Category: Recipes

Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes5 Comments

It’s been a while since I posted a Gwyneth recipe here.  Her flawless face on the over of her cookbook (It’s All Good) has been staring at me with reproach for weeks now.  Months even.  If I were anything like Gwyneth I would have not let this much time pass and furthermore, in that amount of time, I would have also made my own line of beauty products and have experimented getting stung by bees as a beauty treatment.

So this weekend I cracked open the cookbook and picked a recipe for which I had all the ingredients already.  I love when that happens!  I needed to eat a healthy and filling lunch before playing golf so I went with the quinoa with roasted butternut squash.  It seemed like the perfect easy and healthy option.

By now you probably know how I feel about Gwyneth (we’re frenemies, FYI).  The truth is, her recipes have never steered me wrong.  I haven’t found one that wasn’t delicious yet.  The Braised Chicken With Green Olives is most definitely my favorite.  Just last night my friend  and fellow food blogger ProntoPup reminded me how good that dish is.  It’s kind of fussy to make, but you are handsomely rewarded at the end.

This quinoa recipe isn’t fussy, and I would rate it a solid 7 or 8.  It’s not fancy, it does the trick.  It makes a fabulous lunch or dinner side dish.  And it’s super healthy.  And for a Monday isn’t that enough?

QUINOA WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

img_2809

INGREDIENTS:

1 package frozen butternut squash

olive oil

sea salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups cooked quinoa (use directions on the package)

3 scallions, chopped (I like to use the whole scallion, not just the whites and light green parts)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butternut squash in a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and stir to coat.  Roast until browned (about 20 minutes).

While roasting the squash, whisk together the lemon juice with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. When the quinoa is finished, incorporate that in with the dressing, scallions and parsley.  When the squash is finished roasting, place it on top the quinoa mixture.  Add some extra scallions and parsley to the top to garnish.

 

ENJOY!  Please let me know what you think by commenting! And I wouldn’t hate it if you shared my blog with all your friends and loved ones.

 

 

Cocktails! Prickly Pear Margaritas

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, health, Health and wellness, Recipes3 Comments

We just returned from our spring break vacation in Arizona.  I grew up there and I relished the idea of showing my 11 year old all the things I loved about such a beautiful state. Like this sunset:

 


And this mountain vista: 

And this blooming cactus:


And this sunrise:


And the Grand Canyon:

Are you kidding me?  Where else do you see things like this?  We had the best time traveling from the valley to the Grand Canyon and back again.  We were there eight days and could have been there for weeks and weeks.  But we hit some of the best parts and most important of all, my daughter came back appreciating the same things I do about Arizona.  Like the food (oh my gosh the Mexican food).  And the stunning desert landscapes.  And the way the pine trees up north smell like vanilla.

One thing I brought back from Arizona that my daughter didn’t was a love for Prickly Pear Margaritas (yes it’s in caps. They are that good).  I mean, she’s 11.  Funny story: our first night in Arizona my husband ordered a prickly pear margarita. It came out hot pink.  He was secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy every sip.  Anyway, I procured a bottle of prickly pear syrup so that I could recreate these sensational margaritas (and any other cocktail I deem fit) anytime I wanted.

I think it’s my duty to inform you that in Mexico prickly pear is used widely as an anti-hangover remedy.  It’s also high in vitamin C and is full of anti-inflammatory compounds. A very tiny study seems to show that it might also help lower your LDL (the bad) cholesterol levels. Do with that what you will (I write a wellness blog after all, I think you should know these things).  As always, don’t take my word for it.  Talk to your doctor about this stuff.

Anyway, I think this will be the drink of the summer.


PRICKLY PEAR MARGARITAS

Ingredients:

3 ounces tequila of your choice
1/2 ounce Cointreau
2 ounces lime juice (Or more to taste. I squeezed another wedge of lime in my glass)
2 ounces prickly pear syrup (I like Cheri’s Harvest because it’s all natural and doesn’t use preservatives or artificial colors or flavors)
Margarita salt for garnishing the glass

Method:

Combine the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and prickly pear syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Use a wedge of lime to wet the rim of a margarita glass and dip into the margarita salt that you’ve poured onto a plate. Pour margarita into glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Keep an eye out for more prickly pear syrup recipes, because YUM!

 

Weekend Cocktails!

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, Recipes2 Comments


We’ve made it to the weekend, and for that we all deserve a big hearty “CONGRATULATIONS”! Don’t you think?

I’m going out for dinner tonight at a restaurant that is known for its cocktails and live music.  I’m excited because I love trying new cocktails.  It’s one of my favorite things to do.  And since I’m a lightweight and can only drink one (mayyyyyyybe two) I want it to be impactful and delicious.

One of my favorite go-to cocktails is the martini.  I love that there isn’t any ice to water it down if I feel like sipping slowly.  I love sweet and savory martinis all the same, depending on my mood.  And I’m not afraid of unusual or unique flavor combinations, either.

This dry vodka martini is appealing because of the addition of herbs.  It’s spring and that means it’s almost time to plant fresh herbs in the garden. If you’re lucky, like me, you remembered to harvest all the herbs last fall before first frost and put them in the freezer for use throughout the year.

This recipe is insanely easy and elegant.  I hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

  1. ice
  2. 3 ounces vodka (I love Prairie Organic)
  3. dry vermouth
  4. 2 sprigs of fresh lavender or thyme (I think basil would also be quite nice)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a shaker with ice, mix 3 ounces vodka and a drop of dry vermouth.
  2. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 2 sprigs of your favorite herb.

 

Super Bowl Cocktails! Spicy Michelada

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, eating, health, Recipes3 Comments

michelada

Nothing says “Super Bowl” like beer, am I right?  I like a good beer. But I’m also a lover of fun cocktails and I really enjoy trying new recipes.  Enter the Michelada.  It’s a sort of like a Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka.  For sure it’s an acquired taste.  But we are all adults still figuring stuff out are and willing to try new things, right?

I love spicy cocktails — jalapeños floating in my drinks make me happy.  So I am sharing a recipe for a Spicy Michelada.

The fun thing about this is drinking it at night instead of at brunch, like with a Bloody Mary.  If you think this is crazy, you wouldn’t believe the other things I do to keep my life on the edge.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup kosher salt or margarita salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 limes, juiced (plus extra lime wedges to garnish)
2 cups light Mexican beer
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco is a good choice)
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
Black pepper

METHOD:
1. After you’ve squeezed your limes for juice, use them to wet the rims of your glasses
2. Place salt, paprika and cayenne (if using) into a small bowl and whisk the ingredients together.  Pour onto a plate and rim glasses with salt mixture. Fill your glasses with ice.
3. Fill a large cocktail shaker or small pitcher partially with ice followed by the remaining ingredients, except for the jalapeno. Shake or stir until mixed. Divide mixture among the two prepared glasses and finish with lime wedges, black pepper and jalpaenos (if using). Serve.

I know what I’ll be trying this Sunday!

 

BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to spend time with people you love and doing things that you enjoy.  I got to go to a northwoods cabin with my family, where we sat by the fire reading, went ice skating, ate yummy food and just enjoyed being together.  I slept in, went to bed early, and didn’t focus on chores or being productive.  It was fantastic.

I focused more on holiday baking the last several weeks than I did on cooking anything unique. When I’m busy and hectic, usually the first thing to go is my creativity in cooking.  I’ll revert back to things that don’t take much thought of effort.

Last night, after feeling sufficiently rested, I got back to cooking recipes from Gwyneth’s cookbook.  I had dogeared a BBQ chicken recipe that looked good, so that’s where I started. The result was pretty great — the marinade was easy enough.

I prepared the marinade in the morning and after smothering the chicken in it, stuck it in the fridge for about 6 hours.

marinade
Super easy marinade for the chicken

That evening, instead of grilling the chicken in 20 degree weather, I opted to bake it and then put it under the broiler at the end for several minutes to get the skin browned and crispy.  The family liked it, although we all agreed it could use a bit more salt.  Next time I will sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking (or finishing salt at the end).

I served the chicken with sautéed mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

We all love Brussels sprouts in this house
Kiddo hates mushrooms, but husband and I love them

I feel comfortable recommending adding this dish to your rotation! It’s easy, flavorful, and a bit different than the usual baked chicken.

BBQ chicken spanish style
BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Large pinch of coarse sea salt

1 t freshly ground pepper

2 t hot pimentón (I used regular smoked paprika)

One 3-4 lb chicken, cut up (don’t remove skin, it’s the best part!)

METHOD:

Mix everything except the chicken in a bowl. Pour the paste all over the chicken pieces and massage it in, making sure to get it under the skin as well. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for an hour or two, or up to overnight. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes until juices run clear.  Or, if it’s warm where you are, grill over low heat for 20 minutes on one side or until it’s firm to the touch and browned.

Hearty Lentil Soup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness8 Comments

lentil soup

As soon as the weather turns cooler here in the north, I start to crave hearty soups.  I love them when they are full of vegetables because it means I don’t have to serve anything on the side except some crusty bread.  I have a favorite soup that I make all winter and fall that also happens to be a favorite of my family.  Whenever I tell my 11 year old that it’s what we are having for dinner, she gets really excited.

I was late to the lentil game, and now I can’t imagine what I did before them.  Lentils are so full of protein and fiber and really make a soup an entire meal in a bowl.  They felt intimidating to me for some reason.  Now that I know I just have to rinse them and pick out any super weird looking ones, I’m good to go.

This recipe is inspired by a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.  Over the years I’ve made quite a few changes to it and I really do love my updated version. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil (or just do what I do which is to pour some in a pot till it looks like enough)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, washed & chopped (I seriously don’t even peel them, just scrub)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 large potato or 2 small potatoes, cubed (again, don’t peel them)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups vegetable broth (I love Better Than Bouillon)
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh spinach

METHOD:
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. I love to use my prized Le Creuset Dutch oven that I received one year for Christmas.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and stir. Then, add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender (about 5-8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Do not let vegetables burn. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the potatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Now, add the broth and stir. Nestle the thyme sprigs in the mix and then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Taste the soup and add any additionally salt and pepper (or more bouillon if using) it needs.

Remove the thyme sprigs. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a large handful of fresh spinach into the bowl and mix to wilt.  Serve with crusty warm bread.  We are partial to sourdough rolls or garlic bread.

Braised Chicken With Green Olives & Garlic

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes6 Comments
braised chicken done
Braised Chicken with Olives + Lemon

Oh me oh my.  Gwyneth has gone and done it again.  This time with a braised chicken recipe from her cookbook that I made for dinner last night.  It was supposed to be for the family, but I forgot that my husband had his holiday work party and rather than wait until Sunday when we would all be together at dinner time again, I decided to make it for just me and my girl.  I’m so glad I did.

I keep hoping that Gwyneth will feature a recipe that I can report back and tell you was terrible.  Not because I want to cook bad food, but because little by little she is turning me from a frenemy to a friend.  At least where food is concerned.  I’m uncomfortable with that.  She’s a bazillionaire with a tenuous grasp on reality.  She thinks we all have hot pimentón spice from Spain and are down with the usage of the term “conscious uncoupling”.  I dunno, she just seems a bit untethered.  BUT.  BUT.  Up until now, her recipes are the bomb.  

Last night’s Braised Chicken With Green Olives + Lemon didn’t disappoint.  I was a bit worried about the olives.  I love love love any kind of olive.  The rest of my family not so much.  For this recipe I just kept them whole, but if you have a whole gaggle of olive lovers, I would dice them up.  I followed the recipe almost exactly because it didn’t have any insanely unique ingredients or directions.  Without further ado, I present Braised Chicken With Green Olives + Lemon:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 chicken, cut up, room temperature (I used about 2 lbs, SKIN ON OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN)

Coarse sea salt

Black pepper

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, sliced into thin rings

1.5 cups chicken stock (I always use Better Than Bouillon)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half (next time I will, like, triple this)

10 large green olives, pitted

Leaves from one sprig of thyme (I just threw the whole sprig in there intact)

Juice of one lemon

METHOD:

Salt and pepper the chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large enameled cast iron pot (like a Dutch oven)

Cook the chicken until deeply browned, about 4-5 minutes. Turn chicken over and do the same thing. They should look like this:

braised chicken 1
Browned Chicken 

Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about another 4 minutes.

Add a splash of the chicken broth and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add remaining chicken stock and scatter the garlic cloves, olives and thyme over the chicken.

Pour the lemon juice over everything and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down as low as it will go and cover the pot, cooking for about an hour until the chicken is very tender. (If you have less time, be assured that I only cooked the chicken for about 35-40 minutes and it was well cooked and juicy and delicious).

Serve over rice, potatoes, or alongside a piece of bread.  I also served with roasted root vegetables.

This is the plated version which I hesitate to even show you because I put so little effort into it.  To be honest I was so excited to eat.

As always, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  I always appreciate a share as well!

braised chicken plated

Weekend Cocktails! Brandy Old Fashioned

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, holiday, Recipes3 Comments

brandy old fashioned

Tonight is the night we trim the tree.  It’s been sitting bare in the living room waiting for us to have enough time to decorate it.  It’s been a really busy week with work travel and school work (mine and the kid’s) and all the normal stuff a family deals with.  Poor tree has been just sitting there since Sunday waiting patiently.  So tonight we are ordering in some Thai and Vietnamese food (my kitchen is always closed on Fridays.  I don’t think I’ve made dinner on a Friday night for years).  We’ll eat our pho and spring rolls and curry and pad ze-ew and then we’ll get down to business.

I love a good winter cocktail, something fun and festive.  So I think tonight calls for something more than just a glass of wine, at least to start.  This is where the apple brandy comes in.  I have a bottle that I bought for a yummy cider punch I made last year.  So this recipe seems like the perfect choice for tonight.

I love an old fashioned, and I love apple brandy and so what’s not to love about this cocktail?  Bonus, did you know bitters are really good for digestion?  If you’re having some issues after a meal, have a teaspoon of bitters and it should help.

CHEERS!

APPLE BRANDY OLD FASHIONED

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 oz simple syrup OR 1 sugar cube
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 1/2 oz apple brandy (such as Clear Creek)
  • lemon twist

Method:

  1. If using sugar, place the sugar cube in the bottom of the glass and add the 2 dashes of bitters. Muddle well to blend the sugar and bitters, then add a few drops of water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
  2. If using simple syrup, add the syrup and bitters to the glass.
  3. Place a large chunk of ice into the glass filled with sugar and bitters and add the apple brandy. Stir well to incorporate the sugar and brandy.
  4. Twist the lemon peel over the top, drop it into the glass and serve.

Salmon with Clementine Cucumber Salsa

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness2 Comments

clementine cucumber relish fish

I continued on my quest of cooking every recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook It’s All Good this week.  I had some salmon in the freezer and the ingredients for the salsa already in my fridge.  My 11 year old, Reese, helped me assemble the ingredients and acted as my sous chef, which means she peeled the clementines.  Sometimes she’s more enthusiastic about being helpful in the kitchen than others.  While reading the recipe out loud to me she said “This is the first recipe I’ve seen in this book that doesn’t have some totally crazy ingredient”.  I laughed because it’s true.  Gwyneth loves a good totally obscure ingredient (gochugaru anyone?).

The recipe for this dish was ultra-easy which is perfect for a weeknight dinner.  It called for cilantro and mint, both of which I didn’t have on hand.  I firmly believe in adjusting recipes on the fly and not adhering too strictly.  I love both mint and cilantro but knew the salsa would still taste good without it.  I ended up eating the leftover salsa as a salad the next day for lunch. I got two favorable reviews from my kiddo and husband and I also thought it was really tasty. I will definitely make it again and again.

Here it is, adapted from Gwyneth’s original:

INGREDIENTS:

4 fillets of your fish of choice (I used salmon but any would be good)

1/2 cucumber, chopped

4 clementines, peeled and chopped

A few dashes of crushed red pepper, to taste

3 shallots, sliced thinly

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste (I love course sea salt)

Olive oil

METHOD:

Combine the cucumbers, clementine, chili, shallot, lemon juice in a bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, heat a grill or a grill pan over high heat.  Coat the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Grill until firm to the touch, about 4 minutes each side depending on thickness of fish fillets.

Serve the fish with the salsa.

ENJOY!

GREEN SMOOTHIE CHALLENGE!

On By Cultivate WellnessIn health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness5 Comments

GREEN SMOOTHIE copy

This week I’m launching a Green Smoothie Challenge on my Cultivate Wellness Facebook page.  At the end of October I challenged myself to drink a green smoothie each day (either for breakfast or as my afternoon snack) as a way to ensure that I’m getting lots of servings of fruits and veggies and other good things in my diet each day.  It’s been 12 days and I am feeling so great! My thought was: Why wait until after the holidays to focus on my health and well-being? Sure, it’s the season for cookies, chocolate and cocktails, but there’s one small thing we can do each day to keep our healthy eating momentum: DRINK GREEN SMOOTHIES! Drinking a green smoothie each day helps our bodies get all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients it needs to stay on the right track during the holidays. Even if we do nothing else differently with our diets, this is one healthy measure we can take each and every day that will reinforce good habits all year long. Skin becomes clearer, our digestive systems will be happy, and our cells will love the nourishment. I’ll post encouragement, recipes and photos along the way.

JOIN ME, WON’T YOU? INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1032326443467026/