Pasta-less salad!

Pasta-less salad

Here’s another attempt to take back week nights! It’s Monday, and we can’t forget to fuel our bodies with delicious, whole foods. Here in Mississippi summer is officially upon us. I’ve really been craving pasta salad, but it’s already too hot to even boil water so the spiralizer saved the day. I wanted this salad to have that traditional Zesty Italian dressing flavor but without all of the store bought additives. I combined fresh and dry Italian herbs and tried to get close. This “pasta” salad is just as delicious and filling as the carby kind. All of these ingredients were easy to come by at Kroger, and while there is a bit of involved chopping, this is mostly a straightforward salad. Eat well tonight, friends.

Ingredients
Salad
2 raw zucchinis either spiralized or chopped into very thin one inch rectangles*
1/2 cup black olives finely chopped
1/2 a red pepper finely chopped
1/2 a yellow or orange pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes chopped in half
1/2 red onion finely chopped
4 pieces of bacon cooked, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (optional)*

Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons red white vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp of any fresh or dried Italian herbs on hand – oregano, parsley, thyme
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper each
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)

Directions: Prepare 4 pieces of bacon! I prefer the oven for ease and speed – typically about 20 minutes at 350 but if you are celebrating meatless Monday, this salad is just as good without the meat. Chop all veggies and mix with your hands in a large bowl. Sprinkle chopped bacon on top or mix in.
Make the dressing: Add all ingredients into either a salad shaker or mason jar and shake until combined. Toss the veggies with the dressing and either chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately!

*Makes about four servings and is even better the next day after veggies have marinated in the dressing!
*Grilled chicken or shrimp would also taste great in this salad! I just happened to only have bacon on hand, and I like to have a protein of some kind in every meal.

Taking Back Weeknights: Paleo Ramen Noodle Soup

Hi friends!

Last week, while I was fighting a summer cold, I made a killer Paleo Ramen Noodle Soup that was so quick and easy and packed with flavor and veggies and protein that I just had to share it. This recipe uses spiralized squash noodles instead of ramen noodles, and I promise you won’t miss the grains in the least. Also, there is lots of room for mixing and matching in this recipe, so take the base recipe below and make use of whatever you have on hand – it will turn out delicious, I promise!

Don’t you feel better just looking at it?

Paleo Ramen Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Broth:

• 2 cups stock (any will do, I used chicken)
• 1 TBS Sesame Oil
• 1/3 cup Coconut Aminos
• 1/3 cup orange juice (I use this primarily as a sweetener; you could also use honey, molasses or brown sugar, depending on your dietary preferences, or leave it out entirely and see how that tastes)
• 1 TBS hot sauce (sriracha would be good here, but I just used my trusty Louisiana Hot Sauce)
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 2 TBS minced ginger
• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar

Add Ins and Toppings:

• 1 thin pork chop (beef or shrimp could also work here!)
• 1 summer squash or zucchini, spiralized (or rice noodles or spaghetti squash noodles, depending on allergies and preferences)
• 1 or 2 eggs
• Snap Peas, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, shaved carrots, bell peppers
• Chopped Cashews or Peanuts, lime wedge, jalapenos, fresh cilantro or basil

Directions:

• Prepare your protein: In a medium sized wok sear your pork chop on all sides over high heat. Err on the side of underdone with your protein, because it will continue cooking in the broth. Remove the pork chop from the pan and allow to rest for a moment.
• Prepare your broth: Turn the heat down to medium and toss your garlic and ginger straight into the wok and allow to caramelize a bit. Then add in the broth, coconut aminos, sesame oil, hot sauce, vinegar and orange juice. Stir well and give the broth a taste. Adjust as needed to your preferences.
• Mix and Match Ingredients: This is my favorite part, friends, because it is basically a choose your own adventure story in a pot. First, thinly slice your pork and spiralize your squash. Then throw your protein, noodles, and whatever add ins you have on hand straight into the pot and let simmer until all ingredients are cooked through. I like to crack an egg straight into the broth and let it cook until it is soft-boiled . If that weirds you out, you could also fry an egg in a separate pan and add it on top or you could skip the egg all together, although that would be sad. So so so sad. You’ll want to be strategic with your cook times here – fresh, delicate, veggies should go in last (think snap peas, peppers, etc), but eggs and carrots will take longer. Your protein can also be a bit tricky because you don’t want it to get over done and become tough. I usually throw it in right at the end unless it is much less done than I prefer or is safe, in which case, I’ll put it in when I put the egg in. All told, you’ll probably need to let things simmer for 3 to 6 minutes.
• Add Toppings: As a bonus, you can top this with chopped peanuts or cashews, a lime wedge, fresh basil or cilantro, jalepeno slices, avocado slices or a fried egg. #nom

Local Prawn Scampi with Zucchini Linguine

MAKE. THIS. NOW.

I live in catfish country. Catfish farm country, that is. The Mississippi Delta has historically been home to a huge number of catfish ponds and processing plants, so much so that a nearby town, Belzoni, MS, has been declared the Catfish Capital of the World. In recent years, however, the US catfish industry has suffered due to competition from foreign producers and catfish farming is becoming less and less common in the United States. In fact, between 2007 and 2013, US catfish production dropped from 164,000 acres of catfish farms to just 83,020 acres. Some of those newly available acres are located in my town, and a family of local entrepreneurs have repurposed their catfish ponds to raise freshwater prawns. I”m inspired by the way that the folks at Lauren Farms are innovating and building on the strengths of our community to provide greater access to healthy, local, delicious food!

I grabbed a bag of frozen, extra large prawns at the Leland Pop Up Shops last weekend, and was excited and a little intimidated, to try cooking with them this week, since I’ve only ever cooked with shelled and de-veined shrimp before. (For the record: prawns are very similar to shrimp, except for a few small things about their shells. My prawn-monger (lol, I have a prawn-monger. #fancy.) told me that they have a lighter, almost lobster-like flavor, but I think she is partial. Gross but important fact: she also told me that prawns don’t have a sand vein that you have to remove. I’ll be honest: peeling the prawns was gross enough for me; I don’t need to add veins to the mix. #nosir

The recipe I’m sharing with you today is actually my second attempt with prawns. For my first dish, I revisited my Pesto and Squash Noodles Recipe with very delicious results. I recommend Pesto Prawns with Squash Noodles so so much, but you smart people can figure out how to add prawns to your pesto dishes on your own, so I’m not writing about that today. Instead, I have a prawn version of shrimp scampi that is pure magic:

Local Prawn Scampi with Zucchini Linguine

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Extra Large Prawns/Shrimp per person (thawed and peeled. To peel, pull of the legs, use your thumbs to peel off the sides, and then you can leave the tail on or take it off depending on your preference. For a tutorial on deveining shrimp, head here.)
• 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash per person, spiralized or sliced very thin
• 2 TBSP ghee or butter (depending on your tolerance for lactose)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP Minced Garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• optional: lemon zest and thinly sliced lemons
• lemon juice, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat.
• Add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, being careful to not let it burn.
• Add the prawns, and season with salt and pepper and saute until they have just barely turned opaque (this will just take a few minutes!).
• Toss in your spiralized noodles and let them wilt just a bit (takes about a minute) and then remove the pan from heat. By this point, your prawns should be just pink.
• Toss in the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.
• DEVOUR A.S.A.P. #nom

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Recently, I came upon a recipe over at The Kitchn for a very delicious looking Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This recipe looked amazing. I lusted after it. I drooled over it. I considered trading my firstborn child to the gods of processed sugars so that I could have just one bite.

Somehow, I resisted the siren song of that recipe and didn’t dive face first into all that sugar, but day after day, the thought of that recipe has haunted me. It calls to me. I dream about it. I want it. GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

I’m a firm believer that when cravings are that strong, you should give in to them… Preferably with a few swaps to make the choice a little bit healthier. In this spirit, I’ve been attempting to paleo-ify this recipe for the past two weeks. I’ve tried several different variations and had more kitchen mishaps than I’d like to admit (my sweet roommate has been so nice about trying each of these breads and telling me they weren’t awful, when, in fact, they really were the worst.) After much experimentation, though, I have a delicious and really not awful recipe to share with you! It is rich and chocolatey and moist (gross word, tasty results!) and full of sneaky vegetables. You can get away with eating a slice of this stuff for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee or for dessert. Even better news: this recipe comes together in 5 minutes in the blender. #winning

Give in to your cravings, friends, you won’t regret it!

What? I’m eating my veggies!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c Almond Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 Ripe Banana, mashed
• 1 c (1 small to medium) Zucchini (scrape out the seeds)
• 1/4 c Coconut Oil melted
• 1/3 c Cocoa Powder
• 2 tbsp Almond Butter
• 1/2 c Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa, because that was the option available at my Kroger. If you can get a higher cocoa percentage or fewer additives, that would be better. Ideally, you just want cocoa powder, cocoa butter and a natural sweetener).

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use parchment paper to line bread pan (or else grease the pan well with coconut oil).
2. Use a blender to grate the zucchini and banana.
3. Add in other wet ingredients and blend until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients (except chocolate chups and nuts). Mix in wet ingredients until well combined. Alternatively, you could jus add the dry ingredients straight to the blender. You have to watch for clumping (no one wants a clump of baking powder in their food), but I’ve done this and the bread was still delish.
5. Mix in chocolate chunks and nuts (if using).
6. Pour batter in greased pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Serve with a drizzle of honey, coconut whipped cream, raspberries and/or a dusting of cocoa powder, cinnamon and red pepper (sounds weird, tastes good), or just eat it plain!

Taking Back Weeknights: Squash Noodles with Homemade Pesto

Happy Wednesday, all!

If you are at all like me, you start off the week with such good intentions of work-life balance, nightly yoga, and involved, instagrammable dinners, only to get sidetracked by late nights at the office or an out of control to do list. By the time Wednesday night arrives, there are lots of weeks where all I really feel like doing is ordering Chinese food and catching up on Scandal.

Anyone else know that feeling??

The Whole30 helped me to realize that I have an addiction to convenience foods – I’m not addicted to the foods themselves so much as the instant gratification and the not doing dishes. Fortunately for me, I live in a town where there are literally zero restaurants that will deliver. Less fortunately for me, I also live far far away from places like Whole Foods where there are healthy take out options.

I imagine I’m not alone in my weeknight dinner fatigue, so I wanted to share one of the 15 minute or less recipes that is helping me Take Back Weeknights this week. Combine this recipe with one of these quick workouts and you’ll be winning the weeknight game.

The Recipe: Squash Noodles and Homemade Pesto

What You’ll Need:

• A spiralizer (although, this would still be delicious if you just thinly sliced the squash and sauteed it instead of spiralizing). I have a cheap spiralizer like this one that I found at TJ Maxx and bought on a veggie-inspired shopping binge. It works great for squash but doesn’t work with sweet potatoes, so if you are hoping to use the spiralizer for denser veggies, get a stand spiralizer like one of these.
• 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash per person
• 1-2 TBSP of Olive Oil for sauteing
• 1 bunch of fresh herbs: you can use basil, cilantro, parsley or mint. Basil is most common, but I just cut bunches of everything in my herb garden. 2 cups ish total.
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of walnuts, pecans or pine nuts
• 4 cloves of garlic
• lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste
• optional: nutritional yeast to taste (it takes the place of the traditional cheeses)

What to Do:

• In a food processor or blender, pulse nuts, garlic and herbs
• Add in the oil slowly and blend until smooth
• Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste (pesto is all about finding the balance that you prefer, so taste lots and don’t hesitate to go outside of the recommended ingredient amounts if that is what your taste buds call for)
• Once you are satisfied with the flavor balance, heat a TBSP or olive oil in a wok or a frying pan and spiralize (or slice) your squash straight into the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper, and let the squash cook through long enough that it isn’t raw, but still holds its texture (timing will depend on how you cut your squash).
• Toss in some pesto (and possibly some nutritional yeast and fresh basil leaves) and devour.

The Workout Roundup: Choose Your Own Adventure Style

• Option 1: Grab your running clothes and your favorite furry friend and go for a run or a walk. I love to run at night (the stars are out! It is cooler and quieter!) with one of my dogs – they love the exercise and are super alert jogging companions #safetyfirst. Beginners, start with a brisk walk or snag this couch to 5K app (and no shame if week 1 turns into month 1 – listen to your body and your doctor, not the schedule on the app!). Everyone: track your outing on MapMyRun and keep pace with the beats in an awesome Songza playlist. Bonus points: throw in some lunges and squats whenever your pup stops to sniff.
• Option 2: Sign up for a free trial of an online fitness studio. I love Yogaglo (first 15 days are free): they have dozens of online classes from many different styles and for all different body types and experience levels. I also think Daily Burn is a great, affordable, basic option because they offer several different series aimed at different fitness goals and experience levels. If you are just starting out, consider the True Beginner series or their solid yoga series.
• Option 3: If you are looking for a fun, fast and potentially butt-kicking workout, check out Greatist’s list of 21 Free Workout Videos on Youtube. These aren’t necessarily for every body, but they are guaranteed to get the endorphins flowing quickly. Also, the Greatist Workout of the Day is a great place to go for quick but challenging, do-anywhere workouts.

Yours in Taking Back Weeknights,

Marisa