Dinner

Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichokes and Lemon

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Sometimes I stumble upon a recipe because I’m trying to use ingredients I have in the house. I had chicken and I wanted something I could just set in the slow cooker and forget about it a while. It turned out really yummy and made a great salad. One of my tips for nourishing yourself is mindful eating and savoring your food by adding fresh ingredients when serving. It makes the meal special and flavorful. My favorite things to add are a squeeze of fresh lemon, drizzle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, seeds and nuts.

When this meal was finished, I put it on greens and added olives, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. This is not your typical “rabbit food” salad that leaves you hungry soon after eating. This salad is so good and hearty and actually feels like a whole meal. I’m eating less meat these days and when I do have chicken, one of my favorite brands is Bell & Evans. It a local PA brand with humane practices and whenever I find some on sale at the store, I grab it!

Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs

Dried Italian Herbs

Salt and Peper

Olive Oil

Handful of small new potatoes

Juice and Zest from 1/2 lemon

Small jar or can of artichokes

2 cloves of garlic, minced or smashed

Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sear both sides of the chicken in olive oil in a pan and set aside. Place the small potatoes in the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Put the chicken on top and cook just until done (low for 3-4 hours worked for me). Don’t overcook or the chicken will dry out. Serve with a side of vegetables or on a salad.


Small batch fig preserves and a rustic fig pizza

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Oh I love fresh figs! I’m not exactly sure how long the local season is, but it’s not long and when I find fresh figs at the market, I grab them.  And I know two people with fig trees!  I was given a quart this weekend, ate some fresh and made a small batch of fig preserves. I also had some figs at my desk when I arrived at work one day this week.  I just love my people!

The changing of the seasons for fresh produce is part of the rhythm of seasons for me. Just like the hot to cooler weather, vacations and back to school, the fresh food guides how we eat and cook.  I’ve been listening carefully to what I need in this season and what rhythm our family needs.  We are embracing more structure, more learning and growing, getting creative and curious about new things.  I’m finding my pace in the space of the day and more balance and boundaries between my work and the stuff of everyday life.  With the space, I can pay attention to what awakens me, gives me peace and joy. I have more energy for work and play.  I can focus on family, friends, community and serving others in a way that a stressed and overstretched schedule cannot.  And I have more energy for figs and making fig preserves on a Tuesday night! That’s a win!!

Small Batch Fig Preserves

Ingredients

1 pint of fresh figs, quartered

1/2 cup of raw sugar (or regular sugar)

2 tablespoons honey

juice of 1 lemon

Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook the contents until thickened, about 50 minutes.  Be sure to stir to prevent sticking, especially as the mixture thickens.  Place the hot contents in a jar with a canning lid and flip the jar over to seal.  I still store this in the refrigerator and even if it’s not sealed, it will keep for months with the sugar preserving it.

My favorite use for fig preserves is on a cheese and meat tray or on this fabulous rustic pizza! I used fresh figs on this one, but the preserves are great when figs are not in season.

Rustic Fig, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

Ingredients

Your favorite pizza crust (I make my own or use local Thom’s Bread pizza crust)

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh figs, thinly sliced

4-5 slices of Prosciutto

goat cheese

Balsamic vinegar

Arugula

Drizzle the pizza crust with OVOO.  Place the fresh figs or fig preserves, prosciutto and goat cheese on the pizza. Place in 425 degree oven for 7-10 minutes. Place the arugula on top of the hot pizza and let it wilt with the heat. Drizzle with more OVOO and Balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction.

 

 

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Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup and Being Still

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As fall sets in, I am embracing the change in weather, the colors, the crisp cool air with autumn rituals of picturesque walks, warm drinks and sun filled windows that only fall can bring.  Fall is a time when things slow down. When the world is so loud, it’s nice to slow down and just be still and listen. That’s what fall has become for me, a season of being still.  Recently I started a ritual of just sitting in a park or outdoors once a week for 15 minutes and just being still…not trying to get in a quick walk, not catching up on emails or some reading, but just time to be still and present and take in what’s around me.  Some people are able to get this quiet time in the morning, but not me.  As soon as I get up, no matter what time, kids are right behind me and my day has started.  So I schedule it in my day just once a week.  It grounds me, it gets me ready to think well and feel deeply.  Maybe someday I will actually do this everyday, but for now in this season, 15 minutes in my week is what I have. Since starting this practice, I found that I’m taking bits and pieces of each day to be more present as a result of this intentional time.

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Usually I have a recipe I want to share, then I write a post.  But this time I started writing and I wasn’t inspired by the recipe I was going to share.  But today I was inspired to make this beautiful soup and feel good about sharing it!! It has wonderfully layered flavors and tastes amazing! I still have some kale left in my garden, the last lonely crop that loves the crisp cold air!  And this soup is perfect accompanied by being still and taking in your surroundings and enjoying the loveliness that only fall can bring!

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1 lb Sausage, casing removed (I used apple turkey sausage, but any sausage will do!)

1 onion, diced

1 large carrot, shredded

fresh rosemary, chopped (or dried or use other fresh herbs if you have them)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1 bundle of kale, stems removed, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

1 3/4 cup of lentils

In a dutch oven, brown the sausage in olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic and carrot until tender (salt and pepper at this stage). Pour in about a half cup of red wine and reduce by half (this is optional, but makes another layer of flavor).  Add the herbs, diced tomatoes, water, chicken stock and lentils.  Salt and pepper again and simmer for 35-45 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Add the kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar and enjoy!

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Salsa, Roasted Tomato Sauce and Why it’s ok to not deal with the tomatoes…

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First of all, I wanted to post this a few weeks ago. I hope you all still have tomatoes and can enjoy these recipes!!  Just the story of my life right now!

The other week I looked at my kitchen counter and saw all of the tomatoes and I’m like, I just can’t.  I can’t deal with the tomatoes.  In a previous life (a mere few months ago actually), I would take joy in arranging these tomatoes in a nice scattered yet organized way on an old tray or cutting board and take pictures in preparation for a blog post.  Then I would cook something up that’s simple and nutritious and tell the world, hey, this is soooooo easy guys.  There is no excuse to not eat this way.  And the other day, I threw a away a whole bowl of tomatoes that rotted on my counter…..this is not ok.  What IS okay, is not dealing with the tomatoes.  If you love to grow tomatoes and you can’t deal with them, give them away to a neighbor, take them to work, put a table out of “free tomatoes”.  Or just don’t buy the tomatoes.  Buy a jar of sauce, cut up a few vegetables and be done with it because you have chosen to do other things with your time at the moment.  Maybe you have said “yes” to a big project that is taking your time, maybe you are being present with your family, maybe you are just busy enough with everyday life.  Whatever it is, it’s ok and you can’t do it all.  Obviously, this is not about the tomatoes but intentionally saying yes or no to the important things in your life and being okay with it.  Here are two very easy recipes so you can deal with those tomatoes without too much thinking involved!

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Salsa

6 Larger Tomatoes, diced

small red onion, minced (about 1-2 tablespoons)

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of balsamic vinegar

1 small jalapeño paper, minced (optional)

bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine the onion, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl first (this mellows out the onion).  Then mix all of the ingredients together.  Eat with tortilla chips and it’s also excellent with eggs!!

 

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Roasted Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes, quartered (around 2 lbs) or 6-8 larger tomatoes

1 onion, quartered

any type of pepper, quartered

fresh oregano and rosemary (or dried Italian herbs)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375.  Chop all of the vegetables and toss with herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet with sides and line with parchment paper if you prefer easy clean up.  Roast for 45 min-1 hour.  Remove the vegetables and place in a pot and either puree with an immersion blender, place in a blender or just smash with a fork or potato masher if you prefer chunky  sauce.  Eat with pasta or over zucchini “noodles” or an easy dinner!

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Asparagus and Spinach Frittata

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I am so psyched that spring is here!! It’s been the coldest year ever, like literally.  I saw that on the news.  (I have no idea the details on that or where they were reporting, but in my mind it’s true.) But the roadside markets are open now, there is fresh seasonal produce available, my garden is in, I feel like cooking again…things are getting more right in the wold.  In seasons defined by workloads, projects, school, activities, saving the world (you have to dream big! ;-)) I can always come back to the kitchen, my garden, running with friends, the woods, a good book and feel more centered.  Feeding the soul with these things in life that center me gives me the energy to do the hard stuff.  The projects and goals that seem impossible and big and having faith to just forge on day after day doing my part.  I ran with a friend today for the first time in while.  Just running and having her by my side fed by soul.  I need more feeding of the soul, more faith and trust and less striving and controling.

To me the perfect weekend brunch (or breakfast, lunch or dinner any day of the week for that matter) is anything with eggs.  While we can’t have chickens in our back yard, the next best thing is being able to visit the chickens that lay our eggs.  My youngest and I did that this week and picked up some local asparagus and spinach.  It was a good day!  Right where I needed to be when I thought that life was too big.

 

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Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 Tbsp milk of choice

olive oil

1 bunch of fresh asparagus

1 cup fresh spinach

fresh thyme (or herbs of choice)

grated parasean cheese

salt and pepper

In a broiler-proof pan, cook the asparagus and spinach in olive oil until just tender.  Mix the eggs, milk and cheese and a handful of chopped herbs.  Add the egg mixture to the cooked vegetables and cook a few minutes until firm on medium to medium/low heat (not too high). Then cook under the broiler for 2-4 minutes.  I cooked mine too long, so watch it before it gets too brown (like mine).  But it was still good!!  Grab a book, some coffee, enjoy it outdoors and feed your soul (and your belly!)

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Zucchini Pizza Crust and Some Thoughts on Clean Eating

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I have been having many conversations with friends and family around healthy and clean eating lately. It’s probably the impending warm weather that will eventually come that is inspiring people to give more thought to what they are eating.  The visions of fresh, local produce dancing in our heads…UM, or maybe that’s just me. Or it could just be that we all sat around this LONG, COLD winter eating the bread, milk and eggs we got in preparation for the next snow storm.  Whatever the reason, I have given my “list” of foods to a couple of people who are contemplating their eating habits.  Inspired by the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker where she writes about excess in food, clothes, spending, waste, possessions, media, and stress, I made a list of 7 food categories that I would eat for 7 days. JH (that’s what I call her because we are tight now…I follow her on Instagram) went so far as picking 7 foods and ate only those foods for 30 days.  So I’m not that crazy, but my little experiment made me think about the foods I was eating and totally eliminated processed foods and sugar.  That’s good!  But I also felt really weak and headachy so I added some grains to the mix because I’m just not good with totally eliminating grains.  It’s just not sustainable for me personally.  So here are my adjusted food categories:

1. Fruits/Vegetables

2. Meat/Eggs

3. Nuts (inclues nut butters and almond milk)

4. Plain Greek Yogurt

5. Beans

6. Grains (sprouted grain breads, oats, brown rice and quinoa)

7. Healthy fats (Like Olive Oil and Coconut Oil)

I’m not a nutritionist and I know that these categories are broad and up to interpretations, but in general if I eat this way, eliminating processed foods and sugar, I feel good.  You can adjust the list to what works for you.  I’m certainly not perfect, and have a hard time eating like this all the time. One way our family can keep on track to start off the weekend is to have pizza night on Friday night.

Friday nights we are usually tired and just want to get take-out, but if we plan to make our own pizza we can have something that is healthier.  And it takes the guess out of what to make for dinner.  Sometimes I make my own whole wheat pizza crust and sometimes we get already made pizza crusts from a local bread maker-Thom’s Bread.  We get it at a market close by and it’s really good and made with simple ingredients- flour, water, olive oil, salt and yeast.  Today I wanted to try another gluten free option.  I’ve made cauliflower crusts in the pasts, but this time I tired a zucchini crust and it turned out great.  Now, this is not real bread pizza crust….I think I will always prefer real bread, but for gluten free and veggie-packed, it’s good!  Give it a try!  Top with your favorite pizza ingredients.  I put turkey sausage, kale, tomatoes and cheese on this one.  I know that cheese is not on my list…case in point that I’m not perfect and have my weaknesses!!

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Ingredients

2 smaller zucchinis, shredded (or one larger/med zucchini)

1/2 c. almond flour

1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and peper

Preheat oven at 450 degrees.  Grate the zucchini and to and get as much moisture out as possible, lay out a dish towel with a paper towel on top.  Put the zucchini on the paper towel and dish towel, wrap it up and really wring it out.  You want the zucchini to be as dry as possible so the crust does not get soggy.  Then mix all of the above ingredients together.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza stone or a baking sheet and brush with olive oil.  Spread out the mixture to form the crust.  Brush crust with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  Then flip the crust over right on to the pizza stone and bake another 5-10 minutes on the other side.  Then put on the pizza ingredients of your choice and bake another 5-10 minutes until your cheese is melted.  Enjoy!!

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Chicken Vegetable Soup

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This weekend was bitterly cold, and I didn’t feel bad at all about staying inside and doing some “chopping therapy” as I like to call it.  The house feels so warm, the kids are playing (kind of), the sun is shining bright through the windows and football is on…this is what January is all about to me.  The first week in January is stressful because we are all getting back to “normal” after the holidays and I feel pressured to make some kind of New Years resolution or list of goals for the year, but honestly I am just not much for New Years resolutions. I make resolutions throughout the year…many times…and break them…many times and sometimes I keep them and make goals and I keep them and I accomplish things.  I just like to do these things as they come up in life and as I am inspired, not just at the start of a new year.  But I do usually get back to eating healthy after holiday indulgence and start training for something (sometimes reluctently)…usually a half marathon. I need this discipline in life to live a healthy lifestyle and stay accountable.

So this weekend, I took some time to go to Central Market.  I got some root vegetables and a fresh roaster chicken and used it to feed us the entire weekend.  I cooked the chicken on Saturday and we ate that for dinner.  I made chicken stock that night and used it and the leftover chicken to make this chicken vegetable soup the next day. I used the rest of the leftover chicken to make curry chicken salad for lunches.  I LOVE going through this process and using the whole chicken for several meals.  I do this a couple of times a month, especially in the winter.   And this soup is the perfect soup for chopping winter root vegetables and taking your time in the kitchen. Let the “chopping therapy” commence!

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Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 turnip, chopped

1 parsnip, chopped

olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

4-6 cups of chicken stock

3-4 cups of cooked chicken, chopped in bite sized pieces

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup of fresh or frozen green beans, chopped in 1 in. pieces

salt and peper

dash of red pepper flakes

In a dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrots and celery for a few minutes.  Add the turnip and parsnip and cumin, salt and pepper and sauté until tender.  Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, more salt and pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the peas and green beans and simmer until tender.  Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!!

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Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

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This is a quintessential fall soup, perfect for Thanksgiving or lunch the next day when you crave something “lighter” and more nutrient dense than the traditional Thanksgiving dinner we all love and enjoy.  Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year.  It’s a time when we can relax and enjoy visiting with family without the extra pressure of Christmas presents and parties and things that tend to take us away from the real meaning of the season.  And there are still little gems of local cold weather produce available until most of our markets close this week.  In this recipe, I used pumpkin that I roasted, pureed and froze. You can also cook fresh pumpkin or winter squash in the soup or use canned pumpkin puree.  I love to top off this soup with plain greek yogurt for a little tangly flavor, or use sour cream or drizzle some cream.  You can make this soup ahead, it gets better as the flavors combine.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves or garlic, minced

2 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup of pumpkin puree or cubed fresh pumpkin

1 apple, cored, peeled and cubed

4 cups of chicken stock

2 tablespoons of fresh sage, rough chopped

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

plain greek yogurt, sour cream or cream (optional)

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In a dutch oven or soup pot, saute the onions in olive oil for a few minutes with salt and pepper then add the garlic until tender.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the cheese and yogurt) and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.  Simmer the soup a few minutes.  Remove from heat and add in the Parmesan cheese.  Serve with plain greek yogurt, sour cream or a drizzle of cream.  Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Creamy Cabbage Slaw

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This dinner was so easy on a Sunday afternoon.  We put the pork in the crock pot, went for a bike ride, watched football and had a nice meal at the end of the day.  Pulled pork is an easy and tasty dish to make when you need some hands off cooking time.  The slaw is a perfect complement.  I do not eat mayonnaise (just never liked it) so I do not make traditional coleslaw.  This slaw is packed with fall produce and is really cost effective this time of year.  I use the greek yogurt instead of the mayonnaise here, and it has a creamy tart taste.  I found a greek yogurt that is made locally from Fiddle Creek Dairy in Quarryville, PA and it is SO GOOD!  I was reluctant to try it because of the price and didn’t think it would taste that much different, but boy was I wrong.  It is so much better than the greek yogurt in the grocery stores.  I plan to make my own greek yogurt and see if I can come close to this taste.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

4-5lb pork shoulder

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup of chicken stock

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot and mix together.  Place the pork shoulder in the crock pot and mix around until the pork is covered.  Place on low for 8 hours.  Stir occasionally.  With an hour or two left, take out the pork and shred it with two forks and place back in the crock pot for 1-2 hours.

Cabbage Slaw

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Ingredients:

4-6 cups green cabbage, shredded or chopped (you can mix red here too, but I only had green)

1/2 cup broccoli, finely chopped

2-3 carrots, shredded

1 apple, peeled, cored and shredded

1 shallot, finely minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup toasted almonds

1/2 cup greek yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together and enjoy with your pulled pork!

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Simple Potato Leek Soup

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Soup season is here!  I will probably make it every other day until Christmas…not really, but soup is a great way to pack in nutrients in one delicious dish.  The potatoes are harvested, leeks are in season and this soup could not be simpler.  I added the tasty addition of the bacon.  It just adds the right amount of flavor. If you don’t eat bacon (which is obviously crazy 🙂 ), omit and and use another fat.  You can add corn to this or ham and chucks of potatoes for a hearty soup.  It is great for leftovers.  I actually think it tastes better the next day when all of the flavors are incorporated.

If you have never cooked with leeks before, they are in the same family as onion and garlic.  They more closely resemble a white onion, but with a milder, sweeter flavor. They do not overpower the other flavors in a dish.  They are plentiful in the fall and early spring. When they are in season, I often use leeks in place of onions.  Use the white portions and the light green portion and cut into strips (julienne).

Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon

2 leeks, white and light green portions, julienned about 2 inches

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

4-6 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable)

fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

In a deep sauteing pan or dutch oven, fry the two slices of bacon until browned.  Remove the bacon and use the drippings and bits to saute the leeks and garlic (season with sea salt) until softened. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper and crushed red pepper if you are using. Simmer until the potatoes are soft.  Use an immersion blender or blender to puree the soup in batches.  I prefer to puree the whole soup, but you can also keep it a little on the chunky side.  Serve with a piece of crusty bread and enjoy!