Thursday, March 14, 2013

Dinner in Bed


Dinner in Bed









Isn’t there just something so marvelous about breakfast in bed? Maybe it’s the warm sheets…. Or perhaps it’s the softness of the pillows propping up your back as you nosh on something warm and cozy? Maybe you’re lucky enough to have someone deliver that deliciousness right to your nightstand. Now THAT is love.

Well I do have a confession… In the spirit of self-love and something I like to call “soft mornings” (mornings that don’t involve jumping out of bed and rushing off to work) I eat breakfast in bed almost every morning… Only rarely do I venture so far as to eat on the windowsill of my enormous French windows overlooking the early morning bustling streets of the UWS. But when I’m dining alone and feeling particularly cozy, not only will I eat breakfast in bed, but I will return to my abode and happily eat dinner in bed too.

Hence last Monday night after a busy day around the city, I decided to make a quick dinner of thai inspired carrot soup paired with an open faced sandwich topped with a creamy egg. It took but 10 minutes from fridge to bed. So simple and yet as I sat in bed the warmth of the blankets slowly encapsulating my body paired perfectly with the last remnants of the creamy egg dissolving upon my palette. Some pair meals with wine, but the spirit of this meal can be best enjoyed with an atmosphere involving pillows, sheets and, in my case, a glitter headboard. J

Bon Appétit:

Ingredients:

1 cup Shredded carrots
2 cup Spinach
2 TBS Almond butter
Juice of ½ a Lemon
1/8 tsp Cayenne
¼ tsp Ginger Powder
2 drops Nunaturals Stevia (optional or sub ½ tsp Honey)
Salt
Eziekial bread
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 organic egg

1. Start to heat 1½ cups of water over medium heat
2. Over Medium heat, combine shredded carrots, 2 cups of spinach and a TBS of water. Cover and occasionally stir for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add half of the carrot and spinach sauté to your two cups of heated water and reserve the rest for the open-faced sandwich. Add Almond Butter, Lemon Juice, Cayenne, Ginger, Stevia and salt to taste.
4. Toast Eziekial bread and prepare an “egg over easy” (meaning the yolk should be minimally cooked) and sprinkle the egg with salt.
5. To Assemble Sandwich: spread 1 tbs of coconut oil on Eziekiel bread, top with remaining carrots and spinach sauté and top with creamy egg.



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Roasted Figs stuffed with Creamy Goat Cheese


Roasted Figs Stuffed with Creamy Goat Cheese



Roasted figs. Doesn’t your mouth just salivate at those words? Even before I knew what a fig was (those yellow packages known as fig newtons absolutely bewildered me as a youngster) I knew there was something magical about them. It’s not surprising that these decadent little fruits were associated with Dionysus, the God of wine and drunkenness in Greek mythology. The rich texture of a ripe fig unfolds softly upon the tongue releasing a myriad of sweetness that pairs so well with wine and cheese.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy figs is to briefly roast them and then stuff them with high quality goat cheese and a few varying accoutrements for added flare and flavor.

These beautiful little bits take minutes to prepare and yet give a gourmet flare to any party as either an appetizer or a dessert. 



Ingredients:

8 figs
liquid coconut oil (Or sub almond oil, safflower oil)
4oz of soft goat cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Slivered Almonds

Optional:
Black sesame seeds
Edible flowers
Spinach


Preheat oven to 400ºF (mini oven works great) Remove goat cheese from refrigerator and place aside

   Prepare Figs: Cut 1/8th inch off tops and bottoms of figs just to create a smooth surface so they stand upright upon a plate. Cut x shape 3/4ths of the way down into the top of each fig. Drizzle with coconut oil and place in oven for 8 to 15 minutes
  
   Remove figs from oven and let them cool to room temperature. Take a small spoonful of goat cheese and using fingers, stuff cheese into roasted figs op with slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds.
    
  
  Optional Serve figs over bed of spinach leaves, edible flowers and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.


Friday, February 15, 2013

Sunhini Seed Butter

Sunhini Seed Butter




Oh seed butter how wonderful you are. Those of you who know me, know that I adore this savory goodness in more ways than I ever thought possible. 

What is it? 

So what is a seed butter anyhow? A seed butter is basically the same thing (But way more awesome) as peanut butter. I do eat peanuts occasionally but considering there have been some questionable issues raised with fungal growth and peanuts, I tend to stick to homemade organic tahini (sesame seeds) or sunflower seed butter. 



Ways of Indulgence include:  



1) In a morning green smoothie
2) Apple nut "sandwiches"
3) a little on top of a piece of dark chocolate
4) Mixed with white beans to make a low fat dip. 
5) Sugar free Tahini Truffles anyone? 
6) Sunflower Seed "Thai sauce."  
6)A big spoonful straight from the jar.








 Sunhini Butter Recipe 

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds 
1-2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp stevia or 1 tbs agave
1 tbs cocoa powder  
**(Agave has a higher GI so may raise blood sugars a bit more) 
1 tbs sesame seed oil (optional) 





1. Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once the skillet is warm roast the seeds (I usually do one cup at a time) Stir occationally for the first 3-5 minutes, but after that stir constantly to avoid burning. 

2. Transfer seeds to a glass bowl and let them cool down to room temperature.

3. Transfer seeds to a food processor and begin to 'blend, baby blend!' Occasionally stop and use a spoon or knife to scrape the mixture from the side of the container. At this point you will have a fine powder. 

4. After around 5-7 minutes (depending on the power of your food processor) a smooth paste will begin to form.

5. Add in salt, Stevia powder or Agave and Cocoa powder, if desired.

6. If your seed butter still looks to be in need of some help becoming a bit creamier, it is now time to add 1 tbs of sesame seed oil if desired. (I think the addition of sesame seed oil will rock you socks off!)  


Yield:  approximately 3/4 cup sunhini butter




Yummmm...






Saturday, February 2, 2013

Gourmet Goat Cheese

Gourmet Goat Cheese

Easy entertaining 

Now I don't know about you all, but I have a bit of an infatuation with goat cheese. Besides my conviction that it's absolutely delicious, I also love the fact that I have actually seen my fair share of goat's milked before. It's great having the opportunity to connect more closely to the source of ones favorite foods! 

Goat Milking Expo! 

Now I am a fan of goat cheese on it's own, but my absolute preference is when you can doll it up a bit and compliment that almost sour nature of goat cheese with something rich and almost sweet. 

So here is my favorite goat cheese recipe, not only for taste but also, in particular, for aesthetics. It's one of my  favorite "go-to" entertaining / date night dish. 

Gourmet Goat Cheese Recipe

1/2 cup of raw cashews 
1 tsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 roll of goat cheese (preferably without the wax)
Serve with:
Dehydrated Swiss Chard chips or Broccoli (Winter)
Cucumbers and Zucchini slices (Summer)  

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Next chop the cashews until they resemble the size of chickpeas. 
3. place in a bowl and mix with sunflower oil and salt. 
4. place on a baking pan and roast for around 10 minutes, shaking the pan after 5 minutes and keeping an eye on them. Once they have lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool
5. While the cashews are cooling, take your goat cheese and using your hands, roll into a large ball. 
6. Place Roasted cashews on a plate or in a large bowl and begin gently rolling the cashews 
7. Once the goat cheese ball is completely covered in cashews, plate up and serve with vegetables of choice. I mentioned Romaine lettuce, Celery, cucumber and Zucchini, but Asparagus, Broccoli (especially roasted) would be great as well! 


Enjoy my dears! 

Sending love, happiness and Low G indulging your way!
<3 Kate 


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Chili Spiced Cauliflower Poppers





Cauliflower usually isn’t most peoples favorite food out there and it is especially a hard sell when “Raw” due to its bitterness.  But with a little seasoning and slow roasting Cauliflower gets that pizzazz that makes these cauliflower poppers one of my favorite guilt free go-to’s when suffering an afternoon snack attack.


Chili Spiced Cauliflower Poppers


INGREDIENTS

1 Cauliflower head
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ tsp each:
Chili seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt


Optional but recommended:
1-2 TBS Olive Oil  

Directions:
1.     Pre-heat Oven to 400 F if using
2.     Cut up Cauliflower separating florets (Not too small, they will shrink when roasted).
3.     Rinse Florets thoroughly
4.     Transfer Florets to mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients
5.     Transfer seasoned ingredients onto dehydrator try or pan covered in wax paper.


DEHYDRATOR
  Dehydrate at 145 for two hours, and 115 for four to eight hours (I Like mine super crispy so usually dehyrate them overnight).

OVEN
     Roast 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally