Honey Apple Pork

I was looking for an easy meal last Sunday because I was in for a long, rough week! Take a pork tenderloin, mine was about 1 lb, and rub it with the honey apple butter as a marinade. Leave the pork in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours. Preheat your oven to 375 F, and prepare a roasting pan with a raised rack. Roast for 30-35 minutes to get the pork to medium rare. Don't forget to let your pork rest!
Cook some veggies along side and you have a super easy, delicious dinner!

Tofu & Egg Pad Thai

Pad Thai is actually an achievable dish, although the authenticity of your dish depends on your ingredients and how it's prepared. The following recipe will get you pretty close to pad thai served at a restaurant, but I will also try to include the authentic ingredients along with the Americanized versions if you wish to pursue a more authentic/traditional version!

Your ingredient list:

Firm or extra firm tofu (1/2 to 1 package depending on liking)

1/2 package of Thai rice noodles (I prefer the widest available but all work)

2 tablespoons tamarind

1 medium-large minced shallot

2 tablespoons sugar (brown or white works)

1 teaspoon chili sauce (Garlic chili or Sriracha works)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-2 eggs

1/2 lime

4 teaspoons fish sauce or oyster sauce

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 cup chives or green onions

1 cup bean sprouts with 1/3 reserved for topping

3 cloves minced garlic

For a more authentic flavor:

Substitute palm sugar for brown or white sugar

Add 1/2 cup banana flower

Substitute Chinese chives for regular chives

Some of these ingredients are not sold in regular supermarkets. You can find tamarind paste at an Indian or Asian market, purchase a paste without pulp so you will not have to use a strainer. Chinese chives are also sold at Asian markets, although you will be able to find regular chives at pretty much any supermarket. Tofu can be found at health food stores or the health section as well as Asian markets. Look for a tofu that specifically says extra firm or a tofu not labeled is usually firm. Firm tofu does not usually have an issue of breaking apart but extra firm is more likely to stay together while taking more of a beating. 

Your first task is to drain your package of tofu and place on a paper towel-lined cutting board. Place a couple paper towels on top of the tofu and weigh down with a slightly heavy object (like a box of cake mix). The pressure just induces the water to leave the tofu which will allow the tofu to brown. Let the tofu sit for 5-10 minutes, replacing towels when necessary. For a final measure, you can take a paper towel and gently press on the tofu (check the sides as well!). Julienne the tofu and cut into 1 inch pieces. In a bowl, add your rice noodles to water as directed by the package. Generally, soak noodles in water for about 10 minutes, or until flexible but not expanded.

Next, heat a large pan or wok with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and add your peanuts. If you are allergic to peanuts, you can use sesame oil and skip to the next step. Keep an eye on your peanuts (why I don't suggest you take care of your tofu as well as this step) and make sure they do not burn. Decide whether you will remove your peanuts or keep them in your pan - I don't feel like it really matters so I just keep them. Add more oil to your pan, if needed, and add your shallots, garlic, and tofu. Turn tofu occasionally to brown all sides. 

Once browned, add rice noodles into your pan stirring quickly to prevent sticking. Do not add the water from soaking. Stir your tamarind paste into 1/4 cup of warm water and add with sugar, fish/oyster sauce, and chili. This will brown your noodles, so continue stirring. If there is too much juice, turn up the heat on your pan or wok. Taste your noodles to determine if it needs more salt (oyster/fish sauce), sweet (sugar), or sour (tamarind).

Next, push your noodles to one side of your pan and crack your egg(s) on the bare side. Scramble your eggs until almost cooked and fold into the noodles. Taste your noodles again to ensure that taste is right, and that your noodles are cooked. If they are still undercooked, add a little bit of water until soft (the key is to soak them well in the beginning). Add bean sprouts and chives (and additional peanuts) and cook until noodles are dry and tangled. 

Serve with hot banana flower, lime, peanuts, raw chives, and raw sprouts. 

Enjoy a delicious and flavorful meal!

Afghan Introduction

I was recently at a friend's house for a study-dinner date. My friends are two Afghan sisters who wanted to introduce Afghan food to me. I absolutely love Indian and Nepalese food so I knew I was probably going to enjoy Afghan food as well! Since its August, the Muslim community is observing Ramadan by fasting while the sun is up. So at about 8 PM, we broke fast with bolani! Bolani is this delicious, buttery (without actual dairy) flatbread stuffed with various vegetables like potatoe and spinach. Although the bolani was most memorable, we also munched on Afghan meatballs, spicy potatoes and garlic, Afghan bread, and shrimp fried rice. My friends wonderfully sent me off with some bolani for Justin - and he was absolutely in love! Since then, Justin's been asking me to figure out how to make bolani but I do not have any tools or ability to make bread (maybe after med school?). Thankfully - I found my way out of having to make bread when I was visiting a local farmer's market this morning! The Afghan booth had four different flavors of bolani and all were vegan! :)

If you are looking to try bolani, check for a local Afghan store or at the farmer's market. If you are looking to make your own bolani, you can purchase phyllo dough (with dairy) or make a dairy-free bread. With a bread maker, add 3 cups prepared bread flour and 1 cup water and follow the instructions from your bread maker. While your bread is preparing, boil water and cook 1 lb of potatoes. Roll a small amount of dough thin (about the thickness of a tortilla) and about 10-12 inches across. Spread about 1/4 cup of potato mixture (as well as any other vegetables you want) and fold in half. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and brown the bolani on both sides. Serve with plain yogurt or chutney. I heated 1/4 of bolani with a garlic and roasted bell pepper hummus spread for lunch below :)

Pita Bar Night

Justin and I are absolutely in love with pita bread, especially pita chips, so I decided to do a meal incorporating some Greek flavors! This meal was originally just a twist on a normal burger with a turkey patty inside a pita pocket. However, turkey is a naturally very lean meat, so I decided to add some extra flavors with hummus. Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip made of chickpeas, which are high in protein. My favorite flavors are roasted garlic, red pepper, or a mix of the two. This led to my other toppings: cucumbers and light feta cheese. You can also add tomatoes, lettuce, or even a tossed greek salad. I prefer to stay away from the extra carbs, but seasoned rice is an option as well.
Instead of making turkey patties, I ground up the turkey with sea salt and Greek seasoning (well worth $5 for the flavor it brings). Ground turkey, instead of formed patties, makes you consider portions a bit more (IMO), so I chose to do that instead.
Set out all your toppings, make your pita pockets, and create your pita bar!

Sausage and Italian Barley Salad

While visiting my parents, my Mum awakened Justin's passion for barley. Since then, he'd been asking for me to make barley salad, so I finally did! Barley is a great source of fiber and a little protein. To cook barley, cook one cup of barley in 2 1/2 cups of water for 35-40 minutes.
Once the barley is fully cooked, toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar (to taste). Add salt, freshly chopped garlic, and basil. Throw in some tomatoes, I prefer the baby heirloom tomatoes because they add a sweetness. :)
I paired the barley with a mild Italian sausage so the acidity of the barley will be cut by the richness of the sausage. Any marinated meat would work as well! :)
Just an easy dinner tonight!

Jazzed Up Steaks

I was trying to come up with what I wanted to eat this week - and read Justin's mind about what he felt like eating. I don't know about you all, but trying to get Justin to cough up what he feels like eating is harder than getting him to close cabinet doors after himself. His reply is always "I don't know. Whatever sounds good." and then I end up having to come up with a couple options and if I'm lucky he'll be pretty decisive on just one!
So naturally, being out of food and since it's the weekend - it was time to do our little ritual of picking out this week's meals. It's been a little while so I decided to treat Justin to some red meat! I found this recipe for steak that has a summery touch and as Justin likes to refer to "fancy". This is a steak over bruschetta with a tossed spinach salad in vinaigrette and crostini.

Your first priority is to find your steak! They had a pretty good quality steak on special at a local market so I got about 1 lb of steak which makes enough for 3 slightly large servings. Remember that your steak is the star of your dish so if you can, throw in a bit of extra money for a really good quality steak! The original dish called for pesto but since I was unable to find a dairy-free pesto (and I decided I was gonna be too lazy to make one - too many other things competing for my attention this weekend!) so I just replaced it with bruschetta. And since Justin is in love with bruschetta, it was a win-win situation. :)   Also pick up your favorite green for a tossed salad, I picked spinach because it has a great source of iron but others work just as well like arugula.
Here is a total list of your ingredients:

Steak

Bruschetta

Greens (Spinach)

Your favorite bread (Ciabatta)

This meal is super fast and easy - but you need to have everything going all at once! First, slice your bread into about 1/2" slices and place them on a baking pan. Spread a small amount of olive oil on each bread and sprinkle a small amount of salt. These go into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-6 minutes to get the bread just crusty. After putting your bread in the oven, put your pan on the stove to heat. Once it is warmed up, place your seasoned steaks in the pan, I seasoned my steaks with a sprinkle of sea salt and minced rosemary. I don't really cook my steaks via time, so if this helps, flip your steaks once they are cooked almost halfway through the steak. Cook the steaks on the opposite side for about 1 minute less than the other side, turn off the heat, and leave the steaks to finish cooking. After flipping your steaks, take your greens and toss a mix of 2/3 olive oil and 1/3 balsamic or red wine vinegar with a sprinkle of sea salt. If you are nervous about the simple flavors of a vinaigrette, any flavored vinaigrette can be substituted.

Once you have all your components prepared, smear about 2 tablespoons of bruschetta/pesto on your plates, top with your rested steaks, and a nice bunch of greens with a crostini. Enjoy!

Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry is one of my favorite Thai dishes, besides yellow curry, because its sweet and spicy with a wonderful blend of kefir, lemongrass, and thai pepper flavors. It's actually pretty simple to make a good thai curry - although your flavors won't be truly authentic, you will make a very delicious meal!
You will need:
Chicken or tofu
Green curry paste (you can also use yellow quite similarly but the recipe for red curry is a bit different)
Coconut milk
Ginger or galangal
Kefir leaves (from a Kefir Lime tree) - this is optional but it gives a great flavor
Garlic
Vegetables: I always use onion but carrot, potatoes, spinach, and peas are great additions to Thai alternatives. For a traditional green curry, there's usually Thai eggplant which is slightly larger than a pea but pretty similar.
Oil of your choice

I warmed up my largest pan with a good amount of oil to sautee two large chicken breast. I used flaxseed oil instead of my usual vegetable oil, as I try to include it in my cooking about once a week. If you didn't know, flaxseed oil is a great source of omega-3 and fiber which is suspected to help with inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Cook your chicken about halfway and then add your garlic, ginger, and vegetables, unless you are cooking potatoes and large chunks of carrots. Continue cooking until about 3/4 of the way done, then add green curry paste and coconut milk to taste (you want to create a nice thick sauce for your meat and vegetables). Let simmer until your chicken is fully cooked. If you have kefir leaves, add them to your curry while you are simmering.
Serve over rice and enjoy!

Coming up next week: an Italian barley salad :)

Pizza Night

If you are like me, you are also disappointed with frozen pizzas. The crust tastes like cardboard, it doesn't have enough cheese or it has too much cheese, or there isn't a pizza with just your favorite toppings. However - frozen pizza is a convenience. But if you have an hour of time one night, you can make your own pizza exactly the way you want! :)
Since my s/o has a milk allergy, his pizza must be dairy-free. Obviously this means no cheese, but if you get enough toppings you won't even miss the usually essential part of a pizza. For the dairy-free pizza, Justin usually has a ton of pizza sauce, then a layer of veggies, topped with at least two sausages and 1/3 lb of pepperoni. I'll give you some tips about making homemade pizzas, especially when it comes to the dairy-free variety!
What you will need first, is to find fresh dough. You can find these at higher-end supermarkets but double-check that it is dairy-free! I prefer the whole wheat dough for fiber. :) One way to really flavor up your dough, especially if you don't care for the taste of whole wheat, finely mince garlic and herbs (like rosemary) and knead it into your dough to mask the taste. Let your dough rest for about 20-30 minutes while you prepare your toppings. For the dairy-free pizza, sausage is a great alternative to cheese (or so Justin tells me). To ensure that your pizza isn't drowning with fat from the meat, remove sausage from the casing and drain the fat after cooking.
I take my risen dough and split it in two to make two personal pizzas. Use a rolling pin, or your hands to stretch out your dough. Top off your pizzas and place in a greased pan at 425 or 450 degrees F. To brown your crust, brush olive oil over the pizza crust. For a thin-crust pizza, cook for 12-15 minutes but for a thick-crust pizza, cook for 15-18 minutes.

For a cheese pizza, here are some combinations you should definitely try!
Low Calorie:
Skim mozzarella with low fat feta cheese for a tangy combination
Skim mozzarella with fresh sliced tomatoes and basil for a traditional pizza
Not Counting Calories:
Mozzarella with regular feta cheese
Mozzarella with goat cheese

These are some of my favorite combinations! By choosing skim or low fat cheeses you can create a tasty combination without piling on the calories :)

Summer Pasta with Sausage

This is a late post since I've been feeling kinda sick - but thankfully when I'm feeling ill, I love to munch on a light pasta. Talking to my friends, I feel like there is often a misconception about pasta. There is pasta topped with marinara, bolognese, or alfredo and then there is pasta tossed with butter. I get bored with these limited options - especially since alfredo and butter are not possibilities!
This pasta is a refreshing option that lets fresh ingredients like basil and lemon shine.
Take your favorite pasta, I used linguine as a medium between my favorite (spaghettini) and Justin's (any thick pasta). Cook the pasta al dente while you cook your sausage in garlic and shallots. I prefer to remove the sausage from the casing and my favorite is sweet italian because it melts in your mouth like butter. When the sausage is 3/4 of the way cooked, add spinach to your pan to cook. When the pasta is finished, drain and toss with olive oil and a light amount of balsamic vinegar. Toss in your sausage and spinach mixture, add lemon zest, and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste. Add basil for a refreshing, light summer pasta!

Tonights dinner is homemade pizzas! It seems I've been craving Italian as the past couple meals have been following the theme :)
I'm also looking for a Moroccan or Indian dish thats milk free if anyone has suggestions?

Parents Weekend!

Justin and I headed back home to see our parents this weekend - which means some amazing home cooked food :)

It's kinda nice to not have to worry about planning and cooking sometimes - although I think I have it pretty easy most of the time since Justin helps me out in the kitchen whenever he can! :) And sometimes he will even make dinner for us when I'm out of commission! :)

My Mum made this wonderful dinner, a dairy-free calzone with homemade marinara sauce and an arugula salad. First, my Mum made the dough and let it rest in the oven to raise. You can use any dough recipe you like, and if you don't have the time (like me!) you can pick up pre-made dough in the fresh or frozen aisle at pretty much any nicer grocery market (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, ect). Check the ingredients in the dough, but all of the stores I've been to have been dairy-free. Next, my Mum cooked mushrooms, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper and put it aside. She then cooked uncased sausage until 3/4 brown and then re-added the vegetables. She then added the mixture to the risen dough and folded the dough to cover the mixture. Stick the calzones back into the oven until golden brown and serve with your favorite marinara or bolognese sauce! The secret to a really great complementing sauce to your calzone is a bold red wine! You can also play on garlic, basil, or your favorite herb :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoy this traditional dairy meal that you can now make dairy-free! This dish also can be made without meat for any vegans out there :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of my favorite meals when I do not have time to stand over a stove and cook! I make my tortilla soup in a slow cooker so if I have an hour in the morning or the afternoon - and no time at night, I can still have a nice dinner ready whenever I want or need! The beauty of this soup, in my opinion, is that you can literally put whatever vegetables you want in it. I kept it pretty traditional when I made my tortilla soup but I had a leftover carrot so I threw that in as well. 

You will need no longer then one hour of prep (I've got a troublesome can opener!) and 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-7 hours on LOW to cook. I really don't think there's a difference in taste - I feel its more up to when you have time (morning or afternoon).

My recommendation is to chop up all your veggies first:

1 small onion

1 carrot (tossed in a leftover veggie)

1-2 jalapenos (depends on how spicy you'd like it)

1 bag frozen corn (I didn't have enough time to prep fresh corn)

1 can whole tomatoes OR diced tomatoes 

1 large can of tomato paste (not many recipes include tomato paste but I use it to thicken the soup naturally)

1 can black beans (any beans will do and it will add more protein!)

Cilantro

Drain your beans but add the liquid from the can whole/diced tomatoes. Add about 10-12 oz of enchilada sauce (I found an awesome dairy free version at Trader Joes as they usually have some form of milk. At this point you should have a ton of awesome, colorful veggies in your slow cooker with some liquids. Add your chicken (strips, cubes, whatever you desire) to your slow cooker and then add enough chicken broth to cover everything and set to cook!

When your meal is ready, top with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, and sour cream/cheese! :)

For an easy access list, the following are ingredients needed to make this delicious soup:

1 bag or 1 husk of corn

1 can whole or diced tomatoes + sauce

1 large can tomato paste

1 small onion

1-2 jalapenos

1 can black beans drained

10-12 oz enchilada sauce

Around 4 1/2 cups or 36 fl oz of chicken broth

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast

Cilantro

ENJOY! :)

Meatloaf

No picture of the meatloaf tonight! If you have a crazy day where you need to cook, eat, and clean up after yourself (with a little time to spare to change!) in 40 minutes - this is the meal for you! I never actually had meatloaf growing up but Justin is from a midwest All-American family and its comfort food for him :)
This is actually his mom's recipe - although I've never measured anything for this recipe (makes things quicker - in my opinion!). For Justin and I, I pick up 1 lb of ground beef with the lowest fat content I can find (if you pick up a fattier piece of beef, you can cut down on the wet ingredients) which makes 1 dinner and a lunch for one person, although Justin is a big eater! Take your pound of beef with chopped onion and 1 cup of oatmeal per pound of beef in a mixing bowl. For 3-5% fat content, add about 2-3 tablespoons of ketchup and 2-3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Mix your beef until ingredients are evenly dispersed and spread onto a baking pan (or even a baking sheet). I personally use a square glass baking pan - but that's like my one square pan lol.
Cook 1 lb of beef at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You can also cook at a lower degree for a longer period of time - which would allow a slow roasting of the flavors - but I just did not have time tonight! The great thing about meatloaf is you have the option!
Within 40 minutes (10 to prep, 20 to cook, 10 to eat), you will be fed a great hearty meal!