Inspired Edibles

~ wellness, wonder, words ~

winter white salad with mandarin and fennel

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winter white salad with mandarin and pomegranate

There’s a scene in the Hollywood remake City of Angels that’s indelibly etched in my memory.

The heroine is making a breakfast fruit salad for her lover, which sounds simple enough, but there’s nothing ordinary about this moment.  She sinks her soul into the process and brings the viewer with her.  We are meticulously drawn in to the color, texture and taste of her experience.  The most memorable moment comes when she hand squeezes fresh orange segments all over the bowl, the explosive juices unbound and running glory over the fruit….

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Roasted Maple Sriracha Pecans

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roasted maple sriracha pecans_2

Despite some seasonal confusion (my heart is saying pine cones but my eyes are still seeing roses),  I have to say, this dual border fêting is working out quite well for us.

We gladly welcomed the five day American Thanksgiving break with some highly unstructured family time. It’s amazing how much fun you can have doing precisely nothing….

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Warm Sautéed Feijoa Salad in a Balsamic Beurre Blanc

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As I write this entry, sunlight is streaming in through my morning kitchen and I’m noticing a myriad of lush green feijoa, otherwise known as pineapple guava, nestled in the grass under our evergreen tree.

With today’s generous harvest decorating the landscape, you would hardly know that I just collected two full bags of the fragrant egg-shaped fruit yesterday afternoon.

My only wish is that I could ship a bucket full to each and every one of you as it’s simply not possible to keep up with our harvest.  We’ve been donating generously….

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Butternut Squash Pad Thai

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Well I can’t very well move on from summer without sharing the story of the season.

I feel a bit bad spinning it into a story because it does have an unfortunate outcome but if there’s anyone I know who can take a situation like this and turn it on its head, it’s this guy.

Our budding actor was back in action this summer with a great program out of Palo Alto offering ‘professional training for serious young artists’.  All was going along tickety-boo until one day our young Robert De Niro decided to have a Raging Bull moment and take his acting career to a whole new level (the movie buffs among you know exactly where I’m going with this…)….

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Autumn Oatmeal with Apple, Cranberry & Walnut

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My mom sent me four autumn leaves in the mail.

They were the first she gathered from the trees near her home.  I found them pressed together neatly in a card with her signature handwriting slanting almost vertical along the page.

She said she wanted to send them to me so I wouldn’t forget about the fall.

Delicate and impossibly light, I removed the leaves from the card and carefully placed them on the kitchen table.  I had a sinking feeling they were going to fly away even though I was inside.  I sat there staring at them and imagining my mom in a younger version of herself, walking in the autumn leaves with her big rimmed sunglasses and pink lips, my cheeks pressed into my hands, tears streaming down my face.

So much for getting tougher with age.  I only soften.

These are the gifts I cherish most. The gestures, the kindnesses and the feelings I no longer have words for.

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Zucchini Pasta with Chicken, Mushroom & garden fresh Marinara Sauce

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Whenever I find myself running behind on my writing commitments and the pressure starts to mount, I paint my fingernails red.

A strange cure for writer’s block perhaps but it works for me.  Red is one of those colors that just won’t be denied. Bold and energizing, it’s an accelerator and mood changer. And it turns out that it doesn’t endure procrastination very well either.

As soon as I see those bright red chiclets moving across the keypad in a trail of fire, it’s like a call to action. Suddenly I’m transported out of the doldrums of my languid mind and into a place of movement and activity, whether I want to or not.

I don’t think it would work on any kind of regular basis, and I wouldn’t care to have my hands ablaze more than a few times a year, but every now and again, seeing red is where it’s at.

Does color change you?

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I know I should be moving on to back-to-school themes and fall givings and such but you’ll forgive me for holding off on the pumpkin posts for now.

It is still August after all and I’m really not in a rush to abandon summer especially while mother nature continues to turn out such gorgeous late summer produce.

And speaking of spoils, we received another generous haul of garden tomatoes and basil from our neighbors this past weekend.  In fact, we got the full tour of their plantation (so inspiring) and this time, I decided to make a roasted marinara sauce from their givings.

Instead of serving the Italian sauce with a conventional grain-based pasta, I decided to switch things up a little and work with zucchini – another abundant vegetable right now.

Some of you might remember this handy dandy shredding tool from this post that allowed me to make short work of my green papaya. That is the same tool I used to make the zucchini pasta threads.  You could also use a spiralizer (I don’t own one but I understand they are quite versatile and will produce a noodle like shape).

If you make this recipe expecting your great-aunt Angioletta’s pasta, well, this is not it. On the other hand, you may be surprised to discover just how appetizing this dish is in its own right without comparison. A warm and savory roasted marinara sauce mingled with sautéed mushroom and chicken over a bed of light and delicious zucchini.  You might just like it. A lot.

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Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats

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If you follow Inspired Edibles on Facebook, you may have caught a sneak peek of the inspiration for this post.

This past weekend, our new neighbors delighted us with the most welcome housewarming gifts.

An array of garden delights including: little gem lettuce (soft and buttery), firm and crunchy cucumber, fragrant basil and the sweetest, freshest tomatoes we’ve ever tasted! The tomatoes were so good in fact that we ate the first few solo and unseasoned, swooning over every bite (sometimes it’s the simple things…). We then went on to enjoy the ingredients in sandwiches, with drizzled balsamic and in a tossed salad that evening.

Since the givings were so generous, I had plenty of tomatoes leftover and wanted to make the best of them while they were still in their prime.  I had the idea of rounding up some of the best of the late summer harvest and presenting it in these zucchini boats. Open faced melt style.

If you haven’t tasted baked zucchini yet, you’re in for a treat! Soft, savory and full of comfort, you could almost (almost) mistake these stuffed lovelies for pizza ~ and, bonus, they deliver a better long term investment.

This a very simple recipe that involves baking the zucchinis with olive oil and sea salt and then filling them with black beans and veggies and a sprinkling of cheese (of course, you can use whatever toppings you like).

We enjoyed these molten zucchini boats with a side of quinoa and a tossed green salad. A light and delicious vegetarian summer meal the whole family enjoyed.

Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats

Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats
  • 4 healthy zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise 
  • 2 cups cooked black beans, or beans of choice (thoroughly rinsed if using canned)
  • 1 cup corn kernels (thawed if using frozen)
  • 4-6 gorgeous garden tomatoes, diced
  • 1 New Mexico green chile, seeded and diced (always optional)
  • 4 garlic cloves, or to taste, smashed
  • 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa
  • 1/2 cup cheese of choice
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs of choice plus more leaves for topping (I used basil)
  • sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste

Makes 8 zucchini boats
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
  1. Zucchini Size: You don’t have to seek out large zucchinis for this recipe (any healthy happy zucchini will do) however the plumper ones will accommodate more filling.
  2. Filling: You can (and should) fill your zucchinis with any topping ingredients and seasonings you and/or your family enjoy.
  3. Right from Oven: We found the baked zucchini tasted best right out of the oven.
  4. Some like it Hot: The chile pepper added a little kick to the mix but if spice is not your thing, simply skip it or use a pepper of your own choosing.
  5. Caution: Canned beans are always an option however, in addition to having a superior taste and texture, I favor dried beans because of ongoing health concerns surrounding Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a known toxin that continues to be used in the lining of many food and beverage cans – including canned beans.  Studies have shown that this industrial plastic is absorbed by canned foods and, when ingested by consumers, can give rise to significant spikes in urinary levels of BPA.  Some manufacturers are now making BPA free cans however they are few and far between.
  6. Why I smash Garlic: (not just to take out my frustrations!) I recommend smashing the garlic (as distinct from running it through a garlic press) for two reasons.  I generally enjoy the chunkier texture of garlic in recipes and chopping/slicing the garlic cloves alone without first flattening them (smashing/crushing) will not release the allium’s beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat. Sprinkle with sea salt and then chop or slice the garlic.

Directions:Heat oven to 350 F

  1. Using a small spoon, scoop out the interior pulp of each zucchini half (where the seeds reside) taking care not to pierce through the skin (this will create a little cavity along the interior middle of the zucchini where your filling will go) — you should be able to scoop the pulp quite easily with a spoon but you can also use a knife if preferred.  Be sure to reserve the hydrating pulp for smoothies! :)
  2. Brush the interior of the zucchinis with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper, as desired
  3. Place the zucchinis (olive oil brushed side up, skin side down) on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes or until zucchinis are tender (you can sample a slice at this stage to discover just how tasty they are!)
  4. Meanwhile, assemble remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl: black beans, corn, tomatoes, chile (if using),  garlic and a Tbsp or so of fresh chopped herbs, mixing to combine.
  5. Add salsa, just enough to moisten the mixture without making it drippy.
  6. Leaving the warm zucchinis on the baking sheet, carefully divide the mixture among the zucchinis, filling each cavity.
  7. Sprinkle cheese over each zucchini filling and return the tray to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the mixture has warmed through.
  8. Remove zucchini boats from oven, top with additional herbs as desired and enjoy! (best enjoyed straight from the oven).
  9. I served these zucchini boats with a side of quinoa and a tossed green salad.  It was a light and very tasty summer evening meal.  The whole family enjoyed it!
© Inspired Edibles

 

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

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The boys start school on Monday.

I know.

Seems cruel and unusual to me too.

And yet, they feel good about it, so who am I to say.

My eldest says he likes being in school with his friends when the weather is still so nice ~ (like it turns dramatically here in CA – wink) ~ everyone is full of energy and good spirits and there is a ball to kick or throw at every break. Even though they don’t live far apart, plans don’t seem to get made quite as often during the summer break so school remains the great joinder.

We squeezed in all the mandatory pre-school appointments in the earlier part of the week ~ the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker ~ and this morning I dropped my youngest off at his High School orientation. Yup, two boys in high school now. I’ll admit I lingered a bit longer than I needed to. Catching those last glimpses of boyhood before it all changes, again.

So here I sit in a new home surrounded by boxes and to-do lists and yet, a warm cup of tea and this quiet space seems just about right.

These last few weeks have swooshed by in a blur and I’m feeling grateful for the pause.

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Today I’m talking about breakfast and sharing some of my favorite ways to start the day.

I am often asked in my nutrition practice what the ideal breakfast is and my answer is always the same: it depends. And it does.  Age, stage, level of activity, work/sleep schedules, response to food, goals and objectives.  In short, while there are certainly guiding principles, there is no one size accommodates all when it comes to nutrition.

We are all biochemically unique and each of us has the ability and responsibility, in my view, to experiment and learn what works best for us.

For myself, the composition and ratio of micronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate) will vary depending on whether I am preparing for work (sedentary) or exercise.  It may also vary with the seasons as my digestive vitality and food preferences are not the same in the grueling heat as they are in cooler temperatures.

Prior to exercise, I prefer easily and quickly digesting food sources such as whole grain oatmeal with ground seeds, a few pieces of sliced banana and milk.  A nourishing and easily digested meal that provides me with just the right amount of energy I need to have a productive workout session.  If I eat this type of breakfast sometime around 7:30 am and workout sometime around 9:00 am, I am usually looking for a more concentrated protein source by 10:30 – 11:00 am.

On the days when I am not working out in the morning, I might opt for a more substantive breakfast with greater staying power (satiety) such as this nourishing breakfast bowl which contains a variety of food elements in more concentrated forms.  A simple and delicious meal bowl made up of protein (found in the eggs, nuts, cheese and quinoa), fat (found in the avocado, nuts and cheese) and carbohydrate (found in the quinoa and sprouts) complete with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Although packed with goodness, this quinoa breakfast bowl is easy on the system and does not leave me feeling bloated, tired and grumpy the way more popular breakfast assortments of the carbohydrate family can (ie: toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins, sugary cereals, etc) ~ pretty much the opposite of how you want to feel starting out the day.

Be sure to have a look at the Nutriton & Cooking Notes I prepared for more information on the role of protein, fat and carbohydrates in the body as well as nourishing food sources of these macronutrients.

Enjoy experimenting with different combinations and remember, nobody ever said you couldn’t eat lentils or steak for breakfast. Do what works for you!

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