ordered some business cards, got a coupon code, and now I'm sharing her discount with all of you.

Discount for Moo.com

Enjoy and happy printing,
B.C.