6 February 2012

10 Things to Eat When Protein + Veggies Seems Impossible

By now, you all know that the basic meal formula I go by is meat + veggies + (maybe a little bit of starch) + fat (either in the meat or cooked with the veggies). But sometimes, that combo just doesn’t seem appetizing. Sometimes, when our appetites are low or are stomachs are upset, a juicy steak and grilled asparagus just sounds inedible (I know, crazy, but true).

I went through a period like that last week. I’m not used to not having an appetite. I always have an appetite. So not having one is a little bit foreign to me, and it makes me crave things I’d usually stay away from. I want bland foods (I kept asking for Cream of Wheat), white foods, refined foods. But I tried to compromise with myself.

So based on my experience, here are 10 recommendations for you when your stomach just says NO to your usual eats:

Oatmeal with cream or coconut milk + nut butter. Oatmeal is NOT one of my go-to foods (it’s just not that delicious or satisfying to me), but its blandness is appealing when my appetite is low. I compromise by adding some fat in the form of cream, coconut milk, or nut butter. There are also a dozen other ways to mix it up (just in case you haven’t seen millions of recipes on other blogs yet).
Full-fat Greek yogurt with fruit. Another bland, white, easy-to-eat food that actually packs a significant protein + fat punch.
Creamy or brothy soup. This is kind of a gimme (especially since you all know how I feel about soup), but soup is easy to eat and comes in plenty of bland varieties. My favorite this week was a creamy butternut squash and crab soup from Whole Foods, but there are plenty of options. You could also try lentil, Asian dumpling, or broccoli cheese. Don’t worry about calorie-dense soups since you can probably use all the calories you can get!
Bananas. Yes, bananas have a lot of sugar, but you need those calories during low-appetite periods. Bananas feel a little bit like baby food, but that’s a GOOD thing when you can’t imagine doing a lot of work chewing.
Sprouted grain bread or tortillas with butter. Toast is the ultimate BRAT/sick food, so of course I crave it when I’m not craving much else. Just try to shoot for sprouted grain to up the health/satisfaction factor.
Mashed potatoes. Another great bland food that fills you up without filling you up with nasty processed chemicals. Add as much butter/cream as you want.
Cereal. I know, I know, I’m usually pretty anti-cereal. But when your stomach says “no” to more nutrient-dense foods, just try to pick a cereal that’s low sugar and absent processed/artificial ingredients. Read your labels, kids!
Warm fruit. This sounds weird, but sometimes one of the most comforting things when my stomach is upset is baked apples or pears with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Use the microwave, or if you’re up for it, bake ‘em in the oven.
Real Deal Chicken Soup. I know I already said soup, but trust me, this deserves its own place on the list.

26 January 2012

The Best Meatballs in Easy Tomato-Cream Sauce

Despite my ambiguous feelings toward Giada, her meatballs are really something special. I first discovered them when I made Giada’s Italian Wedding Soup. I had some leftover meatball meat (is that the right word?), so I decided to cook some up and eat them on their own. Best idea ever. They were delicious and totally carried themselves without the rest of the soup. (Side note: I’m SO behind on Season of Soup! I’m going to try to catch up, but I don’t know if I can. I think I finally got sick of soup! I can’t believe I’m saying that!).

I tweaked Giada’s recipe slightly, but it’s pretty close to the original. Here’s my version:

You’ll need (makes 10-12 large meatballs):

For the meatballs:

1 medium onion, grated
1 cup fresh Italian parsley
3 large eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup almond meal (you could also use bread crumbs)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
16 ounces ground beef (I used organic grass-fed beef from TJs)
16 ounces ground pork (I used organic local stuff ground pork from Door to Door)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (with basil if possible)
Italian seasoning to taste (basil, oregano, etc.)
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Make it:

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with your hands. Really get in there and mush stuff around!

Form large (palm-sized) balls and roll them in your hands before putting them aside on a plate or cutting board.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the balls (make sure to leave a little space between them for turning).

You’ll need to cook them on each side for about 5-7 minutes. When one side gets brown, turn it. The balls should cook for around 25-30 minutes total, but remember to keep turning so nothing burns!

While the meatballs are cooking, start the sauce. Pour tomatoes into a large sauce pan, add seasonings and bay leaf, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once the meatballs are done, take the sauce off the heat and let it rest of a few minutes. Then, add cream and remove the bay leaf.

Ladle the sauce over your scrumptious meatballs and add Parmesan for garnish if you want. I served my balls with some roasted kale.

Ugh, so good. The tomato-cream sauce is so ridiculously easy, but it tastes genius. I think adding a bit of cream to a really acidic sauce is the way to go. A little goes a long way and it makes your sauce taste so much more rich and complex.

Giada, maybe you’re not so bad after all.

16 January 2012

For Your Next Brunch: Pancetta, Onion, and Basil Frittata

I know I said I was going to make Baked Egg Boats for a brunch I had over the weekend, but I had a last-minute change of heart. I wanted to make a separate egg dish and bread dish, since I’m not a huge bread eater. For the egg dish, I went with my go-to “tastes fancy but is really simple” dish: frittata.

For my frittata technique, check out this frittata cooking demo video I made last year. I used ingredients I had picked up for the Baked Egg Boats: pancetta, onion, and basil (basil isn’t part of the original recipe, but when does it NOT work in a recipe?!).

You’ll need (makes 6 fairly large slices):

large bunch basil
1 medium onion, chopped
.5 lb pancetta, finely diced
1.5 cups sharp cheddar, grated
dozen eggs
.5 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Make it:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Whisk the eggs with the cream and add salt and pepper to taste.
Saute the pancetta and onions for 5-10 minutes over medium heat in a large oven-safe pan until the onions start to become translucent.
Stir the basil into the onion and pancetta mixture and let everything saute together until the basil cooks down — another 5ish minutes.
Lower the heat (you may even want to take the pan off the burner for a few minutes), and then add the egg/cream mixture.
Cook on the stove until the edges of the egg mixture begin to harden (another 5-10 minutes).
After the edges are firm, add the cheese and stick the whole pan in the oven.
Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the middle is visibly firm (not liquidy).
Optional: I turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end to caramelize everything. If you do this, WATCH CAREFULLY! It will burn easily.
Slice and serve!

One of my brunch guests said this was the best frittata she’s ever eaten, and my boyfriend said it may be his favorite thing I’ve ever made. That surprised me, but at the same time, basil does make everything better… so it could be true!

I served the frittata with cinnamon French toast I made using the baguettes meant for the egg boats (recipe here - more like a bread pudding than French toast, so be warned).

Oh, brunch, you’re the best. Unfortunately, now I’m sick, and the only thing that sounds good is (you guessed it) soup.

12 January 2012

I know I’ve seen these floating around Tumblr, but even before that, Rachel sent the link to me and I immediately decided to make them for a book club brunch I’m hosting this weekend.

Though I love eggs more than I can describe, sometimes I feel like I’ve seen it all. This was a new preparation for me, and I’m excited to try it out.

Baked Egg Boats
Makes 4

Ingredients:

4 demi sourdough baguettes
5 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped and fried until crisp
3 ounces gruyere cheese, grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut a deep “V” through the tops of each baguette until about a 1/2 inch to the bottom. Partially unstuff the baguettes. Set aside.
3. Place the eggs and cream into a mixing bowl and lightly beat together. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and lightly season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide and pour the mixture into each baguette boat and place onto a baking sheet. 5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and set in the center. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Blogging has been light lately because my lovely designer Jona and I have been working on some big blog changes behind-the-scenes. Get ready for some fun announcements next week!

27 December 2011

Garlic-Pesto Oven Fries… and How I Do Christmas Gifts

Aaaand I’m back from the holiday celebrations! I missed you all. How were your holidays? Let me tell you a little tidbit from mine…

My boyfriend and I have been together for going on five years. That means we’ve pretty much gotten everything we can get each other when you include birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.

This Christmas, we agreed to go easy on the gifts and just spend some quality time together instead. To me, quality time = food, so I decided to whip up a delicious dinner we could enjoy together.

The star of the show was, hands down, the garlic-pesto oven fries I made. I used Susan’s recipe as a starting point (her technique looked solid!) and added my own flare in the form of pesto (because what doesn’t pesto make tastier?!).

You’ll need (makes 3-4 smallish servings):

5-6 medium potatoes cut into wedges. I used Yukon Gold, but you could probably use any kind you have
A couple tablespoons infused olive oil if you have it, or just regular olive oil.
2-3 tablespoons pesto (more if you want a strong pesto taste!). If you use regular oil, mix in 3-5 minced cloves of garlic with your oil before adding to the potatoes.
salt and pepper to taste

Make it:

Preheat oven to 400*. Susan’s recipe says 450*, but I was cooking a roast along with the fries and didn’t want it to overcook. It worked out just fine! I may have had to cook the fries 5-10 minutes longer, but no biggie.
Boil the wedges for around five minutes, or until they’re just pierce-able with a fork. Like Susan says, they shouldn’t be edible at this point!
Drain the water, run some cold water over the fries to cool them down, and then put them in a mixing bowl. Add your olive oil, pesto, and salt + pepper.
Grease (heavily) a baking sheet (or two) with more olive oil and spread the fries out. No crowding!
Bake ‘em for 20-25 minutes, or until the underside of the fries starts to turn golden-brown. Flip and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan and parsley if you’d like.

GAHHHH, these were so delicious. By far the crispiest, most fry-like oven fries I’ve ever made. I’m definitely going to use the par boiling technique again!