Pomegranate Mint Cauliflower Rice

Happy Memorial Day! I thoroughly enjoyed the 3-day weekend, and I now have a completed garden on my terrace complete with carrots, tomatoes, peppers, beets, and lettuce. The picture to the right is the start of my carrots just 3 weekends ago. I will post the updated picture this week, and you won't even believe your eyes! I think I shed a tear (or three) when I saw the first sprouts. I am getting a lot of slack from friends and family for talking to my garden, but I am absolutely convinced that the morning pep talks are really doing the trick. I have always wanted a garden, so I am taking advantage of my outdoor space and am fully committed to loving my plants unconditionally until they grow. I will have updates throughout the spring and summer and hope to make some exciting recipes with my home-grown veggies in a couple of months. Since patience is a virtue I do not have, this is the perfect activity to me. Waiting 70 days for a carrot will certainly be a first, and I'm sure the experience will be useful if I can translate the newfound patience to other aspects in my life.

Tonight's recipe is a wonderful side dish for any upcoming BBQ or get-together. The fresh mint and pomegranate seeds give the "rice" a fresh burst of flavor with every bite. Enjoy the flavors of Spring, and don't forget to tell your plants that you love them!

Pomegranate Mint Cauliflower Rice: Serves 4-6, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:
- 1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Instructions:
1. Heat oil over medium heat
2. Sautee the onion for about 10 minutes until translucent
3. Meanwhile, pulse the chopped cauliflower for a few seconds in the food processor until it makes a rice-like consistency
4. Add the "rice" to the onions, stir well, and cover for 10 minutes
5. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
6. Toss with fresh mint and pomegranate seeds

  

  

Spring Spinach Salad

Happy May! I have been beyond MIA, and my poor blog has been neglected (I think I have said this one too many times lately...). The past couple of weeks have been nonstop madness, mostly due to my move back to Stamford. Thanks to a lot of help (thank you family!), I was able to move, unpack, decorate, and get totally settled in 96 hours. I have a lot of scratches and bruises to show for it, and I am so thrilled with my new place. Home to me should be a place of serenity and love; I am so grateful to have my own apartment again and build a home in the exact way that makes me feel fulfilled and comforted. I was able to sell most of my furniture before the move so I could get a fresh start in all respects. I am loving the new furniture, my wonderful building, and most importantly being closer to family, friends, and colleagues again. In the midst of all the greatness, I am learning to readjust to office life. This is the fourth day in a row that I have dressed up, worn heels, blowdried my hair, and engaged with dozens of people - definitely a record for the past 2 years! As the weeks go on and I adjust, I will find a way to make time for my cooking and blogging and share some wonderful spring meals with all of you. My first recipe is a great spring salad for those on the go. My cooking is much more strategic now since I am planning many meals in advance to bring to work with me. I love a good salad, so I prepped all of the ingredients on Sunday night and then threw a fresh salad together each night to bring the next day to the office. The ingredient options are endless, and I will be sure to share all future creations!

To the right you will see my brand new dining area in my new place. The chairs are missing (they will be delivered on Saturday), but you can see the table is just dying for some visitors and a dinner party! I can only imagine all of the meals and wonderful times that will happen around this table over the years to come. There are two leaves hanging out in my closet, so I can seat up to 10 people! There are many great things ahead, and I am very excited for this new chapter of my life. Looking forward to feeding you along the way!

Spring Spinach Salad: Serves 4, Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: N/A

Ingredients:
- 8 cups organic spinach, washed
- 1 lb. cooked organic chicken, chopped or shredded (I poached mine)
- 1 avocado
- 4 kumato tomatoes
- 3 small sweet peppers, chopped (use red, orange, and yellow for a beautiful mix!)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed

Instructions:
1. Grab 4 tupperware containers (if you are packing these to-go)
2. Put 2 cups of spinach in each container
3. Split remaining ingredients equally amongst the 4 containers
4. Top with your favorite homemade paleo salad dressing or a little lemon juice, olive oil, and/or balsamic vinegar

Pomegranate Pecan Brussel Sprouts

My first memory of brussel sprouts was when my mom used to steam them in the microwave when I was a young kid, and the whole house would smell like sewage. I never understood how anyone could even taste such a foul-smelling food. Later in life I realized how amazing brussel sprouts are if you just roast them in the oven. I am still not sure what my mom was thinking back then, but the good news is that she roasts them now too! I can't get enough of these this year; at last night's Thanksgiving potluck, Chris made delicious roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips. It was such a great combination of flavors, and I will absolutely make those together soon. Last week on Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a sweet and savory side dish, so I decided on roasted brussel sprouts with toasted pecans and fresh pomegranate seeds. This was probably one of my favorite creations to date! Sorry to mom and Aunt Randi for giving them stomach aches for making such a delicious side dish... I didn't mean for them to eat so many!


Ingredients:
- A lot of brussel sprouts (filled up two 9x11 pans)
- Seeds from 2 pomegranates
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection if you have it)
2. Wash brussel sprouts, cut off the ends, and cut in half (keep all the leaves that fall off - these are the best part!)
3. Put the sprouts in a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss until well combined.
4. Add pecans to the sprouts and mix
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on your crispiness preference, stirring every 5-10 minutes
6. When sprouts come out of the oven, mix in the pomegranate seeds, and serve immediately

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...