Braving the Marvelous

September 9, 2013 By Laura

Flattered.

Does anyone else think of flatulence when they say that word?

I am absolutely flattered when people try out the #strangebutgood recipes I subject you all to. It’s high time I share some of the evidence and creative edits!

Jicama Tofu Nachos

This may be one of my favorite recent creations. I was really excited to see it popping up on Instagram! This version is by Hannah:

Meghan @ The Lyon’s Share braved these nachos and made it her own with mushrooms and a vegan cheese sauce.

Meghan truly is a brave soul because she made my Fluffy Cauliflower Pancake recipe last week too! And she made it ~~even more strange~~ green by adding spinach and doubling the cauliflower!

(Cheese-less) Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Continuing with the cauliflower theme, Tiffany @ Love, Sweat, & Beers (minus the beers for now, baby mamma) made my Cauliflower Crust Pizza!

Since she’s eating for two, she even had room left for dessert. Clever thinking. 😉

Chick-Less Nuggets

Arman @ The Big Man’s World is a #strangebutgood enthusiast, so I was thrilled when he made my Chick-less Nuggets. He compared these TVP-based vegan nuggets to falafel, which makes total sense since I also used chickpea flour to make them.

Even better is the fast that he ate them with roasted cauliflower and brussels, two of my favorite things (rain drops on roses aside).

150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake

My girl Heather @ Better With Veggies is training for her first bikini competition on a pescatarian/dairy-free diet. She’s rocking it out and I was super flattered when she tried my 150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake.

She had the brilliant idea to mix the ingredients in advance so all she could take it to work and “cook” it in the microwave there.

Peanut-Coconut Flour Pancakes

Inspiration goes both ways! Arman made my nuggets, but my Saturday pancakes were inspired by the peanut butter-coconut recipe he entered in the #strangebutgood linkup on Friday’s blog.

The I made it more strange but adding roasted jicama and strawberries with a Mexican chocolate twist – I tossed them in cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pre-roast. So good!

Flattery, not to be confused with flatulence, is marvelous.

Check out Katie’s link up for more blog-land marvels!

***

I mentioned Friday that I have a new job. In order to give myself time to ramp up in my new role, I’m going to be posting a little less frequently. I don’t know what that schedule will look like yet. Just know if I miss a day (probably tomorrow) I’m not dead. If you notice. 😉

What blogger recipe have you tried lately and loved?

Is there anything making your Monday particularly marvelous? I’m in San Fran, which doesn’t suck.

Strange But Good: Jicama & Tofu Nachos

August 23, 2013 By Laura

Mexican-inspired breakfasts are some of my favorites. Jicama & Tofu Nachos are my morning take on the giant plates of nachos I love for dinner!

This Mexican-ish deliciousness happened for breakfast, but I think it makes a good brinner dish too. When is breakfast not appropriate?!

I don’t make guarantees often, but I promise that if you try this, you will be in love. It seems like a lot of steps, but they happen simultaneously so it’s not too time consuming.

If you haven’t had jicama before, here’s what you need to know:

Pronounced HIK-ka-ma
Root vegetable, sometimes called a Mexican turnip
Tough brown skin should be peeled before eating or cooking
Inside is white, wet and crunchy… like if a potato and an apple had a baby
Flavor is slightly sweet, a little nutty
Low in calories
High in Vitamin C and fiber… but not just any fiber! It’s fiber infused with oligofructose inulin, which has zero calories and doesn’t metabolize in the body
Inulin enhances absorption of calcium from other foods and is a prebiotic (read: promotes “good” bacteria growth)

Jicama is good raw in salads like my Edamame and Jicama Salad, but it’s also great roasted. I cut it into “chips” and roasted it in the oven for use as the nachos in this recipe.

It was awesome topped with tomatoes and creamy avocado… and tofu! If you haven’t baked tofu before, now is the time to try it. It poofs up like marshmallows! In a good way.

Even more fabulous was the runny egg on top. That #yolkporn dripped down into the crevices of my nacho creation, making each bite worthy of a giddy grin.

My only complaint was the not-so-happy ending – I was really sad when the last bite had been taken.

[Tweet “Jicama & Tofu Nachos are a healthy, breakfast spin on nacho plates!”]

Jicama & Tofu Nachos

1 small jicama, peeled and sliced thinly
6 oz tofu, cubed
1 tsp Mexican spice blend (use your favorite)
1/2 medium tomato
1/4 avocado
Egg (optional)
Garnish ideas: lime, red pepper flakes, pepper

Place the thinly sliced jicama on half of a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Season cubed tofu with your favorite Mexican spices and place on the other half of the baking sheet.

Cook both under broil for 10 mins, flipping half way through. Make sure you watch the jicama closely so as not to burn it.

While that is roasting, cut your tomato and avocado into cubes. Set aside.

When the chips and tofu are done, remove from the oven. Arrange chips in nacho-form on the baking sheet. Top with tofu, tomato, and avocado. Place the pan back in the oven under the broiler for ~5 mins, until warmed through.

Meanwhile, cook egg to desired level of doneness on the stove top.

Remove chips from over and verrrry carefully slide off onto a plate. Top with the egg (if using) and garnish as desired.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Today my dad would have been 58 years old. I still feel the hole in my heart… but the Mitch Albom quote holds true: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” I feel his presence, love, and support every day. His lessons live on through the lives he touched. Happy Birthday, Old Man.

How do you like your eggs? Green with ham? 😉

Have you ever had jicama? Do you prefer it raw of cooked?

Marvelous Piña Mezcalita

June 24, 2013 By Laura

Smokey booze is fun.

Ok, all booze is fun.

My friend Karen was nice enough to invite me to a little Mexican-themed dinner party last week. I think there was a basketball game on too… but that’s of little interest to me. Is it football season yet?!

Mom taught me never to show up empty-handed, so I brought one of my favorite summer salads – Watermelon Cotija. With its salty cheese, sweet melon, and a little bite from onion and jalapeno, I think it qualifies as #strangebutgood.

BUT being creative in the kitchen doesn’t have to stop with food. You need libations to go with it! Margaritas are the natural pairing with Mexican… that’s a little too normal for me.

What I came up with is a sort of pineapple margarita, but rather than tequila, I used its smokier cousin Mezcal. Like tequila, mezcal is made from agave. It differs in that for mezcal the agave is usually roasted in rock-lined pits, which give it a fantastic smokiness. I like to say that it’s Mexico’s version of scotch.

In this mezcalita, the flavor is balanced with sweet grilled pineapple and a lightly sweetened limeade. I like a boozier drink, but if you like yours on the sweeter side you can add agave or even some orange juice. You can also just use tequila if you don’t like smoke. 🙂

We did eat something other than the salad and the drink! Karen grilled chicken, peppers, and onions in a fantastic homemade cilantro sauce. It was delicious with her sides of Mexican rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, corn tortillas, and cheese.

You never leave Karen’s house hungry. And that, my friends, is marvelous.

Check out Katie’s link up to see what else is marvelous on this Monday!

Piña Mezcalita

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1″ slices
1 jalapeño, sliced
¼ cup cilantro leaves
2 C mezcal
15 oz limeade (I used Odwalla)
1/2 C lime juice
Optional: agave syrup or other sweetener

First, grill the pineapple. Heat a nonstick grill pan over high heat, or heat an outdoor charcoal or gas grill to high. Place the pineapple slices flat on the grill, and cook, flipping once, until charred on both sides (~4 mins). Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Place the grilled pineapple, jalapeño, and cilantro in a pitcher. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, crush fruit and herbs until broken down.

Fill with ice, and then add mezcal, lime juices, and syrup (if using). Stir well and pour into glasses filled with ice, to serve.

***

I know that’ first shot isn’t the ~~breast~~ best pic… did you catch the one I posted on Facebook this weekend?

Did your parents teach you to never show up as a guest empty-handed?

Have you ever had mezcal? What is your favorite Mexican food or drink?

Strange But Good: Strawberry-Tomato Salsa

June 14, 2013 By Laura

I will never refer to this surgery as #strangebutgood.

The results, yes. Surgery, no.

I am very grateful to Amalia for picking up the strange torch this week while I eat food that is strange to me – plain (“normal”) foods. Thanks to Momma for keeping me fed!

This wasn’t planned, but Amalia even jumped on my strawberry obsession with this creation! I can’t wait to try her Strawberry Salsa out when I’m back in the kitchen. Maybe over a salad? With bacon… 😉

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi everyone! My name is Amalia and I blog over at Live, Travel, Eat, and Run.

Today I’m excited to be contributing to Laura’s Strange But Good series. This idea came to me on my run this morning. I had strawberries, tomatoes, an onion, and an avocado left in the house and needed to do something with them for lunch!

I love all of those foods; I just would never think to put them all together. As soon as I did, my salsa creation was born.

I am not a cook, and usually can’t pull dinner together in time. However, this was an exception to the rule and I’m proud of how it turned out!

Strawberry-Tomato Salsa with Avocado & Mint

1 container baby or grape tomatoes
1 pint strawberries
1/2 C red onion
1/4 C fresh mint leaves
1 lime
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 avocado

Chop up the tomatoes and strawberries as fine as you want for your salsa (I like ‘em chunky) and toss them in a big bowl. Then, dice the red onion and add it to the pile.

Gracefully (or not so gracefully on my part) rip or tear or cut your mint leaves until they’re tiny and throw them in as well.

Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over your mix and add the 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Stir and you have your salsa! It keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

When you’re ready to eat it, chop up an avocado and place on top or stir in. I don’t mix in the avocado right away since it doesn’t keep as well in the fridge and gets all mushy.

I just love the sweetness of the strawberries mixed with the tang of the mint and the acidity of the tomatoes and onion! Enjoy with tortilla chips or on a salad.

Modify: Like it spicy? Add a jalapeno (I hate spicy).

Modify: Like cilantro? Throw it in! I’m sure it would be a great addition. I just dislike the taste of cilantro so furiously.

Modify: Not a vegan? Melt some cheese on top. Strawberries and cheese are just another strange but good combination you can try!

Enjoy! And feel free to come visit me on my website , Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest!

__________________________________________________________________________________

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!

Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Thanks to everyone again for all the support (get it? bra… support… 😉 ). Come back for a marvelous ball-related post on Monday!

Do you like a fruity salsa?

What is your favorite plain food when you’re not feeling well?

Tempeh Mole Muffins

May 20, 2013 By Laura

Deciding on food is hard.

There are so many tasty options!

I saw 2 recipes I wanted to try (well, 3 really)… so I just made them all into 1 for an over-achieving Meatless Monday recipe!

This week we are supposed to choose a recipe someone else linked up using last week’s secret ingredient, dark chocolate. Hopefully Heather will forgive me for bending the rules a little. Especially since the first recipe I was inspired by was her own Tempeh Protein Muffins!

My version of the Tempeh Muffins

Inspiration recipe #2 was from the link up – Sarah’s Cinnamon Cocoa Mole with TVP Chorizo. She used her mole as a sauce for her chorizo… but I decided to mix it all in one, and use tempeh. And make muffins. Don’t you love the creative process?!

I’d made Seiten Chorizo in the past, so here I used that recipe and Sarah’s to inform my mix of spices. If you try this recipe, feel free to play around and change it up to suit your palate. My combo was a smokey, savory mole with a fun swirl of sweetness throughout thanks to the sweet potato.

I ate my mole muffins with a Mexican-inspired salad. Local arugula with red bell pepper, raw zucchini, and a drizzle of lime juice.

Lastly, I chopped up a few plantain slices I broiled with coconut oil, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Don’t forget to check out Heather’s link up to see what everyone else made this week. I wonder if anyone braved my Chocolate Avocado Cookies???

I think this ia all pretty marvelous… and I know my Diva girl, Katie would agree, so I’m joining her link up again this week! Check out all the Monday marvelousness:

Katie… we missed you this weekend at Blend!!!

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Tempeh Mole Muffins

8 ounces tempeh
1/4 C egg whites (or 1 flax egg)
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 T nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 C mashed sweet potato

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray & set aside.

place tempeh, egg, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse (I used my Vitamix). Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until mixed. Manually stir in sweet potato, leaving chunks throughout mixture.

Divide batter evenly between 6 muffin containers. Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned and set. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Using a knife, loosen the muffin edges from the pan and transfer to wire rack or plate.

Approximate nutritionals (per muffin): 108 calories, 3.4g fat, 29.7g sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1g sugar, 8.7g protein

***

I’m still smiling from the marvelous Blend Retreat this weekend! I can’t wait to recap it all for you!!! 🙂

Have you ever made your own mole? Chorizo?

Do you make an effort to go meatless on Mondays?

Mex-Fast Tortilla Stack + WIAW

March 27, 2013 By Laura

Everyone is a critic.

I have had to be talked off a ledge over bad service and/or food at a restaurant.

The Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan “came out” as a recently converted vegetarian. This has sparked reactions from ‘we love you no matter what” statements of acceptance (Yonan compares it to when he came out as gay), to the expected accusations of not being a serious critic.

Yonan admits to taking the occasional taste of meat out of curiosity or for his line of work, but in his daily life he’s keeping it meat-free.

I’ve said it over and over again, but diet is personal. To be honest, I’d probably still eat more of a vegetarian diet if I wasn’t competing (I went vegan once too… but that wasn’t for me). I think it’s great that Yonan is opening up about his choice. Hopefully it will help more people realize that vegetables can be prepared just as decadently and be just as pleasing to eat as a piece of meat.

That food critic would certainly give 5 stars to this month’s green WIAW theme! While I did eat bacon (among other meat), I do have a fruit or veggie with every meal. No matter your dietary practice, eating your greens is always important.

Check out my 7 veggie-laced, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is green-ing up their food this month!

Meal 1:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Aminos) brought a smile to may face today. I bought a new brand of glutamine (they were out of my usual), and it came with the cutest mini scooper!

Like last week’s Mexican Spaghetti Pie, I was once again craving a savory Mexican breakfast. Apparently I was also craving some healthy fats, because this Mex-Fast Tortilla Stack included avocado, a runny egg, and bacon.

It may look fancy, but if you approach it from a semi-homemade angle (see recipe at the bottom of this post), this breakfast can come together in 10 mins or less. Mex-FAST. Get it? 😉

This would make even the most anti-morning person smile. And I did.

Does life get any better than a runny egg in the morning?

Meal 2:

The salmon and fruit obsession is back with a #strangebutgood combo: salmon, beets, cilantro, walnuts and… watermelon. It’s really good. I promise.

Meal 3:

Lunch was a post-workout meal. I braved the cold jog there (in snow flurries!) and back, so despite a good burn I was freezing again and wanted a hot treat.

I used my french vanilla Designer Whey to make a new microwave bake! I’ve tried this combo once before and it needed work. I think I have it down now, but want to try it one more time before sharing to be sure.

Meal 4:

I got the most perfect rotisserie chicken ever from Whole Foods this week. It was fresh out of the oven and perfectly cooked. Their Naked chicken is my favorite because they don’t add all the salt the others have. I shredded it on Sunday for a quick meal during the week.

Today I mixed it with red pepper, celery, hummus dressing (hummus + apple cider vinegar), and freshly ground pepper.

Meal 5:

This was one of the most successful days for kitchen experiments ever. For dinner I decided to try my hand at lamb meatballs and a cucumber yogurt dip.

Big. Win. I’ll share it when it’s ~~warm~~ light enough to take pics.

Served atop a spinach salad with red pepper and cauliflower.

There were also eggplant chips (I forgot them in the oven) and half a Carb Master cookie dough bar (dessert – it had to happen).

Meal 6:

I really wanted dessert, but instead I was good and had mahi mahi. I baked it during my Sunday food prep with a Greek yogurt, rosemary, and lemon sauce.

For my veggies I had a side of carrot and celery sticks. I love both veggies with peanut butter, so I made a quick sauce from peanut flour, sriracha, and unsweetened almond milk.

Meal 7:

Finally, time for dessert. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I ate the same thing last night. It was sooooo good though!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bowl

1/2 C Greek yogurt
1/4 C pumpkin puree
2 T peanut flour
1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
Stevia, to taste
Optional topping: whole wheat rice crispies, blueberries, and cacao nibs

Mex-Fast Tortilla Stack

3 T tomato sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic
Shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie from Whole Foods)
1 egg
1/2 C spinach
1 corn tortilla
Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, freshly ground pepper and bacon sprinkles.

Mix together tomato sauce and spices (you could also just use salsa here). Add chicken, stirring to combine. Microwave ~12 seconds, until warmed. Set aside.

Cook egg in lightly greased pan, until cooked to desired level.

Add spinach to pan to lightly saute.

Place tortilla on plate between 2 moist paper towels. Microwave ~10 seconds to soften.

Top tortilla with spinach, chicken, and egg. Add any additional toppings. Devour.

***

The protein count for the day: 169.3

Do you think an “official” food critic can be vegetarian?

What’s for breakfast? Do you shake things up at breakfast or have the same things?

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie + WIAW

March 20, 2013 By Laura

People will eat anything.

I know I’m all #strangebutgood, but some take it way to far. To the point of #strangebutnasty.

Pizza seems to be the most common canvas for strangeness. Sometimes it works – I love a runny egg on my socca (it’s also delish on my cauliflower pizza crust).

However, some things just shouldn’t happen. Like insane stuffed crusts. I ran across this article listing the “12 Craziest Things Mankind Has Stuffed Into Pizza Crusts.”

That is a cheese burger crust. A.K.A. Heart attack waiting to happen.

This next one I must admit is creative. But come on. Do you reallllly need buffalo wings in your crust?

Moving on to something less nauseating… it’s another green WIAW! Eating a high protein diet doesn’t mean sacrificing veggies! I have a fruit or veggie with every meal, so I’m especially glad Jenn decided to rock out with her green out this month.

Check out my 7 veggie-laced, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is green-ing up their food this month!