Kitchen Essentials

I recently completed our Sexy in Six program with a couple of outstanding women who asked really great questions throughout our six weeks together. One of the things they suggested would be helpful is a list of the top items I keep on hand in my kitchen. Follows is my kitchen essential list:

Food*

• Garlic and Onion--this is the foundation for just about everything I prepare, and both keep really well, which makes it easy to have on hand all the time.
• Seasonal Produce--there are ALWAYS greens in my fridge--usually some sort of lettuce and a cooking green of some sort, too. I like to browse fresh farmer's markets for additional items or enjoy the bounty from a friend's garden. In the grocery store it is often the case that fresh, in season produce is less expensive and more plentiful.
• Carrots--somehow this is a staple for us throughout the year. Great for eating raw, steamed up, juiced, or thrown into whatever I'm making. AND they are a sweet vegetable, which helps keep sugar cravings under control.
• Pantry Staples--we like beans at our house, so I generally have a can or two on the shelf in addition to dried beans (very inexpensive and much tastier than the canned variety). A great source of protein and fiber these little beauties are often combined with a whole grain (usually quinoa or brown rice) for a simple meal. I also like to keep a few cans of tuna and salmon in the pantry to make a cold salad or croquettes and add in some good omega fats. Speaking of fats, I use extra virgin olive oil for no-heat prep (salad dressing, hummus, pesto, etc.) and Wildtree grapeseed oil for cooking (order some by contacting me here.). I keep butter on hand, too, for baking.
• Freezer Fair--edamame is top of the list for our freezer, because they make a great snack eaten alone, are a nice twist on the traditional hummus recipe, and can be added to stir fry easily for a great protein source. The freezer also houses any leftovers, which then get pulled out and combined into a one pot dish that somehow always turns out tasty, even though the variety of flavors is vast.

*Whenever possible, I choose local, fresh, and organic.
 
Utensils

• Salad Spinner--used every.single.day. I actually have 2. Greatest tool for greens every invented.
• Knife and Cutting Board--Until I purchased a high quality knife, I had no idea that a knife that fits in my hand would make food prep so much easier. Now, I take it on vacation with me. Seriously.
• Knife sharpener--essential for keeping my knife in tip-top shape and preventing slips and possible injury.

Chicken Salad--hold the mayo

Love, love, love pulling together a leftover meal that doesn't feel like leftovers. This one came together beautifully and tasted even better than it looked.

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I used Tamari)
2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 Tablespoon evaporated cane juice (sugar)
1/4 cup Wildtree Garlic Grapeseed Oil* or canola or sesame oil
leftover chicken, cut into small pieces
carrots, finely chopped
celery, finely chopped
red onion, finely chopped
mango, finely chopped
cabbage, shredded (didn't have this on hand, but it would be so good)
salad greens
peanuts, optional

*email here to order.

Directions

1. Prepare salad dressing first by combining first 5 ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake to mix and set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients, except salad greens and peanuts, in large bowl. Toss to mix.
3. Give the dressing another shake and pour over salad. Toss to evenly coat.
4. Serve over salad greens topped with peanuts.
5. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries--the Wildtree Way!

I cannot believe how stinkin' good these oven roasted sweet potatoes are. The blend from Wildtree was made for this--not it's stated purpose. Take note--this is a seasonal Wildtree item, so stock up* to get you through the winter.

Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes (I used one huge one for 3 of us), washed
Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil
Wildtree Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
Sea Salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Be sure racks are in the middle of the oven.
2. Slice sweet potatoes into thin "chips." I cut the potato down the middle, placed the flat part on the cutting board and cut as thin as possible. It's helpful if you get them all about the same size so they cook evenly, but I got some super thin, which made them really crisp, and some not-so thin, which made them "meaty." I think just chunking them into bite size pieces would be good, too, and would require less time.
3. Drizzle some oil in the bottom of bowl (maybe a Tablespoon?) and add the blend (2-3 teaspoons depending on how many potatoes and how much flavor you want). Wisk until dissolved.
4. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat well--I had to use my hands here.
5. Place potatoes on cookie sheet in one layer (you can crowd them a little, if they are not thin sliced chips). It took 2 sheets for me.
6. Put both pans in the oven--I have to "stack" them, so I rotated the pans every 8 minutes (set a timer) to help them cook more evenly. 
7. When edges start to curl, they're done. Cook until really brown for extra crispy chips.
8. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste and enjoy!

*Order by emailing here. While you're at, check out all the other good (NATURAL!!) stuff Wildtree has to offer here.

Onion, Shiitakes, Greens, and BACON!

In case you missed it, I once confessed how much I love bacon. If given the chance, I'd eat it everyday. Maybe even at every meal.

But, alas, the expense and time it takes for bacon prep, not to mention the clean-up, prevent me from enjoying it very often.

Or so I thought.

Then Smoky Bacon Grapeseed Oil* walked into my kitchen.

I am forever changed.

While this oil carries with it all the benefits of grapeseed oil (high flash point, cholesterol free, expansive properties so you use less, extremely low in saturated fat, lite taste, etc.), IT TASTES LIKE BACON!!!

So, now when I'm home alone for lunch, it's a whole lot easier to whip up this little recipe just for me.

Ingredients/Directions
Drizzle Bacon GSO in skillet and warm on medium heat.
Add diced red onion and saute until translucent (3-4 minutes).
Add chopped, fresh shiitake mushrooms and continue to saute a couple of minutes.
Add chopped, fresh greens (I used collards) and saute a couple more minutes.
Add leftover brown rice (optional) and warm through.
Top with sea salt to taste

*Want a bottle of your own? Email here by NOON Monday, September 26th, and order yourself a bottle or two. And while you're ordering, you might as well pick up a couple of other things. Check out more good stuff online here.
Proceeds from this order will benefit disaster response for The American Red Cross.

Ginger Mashed Winter Squash

Yum.

It's all that needs to be said about this one.

Ingredients
Winter squash (butternut, sweet dumpling, delicata, etc.--use all the same or a combination of several)
Freshly grated ginger (start with a teaspoon)
A lot of cinnamon (no idea how much I put in!)
Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil* or Butter (start with a Tablespoon)
A drizzle of honey
Sea salt to taste

*Email here to order.
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice squash in half lengthways and scoop out seeds.
3. Place face down on a cookie sheet with a lip. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the tray.
4. Roast until a fork inserts easily.
5. Let cool slightly and scoop out flesh.
6. Add remaining ingredients and mash together. Adjust seasoning to taste.
7. Enjoy!

Cucumber, Tomato, Chick Pea Salad

We got a butternut squash in our CSA box this week. I was shocked. Especially since sweat was beginning to puddle in my shoes. Guess that means summer is close to an end.

This simple recipe includes so many of my favorite summer flavors, so I'm putting it in the weekly rotation until all the ingredients play out. It won't be long before they'll all be a distant memory.

Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled if you like, and cut into quarters
sea salt
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small Vidalia onion, chopped
Sprinkle of Wildtree Dill Dip Blend*
Drizzle of Natural Grapeseed Oil*
1 15oz. can of Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
Salad greens

* Email here for details and/or to order.

Directions

1. Slice cucumber and place in a colander. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit in sink while preparing remaining salad.
2. Combine remaining ingredients up to and including beans in a medium size bowl. Toss to coat. 
3. Shake cucumbers in colander and lightly press out water. Add to bowl. Toss to coat.
4. Let sit in refrigerator for an hour or more to bring out flavors or serve over salad greens immediately.
5. Enjoy!

Carrot Soup for a Rainy Day

It has been a wet, cold day, and I've been home with a sick child. When given the opportunity to choose between chicken/beets/greens and carrot soup, he chose the soup (and we've never made it before). So grateful to be led down this road--it was just what we needed to nourish us both.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed in a fine mesh strainer
2 cups water
1 T Garlic Grapeseed Oil* or other high heat oil
1/2 Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 T ground cumin
1 T turmeric
4-5 carrots, roughly chopped
3-4 beet green stems (optional), rough chopped
handful of beet greens (or other green)
4- 6 cups stock or water (or combination of the two)
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
raw pumpkin seeds (or sesame seeds or walnuts), dry roasted in a skillet
fresh, flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (cilantro would be yummy, too!)
*email here to order

Directions

1. Place rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water in saucepan with tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.
2. While quinoa cooks, place oil in bottom of soup pot and turn heat to medium. Once the pot warms, add the onion followed shortly by the garlic. Saute together for 3-4 minutes on medium-low.
3. Add cumin and turmeric and coat well.
4. Add carrots, beet stems, beet greens, and stock. Turn heat to medium/medium-high until it just boils, then reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes or so, until veggies are soft.
5. Add quinoa to soup pot followed by ginger, salt, and pepper. 
6. Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients together to a smooth consistency. Add stock or water as necessary. Taste, adjust seasonings and blend one last time.
7. Top individual servings with parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
8. Freeze leftovers to pull out for the next rainy day.

Chick Pea Spring Salad

Let me start by saying I have already made this recipe twice--in one week. I foresee this one becoming a regular in our spring and summer rotation. I'm not sure whether it's the avocado (healthy, yummy fat) or the Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil (another great fat source) or the fresh cilantro and salad greens (I love our Farmer's Market!), but whatever it is, it's a total party in my mouth. And with spring in full swing, I'm ready for a party to celebrate the change in seasons!

Ingredients
1/4 cup Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil (email here to order)
2 T rice vinegar
1-2 t honey
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 generous t coriander
1/4 generous t cumin
1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional or to taste--be careful, a little goes a long way!)
2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, shredded or chopped
1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks
juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
salad greens, handful chopped and additional for serving

Directions

1. Make dressing by combining first 7 ingredients (through red pepper) in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake it up baby! Set aside.
2. Combine beans, onion, carrot, avocado, lime, cilantro, and chopped salad greens (I like to add some greens to the actual salad, because my son doesn't "like" lettuce--although he's eaten it straight from the fields and said, "Yum!") in a large bowl.
3. Give the dressing one last shake (it's ok if it separates) and pour over bean salad. Toss to coat.
4. Serve over salad greens and enjoy the taste of spring!

Curry Ginger Chick Peas & Mushrooms with Tumeric Rice

I'm experimenting with a new Wildtree product in my kitchen. It's the Curried Garlic Blend, and it's pretty fantastic. I've added it in place of curry to a couple of different things, but this recipe, I have to admit, is pretty outstanding.
It helps to have fresh produce from the market to add to the experiment, too. So here's what I made up:

Ingredients
2 cups water
2 generous teaspoons ground tumeric
1 generous teaspoon sea salt
1 cup brown rice
a little high heat cooking oil (I used Grapeseed oil)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 teaspoons Wildtree Curried Garlic Blend or curry powder
a couple of hand fulls of colored peppers (I used red and yellow)
shiitake (or other) mushrooms
1 can chick peas, drained
some chopped up cooking greens (collards, kale, chard, etc.)
2 generous teaspoons freshly grated ginger
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place water in pot with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Add salt and tumeric. Add rice, stir it around, return to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
2. Place oil in skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. FYI: I like to let the onion and garlic cook while chopping the remaining veggies. It makes the onions sweet.
3. When onions are really soft, add the curry seasoning and mix well.
4. Add peppers and mix to coat. Let cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add mushrooms, mix, let cook 5 minutes or so to soften.
6. Add chick peas and greens. Cover and let chick peas warm and greens get greener about 4 minutes.
7. Check rice (timer should have gone off by now!). Does it need more cooking time or a little water added?
8. Add grated ginger and mix one last time.
9. Serve chick peas over rice.
10. Enjoy!

Scampi--it's not just for shrimp anymore!

It's been a long week. It started out great with a party at my house to celebrate the 4th birthday of my (mostly) precious son, but began to denigrate into a week home from school due to illness that got passed along to me. Ugh. I'm tired of being home bound. Cooking has been drudgery, too.

So tonight, in-between coughing fits, I threw together a 15 minute meal that was delicious and super simple. It consisted of broccoli, carrots, quinoa, sunflower seeds, and a super magical secret ingredient--Wildtree Scampi Blend with Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil.

I started representing simple, healthy, and natural Wildtree products last July, but have not taken the time to devote to promoting them at the level they deserve. Not sure why, really, because I use them in my own kitchen, especially the Grapeseed Oils. So I guess this is sort of a debut of two of my favorite products from the line.

Anyway, tonight was one of those wonderful Wildtree nights where I got a delicious, nutritious dinner on the table super fast. Here's what I did:

1. Cover bottom of cold skillet with Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil and 2-3 teaspoons of Scampi Blend.
2. Turn heat to medium/medium-low and stir to blend.
3. Add chopped carrots (I would have put some onion in first, but I didn't have any) and saute a few minutes stirring to coat the carrots.
4. Add chopped broccoli. Stir to coat and cook for a few minutes until broccoli is bright green.
5. Add cooked quinoa (or other whole grain--whatever amount on hand) and stir to warm and coat with seasoning.
6. Add sunflower seeds (or sesame or pumpkin) and you're done!

I'm happy to share more about Wildtree products. Simply contact me here.

Halloween Chili

I made this for a few friends before trick-or-treating and realized it's the perfect Halloween dish, because it's black and orange. It's also filling, makes a pot full, and uses seasonal favorites. Meat could be easily added, if desired. And I would certainly add or serve it over greens.

Ingredients
Grapeseed oil*
1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 T chili powder
3-4 cups sweet potatoes, washed and cut into bite size chunks
1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly (optional)
32 oz box low sodium chicken stock (or enough to cover potatoes)
3-4 cups cooked black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
salt to taste
cilantro (optional)
sour cream (optional)
* email here to order

Directions

1. Place oil in bottom of stock pot and warm over medium heat. Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes until translucent. Turn the heat to medium low.
2. Add the garlic and saute a couple more minutes before adding the chili powder. Stir to coat well.
3. Place sweet potatoes and quinoa in pot and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. No need to stir--just set a timer.
4. Add the black beans, tomatoes, and salt to taste and warm through.
5. Serve topped with cilantro and/or sour cream.
6. Enjoy!

Chips--the green kind

A client from one of our recent classes reminded me of this simple way to prepare greens that's really kid friendly (and super easy). I used it with kohlrabi greens this week, and it was yummy.

Here's what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Take washed and salad spinner dried greens cut or torn into "chip size" pieces and place on cookie sheet.
3. Spray with oil.
4. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning (sea salt and black pepper or something fun like this* to give it a kick). Seriously, you don't need much seasoning, so use only a small amount.
5. Put in the oven for 3-5 minutes--watch them closely, because they don't need long. 
6. Take 'em out of the oven and enjoy!

 *email here to order

Roasted Beets and Fennel

This is so easy and super yummy, especially with fresh beets and fennel. I had some onions I needed to eat, so I threw them in, too.

Preheat oven to 375.
Meanwhile, wash, peel, and cut beets into bite sized pieces. Place on cookie sheet or Pyrex cooking dish. Add washed, sliced fennel and chunks of onion (optional). Drizzle with oil (I used Grapeseed oil--email here to order), sea salt and pepper and roast in the oven until tender to a fork.
Let cool a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Napa Cabbage with Ginger Vinaigrette

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 6 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Natural Grapeseed Oil (email here to order)
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 large head Napa Cabbage, washed and sliced into long strips
Salt and pepper to taste

Tools/Equipment
Garlic press
Lime juicer
Jar with tight fitting lid
Measuring spoons
Knife and cutting board

Large skillet with tight fitting lid
Stove

Directions
1.    Mix all ingredients except cabbage together in a jar with tight fitting lid. Set aside.
2.    Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the skillet and warm over medium heat.
3.    When steam rises from the water, place cabbage in skillet, toss for a minute, then place tight fitting lid on skillet for 3-4 minutes. Cook cabbage until it is crisp tender (should still be bright green).
4.    Pour dressing over cabbage, season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Arugula with Mango, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese

I found mango's 2 for $1 this week, and they were ripe and ready to eat, so I used them in the following way for a scrumptious summer salad.

Chop washed arugula into slightly smaller pieces and place in serving bowl. Cut ripe mango over arugula squeezing extra juice from the mango over greens. Sprinkle walnuts and goat cheese chunks on salad. Drizzle with natural grapeseed oil* and toss to coat. Season with sea salt to taste.

Enjoy!

*email here to order

Beet Greens, Onions, and Shiitakes

Over the weekend I made this up and put it with some scrambled eggs. I love spring time!

I started with a little oil in a skillet and threw in some chopped onions on medium-low. Coat the onion well and  simmer a few minutes (3-4). Add some chopped garlic (I love garlic so it was 2-3 cloves). Let it sit. Heat stays at medium-low.

Meanwhile, cut beet greens away from stem if leaves are large. I had small leaves, so I just chopped it all up together and put it in some water in my salad spinner to soak and clean.

After rinsing, removing the stems, and slicing the shiitakes, throw them in the skillet and mix them well with the onion and garlic. I let them cook a few minutes (maybe 5?), drained the greens, threw them in the skillet, mixed it all up, covered with a lid and turned it off.

When the greens were wilted, I ate it all up. Divine!