Deconstructed Garden Pesto "Pasta"

What a week! I truly believe that I have had the most productive days of my life recently, and it is all paying off. My upcoming cookbook Bowls of Love is FINALLY coming together! It has been months and months (and months) of some serious hard work, and I am overflowing with excitement as I see it becoming a reality. Thanks to the hard work and brilliant creativity of my incredible designer Margot, the book looks so professional, colorful, and just my style. I released a sneak peak of the cover on Monday, and the response has been incredible. The books should be delivered to me by mid-October and in your hands before Halloween just in time for cool Fall nights and the holiday season. If you want to get your hands on a first-edition signed copy of the book at 20% off, you can order a pre-sale copy at my Square shop - don't forget to enter PRESALE20 at checkout to get your discount.

I am also eagerly awaiting some big-named Paleo celebrities to review my manuscript! I am hoping for at least one review/endorsement for the book, and I will keep you all posted on the progress. In the midst of all of the craziness, I wanted to make a simple yet perfect summer dinner tonight. I was eating alone because Ry had to work late, so I made some zucchini noodles and threw in a tomato and some basil from our balcony garden. It tasted AMAZING, and while the picture wasn't perfect, I decided I should share it with all of you! Go pick some tomatoes and give it a try! 

Deconstructed Garden Pesto "Pasta": Serves 1, Prep time: 5 min, Cook time:  10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 small zucchini, peeled into "noodles"

- 1 tsp. olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 medium tomato, chopped

- 1 Tbsp. pine nuts

- 5-10 small basil leaves

- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat

2. Add the garlic and saute for 5 minutes until fragrant

3. Add the zucchini noodles, and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft

4. Add the tomato, pine nuts, and basil, and cook another 2-5 minutes until well combined

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste

YOU WILL LOVE THIS! 

Roasted Ithaca Tomato Soup w/ Fresh Basil Pesto

Life is good... Really good... Beyond amazing actually! Need some reasons?

1. I have a complete draft of my cookbook Bowls of Love: Paleo Soups for the Seasons! All 50 recipes have been photographed by the wonderful Erica Gannett, and the stories have been drafted and are getting refined by my editor (famous author) A.J. Walkley :) I am still pushing for a publish date in October so the book will be ready for all of you just in time for the Fall and cool nights that will be perfect for bowls of soup.

2. Mal and I have been separated for over three years, and our official reunion is TOMORROW! She is finished with business school, and her two-month travel adventures in Asia are coming to a close. She is moving back to Stamford, living in my building, and making my dreams come true!

3. RYAN AND I GOT ENGAGED!!! There are no words to fully describe how this makes me feel, so just know that I am so (sooo) excited, grateful, and in love with the turns my life has taken. Everything truly has happened for a reason, and there is no better time than today to reflect on that and appreciate every moment that brought us here.

I am also thrilled to announce that I won Groundswell International's basil recipe contest which was an incredible way to reconnect with an old sorority sister AND have the chance to work with the wonderfully talented Emma Frisch of Frisch Kitchen. She was by far my favorite contestant on the Next Food Network Star, and I was overjoyed to win a guest post on her blog. Check out my guest post here.

The winning recipe is for my Roasted Ithaca Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil Pesto. It is one of the 50 recipes from my upcoming cookbook, and I am bursting at the seams with excitement for the book to be done. You will have to wait a couple more months for the rest of the recipes, but in the meantime, enjoy this beautiful teaser with photo cred to the talented Erica Gannett!

Roasted Ithaca Tomato Soup w/ Fresh Basil Pesto: Serves 4-6, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

Soup:

- 3 pounds roma tomatoes (or any other tomatoes in your garden!)

- 3 Tbsp. olive oil

- sea salt & pepper

- 1 sweet onion, chopped

- 1 shallot, chopped

- 1 heaping Tbsp. chopped garlic

- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil (about 20 leaves)

- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (organic & no salt added)

- 4 cups vegetable stock

Pesto:

- 4 oz. fresh basil

- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

- 2 tsp. crushed garlic

- 1/4 cup pine nuts

- fine sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Pesto:

1. Add the basil to a food processor

2. Pulse until basil breaks down, and then add all other ingredients

3. Blend until smooth (you may need to scrape the edges down a few times)

4. Add additional olive oil or pine nuts if you like your pesto thinner or thicker

Soup:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice the tomatoes length-wise, and arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet

3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over the tomatoes, and season with sea salt and pepper

4. Roast tomatoes for 45 minutes

5. In a large soup pot, heat the other 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, and add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes until tender

6. Add the can of tomatoes, fresh basil, and broth

7. Stir in the roasted tomatoes

8. Cook for 45 minutes uncovered over medium-low heat

9. Puree the soup with your immersion blender until smooth. 

10. Top with drizzled pesto and enjoy the taste of your fresh summer garden!

Italian Salmon Pockets

I am approaching the 72-hour mark for my kickstarter campaign for Bowls of Love, and it is exhilarating! I am shamelessly plugging the cookbook everywhere I can, and I hope you all have had a chance to watch my video and check out some of the pictures from the book. I have connected with incredible people all over the world, each with a unique story why the project touches them. This experience has opened my eyes in so many ways, and the entrepreneur in me is quite happy.

Tonight's recipe was inspired by Giada's and was originally suggested to me by Mal. We went up to Ithaca this weekend for Mal and Mike's MBA graduation at Cornell, and it was incredible. Tons of great times, big laughs, and happy tears all around. More than anything, it made me really realize that Mal is on her way back to Stamford! There will be a few countries/trips in the meantime, but soon enough we will be neighbors sharing recipes (and memories) together just like the good old days.

This recipe is incredibly flavorful and a nice change from my go-to salmon recipe (post to come!). The salmon has a lot of juice from the tomato mixture, so it would be perfect served over zucchini noodles or your favorite gluten free pasta!

Italian Salmon Pockets: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients:
- 4 salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. chopped basil
- Salt & pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. olive oil on salmon fillets, and season lightly with salt and pepper
3. Mix the tomatoes, onion, garlic, lemon, basil, and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a bowl
4. Lay out 4 large pieces of foil on the counter
5. Put each salmon fillet (oil side down) on the foil, and top with 1/4 of the tomato mixture
6. Fold the foil packets closed, and twist the ends tightly (they should be sealed)
7. Bake for 25 minutes, and then serve immediately

  

  

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf

Well hello there. Today was a big day with my blog hitting over 100,000 hits and my health coaching certificate and card coming in the mail. I am now officially a board certified health coach, and I am thrilled! It has been an interesting journey of self-reflection throughout my studies, and my life is completely different (in so many wonderful ways) than when I started. 

I have been a bit MIA from blogging over the past few weeks with some major things going on. Luckily in the midst of the craziness Ry came home from Dubai and we had an amazing getaway in Vermont. We celebrated Heather and Kenny's wedding and had tons of adventures along the way. I wanted a souvenir from the trip, and I ended up with some special Vermont-made food products to experiment with. One of the treasures was maple flakes which basically looks like brown rice krispies. The only ingredient is dried maple syrup, and they are crispy and sweet. I figured I could sprinkle a few of them on tonight's recipe instead of covering my meatloaf with the more traditional sugary ketchup concoction. It was just a hint of sweet mixed with the tangy balsamic, and it came out great. Enjoy!

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf: Serves 4-5, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
- 1.25lbs ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1+ tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Vermont maple flakes

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft
4. Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper, garlic powder (more is better!), basil, and thyme and cook for another 10-15 minutes until soft
5. Mix turkey, egg, almond flour, and veggie mixture in a bowl
6. Form into a loaf on a foil-lined pan
7. Brush with balsamic vinegar
8. Sprinkle meatloaf with Vermont maple flakes (if you don't have these you can use a mixture of balsamic and maple syrup for the topping)
9. Bake for 20 minutes
10. Brush the meatloaf with the leftover balsamic

11. Bake another 15 until cooked through (no pink in the turkey)

12. Cover the meatloaf and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving

  

  

Summer Chicken Salad

Happy 100th recipe to Sooo Paleo!  It has been a fantastic journey, and I am really just getting started. Over the past 9 months, I have shared my recipes with people in over 100 countries, and the feedback has been incredible. I have learned a lot about cooking (and myself) along the way, and I am excited for everything to come! Spreading the word about delicious food that is healthy, fresh, organic, and local is a mission that I'm proud to be a part of. I have cooked for family, friends, coworkers, and strangers, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I have big dreams for my health coaching business and sizable goals for impacting my community with the tools and knowledge to use food as medicine and make choices every day that benefit their health, loved ones, and the environment we live in. 

I am loving that I live so close to the Stamford French Market. Every Saturday, I can walk outside my door and in less than a minute stroll around the market and pick up some fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, and flowers. I have to say that the market here doesn't even come close to comparing to SOWA in Boston, but it's a start. Sadly there are no rules about the food all being local, so much of it mirrors your standard grocery store options. That being said, I try to buy the fresh-picked local varieties, and it is still great to buy everything outside with neighbors and friends in my community. A new market opens down in the Stamford Harbor area this Sunday, so I will have to check it out and report back. 

Tonight's 100th recipe perfectly represents my cooking style: simple, delicious, fresh, and colorful! An amazing seasonal dish that can be brought to the beach, on a picnic, or served at your next brunch or luncheon. Enjoy!

Summer Chicken Salad: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: None

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. poached chicken, cooled and chopped or shredded
- 1-2 tsp. olive oil
- 4-6 fresh apricots, chopped
- 1-2 cups grapes, halved
- 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- Salt and pepper (optional)
- 1 large tomato

Instructions:
1. Drizzle the olive oil on the poached chicken until lightly coated
2. Mix with apricots, grapes, basil, and coconut
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste
4. Serve on 1/2-inch tomato slices

  

Spinach & Mushroom Turkey Pie

I have inadvertently become the gadget queen. My latest addition to the kitchen is an awesome Misto sprayer that I use for olive oil. It was only $9.99 from Bed, Bath, and Beyond ($8 with the coupon!). It basically sprays your oil like traditional cooking sprays but without the chemical additives. It was a little stiff at first, but after a few uses, it is really perfect now. You can save a lot of olive oil by using one of these - you can perfectly cover pans, veggies, salads, etc. with a fraction of the oil. 

Today's recipe was supposed to be a traditional turkey meatloaf, but I got a little creative (aka carried away) in the kitchen. I decided the meatloaf should have a lot of veggies in it, and then I realized my food processor has been lonely lately, so I threw everything in there. The finely chopped spinach/veggie mixture turned my meatloaf green, and then I decided to bake it in a pie dish. The meatloaf quickly transformed into a spinach pie/quiche lookalike. In reality, the consistency is similar to your typical meatloaf, but the added veggies and herbs give it a great distinct flavor. This is an incredibly quick and easy dinner to prepare - mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and then pop it in the oven. Serve with salad or some freshly steamed veggies, and you're good to go!

Spinach & Mushroom Turkey Pie Serves 5, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:
- 1.25 lb. ground turkey (or other ground meat of choice)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 4 medium button mushrooms
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Add spinach to food processor and pulse until finely chopped
3. Add mushrooms and onion and pulse until chopped 
4. Put veggie mixture, ground meat, and all other ingredients in a bowl, and mix until well combined
5. Press meat mixture into a pie dish or arrange it on a cookie sheet in the shape of your choice (heart for Valentine's day anyone?)

6. Bake for 45 minutes until cooked through (toothpick should come out clean)

7. Let sit for 5 minutes, and then slice and enjoy!

  

  

Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Fresh Basil

The Nemo aftermath is crazy in Boston. After my travels home from NYC, it took me almost an hour to catch a cab home. The snow banks were well over 6 feet tall, and there were no cabs in sight. I tried to walk home but failed miserably with 4 bags, so much snow, and no boots. I finally decided to go to a hotel and have them help me hail a cab. 20 minutes later I was riding in a cab with my first-ever female driver. So many roads were closed, and it was quite the adventure getting home. I trekked through the snow this morning for my wheatgrass shot, and I couldn't believe how many cars are still completely buried. 

Weather like this clearly calls for soup, so I made one of my old favorites. I have to admit that this soup should be made in the summer when tomatoes and basil are fresh and available at the farmers market, but I couldn't resist. The market was closed this weekend (and I was away), so I went to Foodies and got what I could. This recipe is inspired by a blog I used to read all the time called Two Peas in their Pod. Their recipes are great, and this soup is fantastic. Roasting the tomatoes first brings out such an amazing flavor - you won't be disappointed. Try it out this winter, and then try it again in the summer with fresh picked tomatoes and basil from the garden!

Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Fresh Basil Serves 4-6, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 90 min

Ingredients:
- 3 pounds roma tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- sea salt & pepper
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 heaping Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil (about 20 leaves)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (I used 14.75 oz., organic & no salt added)
- 1 qt. vegetable broth (I used organic, low sodium from Trader Joes)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice the tomatoes length-wise, and arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet
3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over the tomatoes, and season with sea salt and pepper
4. Roast tomatoes for 45 minutes
5. In a large soup pot, heat the other 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, and add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes until tender
6. Add the can of tomatoes, fresh basil, and broth
7. Stir in the roasted tomatoes
8. Cook for 45 minutes uncovered over medium-low heat
9. Puree the soup with your immersion blender until smooth. 
10. Serve with sliced avocado or a grilled cheese if you are really feeling dangerous!

  

  

Lamb Loin Chops w/ Fresh Paleo Pesto

Happy Hanukkah! Last night we had our annual Chrismanukkah celebration which was wonderful. The non-traditional menu included coconut/almond encrusted cod, cinnamon roasted delicata squash, and a spinach salad with tomatoes, avocado, olives, and herbs. We feasted, exchanged gifts, and had a great evening. Tonight is my last night in Florida, so we are going back to my favorite restaurant Cafe Lurcat. Anyone who knows anything about Cafe Lurcat knows to order the seabass. While the miso glaze isn't 100% paleo, it has been my one and only purposeful "cheat". I am totally convinced that nothing that good could be bad for me. 

If you are looking for a fresh new idea for a main course to impress your dinner guests, you can try out this amazing recipe from my mom. I requested fresh pesto to avoid the cheese in the store-bought kind, and we arrived at this great dish. The meat is Australian lamb loin chops - there are bones and they are very thick, so the cooking time is a bit long for these. This recipe is extremely simple, and if you happen to have a batch of pesto on hand already, there is virtually no prep work. Give these a try, and let me know how they come out!

Ingredients:
- 4 oz. fresh basil
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. crushed garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- seal salt and pepper to taste
- 8 Australian lamb loin chops (~2 lbs.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Add basil to food processor
3. When basil is chopped down, add all other ingredients
4. Pulse for 1-2 minutes until smooth - you may need to scrape down the edges every 20-30 seconds so it mixes well
5. Spread the full pesto mixture on top of the lamb
6. Bake for 20 minutes 
7. Flip the chops over, and baste the tops with the pesto in the pan
8. Bake for another 10-20 minutes based on meat preference
9. Let rest for 5 minutes, and serve!

Note: After you cut off the first few pieces of meat, pick these chops up, and eat them with your hands! If Ron did it, anybody can!

      

  

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...