Curried Zucchini and Couscous

Do you ever read a recipe and say to yourself "no, this isn't good enough, I can make it better!".  I do. Although maybe my "better" is different from other people's "better".  I typically don't add more cheese, salt, or fat in order to make something taste "better", instead I try to add something healthy and tasty, such as in the case of today's recipe.  The original recipe called for slivered almonds, toasted, and only 1/4th cup.  I love almonds in salad, so I used sliced almonds (I prefer the taste) and doubled the amount. Simple.  In my opinion more sliced almonds made this dish better (I also added a couple more twists from my fresh ground pepper mill).

Ok, now I really think I'm telling the truth when I say this is the last zucchini recipe of the season (well, the last zucchini-focused recipe. I do still use zucchini in the fall and winter because I love it so! In fact, it may just show up again as a "side-note" in a recipe next week) We're moving on to bigger and better things soon; butternut squash and pumpkin.  Be prepared, I do have a slight addiction to both (and of course we have a million butternut, so as you will soon find out they have been put to good and tasty use).  But until then, it's still summer.

Curried Zucchini and Carrots

Source: EatingWell.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion **

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous **

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted **

** NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the onion and replace the flavor by using a Tuscan extra virgin olive oil.  Also be aware that almonds contain FODMAPs, but the amount in this recipe shouldn't cause problems.  If you are really sensitive to the FODMAPs in wheat (or if you follow a gluten-free diet), use quinoa instead.  However, most people should be able to handle the small amount of actual wheat you get in one serving of this recipe.

Directions

1.  Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add zucchini and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

2.  Add water, lime juice, curry, cumin, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.  Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

3.  Add the couscous and carrot to the bowl with the zucchini; stir to combine.  Serve topped with almonds.

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This salad was the perfect ending to an amazing summer.  Nick and I enjoyed it with some chicken from the grill, then had leftovers in our lunches for a couple days (the recipe made four servings, but these servings were large, so keep that in mind when you see the calorie number listed below!). 

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of dish

Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.  Good source of protein.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for fall now, seriously, bring it on (it's still really on and off hot and cold here in Ohio, but I'm already starting to live and think like it's fall....squash, pumpkins, hot soups, if I wish it, it will come).  The mornings are already reminding me of cold days at the bus stop when I was a kid.  And of course since football season is three weeks in (GO BUCKS!) it's already fall in my opinion.  Thanks for reading, and enjoy your Monday!

The Candid Rd

Peanut Butter Green Monster Smoothie

I know what you're thinking; "Peanut butter in my green monster smoothie? Gross". Right? That's what you're thinking, I know it, I can read your mind.  Or perhaps you've already discovered that this combination is actually quite delicious.  I mean really, peanut butter tastes good with everything, don't you think?  Let's face it, while the Paleo diet ("lifestyle") might be popular, I just don't understand how anyone could live without peanuts/peanut butter (that is, unless you're allergic).  Mixing peanut butter and spinach is actually quite nice when it comes to smoothies because, while the spinach definitely makes this smoothie green, you really can't taste it at all.  In fact, if the smoothie wasn't green I bet you would never even know there was spinach in this delicious concoction.  But the peanut butter? That you can taste.

Peanut Butter Green Monster Smoothie

Source

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 medium banana

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 Tbsp. powdered peanut butter (such as PB2)

1 scoop vanilla Whey protein powder

1 cup fresh spinach (loosely packed)

1-cup crushed ice

** NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, this recipe is free of FODMAPs (just be sure to use a protein powder that does not contain inulin/chicory root).

Directions

1.  Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

I promise, this combination is a winner.  And while summer may be quickly fading away, I think smoothies can definitely be a fall and winter treat too (just like soup can be a summer treat, even though it's hot).

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 serving (entire recipe)

Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron

I think this is the perfect smoothie for a) breakfast or b) post workout.  All that protein is great for your first meal before starting a busy day, and/or for repairing muscles after a tough workout.

INSTAGRAM!

QUESTION:  Have you ever used spinach in a smoothie? What about kale? You could certainly use kale in this recipe instead of spinach, but first read my tip for using kale in smoothies.

Any fun plans for this Labor Day? I'm heading over to our local Labor Day Arts Festival.  I typically bring $50 and buy something for the house, if I find anything neat (fifty dollars barely gets me anything, but if I bring more I might spend it because there are always so many wonderful pieces of art at this event.)  It's so fun!  I'm no artist, but for one day a year I really get into art.  It's amazing.  Have a great day everyone.

Thanks for reading!  

The Candid Rd

Buckeye Protein Pancakes (Go Bucks!)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I have an obsession with wedding cake.  Seriously, I know a good cake when I taste it.  In fact, I didn't even care what my wedding cake looked like, I just cared that it tasted amazing (which is why I almost took a risk and drove down to North Carolina, where we got married, with a cake from Market District, a supermarket near our house in Ohio, who's cake I know I love more than anything in this world).  I'm very glad I didn't take that risk because it probably would have melted, sort of like our top layer melted on the way home (and so we ate it, and will not be eating it on September 29th of this year, our one year anniversary).  Anyway, I digress....

My first true dessert love is wedding cake. My second? Buckeyes.  They are definitely a close second, because with buckeyes I can't do this....




But no one makes a buckeye like my aunt JoAnn. No one. Not even these "healthier" buckeyes taste as good as hers (not that they should,why would they? They are lighter, and not even close to as rich as hers. Not even close).  In case you don't know where I am going with this, The Ohio State Buckeye football team has their first game tomorrow.  We were planning on going, but we've decided to go to next week's game instead (it should be a better game anyway).  But of course we'll still be watching the game on TV, and we're starting our pre-gaming right now, with these Buckeye Protein Pancakes (and in case you still aren't aware of exactly what a Buckeye candy is, it's rich creamy peanut butter and sugar dipped in chocolate).

Buckeye Protein Pancakes

Makes: 2 servings (2 pancakes per serving)

Gluten Free

Ingredients

6 egg whites

1/2 cup oats

3 Tbsp. plain yogurt

1/2 scoop (~2 Tbsp) chocolate protein powder of your choice

2 Tbsp. powdered peanut butter

1/2 tsp. baking powder

6 drops liquid Stevia

2 Tbsp. peanut butter, divided

Unsweetened cocoa and powdered sugar for topping (to taste)

Optional: Giant glass of vanilla unsweetened Almond Milk to chase down the yumminess.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet this recipe is safe and free of FODMAPs.  Just be sure you choose a protein powder without inulin or other fiber additives.

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, making sure to break-up any large clumps.  

2.  Allow to sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature.

3.  Heat a medium skillet on the stovetop and spray with cooking spray.  Pour 4 pancakes on the skillet (or do two batches of two) and allow to cook about 1 minute on each side (or until cooked all the way through).  

4.  Top with peanut butter and cocoa and powdered sugar to taste.

What's better than a protein-packed breakfast, filled with the goodness of chocolate and peanut butter, to start off a great fall Football season?!  Nothing!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 serving (2 cakes)

Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Good source of calcium and fiber, excellent source of protein and iron.

Chasing these pancakes down with a big ol' glass of milk was the icing on the cake (but of course, not buttercream. hahahaha).  I just know this is going to be a great football season.  I can smell it in the air (or, maybe that's just chocolate and peanut butter I smell....).  GO BUCKS!

QUESTION:  What's your favorite dessert? Did you have cake at your wedding (or do you plan on it?).  Have you ever tasted a buckeye???

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Local Produce-Inspired Recipes, And a Salad With the Lower-Gluten Grain

When I say "local" I'm talking about our garden.  Did you know we have a farm in our backyard? Yeah, didn't you know that all Ohioans live on farms?  haha, jk.  In all reality we live in the suburbs, but lately I've felt like we live on a farm because our garden is growing out of control! Maybe it's because of all the rain we've had this month....

Our roses are pretty, no?  Too bad a couple days after this photo was taken, they died.  Oh well, at least the basil and mint are still thriving.  I find myself walking outside to pick them each day for salads, grilled veggies, and pasta dishes.  It's like living in the Mediterranean.

And then there are the peppers......

The peppers aren't thriving so much. This is the second year we've tried to grow peppers and it's just not working out in our favor.  Is there a pepper secret?!


The tomatoes are out of control.  This photo was taken a few weeks ago and since then they have grown another foot.  Nick was concerned at one point that they may all die, but he's wrong (he's such a garden worrier.  And, warrior).  We've already had about five ripe tomatoes fall to the ground.

This broccoli should have been picked a couple days after this photo, but instead it grew too big, too fast, and sprouted yellow flowers.  Oops.  We've learned for next year.

And then there are the zucchini and squash plants.  Our pride and joy.  The zucchini are growing so fast, we can't keep up with them!  The spaghetti squash still have a few more weeks.

We now have weapons to use in case anyone breaks into our home.  No joke.  These things could kill.

Hopefully you love zucchini as much as we do, because there will be a few zucchini recipes coming up on this blog soon. Be warned.

Here are some of my favorite summer recipes from past blog posts (all of which contain some-type of local Ohio ingredient, or herb that can be grown in the summer months); 

FODMAPs-Friendly Salsa

Baked Zucchini Roll-ups

Gluten Free Zucchini Cakes with Greek Yogurt and Chives

Grilled Zucchini with Mint and Feta

Cranberry and Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Zucchini and Summer Corn Soup

Bulgur-Blueberry Salad

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini and Tomatoes

And then there is the farro and wild rice salad that I made on the Fourth of July.  It was such a huge hit, my mom told me I just had to put it on my blog (which of course, I was planning on anyway).  I made up the recipe using this fun image from the New York Times.

Source

And the grain choices are; wild rice, rice, bulgur, farro, quinoa, pearled barley, steel cut oats, or couscous.  The idea is to mix 2 cups cooked grain, 1 cup fruit, vegetable, or both, and some flavorful accents. Next, toss with a nice vinaigrette.

I wanted to use farro because, as you know, I'm experimenting with new whole grains this summer, but I also thought wild rice sounded lovely.  Here is what I came up with;

Farro and Wild Rice Summer Salad

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 cup cooked wild rice (how to cook wild rice)

1 cup cooked farro (how to cook farro) **

1/4th cup cucumber, chopped

1/4th cup cherry tomato, halved

1/4th cup red grapes, halved

1/4th cup dried apricots, quartered **

1/4th cup walnuts, chopped

1/4th cup reduced fat feta

2 Tbsp. capers

2 Tbsp. chopped mint, fresh

Vinaigrette:  2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, then toss with vinaigrette.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet reduce the farro to 1/2 cup, and increase the wild rice to 1.5 cups.  Or, if you are really sensitive to wheat-like-grains (which contain oligosaccharides), use quinoa instead of farro.  Also keep in mind that apricots contain FODMAPs.  You may want to omit these, or use something else such as 1/4th cup dried shredded coconut (this small amount of coconut should be tolerated by most).

Estimated nutrition facts for 1/6th of salad
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Excellent source of protein, fiber, and vitamin A, good source of iron and vitamin C.

Here is a little insight on farro;

Farro is a a plant and grain all its own. A grain of farro looks and tastes somewhat like a lighter brown rice. It has a complex, nutty taste with undertones of oats and barley. But lacking the heaviness of many whole-wheat grains, farro tastes more elegant than earnest.

Farro is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E. It grows best in barren, high-altitude terrain and is almost always grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Because it is so easily digested and so low in gluten, farro can often be eaten by people who are normally gluten-intolerant.

Source

Raw Farro

Note:  While this grain might be "low in gluten" that doesn't mean it's gluten free. It's NOT safe for those with Celiac disease.

Something else worth noting about farro? It contains 7 grams of protein per serving (1/4th cup dry). That's more than quinoa, my friends.  And even though the calories are a bit higher in farro (compared to quinoa) the fiber is also about 2 grams greater.  I think farro might be my new best friend (because you can only eat so much quinoa, right?!  Not to say I'm done with quinoa, I still love it).



QUESTION:  Have you tried farro?  What combination of ingredients would you use from the salad diagram above??

Great a great Tuesday everyone, and thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Sweet and Crunchy Millet and Oat Granola (low FODMAPs Friday!)

Looking for a new favorite whole grain?  I've found one for you; millet.  Not only is it a whole grain, but it's gluten free (you know, in case that's important for you).  Although millet may not have all the amazing qualities of a few of the other whole grains with which I've experimented (amaranth, teff, and quinoa as of lately), it's still worthy of the World's Healthiest Foods website. Check out all the benefits millet has to offer!  And if you don't want to read, let me tell you briefly; 1-cup cooked millet contains a good source or thiamin and niacin, as well as zinc, manganese and copper (all essential minerals) and lignans (which may be protective against hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancer).  And while I still haven't tried it in any way other than baked in granola, you can find some other great millet recipes on Pinterest (it's quite versatile, like so many other whole grains).


So, this is what it looks like in its raw state.....

And this is what it looks like right before it gets baked, along with some old fashioned oats (you have those in your pantry, right!?).

And this is what it looks like in the final product that I'll be sharing with you today.  This granola is crunchy, sweet (but not too sweet) and filling.  What more could you ask for?!  The only issue that I've found with all these tiny grains and seeds (amaranth, millet, chia to name a few) is that you really need to make sure to look at your teeth in the mirror before you leave for work.  I was once at work for a full two hours before I realized I had a millet grain stuck in my teeth (along with a chia seed). Thanks for telling me everyone, I really appreciate it ;)

Sweet and Crunchy Millet and Oat Granola

Modified from a recipe found on www.GoldenPraireInc.com
Gluten Free and Low FODMAPs

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups rolled oats (use a gluten free variety if needed)

1/2 cup uncooked millet

1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)**

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. water

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Place rolled oats and millet on baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour.  In a small pan, melt syrup, peanut butter, and water together over low heat (or use a microwave-safe bowl).  In a large bowl toss the roasted oats and millet with the seeds and add the melted peanut butter mixture until completely coated.  Spread on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  Stir once or twice during baking. Cool completely and store in an airtight container

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet use maple syrup instead of honey.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/8th of recipe
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Good source of fiber, iron, an protein. Loaded with healthy promoting unsaturated fatty acids, as well as (not seen on the label) magnesium and vitamin E.

I actually made this with a version of maple syrup that used half stevia, therefore it was less calories.  You could find this and other similar products online, if you're interested (the nutrition reflect regular maple syrup). This granola was in a word "Delicious".  You could also add dried fruit at the end (after baking) if you'd like.  I don't really dig dried fruit though, so of course I didn't choose to do this.

  

Perfect little mid-afternoon snack.

Perfect topping for my Greek yogurt and frozen blueberry breakfast.

Question:  Have you ever cooked with millet?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd