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

  

  

Purple Soup!

Hello from Florida! When I arrived in Naples, Mom took me to Trader Joes and Whole Foods to stock up so I would have all of my paleo staples. While it was 80 degrees when I arrived, I still thought it would be a great idea to make a big pot of soup so there would always be a good serving of veggies on hand. If you haven't noticed yet, I care about the colors of my food almost as much as the taste! A colorful plate tends to be a healthier plate, so I decided we needed to make purple soup. The purple cauliflower (which I've never had before) looked awesome, so we grabbed two heads of it and a bunch of other white or lightly colored veggies so we could keep the color going. The soup came out great, and it was beautiful to watch! Try to eat a different color fruit and vegetable every day of the week - you will nourish your body and enjoy the view along the way. 

Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 bunch celery, chopped
- 2 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 bunch white asparagus, chopped
- 2 heads purple cauliflower, chopped 
- 2 quarts organic, gluten-free chicken stock (or veggie broth)
- Black pepper & fresh rosemary

Instructions:
1. Chop all of your veggies! You can use a food processor to save time if you want - roughly chopped is fine since we will be blending this soup.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
3. Saute the garlic, onion, and leek about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add celery, squash, and asparagus and cook another 5 minutes
5. Add the purple cauliflower and the chicken stock and bring to a boil
6. When soup boils, cover the pot, turn heat down to low, and cook for 40 minutes
7. Let soup cool for a few minutes and then puree with the immersion blender until smooth
8. Serve with black pepper and fresh rosemary

  

Green Power Soup w/ Kale & Cauliflower

It has been a few days (sorry), and I am back in action. I was in NYC for the weekend walking the 40-mile Avon walk for breast cancer with my mom, my aunt, and the rest of our "flock". We had an awesome weekend walking everywhere from the Intrepid, Harlem, Brooklyn, Randall's Island, and everywhere in between. Highs of the weekend were:

1. Signing the dedication banner at opening ceremonies (see below) to remind myself why I walk
2. Spending the weekend chatting and laughing with two of my favorite people with great visits along the way from friends and family
3. Saying "Helloooo Newman" when we ran into the real Newman from Seinfeld on the street
4. Taking a hot shower in a truck and wearing my headlamp around the tent
5. Maintaining 100% paleo throughout the weekend (special thanks to Steve's Original!) even though I ate a can of wild salmon and cashews when everyone else was eating warm oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast
6. Realizing that no amount of blisters, armpit chafing (gross, I know), or sore legs will stop me from continuing to support such an important cause - I am already signed up for 2013!
7. Finding an amazing hot pink barbell at the campsite so I could get in a few crossfit moves before curling up in my sleeping bag 

   

Even though I was able to eat 100% paleo over the past five days while I was gone, I was dying to get back to my kitchen to cook some fresh, homemade meals. I will be posting all week to make up for lost time, but today's first concoction was a souper healthy dish full of vitamins and nutrients (that joke is for you, Uncle Bill!). I was feeling rundown from the travel and exhaustion, so I wanted a green power soup to bring me back to basics. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped (I ditch about an inch from the top and bottom first)
- 16 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed
- 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large soup pot
2. Add onion, shallot, and, garlic, and heat until soft (5-10 minutes)
3. Add leeks and mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes
4. Add cauliflower, kale, broth, dried herbs if using, salt, and pepper
5. Bring the pot to a boil, and when boiled, lower heat to medium-low (I did 3), cover, and cook for 30 minutes
6. Check to make sure the cauliflower is soft. If so, turn off heat, and let soup slightly cool for 10 minutes
7. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot. If you don't have an immersion blender, buy one! If you don't want to buy one, you can work this into your blender or food processor in batches to blend.
8. Season with any additional salt, pepper, and/or herbs as needed

  

  

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...