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! 

Summer Zucchini Succotash

Over the past few weeks I have been noticing that some of the greens on my carrot plants were turning reddish/brown. I know I am supposed to wait until August to pick my carrots, but I just couldn't resist! I had the most dramatic drumroll, and then I picked my first ever home-grown vegetable. From the picture, you will see that I wasn't exactly blown away by their growth :) I am fairly certain that I will not be winning any farmer-of-the-year awards this year, but for an apartment balcony, I am still chalking this up as a success. I served these carrots as an appetizer for my dinner guests (no, I am not joking), and we had a good laugh. Luckily they still had room for the main course, and we had a great time. I am now working on my patience, watering everything, and trying to wait until August to pick the rest of my goodies! 

Tonight's recipe is a simple summer succotash that I threw together with some beautiful farm-fresh ingredients Mal brought me from the farms in NJ. While I don't typically eat corn anymore, I threw it in in the spirit of eating locally and supporting our Jersey farmers. Try this out, feel free to add/switch some of the veggies, and enjoy it at your next BBQ! 

Summer Zucchini Succotash: Serves 3-4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time, 15 min

Ingredients:
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 zucchini, sliced
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
- 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add zucchini and corn and cook for 10-15 minutes
3. Add tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes
4. Bring to a summer BBQ and enjoy!

Vegetarian Paleo "Lasagna"

The countdown is officially on! Less than 24 hours until my whirlwind holiday travels begin. The next two weeks will be overflowing with loved ones, parties, celebrations, and fireplaces. I am bursting at the seams with holiday spirit and joy - almost certainly setting a personal record this year. I hope everyone else is taking part in the holiday cheer and spending as much time as possible with friends and family over the next few weeks.

Tonight's recipe was created during Mal's visit - I made her my best attempt at Italian food. This isn't exactlyyy lasagna, but it definitely had a lasagna flair, and the spices and flavor were spot on. I would not recommend this recipe if you have an undying craving for lasagna (there is no pasta or cheese in this people!), but it really made a fantastic side dish. You could serve it with an almond-flour "breaded" chicken cutlet or your favorite grass-fed steak. The actual instructions and veggies in this are not that important - feel free to switch things up and just get it all layered in your pan. The house will smell like an Italian feast, and you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant, sliced
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 3 large tomatoes, sliced
- 10 oz fresh spinach
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 32oz. can organic tomato puree
- Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc.)
- Black pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Saute onions and garlic for 10 minutes until golden
4. Meanwhile, pour a little sauce in the bottom of your 9x12 casserole/lasagna dish
5. Put a layer of eggplant (using 1/2 of the eggplant), a layer of zucchini (slices of 1 zucchini), and a layer of fresh tomato slices
6. When onions and garlic are done, add half of the mixture on top of your fresh tomatoes
7. Put a layer of spinach and then half of the can of the tomato puree. 
8. Top generously with Italian seasonings and pepper.
9. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions/garlic, spinach, tomato puree, and another layer of spices
10. Bake (covered with foil) for 45 minutes and then uncovered for another 10 minutes.
11. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes before serving

  

  

Paleo Veggie Chips!

It's official! I received my first birthday present for 2012. While my 27th birthday isn't for another 27 days (ironic?), I was thrilled to come back from a work trip and unwrap this exciting gift. Thanks to Ryan, I am now a proud owner of an Excalibur 2400 Food Dehydrator (yes, every little girl's dream). It sort of looks like a hardcore VCR/8-track from the 80s, but in reality, it is a magic machine that will now allow me to make my own dried mango, grass-fed jerky, veggie chips, and more! I was dying to try it out, so for the first recipe, I tried some simple zucchini and summer squash "chips". They took less than 10 minutes to prep, and when I came back from crossfit and peaked inside the machine, I couldn't stop laughing because the chips were TINY. The pictures at the bottom show the size of the chips, and that plate of chips is a small salad plate and has the entire batch that was created from a whole zucchini and squash (excluding any I may have tasted along the way...). These tiny little midget chips were adorable and delicious, and now I will almost certainly need to buy a mandolin. I am known to be quite clumsy, so mandolins scare me (a lot), but I think it is essential for becoming a dehydrating queen. By the way, if you think calling myself a dehydrating queen is lame, you are probably right, but it isn't going to stop me!

 Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 summer squash
- splash of olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & dried herbs of choice

Instructions:
1. Wash veggies, and slice with food processor or (carefully) with a mandolin
2. Put veggies in a ziploc bag or a bowl to mix, and add olive oil and spices
3. Mix thoroughly and then arrange on the dehydration trays
4. Cook at 130 degrees for 4-6 hours depending on thickness
5. Eat them all! Note: this step doesn't last long since the chips belong in a miniature dollhouse...

  

  

P.S. That zucchini ring is not a wannabe wedding ring; it is just strategically placed to see the size/scale of the chips! However, this does make me wonder about making a new line of jewelry to be sold at farmers markets across the country...

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)

Viewer's Choice: Paleo Meatza or Egg-Bake

With only 13 days left until the Avon walk in NYC, I have decided I am going to walk as many days as possible to get my feet prepared for the 40-mile trek even though I already completed my 500-mile challenge. My feet, as (too) many of you know, are not exactly my nicest feature. My mom always said that I will have no problem finding a husband one day as long as I am always wearing at least one sock! Maybe I will post a picture of my feet if I reach 10,000 followers. On the other hand, that may decrease my following back down to 20 random paleo cavemen with foot fetishes. I will have to think about this one...

On today's 5-mile lunchtime walk, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was a Tufts women's 10k road race for Columbus Day. There was amazing energy in the city, and it was a perfect day for a walk. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the public garden with "Eye of the Tiger" blasting from the Common. I then escaped the race commotion for a bit and walked through the esplanade. I snapped a gorgeous picture of a perfect fall tree. I wish this time of year would stick around for a lot longer.  

Today's recipe started out as a variation of my standard once-a-week egg-bake/casserole, but as I went, I decided it also could be a wannabe recipe for paleo meatza. I'm leaving this one up to you! Either way, this is a perfect recipe for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is great because it can feed five hungry people. All the veggies came from my SOWA trip yesterday, and the eggs are from Siena Farms - everything is so fresh, and I am convinced you can taste the difference. It took a serious amount of restraint to stop eating this, but I decided that a pound of turkey and a dozen eggs is probably a bit much for one day. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- ~1lb. all natural ground turkey (or any other ground meat)

- 12 eggs

- 1 onion, chopped (I like the sweet ones)

- 1 big shallot, chopped

- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

- 2 zucchini, sliced

- 2 big heirloom tomatoes, sliced (forgot to include them in the picture, but I promise they were beautiful)

- Sea salt, pepper, & oregano

- 1 tsp. fat (I used bacon grease - other options are coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil...)

- Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Melt your fat in a pan over medium heat, and add your chopped onion, shallot, and garlic

3. Let them cook down and soften up for 5-10 minutes and then add the ground meat

4. While the meat is cooking, put your zucchini in a gallon sized plastic bag and add some olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Seal the bag and dance around for ~45 seconds or until the zucchini is evenly seasoned

5. Lay the zucchini slices on a baking sheet (I covered mine in tin foil for easy cleanup) and bake for 20-25 minutes flipping halfway through

6. Once your meat mixture is fully cooked, transfer it into a greased casserole dish using a slotted spoon to get rid of any extra fat

7. Layer your thick tomato slices on top of the meat

8. Take your zucchini out of the oven and carefully layer that on top of the tomatoes

9. Crack a dozen eggs on top of the layered dish and bake for 12-20 minutes depending on your egg preference

P.S. A few of my yolks broke during the baking process, so I broke the rest of them with a fork so everything would cook evenly.

P.P.S. If you like spicy food (I don't), you could add some cayenne pepper, hot sauce, etc. to this.