Dolma Wrap

Lunch is always hard to get excited about.  The same patterns are repeated and that cherished one hour break becomes just as dull as a limp salad or ham sandwich.  But, who has time to brown bag anything else in the morning?  The magic is what you put in the middle of the mundane.  I've recently become obsessed with wraps since I've been trying to limit my bread consumption (a little problem).  Because they are just a little different, for some reason my imagination is a little more creative with them.  Meet Dolma Mediterranean Wraps.

Little Treasures

Dolmas are the ultimate meat substitute for my kind of wrap.  These marinated rice stuffed grape leaves are little jewels that can make a wrap or salad way more exciting to eat.  Fresh or in the can will due, but I prefer canned actually because they have been marinated longer in olive oil and lemon.  My favorite brand is Divine, but you can find them usually in the Greek section of any major grocery store.


I usually stuff my Mediterranean wraps with dolmas, hummus, tomato, goat cheese and lettuce.  This whole wheat wrap pictured was especially sinful stuffed with dolmas, goat cheese, avocado, sundried tomatoes and a crack of pepper.

Sweet Chili Pulled Chicken and Shredded Cabbage Wraps

This was a super easy peasy Trader Joe's meal I concocted from my love of Moo Shoo pork and veggies.  Instead of pork, I used baked chicken.  Instead of hoisin-based sauce, I used Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce.  Instead of flour wraps, we used wheat tortillas.  Dave and I are also OBSESSED with TJ's Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas.  Seriously, if we stuffed them with shredded paper, it would taste great.















Ingredients
2 bone-in free-range chicken breasts
1 bag of shredded cabbage (or half a full of head cabbage, shredded)
1 bottle of sweet chili sauce
1 bag of whole wheat tortillas




The Method
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat 1 T. in a large frying pan and sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Then, place the chicken in a separate baking and bake for 30 minutes in the oven.  When the breasts are cooked thoroughly, pull the meat off the bone and shred it with 2 forks. Throw in the chicken, the cabbage and the whole bottle of chili sauce back in the frying pan and cook on low-medium heat until the cabbage is somewhat wilted. Warm the tortillas in the microwave or on a heat skillet.  Stuff em' with the mix. Enjoy! 

Holy Guacamole!

Boy, did I flake out on this blog for a while.  I have great excuses, though: I planned a wedding, moved apartments, got married, went on honeymoon and and and .... no excuses.  There will be a plethora of recipes coming your way now. Sorry, folks. Life happens.

Healthy Fish 'n' Chips

There are almost as many fish 'n' chips shops in Seattle as there are in London.  And boy, is it tempting to try them all.  Fortunately, there is hope for us, yet.

I had some leftover cod from my  Thai Lime Fish Stew recipe, and decided to make an oven-fried version of this sinful meal. This is an easy-peasy recipe that requires less cooking time than my cornflake chicken recipe. You totally feel like you are indulging with "oven-frying," but you are cooking with less oil and roasting rather than frying your food.  The outcome is a crunchier, less greasy, healthier version of Fish 'n' Chips.  You are also cutting down on your starches by substituting carrots for potatoes.   

Ingredients (fish)
1-2 1b white fish (like cod), cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup plain corn flakes
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1 t. parsley

1 t. dill

1/2 t. tarragon

The Method (fish)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  In one bowl, whisk the egg, set aside.  Place the corn flakes in a large plastic baggie, seal it, then pound the corn flakes with your hand until they are ground to small bits.  Open baggie and add the salt and herbs.  (If you don't want to use a plastic baggie, use a plate.)  Place the flour on a separate a plate and dip the fish strips in it until they are each lightly coated.  Then, whisk the egg in a separate bowl and dip each floured fish strip in it, and shake off any excess.  Lastly, coat both sides of the fish in the corn flake mixture.

Place the coated fish strips on a greased, foil-lined cookie sheet and lightly spray them with cooking oil. 

Place in oven on one side for 5-10 minutes.  Then flip them over and heat for an additional 5-10 minutes.  They should crisp to a light, golden brown color.   

Ingredients (carrots)

1 bag of carrots

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. herbs of choice (I used thyme and rosemary)

Sprinkle of course sea salt

The Method (carrots)

Line a cookie sheet or roasting pan with tin foil and spray it with oil.  Cut your carrots (I got a big cheap bag of Thumbelinas at my farmer's market.) into quarters and place them flat in one layer on the cookie sheet. Spray them with olive oil and sprinkle your favorite flavored vinegar and herbs on them (I used fig balsamic). Roast in oven at 500 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, then flip for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt.

Ingredients (optional "tartar sauce")

1/2 c. Low-fat or 0% Fat Greek Yogurt

1 T. Relish

1/2 t. dill

The Method

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together and use as a dip for you fish.

Note: Peas also go quite well with oven-friend fish!

Thai Lime Fish Stew

I have been sick much of 2010.  First with a horrible stomach virus, then strep throat, then a cold and then a sinus infection.  I'm hoping I am done being sick for the year!  I did a lot of plane traveling before I got sick, which may be why I caught such a horrible bug that sent me on a never-ending string of illness.  I am not one of those crazy Bikram people who go to class when they are sick (thinking that being in heat will break their fever or the other day I had this guy's raging case of Athlete's Foot in my face during the floor series, ugh).  I believe it is not only disrespectful to the class, but to yourself.  Nevertheless, not making it to yoga for a while has been a horrible damper on my physical and mental health.  I depend on Bikram for my spinal health, my depression and my insomnia.  

While under-the-weather, I made tons of different healing soups.  This soup especially, was pleasing to my mind, body and spirit.  It's light, flavorful and perfect for dinner after hot yoga.  I love the lime intensity along with the fresh veggies and flaky white fish.  Next time, I might not even include the rice noodles as it could be just as good without the extra calories.  Hope you enjoy it!

Inspired by Jaden of Steamy Kitchen
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 8 oz fresh or thawed cod
* 2 tablespoons coriander 

* 4 whole cloves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 quart vegetable stock, preferably homemade
* 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
* 1 tablespoon of pressed ginger (I used the jar kind)
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce

* 2 cups chopped bok choy
* 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
* 2 oz. rice noodles (I prefer Tinkyada brand)

Garnish
* 1-2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped- for garnish 

* 1-2 tablespoon chopped green onions 

* 2 whole limes (1/2 squeezed lime per bowl)
* 1 squirt of Sriracha

The Method
1. In a large soup pot, add the broth, soy sauce, onion, ginger, bok choy, edamame, cinnamon stick, coriander and cloves (I suggest putting the cloves in a spice mesh ball for easy removal) and cook for 20 minutes on medium-high heat.  

2. Cut the cod into 1 inch pieces and add it to the pot.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes on medium heat.

3. Remove the cinnamon stick and mesh ball (or sift out the cloves individually). Add the noodles to the pot and cook on medium heat until they are soft (approx 5 more minutes).

4. To serve, ladle into bowls, squeeze half of a lime into each bowl, a squirt of Sriracha, and the chopped cilantro and green onion as garnish. 

Banilla Nut "Ice cream"

It's been getting warmer in Seattle, and naturally, ice cream is what my Sweet Tooth desires.  The New York Times and several foodie bloggers have convinced me that there is nothing more genius than frozen banana ice cream.  That's right, one banana, one serving of delicious ice cream.  All you need is either a food processor or a blender.  You can add any other fruit or sweetness to it as you desire.  I added 1 tablespoon almond butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

The Method

Peel banana and throw all ingredients into food processor and set on puree for a few minutes.  Scrape the sides in between blending.

Blend until smooth like frozen yogurt.

Sunrise Hash

This is a quick, protein-rich, delicious alternative to your standard egg breakfast.  I took leftover roasted yams and squash and topped them with canned kipper, avocado, eggs and hot sauce. Talk about flavor explosion!  The sweet vs. salty dynamic flavors were definitely at work here.  I felt charged up for the rest of my day! 

Ingredients

Any cubed roasted veggies

2 eggs, poached

1 can kipper filets

1/2 avocado, cubed

2 squirts of your favorite hot sauce