greenandgrinning.

Raw Thai Salad

greenandgrinning — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:01:20 +0000

Here is a super easy dish I whipped up using whatever I had in the fridge…

Using a peeler (mandolin is also great if you have one handy) I shredded carrots and cucumber. I then added sliced onion, ginger, celery, salt, lemon/lime juice, and sesame oil. I tossed it all together and enjoyed!

This is a great for anyone looking to spring detox!

Coconut Fried Bananas

greenandgrinning — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:55:22 +0000

Today I woke up craving something sweet, but seeing as I never keep things like candy or ice cream in my apartment, I had to get a little creative… Today’s new creation is Coconut Fried Bananas!

I generally avoid frying foods at home, but there was something so appealing about this recipe, I couldn’t resist! There are only FOUR ingredients in this dish and most of them I constantly have stocked in my pantry.

HONEY- I use raw honey that I got at Whole Foods. If you can, splurge for local honey. It’s great for allergies and it’s always good to support local farmers. Since my honey is raw, it’s much thinker than regular honey, so I added hot water to make a simple syrup.

CINNAMON- Not only does cinnamon add amazing flavor to dishes, it is a natural anti- inflammatory that everyone should have in their kitchen! And I do NOT mean cinnamon sugar. Seriously. Stay away from it.

COCONUT OIL- It’s time to ditch the canola and vegetable oil! Coconut oil is where it’s at. This oil, aside from tasting like HEAVEN, is extremely stable and can withstand high temperatures without becoming toxic. I use it in the kitchen and as a beauty product…face and body moisturizer, hair cream, etc.

BANANA- What can I say about bananas that hasn’t already been said?! They’re packed with vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin A, phosphorus, and fiber just to name a few. They’re also also DELICIOUS and can be eaten raw or cooked in dishes like this one!

Now to the dish… I made this entire dish in about 15 minutes, and with only four ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler!

I started with slicing an extremely ripe banana into a dish (the riper the banana, the sweeter it is). Next, I let the banana soak in a honey-cinnamon mixture while I prepared the pan.

In a medium skillet, I heated about 2 Tbs. of coconut oil over medium heat. You’ll know that it’s hot when it literally melts in front of your eyes (coconut oil is solid at room temp).

I then added the banana slices to the pan in a single layer. Flip once to get each side looking golden-brown.

After the bananas cooled, I plated them and topped with the leftover honey-cinnamon mixture.

While this is a great dish on it’s own, it would also be great on top of yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal… anything really!

Happy kitchen adventures!

Iced Coffee Almond Milk

greenandgrinning — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:40:30 +0000

We’ve all heard the old restaurant saying, “Today’s Coffee is Tomorrow’s Iced Coffee,” but what about, “Today’s Coffee is Tomorrow’s Ice”?

Before throwing away that unused cup of coffee, considering freezing it overnight in an ice cube tray to enjoy the next morning in a refreshing glass of almond milk!

Sesame Broccoli

greenandgrinning — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:54:04 +0000

Confession: I hate broccoli. I hate the smell. The taste. Everything. When I was a kid my parents wouldn’t let me leave the dinner table until I ate at least one bite of it, which lead to more than one night of me sitting stubbornly at the table, alone, for what seemed like an eternity.

After years of despising the stuff, I finally mustered up the courage to try this strange, exotic food called broccoli. And not only do I no longer hate it, I love it! Maybe it’s my new adult taste buds or recently ignited interest in healthy eating, but I can’t get enough of the stuff.

Broccoli is extremely low in calories–for all you models in the making out there–and it is packed with healthy nutrients. If you can stand the inevitable gas issue, you’ll be getting vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, calcium, and folic acid, just to name a few.

Still being new to broccoli fan club, I have only perfected one recipe thus far. Here goes…

In a pan, I sauted olive oil and garlic. Then I put in bit-sized pieces of broccoli and a couple of tablespoons of soy or tamari sauce. I covered it with a lid and let it steam in the pan on medium. When the broccoli was cooked through, I drizzled sesame oil on top (a little goes a long way) and served it on a bed of brown rice. Finally, I topped the dish with freshly toasted sesame seesds.

There it is. Couldn’t be easier. Maybe next time I’ll tackle cauliflower…

North Carolina, here I come!

greenandgrinning — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:53:25 +0000

For the past 5 days, I have been enjoying the cool weather and gorgeous mountains of North Carolina! I’m here for the next 6 weeks working on a play, and I absolutely love it. I’m surrounded by beautiful scenery where ever I go. Every time I come out of the theatre, I’m greeted with mountains on all sides, cute shops right down the street, and friendly people everywhere. I haven’t been able to check out the local farmers market yet, but I have been able to explore some of the waterfalls down the road. Here are some glimpses into my travels!

Root Soup

greenandgrinning — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:15:18 +0000

For this hearty soup, I used a variety of nutritient-packed root vegetables. At my local health food store I picked up parsnip, daikon, rutabaga, carrot, and celery. The coconut and curry added a nice, rich flavor to the soup, and the chili powder provided a great kick! Here’s the recipe…

Saute onions with coconut oil, curry powder, ginger, and garlic.
Chop veggies into bite size pieces and add to onions.
Cover veggies with spices and let cook for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of rinsed lentils.
Add 1 can of coconut milk, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and water or stalk to cover veggies.

Cover and let simmer until veggies are tender and lentils are cooked through.
Add salt, chili powder, and other spices to taste. Enjoy!

Roasted Veggies

greenandgrinning — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:53:24 +0000

This is by far one of the easiest, tastiest dishes I’ve made! I first made it for a Thanksgiving potluck out of fear that there wouldn’t be anything there I could eat. It was a huge hit. This recipe is great for seasonal eaters because you can pretty much put whatever you want in it, and it’ll taste good!

This time, I went to my local health food store and grabbed a few things from produce that looked good. I used fresh geen beans, a green bell pepper, a red onion, a golden yam, and a portabello mushroom. I coated them all in a thin layer on olive oil, topped with fresh rosemary, covered with foil, and baked in a 350 degree oven until the veggies were tender.

Spaghetti Squash

greenandgrinning — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:58:32 +0000

First, I cut the squash into two pieces and removed the seeds from the center. Then I rubbed the inside with olive oil and put in fresh rosemary. I baked it in a 375 oven for 35 minutes.

Once I took it out of the oven, I used a fork to easily remove the inside. There are a million wonderful and creative ways you can serve this squash. Use your imagination, and have fun with it!

Hungarian Tomato Sauce

greenandgrinning — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:51:13 +0000

For this sauce, I first sauted onion and garlic in olive oil. I then added bells peppers, hungarian peppers, and freshly sliced tomatoes. I seasoned with salt and paprika and let it simmer for about 15 minutes on low heat. I served it over spaghetti squash, but it tastes delicious with pasta or even sausage for all the meat-lovers out there!

Sauted Asparagus

greenandgrinning — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:45:23 +0000

place asparagus in pan with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary
cover with lid and cook on medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes
serve with lemon juice on top