Yo! I just stumbled upon this site and I’m in lurrrve. They have this great post about 25 healthy recipes that require little time and minimal clean up. The site is sponsored by Martha Stewart (not sure how I feel about that) but, still, it has tons of info about green and sustainable living and hundreds of yummy, easy recipes (with good pics too). Plus they stress local, organic, grass fed, wild, seasonal and heirloom in their recipe ingredients. Here are some I will be trying this month (soooo excited!):

goat cheese and raspberries

Whole-Grain Toast with Goat Cheese and Raspberries

We’ve pared it down to the essentials: minimal ingredients, few steps, and a hassle-free cleanup. A great breakfast, lunch, or dinner doesn’t get easier than this. We created these recipes with flexibility in mind. Adjust the quantity of the ingredients depending on the flavors you like best and the number of people you’re serving. Toast sliced whole-grain bread; let cool slightly. Spread with goat cheese, top with berries, mash with a fork.

greek yogurt and veggies

Greek Yogurt and Vegetable Sandwich

Spread a slice of whole-wheat bread with plain Greek yogurt. Add grated carrots, sliced avocado, chopped walnuts, and sunflower sprouts. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper, and top with another slice of bread.

remixed lentil soup

Lentil, Carrot, and Lemon Soup with Fresh Dill

Simmer 3/4 cup French green lentils with 4 chopped carrots, 2 sliced garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in water (enough to cover by 2 inches), until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in juice of 1 lemon, season to taste, and add about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill to each bowl before serving. Serves 4.

steamed white salmon

Steamed Wild Salmon with Fresh Herbs and Fennel

Steam skinless wild salmon fillets with fennel wedges in a lightly oiled steamer basket until salmon gives when pressed, about 6 minutes. Stir a mixture of chopped herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, dill, fennel fronds) with minced shallot, extra-virgin olive oil, and a splash of white-wine vinegar or lemon juice; season to taste. Spoon over fish.

tortillas

Corn Tortillas with Corn, Peppers, and Mashed Beans

Mash pinto or black beans with a pinch of ground cumin and a little olive oil. Saute corn kernels and sliced mixed peppers (hot or sweet) in olive oil with chopped garlic. Toast corn tortillas briefly. Spread bean mash on each tortilla and top with corn and peppers. Top with a sprinkling of cheese if you like.

oh em gee

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Herbs and Creamy Tofu Spread

Pat dry 1/2 block extra firm tofu and blend with 3 tablespoons safflower oil, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; season to taste. Spread onto sliced whole-grain bread and add tomato slices. Top with a handful of herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, and cilantro. Season with sea salt.

**UPDATE**

I made the Corn Tortillas with Corn, Peppers, and Mashed Beans. Super delish and easy. I sprinkled fresh chopped oregano on top.

i did it!

front and centah

finger lickin' good

Kick rocks Rachel Ray. There’s a new chef in town. (Wow that was corny.) Last week I had the pleasure of attending a cooking demonstration that was part of April’s Black Chef Series hosted by Putnam Park at The House Of Art in Bed-Stuy. The featured chef of the evening was Chef Mustapha (also knows as Chef Mu), who promised to prepare quick, easy, healthy yet delicious food that everyone can make. I love food and I love cooking so I jumped at the chance to attend this event. This was, hands down, one of the best events I have been to in New York. Not only was the event well put together (there was a beautiful, colorful display of healthy fruits and vegetables at the chef’s cooking station), but learned lots and lots and lots of useful information.

Before the event started, we were each handed a well-styled menu that listed the dishes Chef Mu was going to prepare for us. There were seven in total. Seven! And he only had two hours to make it all. On the menu: sweet shrimp (over fried plantains with mango salsa), coconut snapper fingers, curried sweet potato and apple salad, green bean salad with citrus vinaigrette, spiced honey chicken, sesame cabbage with garlic and ginger, and mini-pancakes with mixed fruit compote for dessert. Chef Mu pulled it off…everything was amazing. Like, wow-am-I really-moaning-right-now–soooo-not-a-good-look-dot-com amazing!

While Chef Mu was cooking, he took time to answer our questions. I think I had more questions than anyone else in the room. Some of the most helpful things I learned were: 1. how long you can keep spices before they decrease in quality (90 days), 2. why do onions make us cry (a dull knife), 3. where does one buy a decent knife for a reasonable price (Henckel via Target).

Ok. So. Two days ago I tried recreating three of the dishes on my own. I deviated from the recipes a tiny bit but the results…Not bad.

Pics below and official recipes to come!

fried plantains (green) with a mango salsa...chef Mu's version had an yummy shrimp on top but I don't trust the seafood at my local supermarket

crunchy green beans topped with a citrus vinaigrette...chef Mu's version had raw onions as well.

curry sweet potato and apple salad with arugula, cilantro and peppers. Chef Mu used a red pepper, but I am not ballin' like that (5 dollars a pound by a).

What I ate:
breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana
lunch 1: sauteed spinach and 1/2 baked sweet potato
lunch 2: veggies in a tortilla
lunch 3: leftover slice of pizza
dinner: 1/2 cup of vegetarian chili
snack: serving of carob covered raisins

Chili How-to:
This chili was inspired by this recipe, but I changed it up quite a bit.
What you need:
1 zucchini
1 summer squash (yellow)
1/8 cup of chili powder (or more)
1/8 cup of berebre spice
1/3 cup of olive oil
1-28oz can of crushed tomato
1 cup of water
3 cans of black beans
2 large white onions
pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of honey
5 cloves of chopped garlic
Optional: Mozzarella cheese and an avocado (now that I think of it, cilantro could be good too)

What you do:
step 1: saute onion, chili powder and berbere in Olive Oil
step two: add tomato, garlic, squash, zucchini, honey (bring to boil and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes)
step 3: add beans, water, cinnamon (remove lid and let reduce for 30 minutes)
step 5: add cheese and chopped avocados

Workout Situation: Not so much
Highlight: My chili
Lowlight: Could have used more protein, possibly

(Ed Note: We know you are busy – and don’t have money to waste on ingredients for recipes that turn out whack. That’s where Whole Grain Grub comes in. We’ll test out a recipe and tell you whether it a. is as simple as it seems, and b. pleases the palate.)

I was grocery shopping yesterday when I noticed Arora’s Rajmah Kidney Bean Seasoning Packet, a starter kit for a “quick & easy gourmet Indian dish that serves six.” Basically, you buy the seasoning packet, which includes all of the traditional Indian spices (sans salt). Then you buy the list of ingredients they suggest and follow their cooking instructions. Seemed simple enough. I added it to the cart and decided to make a “Recipe Tester” out of it.

You’ll need:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger (yay!)
• 1 finely chopped medium onion
• 1 plum tomato (diced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 large chopped green chili (optional…I didn’t use it)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 3 cups boiled red kidney beans or a 30 oz. can of red kidney beans (which equals two regular cans)

Here’s what you do:

1. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for 1 minute
2. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute
3. Then add tomato sauce and Arora Creations Rajmah Spice Blend
4. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring evenly
5. Add 3 cups boiled red kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes
6. Now cover the an and bring to a boil
7. Reduce to medium heat and let cook covered for 10 minutes
8. Remove from heat
9. Garnish with cilantro
10. Serve

The recipe was very simple – plus I love chopping vegetables, so that was fun. Total cook time, including preparation, was about 35 minutes. Whole Grain Grub rating: Thumbs way up. Not only did it taste like traditional Indian food, but it smelled like it too. The spices gave it a kick, but weren’t strong enough to make your eyes water or your nose fall off. I served mine over Whole Wheat Cous Cous. They recommend rice. Here is the finished product: