We got this from the CrossFit Albany nutrition website.
Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
Tag Archives | Vegetables
For the Love of Food: Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Mash
Kale and raisins. Brussels sprouts and bacon fat. Thai food leftovers and eggs. Every so often, an unlikely, but truly delicious combination of foods will make its way into our normal dinnertime rotation. These mash-ups are noteworthy because they make new use of commonplace ingredients, and help us to expand our food and flavor horizons to discover new flavors we didn’t even know we liked.
This particular ‘familiar food mash up’ was handed down to us from Justin’s parents, and manages to sneak two totally different vegetables into one delicious side dish.
In a large pot, boil a head of cauliflower and a large, peeled sweet potato that has been cut into 2 inch chunks.
After 15-20 minutes, or when the sweet potato and cauliflower are both soft, drain the water and place the veggies in a colander. Press down on the cauliflower to remove some of the excess water.
In the original pot, place 2-3 pads of Kerrygold butter and a splash of heavy cream, and pour the veggies on top.
Sprinkle some Italian seasonings on top (oregano, garlic powder, pepper, thyme) and mash with a potato masher or a large slotted spoon and enjoy!
For the Love of Food: Curry Chicken with Vegetables
If you’re a beginner to intermediate level cook, you’ve probably found out by now that there are certain regional dishes that are best left up to the experts. Sure, there are a handful of international standards that are easy to replicate, or to add your personal touch to and call your own – a great meat sauce, perfectly seasoned taco meat, grilled lamb, to name a few. There are other sauces, marinades, cooking techniques, and complete dishes that will remain as foreign to most as the land from which they hail. Many of these said dishes come from the East, and contain specific spices, oils, and cooking methods that aren’t easily procured here in the US, or are to intimidating to even try in one’s own kitchen. Try as we might to replicate the aroma, consistency or taste of Asian and Indian dishes, they tend to turn out ‘good’, but a little ‘off’ in one way or another.
It’s for these dishes that we turn to prepared sauces or spice blends to help us capture the true essence of international cuisine. We’ve recently discovered Patak’s Original sauces and have had great success with every type that we’ve tried! Not only are they delicious and sooo easy to make, they also don’t contain artificial colors or flavors, and little to none of the unpronounceable chemicals that often accompany many conventional jarred or canned sauces. While they are a departure from our normal mantra of ‘only eat real, whole foods’, they are a close second choice. 
The preparation and cooking is so simple.
1. Choose a sauce that you think you’ll like. Take a look at the ingredients, and pick up a few different types, if you are undecided.
2. Dump the whole jar of sauce over some boneless chicken breasts or thigh cutlets ( cut them into small chunks) and store in the fridge overnight in a resealable container. 
3. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, put the sauce and the chicken into a pot with a lid. Let it heat up on high for about 5 minutes, then lower to simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes.
4. For a complete meal, serve with some vegetables. Pictured here is some kale that we chopped, tossed in olive oil and sauteed in a pan with some diced red peppers, as well as some parsnips that we boiled while the chicken was cooking, and seasoned with pepper.
These delicious sauces can help you to savor the flavors of Indian cooking without venturing too far from our dietary recommendations, and without spending $$$ on a meal prepared at a restaurant. Try one this week!
For the Love of Food: How to Cook Baby Bock Choy
How to Cook Baby Bok Choy:
1. Rinse 2-4 well and pat dry
2. Chop a very little bit off the hard end
3. Slice each baby bok choy in half, lengthwise
4. Melt a big pad of butter ( Kerrygold Irish Butter) in a saute pan
5. Place each bok choy half in the pan, face down. Sprinkle black cracked pepper on top
6. Cover and cook on medium for 5-6 minutes
7. Flip each piece carefully, trying not to break the halves into smaller pieces
8. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or until soft
EAT!
For the Love of Food: Whole chicken on the grill with roasted asparagus and mushrooms
Chicken is a great source of protein, it’s mild enough for picky eaters, it’s easy to tell when it’s done, and there are a ton of recipes for it. The problem with chicken, though, is that it’s pretty boring and it often dries out if you saute or bake it.
Thankfully, I found a great new recipe for chicken that’s flavorful, juicy, and looks like a leaping frog! I first heard about the recipe when I heard an interview on NPR radio with Maricel Presilla, a food historian ( best job EVER?), who discovered the recipe in Argentina. The recipe is listed here at Gourmet.com. Since the recipe isn’t one of our originals, I refrained from posting it here, but I did include a helpful tutorial about preparing the chicken for the grill ( also from Gourmet.com) , and some photos from our experience.
“(1) With the drumsticks of the chicken facing you, cut between the body and one drumstick, leaving the drumstick attached. (2) Widen the area around the thigh joint and bend the leg back until it pops out of joint but still remains attached. It’s not difficult to do; it’s actually a matter of feel. You’ll see, the next drumstick will go much faster. (3) Exchange your knife for kitchen or poultry shears. Lifting up the breast, cut through the ribs all the way to the shoulder joint, first on one side, then on the other. Now the bird is essentially in two pieces that are hinged at the shoulders. Turning over the chicken so that it is skin side up, open it so that it’s splayed out on the work surface. (4) With the heel of one hand, press down hard on the breastbone to crack and flatten it. (5) Stand back and admire your work.”
We also roasted some asparagus with mushrooms, black pepper, oregano, olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes, turning the pieces over at about 8 minutes in. 
If you have any questions, or if there is something that you don’t understand from the recipe listed on Gourmet.com, post them below! If you make this recipe, post your thoughts!
For the Love of Food: Quick and Easy Escarole
Escarole is awesome. It’s a member of the endive family, looks pretty similar to green leaf lettuce, and can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. It’s a great source of vitamin A, K , folic acid and dietary fiber. It tastes great, and is super-easy to prepare. We think it should be added to your food repertoire TODAY!
Rinse about 10-12 ‘baby bella’ or crimini mushrooms ( cut the large ones in half, if necessary) and toss them with olive oil in a deep pot.
Add 1/4 of a white onion cut into slivers, and some chopped garlic ( about 2 cloves) into the pot. Season with black pepper and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook these on medium heat until the mushrooms turn a darker shade of tan, and the onions soften.
While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, rinse and chop one head of escarole into 2 inch squares. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner, or place on paper towels until they dry. Add them to the pot, stir to mix the olive oil and veggies into the leaves. Cook just until the leaves start to soften. Don’t overcook.
And that’s it! Just another super-simple recipe to remind you that yes, you can cook.
For the Love of Food: Almond Crusted Spicy Pork Chops with a Hot Salad
Some people, when given a plate full of salad topped with chicken, will say “its not enough. I won’t get full”, or “I don’t like salads”. But if you put a plate of chicken, broccoli, zucchini, squash, cooked spinach, and cauliflower infront of them, they’ll gladly eat it and consider it a meal. Other than containing slightly more variety of vegetables than a salad, the only difference between plate 1 and plate 2 is the temperature and seasonings on the vegetables.
For most people, ‘cooking’ a salad is an easy way to show them that they do, in fact, like vegetables!
On a plate, combine some almond meal (Trader Joe’s has this pretty cheap) with some cayenne pepper, chili powder, cilantro and garlic powder. In a bowl, mix together two eggs. Drag 4 pork chops through the egg, then the almond meal, coating them on all sides.
Cook the pork chops in some olive oil on the stove. Turn over carefully about halfway through. These were thick, so they took about 12-15 minutes total.
Meanwhile, gather some ingredients that you might put into a salad ( any veggies, really) and chop into small rounds. Rinse and chop a head of green leaf lettuce. I used carrots, zucchini and eggplant, as shown in this picture.
“Roast” some garlic in the microwave by peeling and poking 2 or 3 cloves, setting them on a plate with some olive oil, and putting them in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Add them to the sliced veggies and cook in a deep pot, with some coconut oil and Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning.
Once the veggies have softened, add in the green leaf lettuce.
At this point, your pork should be done.
Put it on a plate and eat it. ( The audible “nom,nom,nom” is optional).
For the Love of Food: Chicken with mushrooms and roasted eggplant with a side of parsnip fries
This Just In: Parsnips are soooooo good! If you haven’t cooked them before, please try them in this recipe!
Chicken with mushrooms and roasted eggplant with a side of parsnip fries
Turn the oven onto 325 degrees and put one medium and one large pot of water on the stove to boil.
Cut 3 chicken breasts into 2 or 3 pieces each and drop them into the larger pot of water.
Slice two baby eggplants lengthwise into thin pieces, place them on a baking sheet and cover in 2T olive oil (not enough to saturate each piece, but try to get every piece at least somewhat coated)
Cut up 3 medium parsnips into chunks put them into the medium pot of boiling water.
Flip the eggplant slices after 8-9 minutes in the oven.
Slice up 1/4 of a red onion into thin strips and cut up about 6-8 baby portobello or crimini mushrooms into slices. Place both into a large saute pan with olive oil on low-medium heat.
Drain the water from the two pots on the stove after about 15 minutes, or when the center of each piece is white ( slightly pink in the very center is okay, just as long as it’s not fleshy). Set aside and let cool.
Remove the eggplant from the oven. The pieces should be dark, but not burnt, and should look pretty dry.
Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces, chop the parsnips into rounds, and cut the eggplant pieces in half.
Put the parsnips in a saute pan with 2T olive oil on medium heat and shake back and forth to coat all of the pieces. Flip the pieces over often ( just flip your wrist a little to get the pieces to ‘jump’ in the air.
Add the chicken and the eggplant to the large saute pan with the onions and mushrooms and mix the ingredients around. Flip the parsnips again!
Make a quick dressing for chicken dish – combine 2T olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, some stone ground mustard and some ground pepper. Mix those ingredients together and pour on the chicken and other vegetables.
Flip the parsnips!
Serve and EAT!
For the Love of Food: Baked Salmon with Creamy Avocado Spread and Swiss Chard
Salmon is one of the few foods that has the creamy, delicious goodness of a gourmet dish, even when prepared using the simplest methods. Whether pan fried or baked, with toppings or without, salmon is a filling and very flavorful dish that can be enjoyed at a restaurant for $28 or at home for about $5- $6 per serving. As long as you are buying your fish from good sources, you will be able to avoid overcooking without any paranoia about eating raw fish. The salmon meat should flake apart when cooked, rather than looking like a tuna steak.
Rinse, remove stems and cut a bunch of Swiss chard into 2-inch squares or so. Chop 1/4 of a red onion into long slivers and dice another 1/4 of an onion as well as 1/4 of a red pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and place about a pound and a half of salmon, cut into 3 pieces, on a baking sheet. Line the sheet with parchment paper so that the salmon skin doesn’t stick to the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. When the salmon is done, it should be oozing a little fat (this looks white).
While the salmon is cooking, place the following ingredients into a food processor.
1 ripe avocado
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
Garlic powder (about 5 shakes)
Paprika (3 shakes)
Red pepper flakes (2 shakes)
Salt and pepper (a little bit of each)
Pulse for about 30 seconds, add 2T of water, and pulse until all ingredients are blended together.the color might be a brownish green. That’s ok. It’s less about how it looks and all about how it tastes.
Pour some olive oil into a large pan and sautee the sliced red onions until they get soft. Add the Swiss chard and cover for 5 minutes. Uncover and, stir, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Don your finest ‘around the house clothes’ and pair with a glass of your favorite wine.
You’re in for a gourmet treat tonight!
For the Love of Food: Collard Greens, two ways
Collard Greens are hearty, leafy greens and are a staple of the dinner table in the South . We think they should be a staple of your table, too. They are a great source of Vitamin C and fiber, they are filling, and they taste amazing!
Collard Greens with Portobello Mushroom, Red Onion and Mustard
Cut off the stems of the collard greens, and cut out the stem from the middle, leaving just the leafy parts. Stack those up in a pile and chop them into squares. Rinse and slice a portobello mushroom into long (1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch thick) slices. Slice 1/4 of a red onion into long slices.
Put the portobello mushrooms and onions into a deep pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook on low to medium heat, covered for 3-4 minutes, then uncovered, until the mushrooms turn a darker shade of tan and the onions start to get soft. Add salt, pepper and a grainy mustard. We used a fig mustard that we bought in France, but any grainy mustard will do.
Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan ( if the collard leaves are still damp from rinsing them, then don’t add the water) and add the collard greens. Use tongs or a big spoon to toss the leaves around so they are coated with oil. Cook on medium heat, covered, for about 6-8 minutes, or until the greens look wilted and darker green. Stir every 2 minutes.
Collard Greens with Bacon, Cayenne Pepper, and Apple Cider Vinegar
Rinse, remove stems, and chop collards as described in the first recipe. Chop 1/2 of a white onion. While you’re doing that, cook slice three strips of thick bacon ( we use a nitrite and nitrate free Applewood Smoked Bacon from Trader Joe’s), cut into 3 pieces each, over low heat in a deep saucepan. When the bacon is 3/4 of the way done, add the white onion.
Slice 3-4 cloves of garlic into thin strips and add to the pot. When they begin to turn translucent, add 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons of cayenne pepper, a little bit of salt, and black pepper. Mix with a large spoon.
Add the collards, stir them with the liquid from the pot, cover and cook on low to medium for 10 minutes. They are shown below with delicious pulled pork and sweet potatoes. A Southern meal in a Jersey house. How about that.
