Archives for August 2013

Grilled Flounder Fillet.

August 19, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Seafood, Vegetarian 2 Comments

For those of you who know me, know that I have a enormous aversion to fish beyond eating cold shrimp – which I can eat with really spicy cocktail sauce daily. I’ll be honest, its always scared me. I don’t know why but I have avoided it every chance I’ve gotten. With my 30 lb weight loss and super clean eating, I started to lose my taste for meat. This left me a bit high and dry other than the standard beans, nuts, cottage cheese as a protein source. My goal is to always take in a lot of protein per day because I work out 6 days a week – hard! So the fish topic had to be revisited and I reluctantly did just that.

Long story short, while on vacation in Maine – we were invited to a very exclusive TD bank sponsored Lobster Bake (along with Olympic runners and other prominent New Englanders). I proudly cracked and dismantled my lobster (with the direction of my new friend from Maine) and ate the tail… yes, the whole thing! Then while in NH, I spoke to my good friend Jenny at length (I mean hours) about fish and the scale of fishiness. What I should start with and what I should avoid. I then tried my husband’s fish tacos – which was really good during our travels. I did also have a bite of Jenny’s sesame salmon one night we were out to dinner and I was okay with it. Progress! So today we went to our local fishmonger and my husband got catfish and he recommended flounder fillet for me. My husband created this recipe and I have to admit, I liked it. I wouldn’t say love but a strong like and would eat it again. It was mild and great over my plate of sautéed spinach (my fallback cushion).

So for all of you fish-avoiders… give this a try. I promise, you might be surprised at the outcome!

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— Knead to Cook

Stone fruit gratin.

August 17, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Nuts, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Peach season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier! I seriously get so excited with fresh fruits and veggies of summer. Plus my husband is allergic to cocoa so I love making a dessert he can enjoy too. This recipe is as clean-eating as I can get it. Very little sugar, fruit is sweet enough after all, and I used coconut oil which is more heart-healthy. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It takes minutes to make and pairs up perfectly with some French vanilla ice cream.

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— Knead to Cook

Spinach Pistachio Orzo Salad with Greek Yogurt Balsamic Vinaigrette.

August 15, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Yogurt 3 Comments

Today was a very special day for my oldest daughter. After three years, and two rounds – her braces finally came off before she started school. She is thrilled and rightfully so. So while grocery shopping, she asked for an orzo salad and it was a perfect idea because we have an open house at my youngest daughter’s school tonight. I happily made this earlier in the day, letting the flavors mingle while it chills in the fridge and can be served at room temperature or straight from the fridge. I’m serving this along with some grilled chicken tonight. Leftovers also make a great lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil
2 teaspoons of a good quality dijon mustard (I use Maille)

Salad:

I package of whole wheat orzo, cooked to package specifications
1 cup of fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup or more if you prefer, shelled pistachios

Directions:

Dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together.

Salad: Once the orzo is fully cooked, about 9 minutes, rinse with cold water. Drain. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the other ingredients minus the nuts. Dress with vinaigrette and give a good toss. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least one hour or more to let the flavors mingle. Add the pistachios prior to serving. Serve along side fish, chicken or pork – or whatever protein you are having. Serve up leftovers as lunch the next day.

— Knead to Cook

Cabot Beach to Beacon Maine Weekend Recap.

August 15, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Running/Races 12 Comments

I’m very delinquent in posting my race weekend recap but my family took our vacation (has to be after swim season) and we just got back home on Sunday. We hit the ground running as one child starts school next week and it’s taken me a bit of time to download all of the pics from the weekend and our trip. Okay so without further adieu…

We headed up to Maine from Pennsylvania on Wednesday the 31st of July. We drove as far and as long as we could before we all hit the proverbial wall around Bridgeport, CT. A quick stay and then we headed up to Maine bright and early on the 1st. I haven’t been to Maine since I was a child and it was absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at the Higgins Inn at Scarborough. My oldest and I headed off to our room and my husband and youngest off to theirs. We were greeted with a lovely Cabot goodie cooler filled with yummy treats. We quickly changed and took off to meet everyone and attend the kick-off party hosted by my friend Candace Karu at her incredibly gorgeous home on the rocky coast. It was breathtaking. Most of the bloggers (minus two who were still traveling) got to meet up, chat and meet Joan Benoit Samuelson – yes the Olympian! She is the founder of the Beach to Beacon 10k. It was a picture perfect night with great memories, laughs and lots of pictures taken.

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— Knead to Cook

Smoked paprika grilled shrimp.

August 14, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Rubs, Seafood, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Today my girls and I headed out to the mall to buy some clothes for back-to-school. Bracing myself I survived the crowded, dark, music-blasting, perfume-bombed stores to yield quite a stash of clothing for two teens to be quite happy with (despite not wanting school to start). Rushing home, I needed a good dinner idea that could be made in a flash. This came to mind instantly! This dish is great to top a salad or serve as an appetizer. Smoky and packed with flavor. This rub is also great on any light and flaky fish (or chicken/pork). It whips up in second and grilling only takes a few minutes. I’m serving atop a fresh bed of baby spinach. Perfect, easy summer dinner on a busy day (they all seem that way lately).

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of large to extra large peel and eat shrimp
1 tablespoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (I used LoSalt to use a low sodium option)
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

Directions:

Mix the spices in a bowl until well-combined. While preheating your outdoor grill or pan (on an outdoor grill you will need a mesh pan for grilling so the shrimp don’t fall through the grates) – preheat to 375-400 degrees. Rub the shrimp in the spice mixture. Coat each side really well. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove and serve or top your greens and enjoy.

— Knead to Cook

Fast, fresh tomato sauce.

August 12, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Just back from an awesome 12 day vacation (my Cabot posting will be up this week as it may take days to download all of the pictures from my fun race weekend in Maine) and inundated with fresh tomatoes from the garden. Today, as it always seems to be as we return back from vacationing in August – was filled with school shopping on the brain. I had one child done and just received the other’s list for supplies. So after many errands today, I had just enough time to whip up my down and dirty tomato sauce. No roasting tomatoes here… just a quick, fabulously fresh sauce that you can top your veggie or whole wheat pasta with and enjoy with a loaf of crusty bread and a glass of wine. I love a good sauce you can make and just let simmer on the stove while you do a million other things… and that is just what was needed today.

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— Knead to Cook