Totally not local...but not every meal can be that way.

So, even though I call myself the Local Food Lady, we all know that I don't eat local 100% of the time!  The main crux of doing this blog and writing about my food choices is to strive for local foods. There are plenty of items that I haven't looked for locally (quinoa is a good example) or that I know definitively aren't grown locally (hello morning coffee!!). 

The mister and me are participating in a nutrition challenge at our gym.  He's following the Paleo diet and I have opted to eliminate sugar and gluten from my food sources. So, since I prepare most of the meals in the household, my dinners will be paleo, but my breakfast and lunches will not.

In essence, the difference between our two nutrition challenge choices is that I am continuing to eat: dairy, oatmeal, legumes, fruits (raw, cooked and dried) and gluten-free starches (like quinoa).  I'm also having a tiny, tiny bit of local, raw honey in limited dishes like my morning oatmeal. People who embrace the Paleo diet as a lifestyle choice will incorporate honey or maple syrup on a minimal basis, but the mister is attempting to avoid these sweeteners completely.

Also, anything that comes from a box or is packaged should have 5 grams or less of sugar per serving and should note "gluten free" on the label.

What's the reason behind this?  1) it's a challenge and 2) let's see what kind of impact these changes have on my body.  Over the last few months, I realized that I was relying on flour-based starches too often for dinners (hello pasta!) and if I saw a pizza on a menu, I was jumping to try it.  So, I began to scale back on the pasta and pizza dough, and have begun to remember that when dining out, a salad with lean proteins is a smarter option in lieu of a pulled pork sandwich doused in bbq sauce. 

What is the biggest challenge for me?  Beer!  I'm a big fan--beer geek, is a better term--of microbreweries (our local one, specifically) and the mister and me have an entire refrigerator in our basement dedicated to our love of beer.

I completely eliminated the 2 Splenda that I would put in my 20 ounce coffee and eliminated my secret stash of small chocolates. Instead, I'm drinking my coffee with half-n-half and opted for 85% dark chocolate that has 1g sugar per 1" square.  That said, I was in the mood to create a Paleo-friendly dessert that incorporated my favorite flavor--chocolate! 

I came upon a recipe for Paleo Chocolate Pudding. Hmmm...wondering how this would work out. As you know, I am inspired by recipes and rarely follow them to a T. This is what I used for my puddin':

- 4 very, very ripe avocados (it helped they were already chilled in the refrigerator)
- 1/4 cup of Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup buckwheat honey (it's dark like molasses)
- 3 tbs. creamy almond butter (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. bourbon vanilla extract (you can use any extract you wish--almond, mocha, mint)
- spices: nutmeg, cinnamon

I tossed it all in the Cuisinart and and it came out looking just like pudding.  I tasted it and could not believe how AWESOME it was. It was the consistency of incredible fudge. I even went so far as to walk upstairs to the mister with a spoon and said, "ok, there's some honey in this, but you MUST try it!"  I think the Hershey's Special Dark was the slam dunk.

I packaged it up in individual servings for my lunch this week.  I cannot wait to make this again.  The only local ingredient on the list was the buckwheat honey. Even though we are 75 miles from Hershey, PA, I  don't think Hershey's cocoa powder counts.

Next time, I'll probably add some fresh mint from the garden (2nd local ingredient!) and give it a mint chocolate chip flavor. 

Not only is this Paleo-friendly, but it's vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free and the only product that is not vegan-friendly is the honey (I'm not opening that beehive here). 

Paleo-friendly puddin'

There's something awesome about double chocolate cookies.

So, as I have said before, the mister and me are doing a nutrition challenge. We are on day 14 right now. One big thing I'm missing is beer, but also I have had a craving for something sweet. Since we are avoiding sugar, even a teeny bit of honey (I'm talking a droplet) is enough.  It's amazing how the palate will change when you eliminate something from it. 

Yesterday evening, I decided to indulge that sweet craving and make some double chocolate chip cookies.  

• 1 and 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• scant 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/8 c. buckwheat honey (you can use regular honey)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips - I used "Enjoy Life Mega Chunks"

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
3. In a small mixing bowl beat egg, honey, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and beat with hand mixer until combined.
5. Melt coconut oil, pour into batter, and continue to blend until combined.
6. The mega chunks are a little too big, so I suggest chopping them first.  Stir in chocolate chunks.
7. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, create balls of cookie dough, about a tablespoon in size. Give them a little thumb print because they won't spread out like normal cookies.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

They were incredible with some almond milk.  Enjoy!!

Farmers Market Report!

Saturday, May 5th, was opening day for the Phoenixville Farmer's Market. We've been lucky to have markets throughout the winter on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, but the first Saturday in May opens the full season!  From now, through the end of November, the market will be open every Saturday from 9a to 1pm.

Each year, we are lucky to get a few new vendors to the market. This year is no different. I try not to miss a market, even in the winter months or in inclement weather.

This past weekend, I had a chance to see several new vendors at our market and picked up a bunch of great items.  Of course, I had to stop by my tried and true favorites, like FreshaPeel Hummus and Jenny and Frank's Artisan Gelato. Take a look at some of the great items I picked up:

Chocolate Supreme Gelato

Lemon Kale hummus

And some new products from new vendors: Naughty Nutty Love, Vera Pasta and our pickle vendor (I didn't catch the name on his stand, but those dill pickles were great!).  I am sure that I will be picking up many new items this season, as the market grows more and more each year. 

Great flavors think alike!

In my house, I'm known for looking at the veggie drawer in the refrigerator and start pulling out random items and somehow, they combine to be an excellent dish.  As was the case with this recent dish.  I blended bitter, sweet, smokey, and pungent flavors for this awesome dinner. 

Assembly list:

• 2 slices of bacon
• several handfuls of kale
• 2 small sweet potatoes; peeled, diced
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
• spices: cumin, curry, garlic
• honey
• 1/3 c feta cheese for each serving

In a small bowl, combine cumin, curry, and garlic, add some salt and pepper, a small drizzle of honey, and pour in about 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Scramble up this, so that all of the spices are incorporated.  Peel and dice your sweet potatoes and set aside in a larger bowl.   Pour the olive oil spice mixture over the sweet potatoes and toss the bowl a few times so that they are coated. Put the potatoes on a small roasting dish, covered, at 375 - 400 degrees in a toaster oven.  Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until done.

About 15 minutes before the potatoes are done, you can begin cooking the greens. Start off by chopping up your two pieces of bacon and letting them get warmed up in the pan.  Once the bacon begins cooking, add the kale and cook on low heat until wilted and they get nice and bright.  Add the chickpeas to the kale and cook until warmed through. 

To serve, put the sweet potatoes in the bowl first, top with the greens, then add the feta cheese on top. I found an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil was a nice addition. 

"Did I hear a string of curses?"

Kale and zucchini in the pot

That's what the mister asked me the other night.  He was upstairs while I was preparing a meat-free dinner (I was inspired by this recipe posted on Food Inc.'s Facebook page).  We had the ingredients at home and I had the entire recipe all planned out, the greens were cut and washed and the garlic and spices were waiting in the pan.  Heck, I had even hard-boiled, cooled, peeled and sliced the eggs!

The zucchini was cooking and I was just about to add the kale...and then the cursing started.  $^#%@! *^&$#!

Many of the ingredients of this dish are Greek/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern-inspired.  Garlic, cumin, feta, lemon, olive oil...and most importantly, chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans).  It wasn't until it was time to add the chickpeas did I realize that my cabinet was depleted of garbanzos.

Cannellini beans were a great substitute!

I have the problem of buying extra beans when I'm at the supermarket--I regularly stock up on black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and cannellini (known as a white navy bean or great northern bean).  I usually have 2 - 3 cans of each in the cabinet and then replenish when needed.  For some reason, I have neglected to buy garbanzos in some time and I was completely out. 

I started to think, "what substitute can I use?"  I have only a few items in the cabinet--clearly, I NEED to stock up this weekend--and they consist of pumpkin puree, tomato paste, rice, black beans (they are not a suitable substitute) and one small can of cannellini beans. 

Why not try the cannellini beans? They are not as "sturdy" as garbanzos and work better in soups or broth-based dishes because the cannellini break easily. However, this does have a positive side, as their starches can lend depth to the soups or stews. 

As it turns out, my mistake didn't ruin the dish. I was a bit more delicate in moving the cannellini around the pan, but it had a nice flavor.  I topped the dish with a hard boiled egg, feta cheese, and some lemon olive oil dressing. It was quite enjoyable!  Recipe is below.

Dinner is on the table!

Recipe:

• garlic, shallots, cumin, olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced, salted and rinsed
• 2 bunches kale, de-stemmed, washed, torn; handful of spinach (optional)
• cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or chickpeas if you want to follow the original recipe)
• crumbled feta cheese
• hard boiled egg (one for each dish)
• dressing:  olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, garlic (mix it to your own desired sweet or tart flavor); I keep my quantities very small and only make about 1/4 - 1/8 of a cup

In a large pan, warm up your garlic, shallots, cumin and olive oil.  Add the zucchini and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, add handfuls of kale--cover to cook, but checking regularly--until wilted and the greens get very bright.  Add the beans, cook covered for a few minutes so the beans get warmed through.  Plate your dinners and top each dish with a scoop of feta cheese and one hard boiled egg.  Top the dish with dressing to taste.

Just call me the "Leftover Food Lady"

So, over the weekend, I made several batches of foodstuffs. The mister was incredibly helpful by peeling and shredding 1,001 carrots so that I'd have large amounts at the ready for my recipes.  In my Whole Grain Goodness post, I talked about making quinoa and how the grain can be adapted for many different flavors.  I cooked more than 4 cups of the stuff and left some of it plain in the refrigerator for later batches. 

The mister sometimes accuses me of making enough dinner for three people--enough for the two of us to enjoy, and then a batch for me to enjoy the next day at my desk.  I am very guilty of doing this. ☺  

Leftovers for Lunch

Well, I made such a large batch of my Mexican-inspired quinoa, that I had plenty leftover for lunches.  I brought this dish with me twice this week. And, I confirmed that it had a nice extra "kick" with the addition of Cholula Chipotle hot sauce.

Here's the recipe for the Mexican-inspired quinoa:
Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 cups cooked organic quinoa
• 1 can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 - 4 scallions, cut very small
• 1 cup of shredded carrots (thanks to the mister!)
• 1/2 cup fresh corn
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• fresh parsley and cilantro
• dressing ingredients: canola oil, juice from 1/2 a lime, lime zest, ancho chili powder, honey and the requisite garlic powder, salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients, dress with about 1/3 cup of the dressing. The longer you let the flavors marinate, the better. You can also add goat cheese just before serving for another layer of flavor.

Later in the week, I used the plain quinoa to make a Mediterranean-inspired dish for dinner. The mister and I enjoy quite a bit of it and...surprise...I brought leftovers for lunch. This dish uses feta cheese; we have been on a feta kick recently. Well, it's been a longtime kick--going on several months.  The Mediterranean dish uses herbs and flavors well known to food from that region of the world. 

Mediterranean quinoa salad

Mediterranean-inspired Quinoa
Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 cups cooked organic quinoa
• 1 can of organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• fresh parsley
• dressing ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, juice from 1/2 a lemon, lemon zest, fresh dill, honey and the requisite garlic powder, salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and dress with 1/2 cup of dressing (I like to use more dressing on this dish b/c there are fewer ingredients).  Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

In the case of both dishes, if you omit honey and the cheese, you will have a completely vegan dish.

Whole grain goodness!

Whole grains have become a hot topic in the nutrition field and the food industry. Even the big brands are getting into the action and you will see many cereals advertising that their products contain whole grains.

What are whole grains? They are grains in their truest form. Think of items like rice (wild and colored), barley, oats, wheat, and - my favorite - quinoa. 

Whole grains satiate your hunger and are filled with fiber, so they take longer to digest; thus, keeping your hunger at bay. An excellent way to start your day is with oatmeal (which I regularly eat 9 months of the year, but it has been too darn hot recently). 

You can also finish your day with my favorite whole grain, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). It is prepared in the same manner as its counterparts, simmer in water or stock until the liquid is fully absorbed. Fluff with a fork and enjoy. 

Quinoa can be enjoyed warm or cold. You can eat it as a breakfast, a salad, or as the grain in a quiche.  I was getting together with friends this weekend and decided to make a Mexican-inspired quinoa dish. Simple ingredients of cherry tomatoes, scallions, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, local corn and black beans yielded a fresh mix of flavors and textures. 

I dressed the salad with a combination of the following: canola oil, juice from 1/2 a lime, lime zest, ancho chili powder, honey and the requisite garlic powder, salt and pepper. Taste it as you are creating and adjust the ingredients as needed.

Because this dish has moisture from the quinoa, it does not require too much dressing. With 4-6 cups of cooked quinoa, I probably used only 1/3 cup dressing. 

This dish gets more flavor as a leftover, so bring some to the party and save some at home for later. You won't regret it!

Mexican-inspired Quinoa Salad

We are on a roll!

Second night in a row we've had some sort of sandwich.  As I'm sure you have figured out, the mister and I are not vegetarian.  That said, we limit our meat and purchases to the Farmer's Market.  We want to know the conditions in which the animals were raised. So, we talk to our farmers. Some farmers readily volunteer this as part of their marketing.  Products raised humanely on small farms can cost more, but since meat is such a small percentage of our diet, it doesn't break our bank.  I realize this choice is not for everyone, but it is what works for us.

Mango Tango ready to be warmed up!

We have an excellent pork farmer at the Farmer's Market - Country Time Farm.  Her farm is in Berks County, in a town called Hamburg (am I the only one that sees the irony in that?).  She and her husband pride themselves on their antibiotic-free, humanely raised pork.  She sells everything from bacon (the best!), pork roll, hot dogs, racks of ribs and loins.  There is always a line at her table and many items (like the bacon) will sell out early.  I am neurotic and always need at least ONE package of Country Time's bacon in the refrigerator and one waiting in the freezer. 'Cause everything is better with bacon!!

One of our more rare purchases from Country Time--but tasty, nonetheless--is their Mango Tango Pulled Pork. The pulled pork is cooked in their special Mango Tango BBQ sauce. This BBQ sauce is slightly sweet, with a touch of heat, very little smoke flavor and has small pieces of mango throughout. It is a real treat to have this for dinner.

On a Roll with Mango Tango and Beet Salad

Along with the Mango Tango, I created my favorite beet dish. I shredded some cooked beets over the weekend.  I added toasted walnuts, some goat cheese and parsley I got from my containers. The dressing is the key to this dish. It has olive oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and...honey!  I get my honey from beekeepers that are about 5 miles from our house and they sell at the market, too! So flavorful. This beet salad compliments almost any meal.

We finished off our dinner with another Insalata Caprese (see yesterday's post).  Summer food is so great! 

Insalata Caprese with Red and Yellow Tomatoes

Beet this dish.

Once I returned from the Farmer's Market, I jumped right in with making some foodstuffs...I got the beets into the toaster oven.

How do I prepare my beets? I scrub them and then cut the tops and bottoms off. Put the beets in some water and cook covered in a toaster oven (or the regular oven) at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Let the beets cool in the oven and place in the fridge overnight. The next day, the skins will slide off the beets and you can cut them or shred them in your Cuisinart.

Beet this dish

A quick "assembly" for beets: add feta cheese, mint, and a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper. Toss the beets with the dressing and top with feta. Enjoy.  You can also give the recipe more depth by adding toasted walnuts to the beet salad.


This dish is a great salad at any time of the year, since beets can be grown year-round (if you use a hoop house).