Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Muffins...Grain/Gluten Free!

I make the following every weekend:

Time for a nap.

Time for DVR catch-up with my cute husband.

Soup (when it's butt-ass cold out, that is).

A plan to clean which never gets done.

And muffins. Always muffins.

I used to make oatmeal every weekend for the week but one day I took a bite and was like, nah, never again. So now I make muffins.

My older peanut is gluten free so I make them so she can eat them. She is a really healthy eater and likes to have things she can grab in the morning or after school while doing homework. These are our favorite these days. They taste like they are naughty but really they are good for you and super easy.

Makes 24.

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 TBSP almond butter
4 scoops shakeology
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP  raw cacao powder
1 TBSP chia seeds
5 packets stevia (can use 1/4 c honey, but I don't love honey or the sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and spray with non-stick spray of your choosing (I use coconut oil spray)
2. Put first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Puree with an immersion blender (or a regular blender, or a nutribullet)
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
4. Divide. Bake for 20 minutes. Call me to thank me.

xx, Randie

Vegan (or not) Tortilla Soup- 21 Day Fix Approved!

Dude, my soup game is on point lately.

Husband does Vegan Before Six and has since he lost 100 pounds a number of years ago. It is not a plan that works for me, but I have figured out ways to make us both lunches that work.

Now hear this: I am not the wife who makes sure her man has his lovely lunch packed daily. Hells no. Especially during the summer where he makes salad all the time, and personally I hate salad for lunch. No matter what's in it it leaves me feeling like I am missing something. But now that it's cold I worship the soup gods and that works for the both of us. 

On Wednesdays we wear pink, and on Sundays we make soup. And lots. I always make enough for 10 lunches plus some for the freezer in case godforbidhehastofendforhimself.  On Thursday I made a whole roasted chicken in the crockpot which if you have not done, you are truly missing out. I was not super hungry that day (read: wine for dinner) so there was lots left over. I shredded it and used it to top off the soup to make it more balanced for my protein craving soul. 

This soup is hella healthy, delish times 78847523 and easy. You will notice, though, I puree almost all my soups and my immersion blender is the one kitchen thing I could never live without. I have a very vivid memory of cooking with my mother and her pureeing soup in the blender and it exploding all over the place, and well, no need to have that happen again.

I present to you, tortilla soup.

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 onions chopped

2 jalapenos, you guessed it, chopped

6 minced garlic cloves

1 TBSP oregano

1 TBSP cumin

1 TBSP chili powder

2 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

2 cans chick peas, drained

10 corn tortillas, torn into pieces

10 cups vegetable stock or a combo of stock and water ( I used 8:2)

1 cap no-salt tomato paste

1 20 oz can diced tomatoes

juice of a lime

Heat your oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed big-ass pot. Toss in the onions and let them cook for a few minutes. Like 5. Add in the peppers, onions and jalapenos and coo for 2 more minutes. Add in the tomato paste and spices and garlic, stir well and cook for another 30 seconds. Add in the stock, tomatoes and chick peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and put a lid on it. Go fold laundry or get a manicure or if you're like me, hide in the bathroom and pretend you are dying so everyone will leave you alone.

Toss in the tortillas and the lime juice. Let cook for another 10 minutes (more is okay). 

Puree.

Eat.

You can top with avocado, shredded chicken, tortilla chips. Whatever you want. I'm not the boss of you.

Because I love you all, I measured this out to a T. It made 18 cups of soup. If you are doing the 21 day fix or core de force or anything else that has you thinking about food in colored containers, each cup is 3/4 yellow, 1 tsp, 1 green. 

xx, Randie

Vegan Pumpkin Chili for the Soul.

Yesterday when we were at the grocery store Jon and I bumped into an old friend. She commented that she was so impressed that we had a shopping list. It's so funny, we've been together for years now and of course things evolve and change but one thing that hasn't is we are diligent about meal planning. Especially with me being in school, our lives are just too busy to leave it up to chance. So yesterday we shopped and planned not only for all our dinners but our lunches for the week. Jon prefers to eat vegan for his breakfast and lunch meals and although I tend to require a little extra protein, I'm just as happy to do it myself as well. Since the weather has become colder, we've been enjoying soups for lunch for the past month or so. I wanted to switch it up this week so I tried my hand at a vegan pumpkin chili. It's absolutely delicious and you don't in anyway miss the animal products. It's lux, spicy (only if you want it to be), and super healthy!

Vegan Pumpkin Chili for the apoplectic soul in need of love. 

Makes 10 2-cup servings. It's easy enough to cut in half, or freeze. But I don't do things in small doses.

Ingredients:

2  yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
4 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cups pureed pumpkin (make sure it's 100% pumpkin and not "pumpkin pie filling")
1 Quart vegetable broth or water
6 cups cooked mixed beans (I make my own beans because canned beans are to mushy for me. I used a mix of pinto, navy and black, but you do you.)
2 tablespoons lime juice

1 can (2 cups) low sodium corn (optional, but I love the hint of sweetness it gives.

Directions:

1. Chop up the onions, carrots, and bell peppers into a small dice.
2. In a big soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and sauté them until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, soy sauce, and spices and cook that all together for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, pumpkin, broth, and beans and stir well so everything is mixed and the pumpkin is totally dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat to low. Let cook about 30 minutes or longer if you want and your beans are not mush.
3. When it is done simmering, turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. 
4. I served mine with cilantro, but avocado would be amazeballs. Or cheese and chips if that's how you roll.

Let me know how you like it!

xx, Randie

Banana Bread Muffins- 21 Day Fix Approved!

These muffins happened for a few reasons. One, I need a 10 am snack at work. I tried yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal...and they all are awesome until they make me want to gag. Two, my awesome co-worker is supplying me with fresh eggs and I need to use them in a respectful manner (i.e. tasteeee). Three, last week it was hotter than Death Valley and all my bananas got too ripe too quickly so I had to get creative with them.

I have been trying really hard to stay on track with my eating and these make it so easy! They are delish-and good for you. And if you are following the 21 day fix- no problem!!

Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious but it could not be any easier. I made the entire thing in my Nutribullet. You can use a blender or a food processor – whatever it is that works for you. But I am a huge fan of not making a mess, or at least not more of one than is necessary.

Ingredients:

Three ripe bananas
2 eggs
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp honey (or stevia)
1 tbsp almond butter
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 scoops chocolate or vanilla shakeology (I used one of each. You can use other protein powder I'm sure, it's just not what I do.)

Preheat your oven to 350°, and line it with liners or nonstick spray or coconut oil.

Put all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until it's smooth.

Divide into 12 tins and bake for 18 minutes.

Eat, enjoy, and don't feel bad for a second.

( I used super large bananas. If you're doing the 21 day fix, each muffin is 1/2 purple, 1/3 red, 1/3 yellow and a tsp) Got questions? Comment here or message me at coachrandies@gmail.com.

That is how I like to think of myself eating. Civilized. Refined. Clean.

This is really me.

xx, Randie

Mixed Berry Breakfast Muffins!

I am beyond backwards but I am catching up today, and I have hired a social media assistant for the summer, so my stash of healthy recipes is making a move from my head to your belly very soon. ( P.S. my assistant will be 13 in ten days and has red hair. Guesses anyone?)

I wrote the above paragraph 4 days ago. That's how things have been. I got a new day job (Lactation Director at a local hospital) so I am still adjusting to the new gig. I get up at 4:30 so I can drink coffee, catch up on email, and start working out by 5am. I know it sounds crazy but it's what works for me. I have to do it before my brain gets messy and too many things stand in my way.

I have been doing a good, but not great job of bringing food to work with me. I was hooked on hard-boiled eggs for a while, but then one day I took a bite, spit it out, and that was that. I am all or nothing when it comes to food. I eat it over and over again, love every minute, and then boom! No more.
 I had a bunch of random berries in the fridge this week that were about to turn, so i decided to make a filling breakfast muffin that is perfect for the 10am hour, which is usually when I get hungry.  They are gluten free which is a good thing in our house. But more importantly, they taste good. Really good. They are not "muffiny" in the traditional floury sense, but in my humble opinion, they rock. They are filling and healthy, too. Win-win. So here is my recipe for mixed berry breakfast muffins. I was imagining blueberry only but I am a clean-out-the-fridge cook. I use what I have.

They are in the oven as we speak and smell amazing. 

2.5 cups rolled oats (not quick cook. Use gluten free if you need to otherwise, save your cash)
1.5 TBSP Chia Seeds
1.5 TBSP Flax meal
1.5 TSP baking powder
2 TSP honey (not gonna lie, I used stevia this time, but either works)
1 TBSP Cinnamon
2 Ripe bananas, mushed
3 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups unsweetened cashew milk ( or almond or coconut, again, it's what we had. And at any given time we have 4-5 different kinds of milk. Is that weird?)
One pint berries

Preheat your oven to 350. I like paper cups in my muffin tins as it makes clean up easier and for some reason we have like 394384 in the house at any given time. I spray mine with the coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's.

Holy shit my house smells good.

Mix all your wet ingredients in one bowl. If you do not know which are wet and which are dry, I cannot help you.

Let's pause for a minute. One of my staff members has chickens and has been giving me fresh eggs. Can we all just stop and say how pretty they are?

Mix all your dry ingredients in another bowl. Same rule as the wet ones applies.

Mix them all together until combined, then stir in the berries.

Mmmmm. Berries.

Divide into 12 muffin tins and bake for 30 minutes.

If you are following the 21 day fix meal plan, each serving is 2 muffins and is one yellow, 1/2 purple, 1/4 red and 1 tsp.

What do you bring with you to work or play?

xx, Randie

Taco Tuesday- 21 Day Fix Style

We eat tacos every week. Without fail, it's what's for dinner on Tuesday. Everyone likes it, it's flexible enough to change it up and keep it interesting, and it's easy enough to make healthy.

Easy is of massive importance for me right now as I just started a new job and am getting adjusted o getting up way earlier. This is something I can throw together in a moment. And if you are lazy like me and buy shredded cheese, you are golden.

This is the seasoning I use for my tacos. I like to use chicken breast (diced) but we sometimes do ground turkey or lean beef. You could do tofu as well by my husband would divorce me.

Seasoning blend:
1 TBSP Ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin

mix it all together!

Now, I cook shit in my le cruset. You can use stainless steel but please don't use non-stick. It's bad for you and food doesn't taste as good. 

Why do I worship Le Cruset? They are kind of like mason jars- they are just the best because I said so. And they last FOREVER. Because they are awesome.

 Now here is a big trick. Get ready.
Heat your pot up before you put any oil in it. When you do that and pour in only a tsp of oil you create a barrier that will make your food not stick. Amazeballs.

I put the seasoning with 1.5 lbs of chicken. Toss it to coat and brown it a bit. I then pour in about 1/2-1 cup of chicken stock and cover and turn to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

We serve with corn tortillas (2= one yellow)
beans
avocado
greens
cucumbers
lime
whatever the heck else you want. I like a salad, the kids like hard shells, the husband likes a burrito with a low carb wrap. Its hard to go wrong with taco night!

xx, Randie

Chicken + Collards + a 12 Week Old!

Here she is again, 'cause it's Wednesday!

 

 

June hit 12 week status today, and with that came more cute noises, a couple of glimpses of some giggles, rolling over - twice! from her belly to back, the ability to be in the stroller - awake and not crying (at least yesterday, and i’m hoping for good...fingers crossed!) and in general I feel like she’s coming out of this “4th trimester” ready to take on the world! Now for us begins the process of trying to get her to sleep on her own without the need to nurse or bounce her on the exercise ball to get her there. Sleep is such a divisive parenting issue! But it seems that no matter what your school of thought regarding babies and sleeping, everyone pretty much agrees that the important thing is for you to start putting them down when they’re drowsy instead of comatose from being on the boob. Easier said than done. Today was day one. I put her down in her crib when almost 2 hours had passed from her last sleep. And she cried. She wasn’t wailing, just sort of fussing, but I tried to let her stay there for 5 minutes - at which point she calmed down and I thought I had reached a surprising success. But then 10 minutes in she started fussing again and at 15, I picked her up, nursed her a little and then put her back down. Good news is, she did have her eyes open and cried for 1 second when I put her down before passing out, so maybe something was accomplished? We shall see. I don’t want to cause her too much distress, just want to see if she can get used to the idea of going to sleep on her own.

Yesterday was a really good day with her, especially because I was finally able to be out with her in the stroller when she wasn’t hysterical. She even let me shop at the drug store while she was awake! This may seem like a small feat, but it was a game changer for me. And for me, good days = good dinners. I feel like Mike and I are always trying to eat healthy, but now we are really trying. I mean I generally cook dinners that are nutritious, I’m probably just a little more heavy handed with the oil and/or carbs at times than one should be if one is trying to lose weight.

We bought some collard greens over the weekend, so last night I decided to cook this recipe I found from Marcus Samuelsson for chicken with collards. His recipe calls for thighs and we only had boneless breasts, so that’s what we used though thighs would have of course been better. I also pared it down since we only had 1 small bunch of collards and less than a pound of chicken, though I honestly could have eaten triple the amount of greens since I dug them so much. We split a sweet potato with it, which was the perfect accompaniment and since there was some extra broth in our bowls, it sopped it right up. Definitely recommend this for an easy and super healthy weeknight meal. And I definitely need to start buying collards more - they’re such a nice change of pace from the usual kale/chard/spinach we buy. So don’t be scared to switch it up with some collard greens!

Here is the recipe, courtesy of marcussamuelsson.com:

African Chicken and Collard Greens Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

¾ tsp kosher sal

½ tsp cayenne

4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skin removed and discarded

1 extra-large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 4 cups slices)

2 large cloves garlic , minced

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

12 cups cleaned and chopped collard greens (about 3 large bunches or one 12-ounce bag)

½ - ¾ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Trim any fat from the chicken. Stir the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne together in a small bowl and rub into the chicken. Set aside.

2. Toss the onion slices and garlic together. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the mixture and toss. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook until the onions begin to soften, 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not brown. Remove from the heat and remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon.

3. Gently rub the remaining tablespoon of oil into the chicken. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Lightly brown the chicken on all sides.

4. Mound the greens over the chicken. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and spread the onions over the greens. Pour the broth over the top and bring just to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven.

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve immediately, spooning the juices over the top.

 

 

xx, Randie

Spinach and Cannelini Beans with Garlic...And Singing With June

Welcome back Sarah!

Baby beluga in the deep blue sea, swim so wild and you swim so free…

Thus begins the soundtrack to my life these days. I know the song from my own childhood Raffi tape, but recently picked up a board book with the lyrics at a garage sale. June loves to hear me sing it and it’s become a part of our nightly routine. Eventually I hope it will be the end of the nightly routine, without the incessant ball bouncing that follows. We’ll get there, just not today.

We had a really nice 3 day weekend, Mike, June and I - with lots of extended family time which is always great plus an additional day of quality bonding time for the three of us. It’s always nice to have Mike get to spend more time with June, as they both love it. It makes me sad he was only able to get 2 weeks off after her birth to be home with us. It would be so nice if we could all be home together for the first three months. I know it can be hard for him to only get to see her for a few minutes in the morning and then sometimes, just for the bedtime rituals at night. I send him photos during the day to keep him in the loop.

Tonight we had a very peculiar dinner of matzo ball soup and spinach with cannellini beans and garlic, which prompted Mike to say: “I bet we are the only people in the world eating this combination of food right now.” However strange the combination, the recipe for the greens and beans is a good one, and I suggest you give it a try...only perhaps with something like rice as opposed to the soup :) 

Spinach and cannellini beans with garlic and sherry vinegar***

7-8 oz baby spinach (or kale or chard)

1 - 15 oz can cannellini beans (or other white beans)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tbsp + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 C chicken broth

1 ½ tsp sherry vinegar

Salt & pepper

-Heat 2 tbsp oil in large saute pan and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Gently saute for a couple of minutes till garlic starts to brown. Add spinach and a pinch of salt and cook till just wilted. Add chicken broth and beans and simmer for about ten minutes, until liquid gets absorbed. Add vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and finish with another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

*** Note from Randie: Serves 4 as a side. Each serving is 1/2 green, 1 yellow and 2 tsp for you 21 day fixers ****

Enjoy!

xx, Randie

Healthy Brownie Batter...21 Day Fix Approved!

I love chocolate. I love it so much I get angry at people when they order vanilla ice cream. I think it should be illegal.

I have been experimenting over the years with healthy desert treats and these are my favorites. When I am hungry and need a treat and nothing else sounds right, these blow it out of the park.
There are a zillion different combinations and I encourage you to get creative!

Option 1- half mashed banana, 1/2 cup almond milk and full scoop chocolate Shakeology*. (1 red, 1/2 purple)
Option 2- half mashed banana, 1/4 cup mashed avocado, 1/3 almond milk and full scoop chocolate Shakeology. (1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 blue)
Option 3- half mashed banana, half mashed avocado, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt and chocolate Shakeology. (As shown in pic) (two servings, each is 1/4 purple, 2/3 red, 1 blue)
Option 4- whole banana with just the chocolate Shakeology, 2 TBSP PB2 , and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. (1 purple, 1 red, 2 tsp)

Of course when you do the avocado/plain Greek yogurt it's SUPER filling and dense as you are adding all that protein and healthy fat to the amount you're already getting from the chocolate shake.

Have fun with it!
Mix, mash, grind, smash and then be sure to devour it. Just be sure you mash the banana and avocado before adding the milk and power, it's much easier that way.

Let me know what you think. Damn, now I am hungry. What do you do when you need a healthy treat?

*I have no idea if this works with any other powder (like a chocolate protein powder because I simply have not tried it :)

xx, Randie

To Life, to Life, L’chaim!

This Saturday is the Passover Seder, where every year my family and I get together at my mom’s house and gather around the table to eat, recount the telling of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt and where we take the time to be thankful for the blessings in our lives today. It has always been my favorite holiday. Its many rituals are a perfect example of how every Jewish tradition comes steeped in significance. For every food we eat, there is a reason. The traditions take us beyond the usual pleasures of just getting together with our loved ones for a meal. Ever since I was a kid receiving silver dollar coins for finding the hidden matzah from my Poppy, it’s been a favorite holiday of mine and I can still get quite nostalgic about it.

It is also the holiday where we remember and talk about my grandpa Sol.

My mom’s father, Sol was a Holocaust survivor, the only one out of his family to make it out of the war alive. He lost his mother and father and his sister and two brothers as well as many other extended family members to the Nazis but lived to start a family of his own in Brooklyn, NY. He went on to not only play an immensely important role in all of our lives, but in many others whom he met along the way. To say he was inspiring is to understate it. To say he was kind, generous, loving and full of humor is to put it lightly. He was the greatest man many of us have ever known, his life a huge influence on all of our lives. He spoke and wrote about his childhood as well as his time in the Nazi concentration camps until I think it became too hard for him to rehash those memories. He never really spoke in detail of his family members; I can only imagine how painful it must have been for him to think about them. There is a photo I found a few years ago of his sister, Ruchel before the war when she was about 13 years old and the minute I looked upon her dark eyes, my own filled with tears of immense sorrow. I saw myself in those eyes. I wish I could have known her. So many questions for the person in that photograph, so many lives gone before they could flourish.

One of my grandfather’s greatest gifts to all of us are the stories he wrote about his life that clue us in to the joys and the traumas he experienced before meeting my grandmother in Brighton Beach. He was a great writer and every year we choose another story to read aloud at our Passover seder. And thus we form another bridge between the ancient story of Jewish persecution from the Pharaoh in Egypt, to the enslavement and genocide of the Jews in the Holocaust, to the very personal story of our own family member’s history of loss and survival. It is to not only pay homage to the great man we all love and miss, but to remind us of the ability of the human spirit to overcome such great loss and create beauty and love from unimaginable pain. We in my family are a very emotional bunch, and it is no wonder why. The trauma in our shared histories lives with us today, but we try and remember to live in our blessings and to be thankful for the gifts in our lives, the family we get to share it with and the joys we get to experience.

And to that, I say - L’chaim!

….

As part of our Passover spread, we’re making this roasted carrot dish that I have made a couple of times before and really like. The recipe is from the Meatball Shop in NYC, and it’s the chef’s modern take on Tzimmes, a traditional sweet carrot dish. If anyone need’s a side for the holiday, or just for any other night of the week, I suggest you give it a try!

Honey-Roasted Carrots with  Prunes, Walnuts, and Mint

for the carrots:

8 large carrots Cut into 3 X 1-inch pieces (like thick-cut french fries)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

for the topping

1/4 cup chopped pitted prunes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

- Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Toss the carrots with the olive oil in a large bowl, and coat thoroughly. Add the salt and toss to coat.

Combine the honey and 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Lay the carrots out on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan so that they are evenly spaced and do not touch one another. Drizzle with the honey mixture and put the carrots in the oven to roast.

Roast until all of the water has evaporated and the carrots are soft and beginning to brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, prepare the topping. Mix the prunes and olive oil in a small bowl. Work the mixture so that the prunes are thoroughly coated and not sticking together. Add mint, walnuts, salt, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly to combine.

Remove the carrots from the oven and arrange them on a serving dish. Spoon the topping over the carrots and serve.

 

  Solomon Wieder, 1926-2005

xx, Randie

Soothing with the hair dryer/Spinach-cilantro pesto

It's Wednesday: and that means guest Blogger Sarah is in the house!

Is there any worse noise than the sound of your baby’s inconsolable tears?

Two hours ago I thought about starting this post with something along the lines of relishing how great the day was, how some days for some reasons unbeknownst to anyone are just happier days when no matter what the weather, the sun seems to be shining right on you.

And then 8 o’clock rolls around and you start to think, was it the garlic I ate that’s making her cry out so? It can’t be, I only ate an hour ago...Ah, she spit up all over me - that must have been it. Nope. And then mom and dad get testier. “Can you PLEASE just take her into the kitchen with the exhaust fan again? You barely bounced with her in there before!” “She just hates me tonight!” “Okay, let me try feeding her again.” Yes, well, you get the idea…

But while I’ve been home with her all day and she’s really been a doll, what I really want right now is to sit here and find solace in writing while my husband tends to the crazy crier. She’s been smiling all the time now, making lots of eye contact and getting a kick out of my changing facial expressions so it’s been really fun to spend time with her at home.

...ahh the hair dryer...baby likes the hair dryer…baby needs to SLEEP.

...So back to the glorious day full of sunshine (metaphorically, as it was raining). June slept 5 hours in a row last night - hurray! Though that was then followed by waking every hour or so until around 7 when we had our morning ritual of mamma and baby nap time when I let June nap on top of me for the next hour and half or so. I’m always plenty tired by this point so I pass out quite easily until she wakes up caked in sweat from her head resting on my chest. Today I knew the forecast predicted rain all day so I wanted to take advantage of some dry morning hours to take a nice walk and pick up some groceries since it’s been pretty miserable out all week. Anyway, we took a walk, baby napped, I picked up a lovely little air plant for the house and all was well and lovely in the world. Naps went well today and I even had time to clean up the apartment and do some weightlifting! (I opted for the former rather than a shower) Mix that with oodles of little baby smiles and coos and like I said, it was one of those glorious days of motherhood.

Which was why once 4 o’clock rolled around, a combination of my good mood, a happy and sleeping baby and a clean home had me thinking about something fun that I could cook for dinner. I had already bought a piece of salmon, so I knew we would be eating that and otherwise I had a couple of potatoes in the house, some baby spinach and a fresh head of cilantro that I picked up today just because a fresh herb seemed like a good thing to have. Nowadays when I want to get creative in the kitchen, my main obstacle is time. No more are the days when I can dream up an Indian stew and measure out 15 different spices or create a meal with 8 different components. It’s really about just coming up with one interesting element that can transform a humdrum meal into something a little more exciting and get the creative juices flowing.

So salmon, spinach, potatoes...I mean I knew we would enjoy those 3 things no matter what the preparation, but what could take them up a notch and give me a nice 20 minute task while June finished her nap?

It wound up being a delicious spinach-cilantro pesto.

The idea occurred to me when I was trying to think of something more interesting to do with spinach other than saute it (even though I still did this too, just for some extra healthy greens on the plate). I blanched and shocked my spinach and cilantro and then blended it with toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. We ate it over potatoes that were par-boiled and then crisped up in a hot pan once it was dinner time. I saved the rest of it in the freezer and know it would be good with any number of things once the mood strikes next.

Oh goddamn, I think a loud noise woke up the (finally) sleeping June. And nurse, burp, bounce, sleep. Repeat. Good night.

Spinach-Cilantro Pesto

3 oz baby spinach

1 small bunch cilantro

⅓ C toasted slivered almonds

¼ C oil (i used a combination of sunflower + olive)

Juice from ½ lemon

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper

-blanch spinach & cilantro in boiling water for 10 seconds, shock in ice water, then drain and put in food processor.

-add almonds, garlic to greens and process until finely chopped.

-add lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper to taste

 

xx, Randie

Lentil Soup and the Virtues of Mise en Place

The first time I ever heard the phrase "mise en place" was while watching an episode of Top Chef. It's French for "putting in place" and it's basically a fancy term for getting yourself all organized and set up before you start cooking.

Now for many of you out there, this is probably obvious. Not for me. My underwear drawer if full of bunched up piles so I can't see anything past the same 5 pairs I seem to wear over and over (washed, of course!). My closet is a mess. My pantry has no order and would make some of my OCD friends very, very uncomfortable.

I have been cooking for almost 30 years and this concept changed my life. It's so simple and yet it makes a huge difference. Do you have any idea how many times I have creamed butter and sugar only to realize I am out of flour? Or the chaos that ensues as you tear apart the cupboards looking for that one spice you KNOW you bought last month. It has to be here somewhere, behind the 757734  other mislabeled spice jars, right?

Now I start by taking out what I need. I chop my vegetables first. I measure out my spices. Who knew that's what the cute tiny glass bowls were for? I made sure I had stock (which I usually do given my depression-era tendencies of food storage). I measured and rinsed my lentils, And now the soup is simmering on the stove, the counters are clean, and I am snuggling while typing next to this guy.

This is Pablo. He is a 4 year old Yorkie Poo. He weighs 9 pounds and likes to bark at imaginary people and snuggle. He does not eat lentil soup (but only because I don't allow it).

I make a variety of lentil soups but this one is a favorite that I tend to fall back on. It's vegan, gluten free, healthy and delicious. And it costs almost nothing to make. I like to make it veggie-heavy to add more sweetness and stretch it.

Ingredients:

-2 cups red lentils, rinsed

-1 cup carrots, chopped

-1 cup celery, chopped

-1 onion chopped

(note, I don't worry about finely chopping as I puree he soup when I am done.)

-1 tbsp garlic paste* (see note below)

-1 TBSP coconut oil

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

-1 tsp cumin

-1 tsp coriander

-1 tsp Himalayan salt

-5 cups stock (i like vegetable in this but use whatever you have)

-1.5 cups low fat coconut milk (I used the silk brand in the refrigerated section. Make sure you use unsweetened, should be around 45 calories a cup.)

Heat up an enamel pot (or stainless steel, I just love my Le Crueset for soup. Just make sure it's heavy-bottomed) over medium heat. Add in the oil. Through in the veggies and saute for about 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. (aren't you glad you had them all prepped?)

After they have cooked for the 10 min, add all the spices (including the garlic paste) and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring well. Toasting them really brings out the flavors.

Add the lentils and stir well. Add the stock and stir with a wooden spoon, deglazing the bits from the pan. Bring to a boil and then cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until everything is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. 

Turn off the heat and add the coconut milk. If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting an immersion blender, It's the easiest and least messy way to make pureed soups. You can use a blender and do it in batches....just make sure it's cool first. Hot soup can explode in a blender and it's a crime scene when it does,

This soup is filling and so so so good. You can make it spicier by adding in jalapenos when you saute the veggies but my kids would balk at that. 

This makes about 12 cups, and each one is 2 yellow and 1/2 green if you are following the 21 day fix. 

*Garlic paste: This is an amazing ingredient I discovered at an Indian market when I was experimenting with Indian cooking a few months ago. It is literally just pureed garlic and it's an easy shortcut. If you are using fresh garlic add like 3-6 cloves depending on your taste.

Enjoy!!

xx, Randie