Life has been a little bit crazy. I love to cook--but gosh, my hobby can take up a lot of time. From scouring the internet for the "perfect" recipe, to multiple grocery store trips in a week and choosing labor intensive recipes a little too often--I need to scale back my hobby a bit. However, scaling back does not mean compromising my values--eating as few processed foods as possible while enjoying meals in my own home. In comes Emeals. Every week I get a menu and grocery list delivered to my inbox. I do not follow it exactly, but it definitely gives me enough structure to limit my grocery store trips and internet treasure hunts. Additionally, most of the recipes are pretty easy and do not consume too much time. Here is what we have and will be having this week. I will try to keep you updated and will maybe share a few of my favorite meals of the week. Keep in mind this is not the exact emeals plan--like for instance, I added mashed turnips because I thought I might need a few carbs. I also really had a craving for wild rice salad since spring is finally here.
Meal #1: Ginger pork chops with sriracha broccolini and mashed turnips
Meal #2: Dijon chicken breasts with green beans and wild rice salad
Meal #3: Pork carnitas with cilantro cauliflower rice
Meal #4: Grilled lime flank steak with sweet potatoes and wilted spinach
Meal #5: Shrimp and pineapple kabobs with tomato & avocado salad
Once I am a few weeks into this, I might do an Emeals review. I do the Paleo plan, but there are a lot of options for a lot of different diets.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Monday, December 10, 2012
Curried Meatball Soup in the Slow Cooker
Want to try something a little different? If so, I highly recommend this soup. The recipe comes from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever. I can't recommend the cookbook enough. It is full of recipes from the very traditional--dump it in the slow cooker and leave, to complex recipes that require a bit more care. This recipe is very easy and also is full of different flavors. The meatballs are pretty labor intensive however. I made a triple batch the first time I made this recipe, and just pulled them out of the freezer and tossed them in the crock pot. It made the recipe almost too easy. I definitely recommend doing the same.
Ingredients for the Meatballs
1 cup cooked long grain rice
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (or turkey)
1 teaspoon of curry powder
4 green onions, chopped, green & white parts
1 Tbs of Hot Mango Chutney
1 large egg (whoops, I was all out and used 1/4 cup of applesauce)
Ingredients for Soup
7 cups low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use gluten free)
1 bunch of bok choy, chopped,
1 cup snow peas
2 cups of bean sprouts for garnish
Optional Ingredients:
1/3 cup of water chestnuts
2 cups shredded cabbage
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together well. To do this right, you may need to use your freshly washed hands. Once mixed, make the meatballs. They should be about an inch in diameter and you should get about 12-15 meatballs.
2) Add the broth and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Then add the meatballs. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours. If you are like me and used frozen meatballs, cook on high for 4 hours.
3) Add in the bok choy, snow peas and any other veggies you choose to add. Cook on low for an hour.
4) Serve in bowls topped with the bean sprouts.
Ingredients for the Meatballs
1 cup cooked long grain rice
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (or turkey)
1 teaspoon of curry powder
4 green onions, chopped, green & white parts
1 Tbs of Hot Mango Chutney
1 large egg (whoops, I was all out and used 1/4 cup of applesauce)
Ingredients for Soup
7 cups low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use gluten free)
1 bunch of bok choy, chopped,
1 cup snow peas
2 cups of bean sprouts for garnish
Optional Ingredients:
1/3 cup of water chestnuts
2 cups shredded cabbage
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together well. To do this right, you may need to use your freshly washed hands. Once mixed, make the meatballs. They should be about an inch in diameter and you should get about 12-15 meatballs.
2) Add the broth and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Then add the meatballs. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours. If you are like me and used frozen meatballs, cook on high for 4 hours.
3) Add in the bok choy, snow peas and any other veggies you choose to add. Cook on low for an hour.
4) Serve in bowls topped with the bean sprouts.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Homemade Salad Dressing--Easier Than You Think!
Lately, I have been almost exclusively making my own salad dressings. From being in the kitchen with my mother, I knew it was possible to make a delicious salad dressing out of just a few ingredients. I also know that the list of ingredients on most store bought salad dressings are very long and contain words that belong in a chemistry textbook.
Anyways, the other day on a whim I bought a bottle of Annie's Woodstock salad dressing which is a tomato and tahini mixture. After one taste, I was hooked. However, at $4+ something for a tiny 8 oz bottle--that is some expensive stuff, especially when I am capable of going through one bottle in a week. Solution? Make my own. I searched "homemade Annie's Woodstock dressing" and came up with a couple of recipes. I decided to use this one from Spark People. The result? Next time I will probably add the water last and will drizzle it in slowly to get my desired consistency. I added it right away and the consistency was too thin. The flavor is great though! I really do not notice a big difference between my homemade stuff and Annie's. The cost? I got about 16 ounces of dressing and when I did a rough estimate of costs, it came to about $3.50. Awesome, twice as much dressing for half the price and no mystery ingredients. I'm sold.
You can do the same thing! Whatever your favorite is, look for a recipe and try to imitate it. You might surprise yourself with how well it turns out. It is so easy too! I swear people look at me like I must labor intensively in the kitchen to make a salad dressing.
Tips for Making Homemade Salad Dressing
1) Dressings have to emulsify--meaning two or more liquids need to come together as one mixture. Oil and vinegar do not mix well, but often adding something very acidic like a bit of lemon juice helps. I also prefer to use a food processor and let it run for awhile. I feel like it results in a much better emulsion compared to whisking.
2) Use good olive oil. I found out the hard way that rancid olive oil is pretty disgusting.
3) Oil and vinegar should be at a 2:1 ratio.
4) Here are some good vinegars to try: red wine, balsamic, white white, sherry, champagne or even some citrus instead such as lime, lemon or orange.
5) Here are some good flavor enhancers: chopped rosemary, oregano or thyme, garlic, shallots, sun dried tomatoes, soy sauce, ginger
6) Specific bottles for salad dressing are not necessary, but they do make it a lot easier to make and store homemade salad dressing. They also come printed with some hand recipes.
Anyways, the other day on a whim I bought a bottle of Annie's Woodstock salad dressing which is a tomato and tahini mixture. After one taste, I was hooked. However, at $4+ something for a tiny 8 oz bottle--that is some expensive stuff, especially when I am capable of going through one bottle in a week. Solution? Make my own. I searched "homemade Annie's Woodstock dressing" and came up with a couple of recipes. I decided to use this one from Spark People. The result? Next time I will probably add the water last and will drizzle it in slowly to get my desired consistency. I added it right away and the consistency was too thin. The flavor is great though! I really do not notice a big difference between my homemade stuff and Annie's. The cost? I got about 16 ounces of dressing and when I did a rough estimate of costs, it came to about $3.50. Awesome, twice as much dressing for half the price and no mystery ingredients. I'm sold.
You can do the same thing! Whatever your favorite is, look for a recipe and try to imitate it. You might surprise yourself with how well it turns out. It is so easy too! I swear people look at me like I must labor intensively in the kitchen to make a salad dressing.
Tips for Making Homemade Salad Dressing
1) Dressings have to emulsify--meaning two or more liquids need to come together as one mixture. Oil and vinegar do not mix well, but often adding something very acidic like a bit of lemon juice helps. I also prefer to use a food processor and let it run for awhile. I feel like it results in a much better emulsion compared to whisking.
2) Use good olive oil. I found out the hard way that rancid olive oil is pretty disgusting.
3) Oil and vinegar should be at a 2:1 ratio.
4) Here are some good vinegars to try: red wine, balsamic, white white, sherry, champagne or even some citrus instead such as lime, lemon or orange.
5) Here are some good flavor enhancers: chopped rosemary, oregano or thyme, garlic, shallots, sun dried tomatoes, soy sauce, ginger
6) Specific bottles for salad dressing are not necessary, but they do make it a lot easier to make and store homemade salad dressing. They also come printed with some hand recipes.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
This recipe is based on one from the Biggest Loser website. Since I am limiting gluten and dairy, breakfast is probably the hardest meal of the day since eggs get boring after awhile. I have had to get creative, and although I am not the hugest fan of pancakes, I love these ones! I made some changes to the Biggest Loser ones because I don't really have a good reason to leave the yolk of the egg out and the thought of putting cottage cheese in pancakes makes my stomach turn. These pancakes are awesome. They are filling and satisfying, yet do not leave you with the "blown up" feeling you have after eating a stack of flapjacks. They were topped with Trader Joe's Honey Apple Butter and served with turkey sausage and a big mug of coffee. Yum!
The first time I made these, I used my immersion blender and it did not do the greatest job on grinding the rolled oats. I ran the mixture through my food process until it was smooth and it really made a difference. Also, the batter can sit in your fridge, but it tends to thicken up a lot of if you do that, add another egg.
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup rolled oats*
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
Optional: 1 tsp each of ground ginger, nutmeg, or allspice)
splash of EVOO
1) Combine all ingredients in food process or a blender. Blend until smooth.
2) Heat a splash of EVOO on a griddle or large non-stick pan (I usually put a bit on a paper towel and just coat the pan).
3) Scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter in the pan. These pancakes do not bubble like normal pancakes, but you will know they are ready because little holes start to form. Flip and cook the other side.
4) Serve with whatever topping you like: any sort of nut butter, the apple honey butter is great, maple syrup, chopped nuts, whipped cream, or jam.
*gluten free if you use gluten free rolled oats
The first time I made these, I used my immersion blender and it did not do the greatest job on grinding the rolled oats. I ran the mixture through my food process until it was smooth and it really made a difference. Also, the batter can sit in your fridge, but it tends to thicken up a lot of if you do that, add another egg.
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup rolled oats*
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
Optional: 1 tsp each of ground ginger, nutmeg, or allspice)
splash of EVOO
1) Combine all ingredients in food process or a blender. Blend until smooth.
2) Heat a splash of EVOO on a griddle or large non-stick pan (I usually put a bit on a paper towel and just coat the pan).
3) Scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter in the pan. These pancakes do not bubble like normal pancakes, but you will know they are ready because little holes start to form. Flip and cook the other side.
4) Serve with whatever topping you like: any sort of nut butter, the apple honey butter is great, maple syrup, chopped nuts, whipped cream, or jam.
*gluten free if you use gluten free rolled oats
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Using Your Freezer Effectively
This summer I purchased a deep freezer for $60 on Craigslist. I bought it because I was feeling guilty for all the room I was taking up in the tiny freezer I share with a roommate. However, that freezer has changed the way I eat and cook. It also has paid for itself several times over again. Here is how:
Another recommendation I have is keeping inventory of what is in your freezer. I have a chest style freezer and things can very easily fall to the bottom as I am searching for something else and get forgotten. Either you will find something down there and be completely disgusted at how long it has been in there and not want to eat it or you will buy things you do not need because of the forgotten food towards the bottom.
And one last tip--when you buy food you intend to freeze, do it right away. Otherwise it will just sit in your fridge and by the time you get to it, it might be too late to send it to the freezer.
I know eating out of the freezer is not for everyone. I do prefer fresh over frozen any day, but for the sake of my budget and for the sake of convenience, the freezer is great.
- I can buy large amounts of meat while it is on sale. Meat is easily the biggest part of my grocery budget.
- I can now buy meat at Costco, which comes in such large amounts I could not take up all that room in our little freezer. Costco meat is about the same price as grocery store sales and the quality is much better.
- I can cook large amounts of things such as wild rice hot dish, sweet and sour stew, chicken soup and freezer the leftovers for quick and easy meals
- While frozen vegetables are not my favorite, it is nice to be able to keep a few packages on hand for a quick meal.
- When I have food on hand, I avoid extra grocery store trips which saves money
Another recommendation I have is keeping inventory of what is in your freezer. I have a chest style freezer and things can very easily fall to the bottom as I am searching for something else and get forgotten. Either you will find something down there and be completely disgusted at how long it has been in there and not want to eat it or you will buy things you do not need because of the forgotten food towards the bottom.
And one last tip--when you buy food you intend to freeze, do it right away. Otherwise it will just sit in your fridge and by the time you get to it, it might be too late to send it to the freezer.
I know eating out of the freezer is not for everyone. I do prefer fresh over frozen any day, but for the sake of my budget and for the sake of convenience, the freezer is great.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Wild Rice Hotdish
Wild rice hotdish was a staple in my house growing up. It makes an excellent side to so much of the wild game that we ate around our dinner table. Wild rice is also incredibly good for you. It is packed with protein, folic acid, niacin, magnesium and fiber. When the leaves start to change color and fall, I know it is time to start filling my freezer with wild rice hotdish, which is actually much more like a pilaf. This recipe is so easy and it freezes really well. It is so easy to grab a dinner sized portion of wild rice from the freezer and then cook it in the microwave with a splash of water or chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
10 oz. of sliced mushrooms (baby bella, white)
3-4 sliced of bacon, chopped
splash of olive oil
1 c. wild rice
3-4 c. of chicken stock (use homemade, Swanson's or the Costco brand)*
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) In a dutch oven, let a splash of olive oil warm up over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, mushrooms and bacon and saute until the onions are translucent and the celery is no long crunchy.
3) Add the wild rice and the chicken broth and place the mixture in the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.*
If you want to freeze it, I recommend measuring the rice out in two cup portions and either using a ziploc bag or one of the ziploc perfect portion bags meant for the freezer, and placing the portions in a larger freezer bag.
*Depending on what kind of cookware you are using, this might change. For instance, I found that in my cast iron dutch oven, the liquid cooked off much faster because it conducts heat better than my non-stick dutch oven. I use 4 cups of liquid versus 3 when I am using cookware that conducts heat better.
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
10 oz. of sliced mushrooms (baby bella, white)
3-4 sliced of bacon, chopped
splash of olive oil
1 c. wild rice
3-4 c. of chicken stock (use homemade, Swanson's or the Costco brand)*
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) In a dutch oven, let a splash of olive oil warm up over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, mushrooms and bacon and saute until the onions are translucent and the celery is no long crunchy.
3) Add the wild rice and the chicken broth and place the mixture in the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.*
If you want to freeze it, I recommend measuring the rice out in two cup portions and either using a ziploc bag or one of the ziploc perfect portion bags meant for the freezer, and placing the portions in a larger freezer bag.
*Depending on what kind of cookware you are using, this might change. For instance, I found that in my cast iron dutch oven, the liquid cooked off much faster because it conducts heat better than my non-stick dutch oven. I use 4 cups of liquid versus 3 when I am using cookware that conducts heat better.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Pumpkin Pancakes
Last night before bed, I mixed up a batch of pumpkin pancake batter. I am not much of a pancake person, but I do love pumpkin, so I decided to give these a shot. This recipe is from the farmer's who supply me with a weekly CSA. I did not use fresh pumpkin this time around, but Libby's canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix). I also replaced the milk with almond milk, the flour with rice flour and added an egg. If you do it this way they are gluten and dairy free. Next time around I might add another egg because these were pretty thick. They don't bubble like normal pancakes while cooking. They were also incredibly filling. One was plenty! I ate them with some turkey sausage and Anderson's Maple Syrup (aka the best maple syrup). I will definitely do these again and they are so quick in the morning if you make the batter ahead of time.
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