Homemade Paneer (from ricotta cheese)

Paneer is that delicious cheese usually cubed and swimming in a lovely Indian curry.  I've seen it at Whole Foods for about $8 for the equivalent of maybe two servings.  I came across this "cheese hack" in a cookbook called Indian Home Cooking.

Ingredients:
1 pound (16 oz) ricotta cheese

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Evenly spread the ricotta cheese into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45 minutes until the cheese begins to brown and is firm.  The cheese will firm up further as it cools.  After cooling cut into cubes and use in your favorite paneer dish.

Beef and Lentil Meatballs

I was in search of a way to stretch one pound of grass-fed ground beef.  And boy, was this a tasty way to do it.

Beef and Lentil Meatballs
recipe adapted from It's not Easy Eating Green who adapted from Italian Meatball Sliders, Cooking Light July 2012

1 slice of Sesame Ezekiel Sprouted Bread
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (consider reducing by a 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 cup firm cooked lentils such as brown or green
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking dish with parchment paper for easy clean up. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix with your hands until evenly combined, not too long because you do not want to over-mix.

Using a tablespoon or a disher, portion the meatball mix into small balls.  I ended up with about 20 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the lined baking dish and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve over rice or pasta with a tomato sauce.

Variation: these might also be tasty shaped as sliders

Meat and Veggie Pasta Sauce

• 1 - 28 oz can whole unsalted tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped garlic scapes (or scallions)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 cups grated zucchini (or other veggie)
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/3 c chard stems (or 1 stalk celery)
• 1 lb grass fed beef

1. Use immersion blender to puree whole tomatoes and garlic scapes (or scallions) into a smooth sauce.
2. Saute chard stems (or celery), garlic and carrot in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until sofened, about 5 minutes. Add grated zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes. Season sauteed veggies with salt and pepper.
3. Add ground beef and saute until browned.
4. Season sauce with salt and pepper and simmer on low for 10 minutes until thickened.
5. Serve over brown rice pasta or zucchini noodles.

Recipes to Repeat

I haven't made the time to write up any of our recent eats.  So, here's a catalog of dishes that we MUST make again soon.

Vegetarian Chili (modifed version of this)

Tofu Sofritas in Oven Baked Crispy Tortilla Shells

Beef and Mint Keema with Kidney Beans

Veggie Cream Cheese with bell pepper and kale

Salmon Matar and Paneer Matar (not pictured)

Pernil Pork Shoulder with rice and sprouted mung beans

Notes from Eating on the Wild Side

There is so much nutritional and culinary treasure in this tome.  Below are my greatest take-aways from reading Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson.

Lettuce

• Choose deeply colored lettuce
• For freshness store in a zip top bag with 10 - 20 pin pricks
• Raddichio (di Chioggia and especially di Treviso) are antioxidant superstars

Alliums

• For maximum allicin remember to "Press then Rest" your garlic cloves - that is press then let the garlic sit for ten minutes before cooking
• Save onion skins for broth - a high concentration of bionutrients are located in the skins
• Scallions have 140 times more phytonutrients than white onions

Potatoes

• Top taters when it comes to phytonutrients are Purple Peruvian (#1 by a long shot), French Fingerling and large purple
• When you peel a potato you lose half of the total antioxidants
• To reduce the sugar in potatoes, cook then refrigerate for 24 hours
• Potatoes with colorful skin AND flesh are the most nutritious

Other Root Veggies

• whole cooked carrots are the more nutritious than cutting then cooking
• Red beet juice reduces the energy needed to walk and run and can boost athletic performance
• Beet leave are more nutrient dense than the root

Tomatoes

• small tomatoes have more sugar and lycopene
• Cooked and processed tomatoes have a more easily absorbed and higher concentration of lycopene
• Skin and seed are the most nutritious parts of the fruit and contain glutamate (aka umami)

Crucifers

• Broccoli hierarchy of nutrition: super fresh (less than three days old), raw over cooked, whole head over florets, steamed for 5 minutes or less over boiled or microwaved
• Kale is most nutritious when eaten raw

Legumes

• 70% of the antioxidants are lost to the bean cooking liquid - consume the cooking liquid or simmer dried legumes then let them sit in the pot liquor for another hour to reabsorb some of the nutrients
• Pressure cooked beans have the most antioxidant activity
• Varieties with the highest antioxidant activity are lentils, black beans, dark red kidney beans and pinto beans
• Canned beans are higher in nutrients than home cooked beans

Apples

• Eat the skins or you're loosing 50% of the nutrients!  
• For a more nutritious apple crisp, peel the apples but then process in the food pro processor processor and incorporate into the crisp topping
• Selected Top Nutrient honors go to: Braeburn, Cortland, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Red Delicous 

Berries

• cooked blueberries are better than raw
• Eat blue- and blackberries several times a week for the most health benefit
• Eat frozen berries frozen or thaw in the microwave for max nutrient retention
• Increase the antioxidants in strawberries by storing on the counter for two days

Stone Fruit

• White-fleshed peaches and nectarines are richer in phytonutrients than yellow-fleshed
• Tart Montmorency and Balaton cherries reduce inflammation
• Prunes are one of the most nutritious foods you can buy

Grapes

• Go for red, purple and black grapes if you're after anthocyanins (especially Muscadine and Concord)
• Store grapes in a micro-perforated bag in the fridge

Citrus

• Eat the membranes for added nutrients.  Slice oranges to make the membrane less noticeable
• Deeply colored flesh equals more phytonutrients

Tropical Fruit

• Mangoes and Guavas are the most nutritious tropical fruits

Melon

• Choose seedless watermelon with deeply colored red flesh for more nutrients.  Store at room temp for a few days to increase nutrient value.
• Scrub the outside of melons well before cutting to remove bacteria

Eating on the Wild Side was a great read and remains a great reference for me.  I highly recommend it for those of us seeking insight into the sustenance behind the plants we enjoy eating.

Tofu Sofritas Bowl

Tofu Sofritas

adapted from Farmgirl

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground ancho or chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ medium onion, diced small (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon diced mild Hatch chilis
• 1 cup fire roasted tomatoes (about half a 16 oz can)
• 1 (16-ounce package) organic extra-firm tofu (Trader Joe's Sprouted Tofu), drained, dried well and crumbled
• 1 cup liquid (water, beer, broth or reserved canned bean liquid)
• 1 tablespoon ketchup (or tomato paste)
• juice of half a lime

1. Combine all the spices in a small bowl. 

2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and warm the oil. Saute the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chilies and spices, and continue cooking and stirring until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the tomatoes; cook another minute. Add the crumbled tofu, liquid of choice, ketchup and lime juice and cook until the liquid has reduced and the flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. 

4. Serve with lime rice, black beans, avocado, corn, red peppers, green onions, salsa, shredded lettuce and a oven toasted tortilla.

Chunky Red Lentil Cauliflower Dal {Crockpot}

Ingredients

• 1.5 C red lentils
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• .5 head cauliflower, florets
• 4-5 cups chicken stock
• 1 T curry powder
• 1 t turmeric
• 1/8 t red pepper flake (or to taste)
• 1 T ginger, freshly grated (we keep ours in the freezer)
• 1 T garlic, minced or pressed
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.  Add all of the ingredients except the salt to the crockpot.

2. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  The lentils should have very little bite left and almost (if not fully) dissolved into the stock.  Season with salt towards the end of cooking time.  Add more chicken stock to adjust thickness of dal.

Variation ideas

Try with substituting curry powder and turmeric for 1.5 T garam masala.  Also substitute soaked/sprouted chickpeas for lentils.

Tzatziki (Cas-ziki) Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 C julliened cucumbers (I used a mandoline slicer)
• 1 C plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 small garlic clove (about 1/4 tsp), pressed
• 1 tablespoon lemon balm, minced (sub in mint or other herb you like)
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Refrigerate and enjoy with crudites/veggie sticks. The sauce may separate as it sits. Just stir and it's all good.

First Prep Sunday: a Review in Pics

crossing the finish line=

• roasted sweet potatoes (about 4 average sized s. potatoes)
• ready to eat strawberries (1 quart, organic)
• veggie sticks: peppers (2), carrots (5), celery(4), cucumber (1) (all organic)
• lentils for burgers al 101 Cookbooks
• yogurt cups with fruit on the bottom (2 yogurt cups -pineapple and blueberry/pinapple)
• fat cheese sticks (grassfed cheddar from TJ)
• sunflower date treats a la Shutterbean
• hard steamed eggs (4 steamed to perfection in 12 minutes)
• granola a la Shutterbean
• Cas-ziki for dipping (recipe coming soon)
• ready to eat kiwi
  

It took me about 4 hours from start to finish (and that's with P deciding not to nap).

Having a checklist was KEY for me!  Even though I didn't check it all off I I still felt accomplished.  Other keys to success include grocery shopping the day before and starting with clean counters and sink.

Fruit and veggies washed in vinegar water

fat cheese sticks and kiwi on the verge of peeling

It was definitely worth the work.  And thanks largely to the sticks I have never eaten so many veggies in my life. Throughout the week, I reaped the benefits of the time I spent toiling away on Sunday.

Will I do it again?  Survey says YES! In fact I just finished my second prep just before writing this post.

Sunday Prep Checklist

So I'm joining the Prep Sunday train.  I've wanted to jump aboard for several months now, but I've failed to plan ahead.   Or rather I "plan" in my head and then never execute said "plan."  A written plan should help, so below I've developed a prep checklist to help get my head in gear.

What is Prep Sunday and why is it appealing to me?
The whole idea of Prep Sunday is to prepare some ingredients and or meals for the week ahead.   I want to be a meal planner but I am not very good at it because I like the creativity of creating a meal on a whim using what I have.  I hope that prepping some ingredients ahead of time will give me the building blocks to eat well yet still spontaneously throughout the week. 

In preparation for the preparation...
Spend no more than 15 minutes reviewing the checklist and consulting Pinned, Feedly tagged and other wise saved recipes.  Choose specific foods/meals that you'd like to eat in the coming week - think eating the rainbow, veggies at EVERY meal and protein rich snacks to balance blood sugar.  Make your grocery list. Go shopping (perhaps one or two days before prep day).  

Beginning with clean/clear kitchen counters/sink and a list of what/how you're prepping each food, go to town prepping.  I think if all items on the checklist are executed, it would take roughly 2 childless hours also know as 3+ child-full hours.  This is a perfect use of naptime.

PREP SUNDAY CHECKLIST

[  ] Choose 2 MEAT, FISH or CHICKEN to:
take  OUT OF FREEZER (if applicable)

[  ]Choose 3+ VEGGIES to:
ROAST: carrots, beets, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, onions and peppers
CHOP: celery, peppers, carrots, cucumbers

[  ]Choose 2+ FRUITS to:
WASH (&CHOP) for ready to eat ease: bananas, oranges, berries, pineapple, mango, local in season fruit

Clean produce tip: fill your sink half way with water and then add a good pour of white vinegar (1 part vinegar to 10 parts water scientifically proven to kill 90% of germs),  rub, rub, rub then lay fruits/veggies on a clean towel to dry.  Berries should not sit in vinegar water for too long and they must be completely dry before storing.

[  ]Choose 1+ GRAIN to:
SOAK and/or COOK: brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, wheat berries, millet, amaranth

[  ]Choose 1+ PROTEIN SNACK to:
MAKE: sunbutter stuffed dates, lara bars/balls, hard steamed eggs, cheese cubes

[  ]Choose 1 double batch BREAKFAST MEAL to:
MAKE: oatmeal, baked oatmeal, breakfast burritos (egg & {sweet}potatoes), baked eggs with greens, quiche, fruit on the bottom yogurt cups (chopped fruit with honey + plain yogurt), granola

[  ]Choose 1 double batch DINNER MEAL to:
MAKE: soup, casserole, veggie burgers, fried rice/quinoa, hearty grain salad, roast chicken

[  ]Choose 1+ SAUCE/DIP to:
MAKE: pesto, tapenade, soy maple sauce, tzatziki, hummus, garlicky tahini kale dressing

I made a printable GOOGLE DOC of the checklist to use each week.

I'm off to get started.  I'll report back next week.  Happy Sunday Prepping!

Two of my favorite bloggers are also Sunday Prepping:
Kelsey over at Rising Shining
Tracey of Shutterbean fame

Why Food's at the Heart

A few weeks ago I renamed this space Food’s at the Heart. I really wanted to reengage with this space after being mostly absent from this blog since, well, its inception. I started this blog March of 2007 - Cuisine at its Best I would call it. It was to be a launch pad for my as yet started personal chef business. That business never got the depth of attention it required. Since then my love of food, though, has deepened.  I love that food -that which sustains us physically- has the ability to connect, to nourish, to heal, to help and to tell a story. Food and all that it connects to are constantly stirring about in my mind.

Alongside my deepening love of food, I've discovered that I love storytelling - especially the non-fiction true-to-life storytelling. And really that's why I'm such a die-hard blog reader (and memoir reader and public radio listener). I enjoy the art of weaving together thoughts into words. I especially love storytelling when someone else is doing it - thus my previous lack of commitment to this blog. But I constantly have food (and other) stories stirring about in my mind.  

As an introvert I am very much at home in my head. To a fault actually. And so here I am embracing the maxim - I write, so that I know what I think.  And for me food is at the heart of many of the issues that I believe are important.

Another string that has pulled me toward blogging more regularly is my quest for "that" mythical blog. You know "that blog" - the one where its writer has an uncanny ability to type your very thoughts, post after post and you see chunks of yourself strewn about in her writing. For one thing, I've always been keenly aware of the lack of color in my Feedly feed. I wondered why I hadn't come across black food writers blogging about food and sustainability or food equity. So I Googled "Black bloggers" and "black food bloggers." I was happy to find a few to follow but even still, I haven't found anyone (of any stripe) writing exactly what I want to read or writing exactly what I think is important. And it occurred to me (in a well-duh-moment) that if I wanted to find "that" blog, I would have to write "that blog." So here I am.

If you've stopped by I'd love for you to say "hi" in the comments. Have you found that there's that ONE thing that ties together your various interests?

Salmon Burgers

Salmon Burgers

Ingredients

• 1-14.75 oz cans Wild Alaskan Salmon, drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 slices Ezeikiel Sesame Sprouted Grain Bread
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 rounded Tbsp course grain dijon mustard
• to tastes black pepper
• do not add salt (canned Salmon is already salty)
• 1/4 c cocount flour
• 6 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. In the food brocessor grind up the bread and garlic cloves into crumbs.
2. In a large bowl mix bread crumb garlic mixture with the eggs, mustard, black pepper and cocount flour.
3. Heat a skillet or large fry pan with 3 tablespoons coconut or olive oil over medium heat.
4. Form salmon mixture into 8 patties. Fry in two batches of 4 patties, approximately 4 minutes per side or until nicely browned. You will need to add 3 more tablespoons of oil for the second batch.
5. Enjoy wrapped in leafy lettuce instead of buns with a side of thin cut roasted potatoes.

Roasted Veggie and Pasta Tomato Stew +leftover heaven

This stew does double duty.  First it's a thick soup then as the leftovers marinade in the fridge it can be transformed into a saucy, cheesy baked pasta casserole (as seen above).  I think the casserole version was the tastiest!

Roasted Veggie and Pasta Tomato Stew

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, large dice
• 1 C frozen pearl onions
• 4 medium red skin potatoes, quarter inch half moon slices
• 4 stalks celery, large dice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 C chicken stock
• 1 large clove garlic, minced (or 3 cloves roasted then smashed)
• 1 C pasta shapes (i used TJ vegetable radiatore)
• salt to taste
• Parmasano or Romano cheeses
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cooking Directions

1. Season carrots, onions, potatoes, celery with salt, drizzle with olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for 25 minutes at 425*. 
2.  In a pot over medium high heat bring crushed tomatoes, stock to a boil and add garlic and pasta. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until past al dente. 
3.  Remove roasted veggies from the oven and add to the pot. Turn off the heat and serve topped with Parmesano or Romano cheese.
4. For leftover casserole: grease a small casserole dish or large ramekin with olive oil. add pasta then heat in microwave for a few minutes to warm through. Top with shredded mozzarell cheese and put dish under the broiler for several minutes until brown.
5. Eat, die and go to heaven!

Quinoa Pilaf with black beans, sweet potato and smoked turkey

Quinoa pilaf with black beans, sweet potato and smoked turkey

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 C Quinoa
• 1 small onion, medium dice
• 1 can black beans
• 1 smoked turkey wing, meat taken off bone and chopped
• 1 small sweet potatoe, medium jullien sliced on mandolin
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp red chili flake
• 1 C water

Cooking Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat saute onions in olive oil for 3 minutes then add quinoa, two grinds of salt, cumin and red chili flake.
2. Microwave sweet potatoes for 2 minutes to par-cook or add along with quinoa and spices to pot.
3. When onions are translucent add water, stir and put the lid on for 10 minutes.
4. Add smoked turkey, par-cooked sweet potato and canned black beans to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the white quinoa germ spirals are visible.
5. Adjust salt and serve.

Casandra on eating fruits (& vegetables)

Found this locked away on Google Drive.  It’s from 2011…

Below is my response to an email my aunt sent me. Isn't figuring out what to eat hard enough.  If you see this "Dr OZ on fruit" email in your inbox, quickly press delete.

Aunty Joyce,

Much of the information in the below email is false.  See the myth-busting site Snopes for more info - http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/fruit.asp.  The advice given in the email does not sound anything like Dr. Oz’s approach to health, so I did some investigating after seeing his name at the top.  

Casandra on eating fruits (& vegetables)

-Eat more of them!!! – raw, cooked, blended, sauteed, baked – even fried!

-At meal time, half of your plate should be veggies (the other half is divided equally between meat/protein and grains/carbs)

-Eat more locally or regionally grown produce – they are more healthful because the produce has not lost its nutrients en route from Chile (or elsewhere). Also, buying locally ensures that the money will go into your local economy.  Furthermore, many small farms use sustainable (read: organic) growing practices which means cleaner water and air for you.  The best part is they taste better too.

Some resources:

On the web:

Find Local Food - http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home

USDA Farmers Mkt Search - http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

Books:

In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan

Food Rules – Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Barbara Kingsolver

Movies:

Food Matters

[Hungry for Change]

Food Inc

How to Cook Your Life

Cool Tool for What's Fresh

I came across this cool tool while reading Filmore Containers blog (via Food In Jars blog).

WhenSeason tells you what’s in season in your neck of the woods.  Select your state and the month.

This has me wondering if there’s a garden planning tool out there that would let me input a list of crops and my zip code.  The result would be a schedule for when to plant each crop.  Hmm I better learn how to code.

Coconut-Crusted Tofu

Coconut-Crusted Tofu with Caramel Ginger Pineapple Sauce

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 twin pack sprouted extra-firm tofu (Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 T coconut flour
• salt
• 1 C pineapple
• 1 T tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 T rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 1 T orange zest
• 2 medium oranges , juiced
• 1T honey
• 6 - 8 T coconut oil, divided

Cooking Directions

1. for the tofu:
2. heat oven to hottest warm setting about 250*
3. Slice tofu into quarter inch slices length wise (8 tofu steaks) and season with salt
4. mix coconut flake and flour in a shallow dish
5. press tofu into coconut mix and set aside
6. heat cast iron pan over medium heat with 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
7. place half of the coated tofu into the hot oil. saute 4 minutes or until brown and crusty.
8. flip tofu and brown for another 4 minutes on second side.
9. place tofu in warm oven and repeat saute steps for remaining tofu steaks
10. to make pineapple sauce:
11. add 1/2 T oil to the pan along with pineapple
12. saute for until it begins to caramelize then add soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, honey and orange zest + juice
13. Serve with brown rice steamed in coconut milk and steamed orange scented broccoli

inspiration from Eating Well

BGR Knockoff Veggie Burger

BGR Knockoff Veggie Burger

Ingredients

• 1 C canned beans (pinto or black)
• 1/4 C bean liquid
• 1/2 C cooked brown rice
• 1/2 C raw oats, processed into medium grind flour
• 1/3 C onions, sauted for 5 minutes
• 1 T ketchup
• 2 T molasses
• 1 T honey
• 10 dashes liquid smoke
• 1/2 C sweet potato, cooked then mashed

Cooking Directions

1. {combine all ingredients in a medium bowl
2. {divide into 4 equal patties
3. {cook on griddle or frying pan on medium heat, about 4 minutes per side

Inspired by:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/bgr-veggie-burgers/12648/
http://holycowvegan.net/2011/03/bean-and-oats-burgers.html

Yogurt Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
Half # pasta, cooked
1/3 C olives
1 grated carrot
1 T fresh thyme
1/4 c whole plain yogurt
1 T olive oil
Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and enjoy. It's even better the next day.

How does your EVOO rate?

Is the olive oil you’re cooking with any good?

 

Consumer reports rates the following readily available oils highly.

 

California Estate @ Trader Joes

Kirkland Signature Select Toscano @ Costco

365 Everyday Value 100% California Unfiltered @ Whole Foods

 

I’m going to make sure our next bottle of EVOO is one of these.