Amazing Fall Dinner

Oh yum. Tonight I made salmon burgers with pan fried Brussels sprouts and roasted beets. Zach said this looks like a fancy meal you'd get in a restaurant, and honestly, it tasted that good too. I will confess that this was only my second real attempt at cooking Brussels sprouts. They are unbelievably easy and tasty, and even if you don't like Brussels sprouts (I thought I didn't until I tried them made this way) I encourage you to try them and see what you think. The beets are super easy too- they just take some peeling and chopping prep work, but then you just put them in the oven and let them do their thing.

Easy Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
water
Cut the stems off the sprouts and slice them in half. Melt the butter in a very large frying pan.  Place sprouts cut side down in the pan and allow them to cook over medium-high heat until they begin to brown (I think this was about 10 minutes). Sprinkle salt and pepper on the sprouts. Add a bit of water to the pan (I'd start with a 1/2 cup) and allow the spouts to continue cooking until they become soft enough to piece easily with a fork, adding more water if needed.  These are best served hot out of the pan.

Easy Roasted Beets
2 large beets (I used one red and one gold, but either will work just fine.)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F
Peel beets and cut into bite-sized pieces. (If you've never cooked with beets, just treat them like they are potatoes that want to turn your hands pink). Place in a glass baking dish and pour on oil to coat (I used an 1/8 cup). Toss well. Place in oven and allow to roast for 50 minutes, turning them every 15 minutes or so. On their last cycle in the oven, sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roasting causes the beets to caramelize slightly, and you will be rewarded with the sweetest and best-tasting beets ever. Serve hot if possible. Also great on a cold salad with salty pungent cheese like feta or gorgonzola.

Neck Update/ 2 new Friends!

I realized I should give an update on the neck problems I was having last week. Last Monday I saw a chiropractor for the first time. I visited Andy Rosser at the recommendation of one of my co-workers. He was kind and gentle and not at all scary. Two things he recommended that have seemed to help were switching from hot packs to  ice packs (my trusty bag of edamame works great!) and using a ball to do stretches on my back muscles. My neck is slowly but surely getting better, and I am finally returning to my normal life.  It's still not perfect, but it's a lot better, and it feels great to be able to do some of the active things I enjoy.

Crossfit?

This week I'm making kind of a weird goal (#47) and that is to go check out the CrossFit gym downtown before February of next year. I am simultaneously intrigued and wary of CrossFit- most of the people I know who do CrossFit are in excellent shape and talk about how much they loooovvvveee CrossFit. I have also met a fair number of people who have gotten injured doing CrossFit, and that is part of what makes me wary.  I've also have gotten the impression that CrossFit gyms can be a little competitive, and as I think I've said before, competitiveness in gyms is something that isn't really a good fit for me. But recently a customer at the Co-op who I really like told me that the downtown CrossFit gym has a beginner program where you learn to do the exercises with other folks who have never done CrossFit before. He claims it's low-pressure, fun, and fairly affordable. I figure it's at least worth checking out and might be a way to keep myself motivated and interested in working out.

Cranberry Crunch

During November, we always have lots of fresh cranberries available in the produce department, which means it's time to make Cranberry Crunch! I love to make this cobbler; it's simple and quick to put together and has less sugar and fat than most cobbler recipes (although I will say it is even more delicious with some vanilla ice cream). The recipe comes from the American Wholefoods Cuisine Cookbook. The cranberries retain their delightful tartness and have an awesome cherry-like texture when cooked as the recipe instructs. I also sliced up a small apple and a fuyu persimmon that had seen better days and added them to the original recipe. Cobbler is the perfect vehicle for using up fruit that is past its prime, so if you ever have apples, plums, etc that need to be used up, throw them into a cobbler with more expensive fruit like berries- they'll blend right in and often add some nice textural contrast too.

Cranberry Crunch
adapted from American Wholefoods Cuisine
2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries that have been thawed will also work)
1 small apple, cut into small pieces (optional)
1 fuyu persimmon, cut into small pieces (optional)
1/3 cup honey plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs molasses
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine berries and 1/3 cup honey in a small pot and boil gently until berries pop, about 5 minutes. Pour into a 8 or 9 inch glass baking dish (don't use a metal baking dish, it will make the berries taste metallic).  If you are using the apple and/or the persimmon, stir these in with the cranberries.
In separate bowl, combine oats, flour, and cinnamon, and cut in oil and butter with a pastry blender or wire whisk to an even consistency. Scatter on top of berries. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of honey with molasses and drizzle evenly over topping.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

Totally Delicious Kale Chips

Although I adore kale, most of the time when I've had or made kale chips I've thought they were ok, but I've never been overly impressed. Never that is until my co-worker Chie shared some kale chips she'd made. They were totally delicious, and when I ate them I suddenly understood why  people have extreme love for kale chips . I asked her what kind of seasonings they had, and the things I remember her telling me are: soaked cashews, lemon juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast. I decided to try making some at home, and while they aren't as good as Chie's (she is a quite elevated and  amazing snack maker!) they are really good. I made a batch last week and another today. This time I forgot to buy cashews, so I substituted tahini, which was a little easier and tasted great, so this is how I'll probably make them from now on.
Garlic Dill Kale Chips
1 large bunch of green curly kale, washed, dried in a salad spinner, and torn into small pieces
1/3 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs tamari
2tbs nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill
Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together all ingredients besides kale in the largest bowl you have. Add torn up kale pieces, and toss to coat, using hands to massage the mixture into the kale. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet and spread the dressed kale into a single layer (use more than 1 cookie sheet if needed). Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, turning the kale over every 10-15 minutes to prevent it from burning and help it cook evenly. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can eat a whole bunch of kale!

My New (and Hopefully Temporary) Companions

This week I'm feeling a little down about my health and fitness. I have been having discomfort and tightness in my neck and back for about a month, and this week it reached a point where it has become almost intolerable. I haven't been able to meet my goals around working out or doing yoga because much of the time I am in too much pain, and it's really frustrating.
 I can remember the moment when my neck seized up; it was  after an especially stressful meeting at work, and I felt all of my anxiety and stress settling into the muscles in my back and neck. I felt stiff and terrible, but I assumed it would be a short-lived problem. Unfortunately, when I woke up the next day it was worse. Since then it has fluctuated between mildly uncomfortable and very painful. I have gotten some relief from massage, which was awesome, but after a few days it tightens up again. Right now I am trying a combination of hot packs, home massage with arnica oil,  extra sleep, stretching, tylenol/ibuprofen, and lots of water. Since none of this seems to be doing the trick, tomorrow I'm going on my first ever visit to a chiropractor (Eek! I'm scared!).  If that doesn't work, I'm going to visit my doctor and see what she recommends. So my very sad goal for this week ( goal #46) is to figure out what in the heck is wrong with my neck get it resolved ASAP.

Dreamy Orange-Sesame Cabbage Salad

Yesterday I made a cabbage salad that I liked so much that I spent today looking forward to eating it again! Luckily this recipe made a lot, so I have plenty to have for a few subsequent meals. This salad is light, fresh, and crunchy with a lovely citrus dressing that is creamy but not heavy. I changed it up a bit this evening by adding some shredded beets to the top, which was exquisite, but it's pretty great by itself too. Recipe is courtesy of mynewroots.com, I made a few changes to the original  recipe which I've incorporated below.

Dreamy Orange-Sesame Cabbage Salad

adapted from mynewroots.com

4 cups shredded cabbage (green,savoy, purple, or any combination of the three)

2 cups shredded purple lacinato kale


2 cups shredded or finely sliced carrots


2 green onions, finely sliced


1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley


shredded beets (optional)

½ cup sesame seeds

Tahini Cream Dressing with Orange
:

Makes 1 cup


2 Tbsp. olive oil


3 Tbsp. lemon juice



zest of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 an orange

1 Tbsp. liquid honey (or agave, maple syrup)


1/3 cup roasted tahini


couple pinches of salt

Directions:
 Combine cabbage, kale, carrots, green onions, and parsley in a large bowl.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. Note: The dressing will have a frosting-like consistency. Don't worry, you be adding water to it to thin it down. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop. Remove from heat immediately. Add a bit of the dressing to a large bowl. Add a little water and whisk until it is thined to a consistency that you like. Put in desired amount of cabbage mixture and toss until well coated. Plate the dressed salad and top with shredded beets and toasted sesame seeds. Serve.

This recipe makes a huge quantity of salad. I recommend keeping the vegetable mixture and dressing separate until you are ready to use them.