Detox 2014

Hello!!! Isn’t it wonderful to be living in 2014! No hover crafts quite yet, but amazing new things are happening every day. To update you on what we have been up to, it has been so incredibly busy for us, that is why we haven’t posted yet!

Michael has been cooking his butt off, getting back in touch with nature by going snowboarding and surfing. I have been applying to graduate school, and trying to keep my head on straight.

As part of our New Year’s resolutions we have resolved to live healthier, surf more, go to the spa more often (that’s for me), and to travel at least once out of the country this year!

What are your resolutions?

To help with this resolution here are three detox shakes, one is great for breakfast, one is great lunch, and the other is a great desert treat! They are very healthy, but very tasty. Enjoy!

To make all, just combine, and blend!!!

Breakfast Shake:

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tablespoon almond butter
5 large strawberries
½ a banana
½ cup frozen blueberries

This shake is delicious, it has great protein to start your day, and antioxidants that will give you a burst of energy.

 

 

Lunch Shake:

½ cup carrot juice (organic unsweetened)

½ cup water

½ an avocado

Teaspoon grated ginger

1 large granny smith apple

This shake is great it has healthy saturated fats, and has great bold flavors that will quench your hunger and will satisfy that craving for something savory.

 

 



 

Desert Shake:

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk

½ cup frozen peaches

1 Bartlett pear

½ a banana

This shake is great because it has that bit of sweetness that we all want after a meal, but it will not pack the pounds on.

Blend away and enjoy!



Vegetable Latke with Persimmon Butter

Happy Hanukkah!! It is amazing because Hanukkah and Thanksgiving happen at the same time, which is awesome! We have created for you a spin on a traditional Latke, which actually will go fantastically with turkey! We have for you a latke made with potato, parsnip, carrot, and yellow zucchini, not to forget our very own persimmon butter on the side.

How do you celebrate Hanukkah if you do? Or better Hanukkah and Thanksgiving together?

*You will need a cheese grater with large holes.

Ingredients: makes 10

Latke:
1 russet potato
2 large carrots
2 medium sized parsnips
2 small yellow zucchini
1 large egg
3 pinches of salt
¼ cup canola oil

Persimmon Butter:
4 ripe persimmons
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon

If you want to make sure they stay warm then preheat the oven to 200 degrees so you can put the latkes in when you make them, if you don’t mind them being room temperature, then skip this.

Start by making the persimmon butter. Chop up the persimmons and blend in blender until they are pretty smooth. In a small sauce pan, heat the puree, when it starts to bubble, add the sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir cooking for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit.

The latke making is so easy it’s amazing. Peel all your vegetable except the yellow zucchini. Into a large bowl, using the larger holes on the cheese grater, grate all you vegetables, including the zucchini with the skin. Fill the bowl with water, the pour the water out keeping the vegetables, fill it one more time, and let sit for 10 minutes. This gets all the extra starch out.

Strain the vegetables into a colander. Lay out some paper towels, and lay the vegetables on top. Roll the paper towels together, removing any excess moisture. Put everything back in bowl.

Crack the egg into the bowl and start to mix. Put one pinch of salt, mix, next pinch, etc.

In a wide skillet heat your oil to medium high. When the oil is hot enough, using a spoon, spoon a heaping spoonful of the vegetables onto the skillet. Do two at a time.

While those are cooking, lay a tray out with paper towels, so you can place the latke on and let the oil drain off.

Let one side cook for about 5 minutes until nice and golden brown, the flip and do the same.

If you put in the oven, be sure to not put it in with paper towel.

Serve with persimmon butter! Enjoy!

 

Bomb Banh Mi

One of the most satisfying things to do when you are hungry is to get a huge sandwich that is wrapped in parchment paper, unroll it, lay it out where you are eating, and then take a huge bite. Any kind of street food or fast food comes in some awesome wrapping or sprawled out on some gorgeous paper hot dog tray, and there is no exception to the Vietnamese street food sandwich Banh Mi.

Banh Mi actually refers to the bread that the Banh Mi sandwich is served on, it is a very airy version of a baguette which was brought to Vietnam by the French when the French colonized. They are typically made with a type of pate but we have decided to marry the glory of American grilling with this delicious Vietnamese street food.

Our Banh Mi is a grilled marinated flank steak, accompanied by a five spice pickled slaw of carrot and parsnip, red cabbage, and topped with cilantro.

Ingredients: Makes 3

1 loaf soft baguette
1/2 head red cabbage
1 handful of cilantro

Slaw:
1 large parsnip
2 large carrots
1 Tablespoon Five Spice
½ cup rice wine vinegar

Steak:
1 ½ lbs skirt steak
3 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons garlic salt
3 Tablespoons fish sauce

To start off we want you to prep and marinate your meat. Start by laying your meat out and using a sharp knife, cut any excess chunks of fat or silver skin (which is the connective tissue) so that the meat doesn’t become too tough. Next smash up your garlic and in a large bowl marinate your meat in all the meat ingredients, flipping a couple of times to saturate both sides and refrigerate as long as you can, preferably overnight, but hey we don’t all have that kind of planning time, so even 20 minutes is fine.

Next peel and shred the parsnip and carrots. In a small sauce pan boil vinegar and five spice, once boiling remove from heat and add parsnip and carrot and let sit for 10 minutes. Once that is done you can store up to a week with the pickling liquid in a jar.

To cook the steak heat a grill pan at medium high heat, and once at desired temperature place steak on. Let cook on each side for about 6 minutes, depending on how thick your steak is check the inside to test the doneness. Otherwise you just want to get a nice sear on to add a nice crispness. Let steak sit for 10 minutes before you slice.

To assemble the sandwich, cut the baguette into thirds and then down the middle, lay the meat down, then some pickled slaw, then some sliced cabbage, then top with a pinch of cilantro!

Enjoy!

Detox Slaw

Mikey and I have not been giving Food Nasty the love it deserves because he and I have been on a detox! Oh my! We are detoxing from all the muffins, pasta, cheese, and chocolate we consumed over the holidays. We wanted to feel light and at the top of our game, so we have been on an intense detox where we can’t eat gluten, lactose, sugar, caffeine, red meat, shellfish, basically anything fun. It has been torturous, but I feel radiant, Mikey has a ton of energy, and we look marvelous!

To go along with our detox guidelines we created a delicious slaw, which not to toot our own horns, but is great detox or not. Make this, enjoy, and feel healthier.

Ingredients: serves 4-6

1/4 small red cabbage

1/4 small green cabbage

3 large carrots

2 Tablespoons Fresh ginger

1/3 cup Shelled edamame

1 Tablespoon White miso paste

1 Tablespoon water

Pinch of salt

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic

3 radishes

½ a shallot

1/3 cup olive oil

1 lime

This is such an easy recipe to make, it is basically two things, making the dressing for the slaw, and chopping the ingredients for the slaw. Put the slaw together by thinly slicing your cabbage and two radishes. Next peel and grate two carrots. If your edamame is frozen, heat and measure out the amount you need. Now mix all together.

To make the dressing peel and chop one carrot, two tablespoons of ginger, one radish, one clove of garlic, and ½ a shallot. Blend together until super fine. Next put the miso, vinegar, and water in and continue to blend. While continuing to blend, pour the oil in, and blend until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the slaw, you can use all of it if you want it super saturated, or some of it. Mix together and serve with some lime slices on the side! You will love it!

Back to School Lunchbox!!!

  These days I really have no idea when kids start school. When I was younger it was after labor day, until I got to high school, now it seems that many children start really early. For those of us who remember starting school after labor day, here is a back to school lunch for your kids (or yourself). Every paper bag lunch should consist of a sandwich, chips, some dip, and a little something sweet. Michael was such a cute little boy, and sometimes I still make him PBJ sammies so here is a healthy twist on all the good things that little kids love. Our lunch line up today is:

Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich
Carrot Chips
Greek Dip
Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Banana and Honey Sandwich:

2 slices 100% whole wheat bread
4 Tlb. organic creamy peanut butter
1 ½ Tlb. orange blossom honey
1 ripe banana

Carrot Chips and Dip:

4 large carrots
2 Tsp. sea salt
2 Tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 cucumber
1 stem dill

Chocolate Covered Apples:

1 granny smith
Chocolate dip mix

 

 

 

 

I honestly am using a microwaveable chocolate mix because it is so easy, quick, and tasty. This lunch is for your kids, and you don’t need to slave over the small things to achieve what you want. That being said core and slice your apple, then following the instructions heat up your chocolate. Dip the slices in the chocolate, place on a wax paper covered plate, and leave in the freezer to harder.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and peal the skin off of the carrots, and then chop into three sections. Using a mandolin, or whatever thin slicer instrument you have, slice the carrots paper thin. In a bowl mix together the carrot, olive oil and sea salt. Lay all the slices out on to two baking sheets (they can touch but not overlap). Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes, at the half way point flip the sheet trays around. Once they are finished, take out and lay on a cooling rack so they can crisp up.

In the meantime make the dip by peeling and very finely dicing half of the cucumber, and dicing up the dill. Mix up the greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, and a pinch of salt.

Now on to the finale, the sandwich, three easy steps. Take the bread, spread the peanut butter, place banana slices, drizzle honey, put top slice on, slice… and eat!!!

This lunch is so simple, delicious, and healthy. Wind down the summer and get ready for the school year, and make your kids this lunch….hey even boyfriends love it!!!