Category: recipes

Peach Pizza Easy Hack

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Last year at this time in peach season I cooked the Peach Pizza recipe found in the Peach Truck Cookbook.

The original recipe is a little intricate to follow step-by-step.

I found an easy hack for making a peach pizza:

Simply buy a white pie like the Talia version above. Slice peaches and arrange the slices on top of the pizza.

Heat as directed in the instructions.

Peach pizza is a tasty way to get in a serving of fruit.

Peaches are in season now. I order a container of Frog Hollow Organic Peaches. Four or 5 peaches come in the container.

Easier than following the longer recipe in the Peach Truck Cookbook.

Just as tasty and a quick meal to have on a summer evening.

In the coming blog entries I will post the latest Upper and Lower Body Routines I’ve been doing this summer.

Mustard Greens

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I found this recipe on the internet last year round about this time. Back then I was sheltering indoors. Since I was home I ordered CSA produce boxes. Cooking from recipes with the vegetables.

Ingredients

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound mustard greens washed and torn into large pieces

2 to3 tablespoons vegetable broth – I used vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 teaspoon pewpper

1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

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Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more until fragrant.

Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted.

Toss with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato and Cabbage Slaw

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In early January of this year I found this recipe on the internet.

I don’t often buy the organic CSA boxes anymore. Yet when I do I search for recipes that use the produce I’ve gotten in the box.

This recipe calls for canola oil. It’s an unhealthy fat that should not be used in cooking at all. So I’ve created this recipe with EVOO–extra virgin olive oil.

I’ve also used regular sesame oil.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups coarsely grated peeled sweet potato (about 1 large)

3 cups thinly shredded napa or Savoy cabbage

4 scallions trimmed and thinly slicec

1 teaspoon finely minced serrano or jalapeno pepper with seeds (optional)

Directions:

Whisk olive oil, lime juice, sesame oil and salt in a large bowl.

Add sweet potato, cabbage, scallions and serrano or jalapenos.

Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Bok Choy Recipe

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A person isn’t supposed to reprint recipes owing to the copyright law. I will use this recipe to entice readers to buy the book Vegetables Every Day. After this I don’t think I can get away with transcribing a recipe from the book.

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1 large head Bok choy (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil

6 medium garlic cloves sliced thin

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

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Separate the leafy green part from the white stalks. Discard tough bottom part from each stalk.

Cut the stalks crosswise into thin strips. Cut the leaves crosswise into thin strips.

Set the stalks and leaves aside separately.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add the stalks and stir-fry until slightly softened about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry until lightly colored about 2 minutes.

Add the greens, stock, and salt and pepper to taste to the pan. Stir to combine the ingredients.

Cover reduce the heat and simmer. Stirring once or twice until the Bok choy is very tender. About 10 minutes.

Remove the cover and raise the heat. Simmer briskly until the excess liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.

The Bok choy should be moist not soupy.

Serve immediately.

Maple-Glazed Turnips and Carrots

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The book above is my go-to year-round source for recipes.

Here’s the recipe for Maple-Glazed Turnips and Carrots:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound turnips (preferably small ones) peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2/3 cup vegetable stock

2 tablespoons maple syrup

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Melt the butter in large saute pan.

Add the turnips and cook over medium heat until lightly browned (about 8 minutes). Turn every so often.

Add the carrots, stock and maple syrup. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer until the turnips and carrots are tender (about 15 to 20 minutes or so).

Remove the cover. Raise the heat to high. Cook until the liquid in pan reduces to a thick glaze (about 2 minutes).

Serve immediately.

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I had to cook the liquid more than two minutes at the end.

Most people might need to serve this recipe with another item like chicken.

I find that the turnips-and-carrots dish is perfectly fine on its own as a meal for me.

Either way this is one of the tastiest vegetable recipes in my view.

Butternut Squash Soup

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butternut soup

I have modified this recipe from the original version offered at another website. Owing to length and copyright issues.

The version I created is quicker and easier. A plus as not a lot of us have the time or energy to labor over a hot stove for hours on end.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash halved vertically and seeded (about 3 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling.

1/2 cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)

4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced.

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 to 4 cups vegetable broth, as needed (24 to 32 ounces)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle each half of the squash with just enough olive oil to lightly coat on the inside (about 1/2 teaspoon each.)
  2. Turn the squash face down and roast until tender and completely cooked, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let it cool about 10 minutes. Then scoop the butternut squash flesh into a blender.
  3. In a medium skillet, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped shallot. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has started to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  4. Transfer shallot and garlic to blender. Add in maple syrup and nutmeg. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth.
  5. Use blend function on the blender if it doesn’t have a soup pre-set.
  6. Heat the soup in a saucepan.

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The butternut squash I used from the CSA box was medium-sized.

Thus, it might have been better to decrease the amount of liquid I used to only 1 1/2 cups for a creamier soup. I had used 3 cups like the recipe called for.

Also, I should’ve decreased the cooking time for the shallots and garlic. They got burnt so I had to add more and re-do for a shorter time.

I prefer to use the FreshDirect vegetable stock instead of regular broth. This is because the stock has no natural flavors just real ingredients.

You can use vegetable broth if you’d like. Either way it should be fine. Just lower the amount of liquid should you want a creamier soup and have a smaller squash.

 

 

Eggs and Avocado Sandwich

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By chance I spotted on a shelf at the library a great recipe collection: Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook.

Twelve years ago, a friend and I saw Ziggy Marley in concert. Everyone was on their feet dancing and swaying to the reggae.

I’ve collected a number of cookbooks over the years. After checking this one out of the library I bought it for my apartment.

The Marley livet (diet) uses whole, organic food. It’s called ital. You can call me an Italian because I buy fresh, organic food too.

In New York City you can use SNAP benefits (food stamps) to buy produce at GrowNYC Greenmarkets around town.

The Rastafari performer echoes in his book my manifesto: that the food you eat can impact your mood. My body feels better when I eat better.

Losing just 4 pounds made a great difference.

Owing to copyright I can’t reproduce the specific recipes in the Ziggy Marley cookbook. Instead I’ll offer you a modified version that’s irie in its own right. As well, quicker and easier.

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Rise and Shine Eggs and Avocado

1/ 2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs

2 slices sourdough bread, or other favorite bread

2 butter lettuce leaves

2 slices heirloom tomato (you can use beefsteak or other)

2 avocados

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Toast bread.

To make avocado spread: Mix and mash avocados with lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Fry eggs in butter and olive oil

Apply avocado spread to bread, top with lettuce, tomatoes, and eggs.

Serves 1 person.

It occurs to me that you can insert a slice of Swiss cheese if you wanted to.

Blueberry Shake Recipe

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My health coach gave me this blueberry shake recipe:

1 scoop of Pea Protein**

1 handful frozen blueberries (can be organic frozen ones)

1 handful frozen spinach  (can buy pre-washed and put in reusable zipper bag in the freezer to have on hand)***

1 cup water

1 Tbs almond butter

a pinch of cinnamon

1/2 banana (optional)

Blend in a blender.

** I use Truvani–it has only five ingredients no stevia and no natural flavors

*** Scroll below totes for reusable zipper bags sold on Container Store website

Carrot Soup Recipe

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carrot soup

This is a photo of the carrot soup I made from scratch using a food52 recipe.

The recipe is rather long so I’ll give a link to it at the bottom of this blog entry.

The egg muffins I believe I posted the recipe for in my Recipes category in the cloud.

Here it is again:

Beat three eggs fluffy.

Add mix-ins: sliced mushrooms, diced red pepper, diced onions, cut tiny broccoli florets, or whatever you’d like.

Pour egg mixture into muffin tin baking pan. You’ll get about 2 to 3 egg muffins.

Heat at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or possibly only 10 minutes depending on your oven.

Voila: a breakfast food on its own or part of a hearty winter lunch or dinner with the addition of a soup

The carrot soup took me 35 minutes total to create.

Here’s the carrot soup recipe.

 

 

 

Breakfast Recipes

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You can’t go right with boxed cereal.

Most cereal has too much sugar and natural flavors which are really fake chemicals. The government allows companies to hide the chemical names of ingredients by using the term natural flavor or natural flavors on the food label on the product.

Remember: Natural flavors are fake chemicals. They’re no friend to your waistline or your health. It’s simple and quick to make healthful breakfast choices that don’t include chemical-laden frosted flakes or healthy-in-name-only cereals.

Remember: any product name that makes an emotional appeal to you as being healthy for you most likely has these chemicals and other not-good ingredients lurking in their contents.

Trust me: I’ve read an article in a women’s magazine that purported to give you quick-and-easy breakfast recipes. Only those recipes didn’t seem quick and easy to me when I read them.

Here’s the deal: eggs in moderation are OK. Avocados have heart-healthy fats. Allegedly people who eat a lot of avocados are skinnier if this is something that might interest you as some kind of fact. This seems far-fetched to me.

I’m going to give you here two recipes I found in reputable books.

Misty Copeland in her book Ballerina Body has a rolled oats snack recipe. I haven’t created this yet I’ve bought rolled oats to make for breakfast.

Instant oatmeal isn’t a healthful choice. It takes mere minutes to boil the water and seconds to swirl the water in the oatmeal. Yet it isn’t the greatest health option.

20-Minute Rolled Oats Breakfast Recipe:

Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats

Maple Syrup

Nuts or seeds like slivered almonds and pumpkin seeds

Boil 2 cups water.

Add 1  cup rolled oats.

Lower the flame.

Heat 10 to 20 minutes linked to your desired consistency (a little mushy or firmer).

Stir the oats as they’re being heated up.

Shut heat. Mix in maple syrup, nuts, seeds, cranberries, or diced dried apricots.

(I use Coombs organic dark amber maple syrup.)

The point is taking the time to have a good breakfast is worth the 20 minutes it will take.

Egg Muffins

Scramble four eggs in a bowl.

Stir in diced or slivered red pepper, onions, mushroom, broccoli, and fresh cheese.

I used red pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Pour into muffin pan slots.

Cook for 10 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

The tops will rise above the rim of the pan slots.

I heated my eggs for 15 minutes.

Understand:

Grating your own parmesan cheese wedge is preferably to buying any parmesan cheese in a plastic container or in a cardboard bottle. Those kinds of cheese have unnatural preservatives that people really don’t need to be ingesting.

Fresh Direct online food delivery service in New York City will grate for you for about sixty cents extra the fresh wedge of parmesan that you buy.

Voila:

Easy to cook breakfast recipes that are better than any boxed cereal and healthier I guarantee you.

Bon Apetit!