Blueberry Peach Cobbler Crisp

I had to take a few days off from blogging after I had my first ever epic kitchen fail last week. I had dreamt up this creative beet chili recipe, and it was a complete disaster. I decided to pre-boil the beets a bit to soften them, and while I was on a 5-minute phone call, the beets absorbed 100% of the water in the pot, and burnt to a crisp. My entire apartment smelled like fiery beet smoke (not very inviting if you were wondering), and I even had to throw my pot away! I soaked and washed it multiple times and even put it through the dishwasher, but I think a layer of the pot itself burnt off, so I had to ditch it. Needless to say, I had some making up to do in the kitchen. 

I took a couple days off and then geared up for a ladies night potluck dinner party I threw last night. Ten wonderful ladies came over, and we had an amazing time. There was a recipe contest, and Sheena won with curried goat. It was my first time trying goat, and it was fantastic. Katherine's Moroccan chicken tagine was a close second - I will definitely be getting the recipes for both dishes and trying to recreate them. I was in charge of dessert, so I made a carrot cake (will be featured in a couple of days) and this blueberry peach concoction. My favorite farm at the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market occasionally has some summer staples that were picked fresh months ago and frozen to last through winter. I have missed out on the peaches every week until yesterday. I was so thrilled, and I decided to make a very summery dish. You can switch this up and use any fruit you have in season (apples, pears, cherries, etc.). This dish was a huge hit, and there wasn't an ounce left over. The peaches tasted insanely ripe, and they brought back amazing memories of my favorite meal of the summer up at Ryan's lake house when we made grilled peaches stuffed with prosciutto and fresh basil. Trust me when I tell you that you should make this cobbler. It is hands down my favorite paleo dessert to date. Summer will be here before we know it!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Crisp: Serves 10, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients:
- 6 peaches, sliced
- 3 cups blueberries
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla

- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans

- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

- 1/4 cup organic grade B maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice and vanilla

3. Put fruit mixture in a 9x12 casserole dish

4. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, pecans, coconut flakes, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil, and maple syrup

5. Mix until well combined and then crumble topping over the fruit  (I used my hands)

6. Bake for 45 until fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown

  

  

  

Stamford Summer Throwback: Best Meal of the Summer

Hello from Stamford! I had quite the journey down to my old stomping grounds. My train was less than five miles from Stamford, and we got stuck behind a broken down metro north train. We waited twenty minutes, went backwards for ten, and then finally headed into the not-so-big city. I was extra impatient to arrive because I was running late for a birthday dinner with my wonderful mentee and friend Kevin (hi Kev!). I decided to go straight to the restaurant with my typical homeless bag lady look because I couldn't wait any longer. We had an awesome meal at a Brazilian churrascaria, and Kevin even ate a chicken heart! I didn't try it because it looked too much like a kidney bean and was freaking me out. After a great dinner, I got back to my hotel to realize that I had never made a reservation. I am thoroughly convinced I got a minor concussion from my Crossfit fall last week, because I have been feeling weird and blanking out on things ever since. Luckily my good friend at "club zero" found me a room even though they claimed to be sold out.

Today's post highlights my favorite meal from this summer (which says a lot) from a previous Stamford trip. Ryan and I tag-teamed the cooking on this one, and it couldn't have turned out better. Check out the gorgeous view from the lake house where the meal was created. It is pretty much paradise!

Our perfect paleo feast included:

- Grilled steak (this is Ryan's job)

- Grilled peaches stuffed with prosciutto and fresh basil

- Grilled sweet peppers

- Roasted cauliflower with pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, cumin, & garlic

If you need recipes, feel free to ask, but these are all basically as simple as they sound - a great steak (get organic, grass-fed if possible!), produce from your local farmer's market, and fresh herbs from the garden. Everything got a bit of my usual mix of olive oil, salt and pepper, and that's it!

This upcoming weekend is supposed to be beautiful, so take out your grill for one last hurrah before the cold really settles in, and give it a try! The stuffed peaches were to-die-for...

 

Paleo Seafood Trio

Huge news people! After meeting some great fellow paleo Bostonians last weekend, I was asked to teach a cooking class this weekend for a "Healthy Boston Adventures" meetup. There should be around 13 people coming to my apartment, and I will be cooking/teaching a 3-course paleo feast consisting of:

- Slammin' salmon cakes with avocado, strawberry, tomato, & lime salsa
- Acorn squash and grass-fed beef autumn casserole
- Crispy apple crisp (creative name, I know)

I just got home from Trader Joes after a huge shopping spree, and I can't wait for the class! I obviously love to cook, but this is my first attempt at a cooking class. I'm looking forward to teaching the group about paleo and showing them how easy and healthy the recipes can be. If it goes well, I would love to do more of them. I will post all of the recipes and a recap this weekend after the class! It should definitely be interesting because I have never made any of these things before, and I have to actually create the recipes before the group gets here. I decided to go with a salmon cake appetizer because it should be an easy, affordable seafood appetizer (and I just learned that Trader Joes has wild canned salmon). I absolutely love seafood, so on that note, I thought I would share a few summer seafood recipes I have made over the past few months. I highly recommend all three!


Wild Cod Lettuce Wraps topped with  Organic Peach/Avocado Salsa 

Ingredients:
- Wild cod (I used one frozen package from TJ - about 1lb)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, & garlic powder
- 2 organic peaches, chopped
- 1 organic avocado, chopped
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- 1-2 cups brussel sprouts, halved
- Bibb/Boston lettuce cups

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Brush cod with a little olive oil and spices
3. Coat brussel sprouts with olive oil and spices
4. Bake cod and brussel sprouts for about 15 minutes
5. While fish and veggies are cooking, prepare salsa by combining peaches, avocado, lime, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
6. When the fish is cooked (should easily flake with a fork), pull apart pieces and put them in the lettuce cups. Top with salsa and serve with brussel sprouts. Perfect feast for roomie bonding night, right Katie? :)

Pecan Pesto Mahi Mahi w/ Summer Vegetables

Ingredients:
- Wild mahi mahi (I used one frozen package from TJ - about 1lb)
- Homemade pecan pesto (will post recipe separately - includes pecans, fresh basil, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper)
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 summer squash, sliced
- 1 lb mini heirloom tomatoes, quartered
- Olive oil
- Sea salt & pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Brush mahi mahi with a little olive oil and top with a dollup of homemade pesto. Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of the fish
3. While the fish is cooking, head some olive oil over medium heat and sautee the zucchini and squash for about 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking
4. Plate your fish on top of the summer veggie mixture and top with heirloom tomatoes


Very Berry Nutty Salmon Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 4-5oz piece of salmon
- 1-2 cups mache lettuce
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
- 1-2 Tbsp. paleo salad dressing (optional) - I used Steve's Original Wild Berry and love it!

Instructions:
1. Boil a pot of water. When boiling, add your salmon, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. 
2. Let cook 12-15 minutes
3. While your salmon poaches, arrange your lettuce, raspberries, tomato, almonds, and sunflower seeds on a plate
4. Top salad with salmon and add your favorite paleo salad dressing (or olive oil & lemon)