Friday, April 28, 2017

April Community Meal Prep

FTR members were at it again! Community Meal Prep together, because cooking together is always more fun- and gives us more diversity throughout our weeks!




This week we focused on super simple dishes that included broccoli, chicken, kale, and whole grains.

These included extra simple techniques for week night dinners, such as 10 minute brown rice and rotisserie chicken.


Here's how we made our delicious meals!


Group 1: Simple Stir Fry
Serves 4

For the stir fry:
·       1 cup of broccoli
·       1 cup of cauliflower
·       ½ onion, diced
·       ½ bag frozen peas
·       1 red bell pepper, chopped
·       1 cup dark leafy green (such as kale or spinach)
·       1 cup brown rice (quick cooking or regular)
·       2 tablespoons soy sauce
·       1 tablespoon sesame oil, coconut oil, or olive oil
·       2 clove of garlic
·       1” piece of ginger, grated (optional)
·       Salt and pepper to taste
·       10 ounces (3/4 lb) protein (tofu, chicken, shrimp, lean beef etc.)

For the sauce:
·       1 cup peanut butter
·       4 tablespoons soy sauce
·       3 tablespoons sesame seeds
·       Juice of 2 lime
·       1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or hot sauce
·       2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
·       Sea salt to taste
·       1 teaspoon black pepper
·       2/3 cup hot water to thin, add more for a thinner sauce

1.     For the stir-fry: Start by cooking rice on the stove according to package directions.
2.     While rice is cooking, in a medium-hot skillet, add oil to grease the pan, followed by vegetables, garlic, ginger, and seasonings and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
3.     Top rice with greens, veggies, peanut sauce, and protein of your choice.
4.     For the sauce: While veggies/protein/grains are cooking, whisk together all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Adjust sea salt to taste and adjust water depending on sauce or dipping type. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 1 week.


Adapted from Nutrition Stripped recipe


Group 2: Simple Broccoli Coconut Chicken Bowl
Serves 4

1.5 cups cooked farro
4 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
1 tablespoon green curry paste
2 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
¾ lb Chicken

Optional toppings: microgreens, hot sauce, sliced avocado


1. Cook the farro according to the package.
2. Cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.
2. To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, curry paste, garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, salt, lemon juice, and coconut milk in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
3. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Just before serving, toss the farro and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pesto a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, and any other toppings you like - some slices avocado, greens or sprouts, and/or hot sauce are all good fits.

Adapted from 101Cookbooks

Asian Massaged Kale Salad
Serves 4

Salad:
2 bunches curly kale, thick stems removed and cut into bit sized piece
3 cups prepared shredded red cabbage
2 cups prepared shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup slivered almonds or other nuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


Vinaigrette: (same sauce as peanut sauce, with a bit of add vinegar)
·       1 cup peanut butter
·       4 tablespoons soy sauce
·       2 tablespoon rice vinegar
·       3 tablespoons sesame seeds
·       Juice of 2 lime
·       1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or hot sauce
·       2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
·       Sea salt to taste
·       1 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup hot water to thin, add more for a thinner sauce

 Chop vegetables and place in large bowl with nuts. In small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and gently, with your hands, "massage" the dressing into the salad. Allow about 3-4 minutes of mixing, until you feel the kale soften. Salad can sit for 30 minutes or overnight before eating.

Group 3: Chicken Salad (or Chickpea Salad) Wrap with Kale Chips

For the Chicken Salad:
1 rotisserie chicken
¼ cup craisins or other dried fruit
¼ cup (1 stalk) celery, diced
¼ cup red or white onion, diced
¼ cup almonds or other nuts, chopped
6 ounces (about ¾ cup) plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp dijon or brown mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chickpea Salad:
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
whole wheat bread or wrap of your choice
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.


Chicken Salad: Remove chicken from the bone and place in bowl. Place celery, onion, craisins, nuts in with the chicken. In separate bowl, mix together yogurt, mustard, lemon, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken and vegetables and mix until blended well. Serve in a whole wheat tortilla or on whole grain bread. 

Chickpea salad: Drain the chickpeas and place in large bowl. Scoop avocado into bowl, along with onion, cilantro, lime, and salt and pepper. Mash chickpeas and avocado with dressing together. Serve on whole wheat tortilla or whole wheat bread.



Monday, April 17, 2017

Fast, Fresh, and Fantastic Meals in 30 Minutes at FTR!

This week in the FTR kitchen, we had a blast cooking feasts in a flash!



FTR members enjoy the fruits of their labor- 3 quick meals from 3 different groups in 30 minutes!

We focused on simple, limited-ingredient, and of course-healthy, meals that could be prepared after a long day at work. All were prepared with vegetarian options, too, to be sure to please a diverse household (or dinner party!)

Check out what we made:

Group 1: Mediterranean Marinated Chicken (or Tofu!) Kebobs with Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

The simple marinade can be used on chicken and tofu alike! And, it doubles as a dressing for the quinoa salad


Marinade/Dressing:
1 lb chicken
Fresh oregano – 2 stems, fresh, minced, or 1 Tsp dried
1 Lemon – juice plus ½ tsp zest
Garlic, minced – 3 cloves or 1.5 tsp minced
Rosemary – 2 stems, fresh, minced, or 1 tsp dried
Fresh thyme – 2 stems, fresh, minced, or 1 tsp dried
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp salt and pepper

Yogurt Dill Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt (greek or regular)
½ lemon, juiced
2 tbsp fresh dill
1 cloves garlic, or 1/2 tsp minced
½ cucumber, shaved (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad:
1 cups Quinoa
1 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup kalamata olives (optional)
1/4 cup dressing (above)


Directions:
1.     Marinade the chicken. Place all ingredients of marinade in bowl and mix together. Divide in two; one half for marinating the chicken, one half for dressing the salad. Soak the skewers in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent burning.
2.     Cut chicken in cubes (or ask your butcher to do it!)
3.     Cover the chicken with the marinade and place in a shallow bowl or gallon bag. Marinade for as little as 30 minutes and as much as overnight. Note: can sub tofu for chicken.
4.     Cook the Quinoa. Place 1 cup of quinoa in a pan and add 2 cups of water or broth. Allow to come to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover and let cook about 15-20 minutes or until the seeds have “burst.”
5.     Preheat the oven to broil. Low if you will not be watching, high if you are able to watch closely.
6.     Dice cucumbers for salad, and shave other cucumber for yogurt dill sauce on the large side of a cheese grater (if desired). Dice onion, tomato and kalamata olives (if adding). Add into medium bowl.
7.     When quinoa is finished,  allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Then, mix quinoa in with vegetables, and stir to combine. Add feta cheese and pour dressing over to mix all ingredients together.
8.     Skewer the chicken and place on a greased baking sheet. Allow to broil for 5 minutes, turn the chicken and add more marinade (if possible) and cook another 5-6 minutes and until the center is no longer pink.

9.     Serve chicken alongside or mixed into the quinoa salad! Enjoy!



Group 2: Sweet Potato, Black bean, and Shrimp tacos
Serves 4

Tacos
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 packed cups of spinach
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 limes, 1 juiced and 1 sliced into wedges for serving
1 lb shrimp (fresh or frozen, without shell for convenience, or with shell for extra flavor)
Corn tortillas
Fresh cilantro to top (optional)

Simple Guacamole
1 avocados
1/4 red onion
1 limes, juiced
1-2 cloves garlic, or 1 tsp minced
1/2 tomato, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

 
Providing quality protein, fiber, and vegetables all in one quick pot!



Directions:
1.  Slice sweet potatoes very thinly, about ¼” or shred on a cheese grater to resemble hash browns. Dice one half onion and divide for both recipes. Chop cilantro for topping and guacamole.  
2. Slice avocado down the middle, remove seed, and spoon out from skin. Mash up avocado. Chop garlic and tomato. Mix guacamole ingredients together, adding salt and pepper at the end.

3. De-shell the shrimp and place in small bowl.  Or, buy already shelled frozen shrimp.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, onions and cumin and chili powder and cook for a minute until they begin to brown, stirring throughout to coat. Cover after 1 minute, bring the heat down to medium and let cook for about 4-6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they’ve softened up.

5. Add shrimp, and stir to cook, about 4-5 more minutes or until pink. Place spinach in pot, stir to combine, and turn off heat. Cover to allow spinach to wilt.

6. Char corn tortillas over a gas oven flame, or simply heat in the microwave. Fill corn tortillas with shrimp and bean mixture, top with guacamole, and enjoy!



Group 3: Avocado Pea Pesto and Simple Hummus 
Serves 4

All 3 dishes on one plate

¾ -1 box (10-16 oz) whole wheat pasta, bowtie or penne
1 1/2 cup of frozen, organic peas
1 1/2 cup of basil
1  ripe avocados 
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 tsp minced)
the juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
¼-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
water as needed
1-2 zucchinis, spiralized (optional)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds (optional)
¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Simple hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
¼ cup olive oil
 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1 lemon, juiced
2 clove garlic, or 1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
¼ to ½ cup warm water to reach desired consistency
1-2 tsp cumin (optional)
Handful of fresh cilantro (optional)


Directions:
1.  Defrost the peas in the microwave according to the package or boil on the stove for 3 minutes. Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package.

2.  Make the avocado pesto. Mince the garlic, and place olive oil, peas, basil, avocado in blender and blend or pulse until ingredients are mixed. Once partially smooth, add pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, and squeeze lemon juice in. Add water as needed, ½-1 cup.

3. If spiralizing zucchinis, prepare the zucchini into zoodles. Allow pasta to cool for 5 minutes and pour sauce over pasta and/or zoodles. Try not to add too much pasta, so the sauce stays thick and rich.

3. Make the hummus. Drain the can of garbanzo beans. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add warm water as needed to get desired consistency. Serve with vegetables or crackers.




      Keep your eyes peeled for more upcoming classes in the FTR Kitchen! They are found on the Calendar on the Fit to Recover homepage! 

APRIL CLASSES:

Prioritize Probiotics! On April 18th at 5:30 (make your own kombucha and kimchi)

Community Meal Prep: April 20th 530-7 (I will assign you ingredients to contribute)

FTR Foodie Guest Chef! Our very own Jacob Seitz-Sampson! He will be teaching us about the ultra-versatile and delicious, nutritious EGG! April 25th at 5:30-7

And "Let me see that Sushi Rollll!" April 26th at 5:30






Tuesday, April 4, 2017

FTR Foodie Guest Chef!

Adrienne Bossi, FTR member, shares her favorite "Light Italian" recipes with the FTR community
Each month, the Food to Recover kitchen will host an FTR "Foodie" as a Guest Chef to share their personal go-to recipes with the community. Members will learn from the FTR Foodie and be inspired to incorporate their recommendations into their weekly meal planning.

Adrienne guided us with her "Light Italian" heritage, and helped us enjoy delicious Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Orzo Chicken Salad, and Ricotta Herb Ravioli. All recipes took us about 30 minutes to prepare and we all loved the fresh and light flavors of her delicious and healthy recipes!

Here are the recipes she shared:


GF Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

The recipe makes about 18-20 pancakes with each pancake approx. ¼ cup of batter.

Each pancake is approximately 100 calories, 3g fat, 12 g carbs, 7 g protein, 2g fiber. 

2 2/3 cups oats, blended in a blender to make a flour (or buy oat flour) 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda 
2 cups part skim ricotta 
12 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 lemon's worth of zest
2 lemon's worth of juice 

Grind oats into a flour in a blender. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (oat-flour, cinnamon, baking soda). Combine the “wet” ingredients in another container (ricotta, egg whites, vanilla, zest, juice), working out the lumps from the ricotta. You can use a blender to combine the wet ingredients.

Then, mix the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle on medium/low temperature. Grease with butter, cooking spray, or coconut oil. The cooking surface is heated when water splashed onto the cooking surface sizzles.

Once heated, use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop to pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the greased pan. When edges begin to darken and bubbles form throughout the pancake (appox 1-2 minute), flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. 

Pancakes freeze well. Cool thoroughly before placing in the freezer in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. 




Orzo Chicken Salad

One serving is approximately 1⅓  cups of salad. The recipe below is for 2 batches and should make about 12 servings.

Each serving is about 200 calories, 6g fat, 31g carbs, 15g protein, 3g fiber.

Recipe is adapted from:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-orzo-salad-with-goat-cheese

2 ½ cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 cups chopped grilled chicken breast, cut into strips strips, 1 small grocery store rotisserie chicken yields about 4 cups of meat
3 cups trimmed arugula
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved, about 2 pint containers
1 cup chopped red bell pepper, about 2 peppers
½ cup chopped red onion, about half an onion
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, about 2 containers
2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, about 1 container
4+ tablespoons red wine vinegar, add as much as you’d like
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt, if desired
¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
12 tablespoons, about 3 ounces of crumbled feta, or goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.

Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.



Ricotta Herb Raviolis

Recipe makes approximately 48 raviolis using Nasoya wonton wrappers.
Each ravioli is about 40 calories, 2g fat, 4g carbs, 2g protein.

For filling
3/4 cup ricotta cheese, well drained
6 ounces feta or goat cheese, at room temperature
1 cup fresh herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, marjoram), chopped
1 egg
Salt and pepper, to taste

For raviolis:
1 package of Nasoya wonton wrappers
liquid to seal the wrappers- milk, water, lightly whipped egg white
Olive oil

Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl and chill in the fridge, covered. You make the filling a day in advance.

Lay 4 wonton wrappers at a time onto a cutting board. Keep the wonton wrappers you are not using covered, they tend to dry out quickly.

With the 4 you have laid out, brush the edges with your liquid of choice using your finger or a basting brush. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of cheese mixture into the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper to form a triangle and press the moistened edges together with the tines of a fork to seal it shut. Repeat.

Place the finished raviolis on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with foil or plastic wrap while you continue to work on folding more wontons.  This is to prevent them from drying out while you work.

To cook: there are 2 options,

Poach: bring a pot of water to an almost-boil. Add a dollop of olive oil to the pot of water. Swirl the water with a slotted spoon and gently place raviolis in the hot water one-by-one. Poach the raviolis for roughly 4 minutes, keeping the water gently swirling. The raviolis will float to the surface when they are cooked. Remove each ravioli with a slotted spoon, letting the water drip from them, and set aside on a plate. They may stick together, add more oil to them if they seem sticky.

Bake: preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake on parchment-lined baking sheet (remove the plastic wrap first) for approximately 12 minutes, until browned. You can also brush the wontons with olive oil, in which case they will need to be baked for approximately 8 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta sauce or or olive oil.