A "Zest"-y Fall Recipe to Fight Inflammation

As we approach the change of seasons look to anti-inflammatory foods to reduce your aches and pains.  "Inflammation is a natural process where the body fights infection or injury. Inflammation can manifest as pain, swelling and redness.  Acute and chronic inflammation can be reduced with food.", says Joanna Chodorowska, owner of Nutrition in Motion. 

Foods known to fight inflammation include cabbage, spices like turmeric root and ginger, olive oil, nuts, dark leafy greens, some fruits like pineapple and fatty cold-water fish.  The good news is that all of these are quite common and are easy to incorporate into your meals every day.  Yet for many people eating enough greens and fish seems to be the greatest challenge.  "They don't taste good.", "I don't know how to cook them.", "My family won't eat anything green.", and "I don't like anything fishy.", are all frequent reasons why we don't eat enough of these staples. But the fact is that greens are the easiest to sneak into our meals and fish can be cooked up in minutes with little to no mess. 

Greens like cabbage, spinach and some kale varieties are mild in flavor, are great in salads and can be easily hidden in smoothies and meatloaf.  Others like collard greens and Swiss chard are tougher in texture and are best sauteed or braised.  Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are great simply prepared with a little olive oil and seasonings then grilled, baked, pan-seared or broiled. 

This recipe is one of our client favorites, which we had Joanna tweak for us to give it an extra anti-inflammatory punch!

"Zest"-y Braised Greens

2 Tbsp olive oil + additional for fish
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1" turmeric root, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP honey or 1/2 TBSP pure maple syrup
2 lb any combination of dark leafy greens (e.g. Swiss Chard, Kale, Collards), rough chopped
1# fresh salmon or tuna fillets
Dried or fresh herbs to taste (bonus points for using anti-inflammatory rosemary)

Saute onion, garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and herbs in large pot over medium-high heat cooking until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth, vinegar and honey or maple syrup.  Gradually add greens, stirring until wilted.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes.  While greens are cooking, brush salmon or tuna with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper and your favorite herbs.  Bake, grill or broil until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve over greens. 

Serves 4

Joanna Chodorowska is a holistic sports nutrition coach and owner of Nutrition in Motion.  Her mission is to help uncover the real reason your body is out of balance, in pain, tired, stressed or suffering from GI stress. Click here to learn more.

5 Ways to Save Time in the Kitchen

September can be a challenging time of year for a lot of people.  For parents, it means getting the family back into the routine and juggling work-life demands.  For others it can mean getting back onto life's hamster wheel following summer schedules and vacations.  Finding time to cook may seem impossible.  But it doesn't have to be so time consuming.  Here are my five top ways to save time in the kitchen.

1. Plan - Plan meals in advance including what you're going to make and when. Plan for leftovers for a second night by doubling recipes or cooking extra of the proteins and sides to use in other ways during the week.  
2. Choose Recipes Wisely - Stick to those with 5 ingredients or less and that can be prepared in 20-30 minutes tops. 
3. Prepare - Read the recipe all the way through and prep your ingredients before you start.  Taking time to create your "mise-en-place" will ensure that each ingredient is ready to go precisely when you need it and will avoid last minute trips to the store for that missing ingredient.
4. Clean as You Go - Avoid having to take more time to clean after your cooking by doing it as you go.  It takes a lot less time to rinse your dishes and put them in the dishwasher than it does to scrape and wash or clean up spills after they've been sitting to long.
5. Hire a Personal Chef - Your time is valuable.  Get back 10-15 hours a week that normally would be spent on the distraction of planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning by hiring a personal chef.  We'll focus on your dinner so that you can focus on your life.  Click here to learn more. 

Tomato Sauce Old World Style

This morning as I was thinking about the fresh, ripe tomatoes that are in abundance this month I came across this amazing and timely tomato sauce video that I had to share.  Watching it brought me right back to my childhood.  You see I'm not Italian but somehow I grew up surrounded with Italian friends, and as such was fortunate to be included in many culinary extravaganzas like canning summer vegetables and sauces, making fresh baked bread, pizza and stromboli (daily!) and preparing soppressata for hanging and drying in the smokehouse.  Then of course their was the Sunday dinners.  Whole families would gather for the day - nonnas and nonnos, moms, dads, siblings cousins, friends...The food was always fresh, seasonal, prepared from scratch and the wine was flowing.  Those were the days!

Before summer ends and the back to school craziness sets in why not make your own sauce?  Grab a glass of wine and watch this video to see how an old world Italian gentleman learned to make it from his parents and grandparents back in Italy.  Take advantage of the bountiful supply of garden ripened tomatoes.  Gather la famiglia, pick your tomatoes and get cooking!

Disclaimer:  I do not recommend the canning method in this video.  Instead check out Farm to Jars Marian Bolums' Canning 101. 

Buon appetito!

Great Chowder Starts with Corn Cobs

Local delicious sweet corn is arriving at the farmers markets. So stock up! After you cook your corn, cut it off the cob but don't throw the cobs away!  Because the liquid and sweetness remains with the cob, it makes a great base for soups and stocks. This is one of our favorite corn chowder recipes from epicurious.com. Spicy Corn and Poblano Chowder was originally published in the July 1997 issue of Gourmet Magazine.  Make it with fresh corn in the summer and serve chilled.  Be sure to make some extra corn and freeze it along with the cobs for the winter so you can appreciate this recipe again as a hot soup on a chilly day.

Make Ahead Grilled Pizza Party Ideas

During a recent visit with friends on Smith Lake Mountain in Virginia we put together a gourmet grilled pizza party for our hosts and their neighbors.  The idea was to do something tasty, different, informal, and be able to spend time with their guests.  The menu included four varieties and everything was made in advance.  Once the guests arrived we assembled and heated the pizzas while enjoying our drinks and mingling with our new southern friends.  After the pizzas were delicately consumed (inhaled) we grilled off some fresh, just ripe peaches, drizzled them with honey and served them topped with vanilla ice cream and chopped nuts.  

As the professionals (control freaks) we of course made our own dough and took over the kitchen.  But you can make it easier on yourself by buying prepared crust or flatbread and including your guests in on the action.  Just grill the crusts in advance, set them out with the toppings so that everyone can assemble their own masterpiece, then heat on the grill while you enjoy a glass of wine!  

For inspiration, here's the menu that we prepared and the dough recipe if you'd like to make your own.

Thai Chicken - One of our signature items.  Chicken, Thai peanut sauce, shredded carrot, cilantro, bean sprouts, scallions, mozzarella, and chopped peanuts.

BBQ Pork - A collaboration with our hostess.  Pulled pork, BBQ sauce, red onion and cheddar cheese.  Tip:  Slow cook the pork in the crock pot with seasonings and a little BBQ sauce to avoid heating up the kitchen.

Taco - Seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, Monterrey Jack cheese, olives, diced tomatoes, and jalapeños.   

Margarita - Typically made with fresh mozzarella but we substituted goat cheese, which was delish!  Sliced heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.   

Pizza Dough

1 t.       Yeast
1/2C+  Warm water
1 1/2CFlour
2t        Sugar
1t         Salt
1T        Olive Oil

Combine yeast and water in a small bowl, let sit until foamy­—about 10 minutes. Using a food processor fitted with the plastic blade combine:  flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to mix.

Add yeast mixture and olive oil. With the motor running, slowly add enough water to bring mixture into a ball. Be careful not to over mix.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly, forming into a smooth ball.  Coat the inside of a large bowl with a little olive oil, also lightly coat the dough.  Place dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.  Let rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until dough had doubled in size. 

Punch dough down and reform into a smooth ball. Return dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove dough from fridge, let sit a room temperature for an hour or so. Divide dough in two (or 4 minis). On a lightly floured surface, using your hands or a rolling pin, shape dough into an approximate 9 inch circle. 

Place dough onto a hot grill using direct coals/heat. Do not touch the dough for at least 30-45 seconds. Using tongs or spatulas, flip crust over. Continue this process until the crust is grilled to you liking.  Remove from grill, add your favorite toppings (not too much) and return to the grill, but this time use indirect heat. Cover grill and heat until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Healthy Recipes and Ideas for Cinco de Mayo

Theo and I love Mexican food and Cinco de Mayo just gives us another excuse to whip up a fun Mexican meal and a fresh batch of margaritas.  As if we need an excuse!  It's also a great time to take advantage of the local produce that’s popping up in our area of the world.  This month we're finding asparagus, onions, peas, lettuces, spinach and tomatoes among other items. 

Whether you’re planning a Cinco de Mayo party or want to celebrate with a simple festive dinner, here are a few creative ideas to include the local bounty.  Dress up grilled asparagus with fresh pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, avocado, jalapeno and lime juice) and Cotija cheese*.  Try spinach enchiladas for a fresh meatless alternative.  Or lighten up with our favorite healthy and satisfying Baked Chicken Chimichangas recipe, a great alternative to the traditionally fried favorite.  They're so flavorful that you'll never miss the fat from frying!

*Cotija [Ko-tee-hah] is a Mexican-style grated cheese cow's milk cheese similar to Parmesan.  Both Parmesan and Romano cheeses are suitable substitutes.

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup reduced fat Mexican Blend Cheese
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
4.5 oz chopped green chiles
16 oz fat free refried beans
6, 8” tortillas
Cooking Spray
Salsa
Avocado
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.  Combine all ingredients through chiles.  Divide refried beans evenly among tortillas and spread down the middle.  Top each tortilla with an even amount of chicken mixture.  Fold up the bottom third then fold in the sides and roll the tortilla up.  Place chimichangas, seam side down on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Lightly spray the tops of the chimichangas with non-stick spray.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through and beginning to brown.  Serve topped with salsa, fresh avocado slices and chopped cilantro. 

Tip:  To prepare chimichangas in advance, wrap each individually with plastic or parchment and freeze in gallon-size freezer bag.  Defrost before baking.  The chimis will look soggy but don't worry.  They will still crisp up when baked.  

Adapted from Cooking Light Roast Chicken Chimichanga recipe.