Locavore Whore

I cannot say this enough: I big fat hot pink sparkly puffy heart the Green City Market.

I have not eaten a single piece of fruit or vegetable from a commercial grocery store in months. Nor do I plan to.

There is something very satisfying about creating a simple meal from the freshest ingredients, with very little fuss or flair and having it taste so amazingly fresh. Strawberries that are red all the way through. Lettuce so delicate, but crisp. Tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Teeny tiny potatoes in 30 varieties. Carrots in a whole rainbow of colors.

Pasta Puttana is one of my favorite vendors. At $10 for a bag of pasta, I thought I'd buy it once, say "that was nice" and never buy it again. Wrong. Pasta Puttana (aka Pasta Whore) is one of my first stops every time. It's a one-woman shop, and she turns out the best, lightest, most delicious pasta you will ever have. I'm hooked.

Tonight's dinner featured the Pasta Puttana Cremini Mushroom Tagliatelle, and I used only purchases from the Green City Market, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of butter and a healthy dash of white wine (both in the pan and in my glass). Honestly, I didn't need anything else.

Mushroom Pasta
1 white onion, chopped
1 lb. mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, portabella, oyster, shitake, etc., chopped
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil, salt, pepper, white wine, butter
1 bag Pasta Puttana pasta (preferably cremini, but I've made this with other varieties)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook for one minute
Add mushrooms and saute for about 2-3 minutes
When the mushrooms are slightly browned, add a big splash of white wine
Let the wine cook off and stir in 2 tbsp. or so of butter
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta per package directions, drain well and toss with mushrooms

Red and Gold Beet Salad
2 red beets
2 golden beets
Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper
Mixed greens

Heat oven to 400
Wash beets and wrap each beet individually in foil
Roast beets for about 45 minutes or until pierced easily with a knife
Allow beets to cool and then peel and dice
Toss beets with a bit of balsamic and olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Serve over mixed greens*

* Note: the greens I bought were very fresh and delicate and didn't need dressing. If you use commercially packaged greens, I would think you might want to make a bit more balsamic vinaigrette and toss the greens with the vinaigrette as well.

Fruit Crostada

My mom turned me on to this very simple summer dessert that uses fresh fruit and not a whole lot else. It is fairly healthy, as far as desserts go, and you can use whatever you've got.

Fruit Crostada
1 refrigerated pie crust (the rolled kind, not in a pie plate)
2 cups of sliced or diced fruit - berries, peaches, plums, pears, apples or any combination
2 tbsp. of Minute tapioca (or cornstarch)
1 tbsp. + a sprinkling extra
1/2 tbsp. butter, cut into little pieces

Unroll the pie crust on a cookie sheet.
Toss fruit with the tapioca and a tablespoon of sugar
Spread fruit onto pie crust.
Fold edges up and over, leaving about a 3-4 inch opening in the middle.
Scatter the little pieces of butter over the top. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.

Seared Tuna with Avocado and Cilantro-Orange Broccoli Slaw

The tuna recipe is from Tyler Florence, one of my faves. The slaw is loosely adapted from a number of recipes I looked at.

Seared Tuna with Avocado and Cilantro Sauce
1 piece of sushi grade tuna (large enough for 2 people)
Leaves from about 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/3 c. soy sauce
Juice of two limes
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

Whisk together cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.

Generously season the fish with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side. Pour half of the cilantro sauce over the fish.

Fan half of the avocado slices on each of two plates. Slice fish and lay slices on top of the avocado. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Cilantro-Orange Broccoli Slaw
1 package broccoli slaw mix
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled, segmented and cut into bite sized chunks
4 tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil.

Toss ingredients together and serve.

Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Orange

This was supposed to be tuna tacos with a tomato-orange salsa. However, I managed the purchase the single most disgusting tomato ever (it looked ok, but was all mealy and nasty inside). The tomato went into the trash, and cucumber and avocado went into the bowl instead.

This was really, really yummy and was a little glimpse of summer in the dead of a terrible Chicago winter. Mr. Foodie really liked it, which was very surprising given his distaste for fruit. Next time I make this, I hope to be out on my deck with a Summer Shandy or Pacifico in hand!

Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Orange
2 tuna fillets
Salt and pepper
1 medium Haas avocado, diced
1 large navel orange (see prep instructions below)
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely minced (remove the seeds if you don't like heat)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. orange zest
Juice of two limes

Preheat a broiler or grill.
Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper.
Broil or grill approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

Cut off both ends of the orange. Use a knife to cut away the peel and pith.
Follow the membranes and segment the orange, discarding the pith and tough membranes.
Cut the orange segments into bite sized pieces and put in a medium bowl.

Add diced avocado, diced cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, green onion and orange zest to the bowl.
Flake the tuna into the bowl.
Pour lime juice over the fish and toss all ingredients well to coat. Adjust salt if needed.

Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Spinach-stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

This is really, really tasty. It's also low-fat. I didn't have ground turkey, so I used the ground chicken I had on hand. Make sure to let the meat sit in the fridge for at least an hour after you press it into the pan so you can roll it easily.

Meat mixture:
3 slices bread, crust removed
1/2 c. milk
1 lb. ground chicken
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg white
1 tsp. oregano
Fresh ground pepper

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Tear bread into 1 inch pieces. Put in a bowl, pour in the milk and mash the bread with a fork until all the milk is absorbed.
In another bowl, mix the chicken, mustard, egg white, oregano and pepper.
Add in the bread mixture and mix well, until creamy.
Press the meat mixture onto the baking sheet so that it covers 1/2 the baking sheet
Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour (up to three hours)

Filling:
1 10 oz. package of frozen spinach
3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
1 egg white
Fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 cup

Thaw and drain spinach. Press out all the water.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the spinach and onion and cook until mixture is somewhat dry and the onions begin to wilt, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix in egg white and season with lots of pepper.

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove baking sheet from fridge.
Spread the spinach mixture over the meat, leaving 1 inch border all the way around.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Place baking sheet horizontally.
Starting at the end closest to you, use the foil to lift the meat and roll jelly roll style, pushing forward a little bit at a time.

Bake at 350 for about an hour, until a thermometer registers 160. Serve with tomato sauce.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

I am not typically a fan of anything that entails throwing a bunch of stuff in a casserole dish, covering it with "cream of something soup" and baking. However, I got this recipe from a friend and tweaked it a bit to our tastes, and it was delicious. I served this with Minute brown rice (regular brown rice takes too freaking long to make during the week). Combine the leftover rice and casserole and refrigerate for a very tasty lunch the next day that resembles a creamy risotto.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 can of artichokes, drained and quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup*
1 can cream of chicken soup*
1/2 c. lemon juice*
1/2 to 1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

*Try to get the 98% fat free or low sodium versions of the soups to lighten the dish.

**This is pretty lemony, so if you aren't a big fan of lemon flavor, you can use 1/4 c. lemon juice and 1/4 c. white wine. I liked it, but Mr. Foodie thought it was a little too lemony for his liking.

Heat a bit of oil in a medium skillet and brown the chicken chunks, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the soups, lemon juice (and wine, if using), garlic, parmesan and a little freshly ground black pepper in a casserole dish. It shouldn't need salt because of the soups.

Stir in the artichokes and browned chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve with white or brown rice, or any short pasta.

Taco Soup

Not quite chili, not quite tortilla soup. This freezes EXTREMELY well, so double it up and freeze half. Use the leanest ground beef available, and this is actually pretty good for you. The ingredients can be kept on hand for an impromptu football party meal.

Skip the jalapeno if you don't like it spicy. Don't add any salt to this soup, as the seasoning mixes can run on the salty side.

Taco Soup
1 pound ground beef (I use sirloin)
1 package taco seasoning (I get hot)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 can of diced tomatoes (I like to use the Mexican style)
1 can of mild green chiles
1 c. frozen corn
1 can of jalapenos or 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 can of kidney beans
2.5 cans of water
2 tsp. cumin

Toppings
tortilla chips
shredded cheese
sour cream

Brown the ground beef in a soup pot. Add seasoning mixes, cumin and all other ingredients. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tangine

OK, so pretty much anything you can dump in a crock pot at 5:30 a.m. and just leave all day is awesome in my book. There is something so satisfying about having dinner make itself. I made a chicken tangine today that turned out pretty tasty. I thought I had couscous, but it turned out those boxes were just pesky brown rice pilaf mixes that take 40 minutes to cook so I never make them. I served this over white rice, but I think couscous would have been better.

Moroccan Chicken Tangine for the slow cooker
1 medium white or yellow onion, cut into thick slices
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 14 oz. can chicken broth (low sodium)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 lemons, quartered
1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Line bottom of crockpot with thick onion slices to prevent sticking and burning.

OK, when you start this, you can go one of two ways: simple or slightly more complicated:

1. Throw chicken, cumin, cayenne, broth and 1 tbsp. olive oil in crockpot on top of onion slices. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of flour.

OR

2. Heat oil in pan over medium high heat. Dredge chicken thighs in flour and quickly brown on each side (about 2 minutes). Remove chicken and place on top of onion slices. Stir spices into the pan with the remaining dredging flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the entire can of broth, scraping up the brown bits. Pour broth mixture into crockpot over chicken.

Now you're at the same spot.

Pour tomatoes with juice over chicken, add the parsley and garlic and tuck the lemon quarters around the chicken. Cook on low heat for 4-8 hours. About an hour before serving, add the chickpeas.

Serve over rice or couscous.

Artichoke-Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Yummy AND healthy! What could be better?

Serves 4. Cut in half for 2 servings.

2.5 tbsp. breadcrumbs (not panko)
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 3 ounce log of herbed goat cheese (don't use the plain)
1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.
Press 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto a chicken breast. Roll up, jelly roll style and secure with 2-3 wooden toothpicks.

Heat an ovenproof nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat.

Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side, 4 minutes total. (They actually will NOT fall apart like you think they would).

Finish chicken in the oven for about 15 minutes. If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, transfer chicken breasts to a baking sheet. Enjoy!

**Roasted red potatoes quartered, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper and fresh rosemary make a great side.

Veggie-Packed, Less Sodium Ramen Noodle Soup

I fell in total lurve with ramen in college. I didn't eat it because I was poor, I ate it because it was delicious. Yummy and salty and like 25 cents a package. Holla. BUT 600% of daily sodium intake + zero nutritional value = fat ass.

Then there is the place down the street that makes a fantastic ramen noodle soup that is packed with veggies and not nearly as salty as cheapo packages. HOWEVER, $9 + tip + 30 minutes delivery = ridiculously overpriced ramen that I can make at home.

I decided to try making my own ramen like the place down the street. You can use whatever veggies you have available - this is a great recipe for when you've got fading veggies and not a whole hell of a lot else.

Serves 2 (plus a little leftover for lunch)
2 packages chicken flavor ramen noodles (discard the flavor packets)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
A handful of baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
4 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 c. frozen green peas or edamame
1 egg, beaten
1 can chicken broth

Put a large pot of water on to boil while you prep veggies.
Heat chicken broth in a separate pot.
When water boils, add ramen noodles and veggies, cook until noodles are soft.
Drizzle in beaten egg, cook briefly.
Drain noodles and veggies and place in a large serving bowl. Pour hot chicken broth over.

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Planked Salmon

This was so yummy. The marinade/glaze would also be really good on grilled chicken or pork tenderloin.

Serves 2
2 salmon fillets
3 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
Cedar plank, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Preheat the grill. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish and pour 3/4 of the marinade over the fish, reserving a small amount. Let the fish marinate for about 30 minutes.

Place marinated fish on soaked plank and set the plank on the grill over medium-high heat. Let the fish cook for about 25 minutes, basting every 5 minutes with the reserved marinade.

The plank may burn a little - this is OK. Keep a spray bottle of water nearby in case it really starts to burn. Enjoy!

Insalata Caprese

Tomatoes peak in August. Take advantage and make some Caprese! Use the highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on.

Ripe tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese in water
Fresh basil
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
Good quality olive oil

If using small balls of mozzarella, leave whole and dice the tomatoes. If using large balls of mozzarella, slice and slice the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Chop basil and sprinkle over the top. Drizzle with oil.

Some versions of Caprese that I have had in the US have had balsamic vinegar as well. I don't care for it, as it masks the tomatoes. Also, we ate Caprese nearly every day in Italy, and none had vinegar.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I made these up last week when I got home late, we were both STARVING and I was trying to figure out how to use up a ton of veggies from the farmers' market that were on their last legs. They turned out VERY tasty. This recipe can be adapted to be entirely vegetarian by doubling the veggies and omitting the meat, or you can sub any diced veggies you like or need to use up.

Makes 3 stuffed peppers
3 green bell peppers, tops cut off, seeded and wrapped in foil
2 servings cooked brown rice (I use Minute Rice - 1 c. rice to 1 c. water)
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
Pinch cumin
Pinch onion powder
Large pinch chili powder
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, very finely minced*
One big spoonful of the adobo sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese

* They sell tiny cans of chipotles in adobo sauce in nearly every supermarket near the Mexican/Hispanic foods. The smallest cans (about two inches high) contain about 4 peppers and 2 tbsp. sauce. Reserve the remaining two peppers and sauce and make my chipotle lime vinaigrette (recipe to follow).

Prep green peppers and cook rice. Put rice in a large bowl.

Spray skillet with Pam and brown ground turkey. When browned, add spices.
Add turkey to rice and mix.

Spray skillet again and saute veggies until just soft.
Add cooked veggies to the turkey and rice.

Drain tomatoes and simmer with the minced chipotles and adobo sauce for 5-10 minutes.
Pour tomato sauce over rice mixture.
Add a small handful of cheese to the rice mixture and mix well.

Stuff into green peppers.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
Top each pepper with a bit of cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer.