Comunidad Health Foods

Comfort food. You think of lots of butter and heavy cream, right? Biscuits and gravy, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese – meals you guilt yourself about eating but that make you feel warm and safe when you do. I’m convinced that it doesn’t have to be that way. I love comfort food, yet I really hate heavy foods that feel like a ton of bricks settled in the pit of your stomach by the time you reach the bottom of the bowl. Lighter foods can still be comforting, can still evoke that warm and safe feeling so traditionally associated with those heavier meals. No guilt required (not that I think you should guilt yourself about anyfood decision – make your food choice mindfully, and enjoy whatever that choice may be; if you can’t eat it shamelessly, it isn’t worth it, if you ask me).

This dish – baked spinach with eggs – was loosely adapted from the Smitten Kitchen, and by loosely, I mean I changed very little about it aside from cracking an egg into the dish during the last few minutes of cooking. I also swapped all of the butter for olive oil and used whole wheat, homemade bread crumbs, not that there’s really anything wrong with a little bit of butter here or there; I just didn’t have any on hand, and was curious to see if the olive oil would be successful. I do, however, have serious issues with store-bought bread crumbs, when homemade are so much healthier and ridiculously easy to make. But I’m no doppelganger hanging out on your shoulder while you cook, so don’t let that guilt settle in if you like and happen o keep store bought crumbs in stock – remember what I just said about guilt? Yeah, it’s lame. If you like shake-n-bake, use it as proudly as I use my food-processed whole grain bread butts. (But if you haven’t tried making your own, I highly recommend it.)

 

But alas, I digress. This dish is so much more than olive oil and bread crumbs. The spinach is light and not soggy or greasy or slimy the way that some cooked spinach dishes can become – it tastes about as fresh as cooked spinach can possibly taste. The smoked cheddar cheese gives off this poser-bacon flavor and the eggs really come in with a protein/nutrition 1-2 punch. And did I mention it’s low-carb? Well, low-carb unless you choose to pair it with a warm, fresh loaf of bread – which is absolutely a fantastic decision, though I didn’t do that. Even without any herbs and spices, this is seriously one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time, and I’ll be the first to admit that I use my seasonings (except salt) with a heavy hand. And comfort food? Folks, you have not tasted comfort food until you’ve tasted this baked spinach and egg dish. Forget your Aunt’s famous pot pie or your husband’s great-grandma’s secret recipe for biscuits. This is the new face of comfort food: healthy instead of heavy, without sacrificing any of the warmth and happiness that comes with taking that first bite. And then the second. And then the third. And then…

By the way, do not be intimidated by this recipe. It looks long, but it goes very smoothly and is very intuitive. If you need to, take a deep breath (I know I did!), and give it a shot, because it’s not a difficult recipe and the pay-off is absolutely incredible in the end.

One Year Ago: Savory Baked Eggs with Veggies, Sophisticated Stuffed Mushroom Caps

At the risk of completely contradicting all that I wrote yesterday, I’d like to introduce a new feature here at Floptimism: Thirty Minute Thursdays, the day of the week where I will feature one (or several) dishes that I’ve made recently from my Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals cookbook.

Most of the recipes I post here are either my own creations or pulled from internet sites, and as I collect more and more bookmarked recipes to try, my rather large collection of real, tangible cookbooks has been tragically neglected. I decided that starting this summer, I would choose a cookbook and cook my way through it, perhaps in a vaguely Julie & Julia manner, but a little more relaxed. I won’t cook absolutely everything and I don’t have a deadline for when I want to “finish” – I just want to start clearing out my cookbooks, testing the waters, finding gems, and donating ones that don’t really live up to expectations.

 There’s only one dilemma: do I post the recipes? I have posted recipes from cookbooks – in fact, from this Rachael Ray cookbook specifically – and in general don’t find it to be ethically troublesome, especially when I alter the recipe here or there. However, if I’m turning this into a blog feature and planning to post a vast majority of a single cookbook’s recipes, is that copyright infringement? Is it threatening Rachael Ray’s profit margins if I just hand you the book, each week a different page, free of charge? How thin is the ice on which I’m skating? I’d love to know your opinions, because I’m really not sure where the line is drawn.

For now, I’ll share with you 2 photos and post one of the recipes. I made a vinegar cole slaw and a three-bean salad as side dishes for 4^th of July, and paired them with delicious grass-fed burgers, spiced according to what Annie at Annie’s Eats calls The Perfect Hamburger Recipe. I have to say, the burgers were pretty tasty, though not intensely flavored enough for me to deem them quite perfect. Delicious? Absolutely! Easy? Sure thing! Next time I might add a few more onions and a dash more spice, personally, but definitely check out her post for that recipe.

 Now back to these salads. The cole slaw recipe was good, enjoyable, but nothing memorable. In fact, at its worst it could be described as bland, though I think that’s being a little too harsh. At its best, it is a simple, very subtle slaw that improves after a little time out in the fridge – I’m talking overnight, not the 20 minutes Rachael calls for. I enjoyed it more when I added some paprika, and even more when I mixed some leftovers with roasted veggies and grilled chicken pieces. My mom said it reminded her a little bit of a vinegar cole slaw she makes sometimes, though she insinuated that hers was better and, well, mighty flavorful. If I make that any time soon (or just taste it!) I’ll have to let you know.

The three-bean salad was much, much better. If you don’t like beans, you can sit this one out (my dad’s not a big bean guy – can’t get him past it), but if you do…please try this salad. It’s extremely flavorful, tangy with a bite from a wasabi-infused mustard I used, and the texture of the cool beans is very pleasant. L said he doesn’t really like cool, non-traditional salads so he warmed his up and gave me a thumbs up for it, so I can now tell you with confidence that it’s delicious at any temperature. I also ate the last of it over fresh spinach this afternoon, and it was wonderful. My only complaint with the recipe is that it makes an obscene amount of dressing – you could easily quarter the dressing and still have enough to generously coat the salad. I served it with a slotted spoon and it was still a little drenched, so I’ve indicated that change below.

 One Year Ago: Indian-Spiced Lentil Pasta

 The original recipe for this Avocado, Tomato & Feta Quinoa Salad is actually a salsa, and is described as “addicting” and “gone within 20 minutes” of being set out at a party. Although I tweaked it (barely), I have to say that I agree. The ingredient list is modest and the recipe is simple, but the combination is out of this world. The creamy, savory with-a-hint-of-sweet flavors work in such harmony with the freshness of the tomatoes and avocado and the salty edge of the feta. I can picture this being irresistible with chips, vegetable dippers, as a topping for an omelet or chicken, mixed into pasta…I mean, keep on listing possible mix-ins or bases, and I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t work. It’s just a solid, tasty recipe – and I think you’d find it to be a refreshing addition to your July 4^th menu, if you’re searching for that extra je ne sais quoi of the culinary variety.

 Although I don’t have any specific July 4^th recipes planned for you, I would like to devote the next several entries to dishes that could easily be enjoyed over the holiday weekend. This salsa/quinoa salad is a great start. I also have an enticing container of homemade frozen yogurt firming up in my freezer this very minute (did you know July is National Ice Cream Month? Like I needed an excuse!), some sugar cookies in my archived recipes and my weekend baking plan, and maybe even an indulgent chocolate cake to really top it all off. And, just to redeem all of those desserts, I also have recipes for egg salad (lightened up), bruschetta…there’s no way I’ll be ambitious enough to post all of these by Monday, so maybe I’m just teasing you now, but be sure to check back here for some decidedly delicious, crowd-pleasing fare!


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 You’re not currently sitting in front of your computer, inside while the sun shines outside your window. You’re not paying bills, doing laundry, or trying to figure out what’s for dinner. No, right now, you’re sitting on a beachfront patio on a tropical island, sunglasses tinting your beautiful, breezy ocean world a less blinding shade of bright. You have your favorite book on your lap, and just as you start to feel that guttural uneasiness that goes along with the inkling of hunger, you realize that a plate of delicious grilled coconut-marinated chicken is sitting in front of you, with a creamy, indulgent bowl of pineapple-flavored rice pudding on the side. The chicken is perfectly cooked, not at all dry, and topped with lightly grilled bell and jalapeno peppers to add color and kick to the clean chicken palate; the rice pudding is like a dream come true, sweet and satisfying down to the last bite.

Or, you could be attempting to make this magical, tropical, fantasy-inducing meal the way I did, in a tiny kitchen, half-distracted by dirty dishes. You could be struggling to get the chicken to brown, while the milk in the pudding boils up and over the pan, spilling all over your cook top. And you could be looking down at a fairly liquidy, not very thick at all rice pudding and wondering what could have possibly gone wrong. You could be fairly disheartened that your luscious tropical dream dish didn’t turn out the way it existed in your head – that is, until you take the first bite. Upon this first taste, the stain on the stove will melt away, and your slotted spoon and taste buds will filter out the extra liquid in the rice pudding, leaving sweet perfection in its wake. You will forget all about the harried cooking process, and you’ll be back up in that first paragraph once again, convinced you’re dining on the patio of your beach front bungalo.

 The coconut marinade, which was made with a coconut-flavored rum, was not robust – if you want a very strong taste of coconut, I would use a coconut oil or milk in addition to the rum, though I’ve personally been wary of those two ingredients and the dubious health claims they have adopted. Still, the meal is perfect for summer, even if you don’t detect the coconut – and the pudding, if you’re worried about it being heavy, is absolutely irresistible room temperature or even chilled, making it a very welcome side dish, even in the heat. I did adjust the liquid measurements below to take care of some of the excess liquid I had in my dish. The chicken would be delicious with many other sides, sliced over a salad, made into a sandwich, you name it, and I enjoyed the leftover rice for breakfast with some fresh blueberries added. So, if tropical islands aren’t really your thing, you can still enjoy these two recipes – together or on their own – in any number of ways.

This crustless spinach-tomato quiche is possibly one of the best egg dishes I have ever had, and if you follow my blog at all, you’ll know that I’m no stranger to delicious egg-based meals. I used to think that quiches and frittatas were out of the question in the Floptimism kitchen, because when you’re cooking for one, you either need to make freezable meals or, well, simply cook for one. Because quiches are always presented in these full-sized pie plates, I never really considered the idea of scaling down the recipe to be a single portion. As soon as I did, though, I knew I was in for a real treat!

So, calculator in hand, I decided to modify this recipe to serve 1 person, and gathered my ingredients. Everything was going smoothly until I opened up my can of evaporated milk only to be met with a yellow, chunky, smelly concoction. I still cringe at the thought of that well-past-its-prime can of milk, slopping down my kitchen drain. In a pinch, I used regular milk to replace it, and really didn’t notice any ill effects from it. If you have a can of evaporated milk on hand – one that, unlike mine, has not surpassed its use-by date – I would recommend using it, but otherwise, stick with what you’ve got. It’ll turn out fine either way.

This quiche is slightly sweet, but just enough so as not to overpower the larger savory components at hand. In the end, I really only had two complaints – the slices of tomato looked pretty, but meant that you either had to take a full slice in one bite, or you had to eat this with a knife in hand (boy does that make me sound lazy). Secondly, the instructions to put the cheese on the bottom have me befuddled, for lack of a better word. It really just got melty and soggy, and while it still tasted as delicious as melty cheese is expected to taste, I might prefer it in the middle or on the top (or all three!) to get it a little bit crisper. Granted, I also used feta cheese which is not known for its crispness, but I hope you know what I mean. If you make those two small changes (or if whole tomato slices & soggy cheese is your thing), this dish is a home run.

In the winter, I’m all about one-pot meals: soups, casseroles, stir-fries – I want it comforting, piping hot, and all mixed into one killer dish. As the sunshine returns, however, there’s something about smaller almost tapas-like meals that draw me in and captivate me. I love taking an appetizer and making it a meal, or collecting several “snacky” items into one, calorie-appropriate sitting. I feel lighter, less tied down. Maybe it’s my indecisiveness shining through, the fact that I’m antsy after a winter of hibernation. Whatever the reason, I find so much satisfaction in a dish that at first seems to be accusingly small, but winds up being just right.

This asparagus salad is like that. Sure, it would be wonderful beside chicken, tofu, a poached egg – but serve this on its own, and it’s just as magical. I couldn’t leave things well alone and added some leftover cucumber and green pepper, and it isn’t that these tasted bad, but ultimately I think what makes this dish so spectacular is its simplicity. Next time, I will definitely be leaving it as a purely asparagus salad. My lemon:pesto ratio was a little heavy on the lemon, so I would advise you to be cautious with your lemon and add more to taste in the end if necessary. Overall, though, this is light, citrusy, and absolutely perfect for the breezy, sunny day ahead of us. I don’t know what the weather is like around you, but last night was a thunderstorm here to end all thunderstorms - but sit down with a bowl of this asparagus salad and you’ll forget that rain clouds even exist. Seriously. It’s that refreshing.

Is there such a thing as a Father’s/Mother’s Day Grinch? If so, I may be it. Not that I walk around spurning my parents and stealing their presents – I just don’t get into the hype of showering parents with gifts one day a year. For Mother’s Day this year, I took my mom out to lunch and gave her a hand-made card with a sincere note written in it. Not exactly Grinch behavior, but certainly more stick-it-to-the-man than Hallmark would like. I did wind up picking up the check, but my mom said that the nice part about it was the actual lunch and time spent together. So, it really should come as little surprise that my plan for Father’s Day involves thanking my dad and grandfather with a visit home amidst my summer course studies, a fresh loaf of banana bread (which is still under top-secret-experimentation, but I think you’ll get the killer recipe for it before the year’s out!), and, of course, some sappy cards. It’s just how I roll.

I’m not really sure what I’ll be eating come Sunday evening, since aside from the banana bread and possibly a cole slaw recipe (to use up this heaping head of cabbage I can’t seem to use enough of in my fridge, despite eating some every. single. day), I’m leaving the food up to other family members. However, burgers are usually a safe bet, and I’d imagine the same goes for many readers’ celebrations. So, in honor of Father’s everywhere, I encourage you to make one of these two burgers – they’re not your average burgers, but enormously tasty, and they’re sure to say I love you better than any mass-produced card or obligatory tie could ever hope to.

First up to bat is The Best Black Bean Burger. Ever. At least, the best I’ve made yet. I ate mine drizzled with some hot sauce and stacked on top of a corn tortilla with some lettuce and zucchini and it was just out of this world. The texture was spot on – it wasn’t mushy or falling apart – and the flavor was almost perfection. Throw in a few herbs from your garden (or, if you’re like me, your spice rack) and you’ve got yourself one killer meatless burger.

The next burger recipe is a Turkey & Feta burger accompanied by a cool cucumber-yogurt dressing, reminiscent of if not more or less a dead ringer for a tzatziki. It’s fairly easy to throw together and both times I had it, I enjoyed it over a bed of salad greens rather than between the traditional burger buns. It was the perfect blend of savory and sweet, cool and hot. I added some mushrooms because, why the heck not, really? Overall, I have to say – way to go Pillsbury!