shaved asparagus and pine nut salad

March 19, 2014
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
4 Comments

With these 40- and 50-degree days, I am getting ready for spring. This salad takes advantage of crisp, raw asparagus, both shaved with a vegetable peeler and thinly sliced for both texture and presentation. Served alongside stewed chicken to lighten the fare.

1 bunch asparagus (the thicker the stalks, the better)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup pecorino, shaved (using a vegetable peeler)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel and discard the rough, bottom inch or two of the asparagus stalks.
2. Peel half the asparagus stalks over a bowl. Do not peel the tips: leave them whole.
3. Thinly slice the other half of the asparagus on a bias, again, leaving the tips intact.
4. Add pine nuts (I left them raw out of sheer laziness, but feel free to toast), shaved pecorino, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Gently toss to combine.

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stewed chicken with bacon and cannellini beans

March 17, 2014
the main event
1 Comment

4 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
1 onion, medium dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz white wine (I used Pinot Grigio, from a box. Don’t judge)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 15-oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
15 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, saute the bacon lardons until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels.
2. Combine flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture.
3. Working in batches, add chicken thighs to bacon fat and cook 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels.
4. Add onion and garlic to the remaining bacon fat and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes.
5. Pour in white wine and reduce by 2/3.
6. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer and stir in the reserved bacon lardons.
8. Nestle the chicken thighs into the pot and cook for 45 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.
9. Serve alone or over brown rice.

Notes: flour became very very dark (just shy of burnt, really, but thankfully the end result did not taste carcinogenic!), next time omit the flour step and simply season the chicken and sear on both sides. Flour is nice for thickening, but I think, given the length of cooking time, the stew will still thicken nicely. Also, no flour will make this dish gluten-free.

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flourless black bean brownies

March 10, 2014
sweet thang, the underwear diet, yup. i bake now.
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I used this recipe from Whole Foods. Changes I made: subbing coconut oil for butter, going just shy of 1/2 cup for the sugar, omitting the walnuts, increasing chocolate chips to just under 1 cup (mixed in the batter and sprinkled on top). Overall, not bad for a brownie made with black beans. Slightly grainy in texture, and a little too cakey for my taste. Plus, they stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Next time, I will under-bake, and consider swapping mashed banana for the sugar. Perhaps will omit eggs and use a ground flaxseed slurry to make it vegan (with the coconut oil). Needs work.

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raw broccoli and grape salad

March 9, 2014
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
1 Comment

Served alongside crispy avocado fries, and adapted from this recipe for Broccoli Carpaccio with Grapes and Watercress, from Food & Wine magazine. Bright, tangy, crisp. Got leftovers? Just stir it all together and the broccoli will soften slightly and make for a great lunch the next day.

For the dressing:
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt (not Greek–you want it to be thin enough to drizzle)
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients and set aside.
2. For the salad, thinly slice broccoli florets and arrange on 4 plates or a large platter.
3. Cut half of the grapes in half, and then divide among the plates, or scatter on top of the platter.
4. Sprinkle the salad with seeds, and then drizzle with the dressing.

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avocado fries with chipotle aioli

March 6, 2014
appeteaser, the main event, the underwear diet
3 Comments

The ultimate healthy TV dinner. I served this with a raw broccoli and grape salad (recipe to follow).

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2 avocados, sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour (can use gluten-free all-purpose flour)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (substitute with gluten-free to make it, well, gluten-free)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
3 chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (feel free to scale down or up, depending on how spicy you like it; this makes it pretty spicy but not overpowering)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Set up a breading station: Combine flour with salt and pepper and place on a plate. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Combine breadcrumbs with salt and pepper and place on another plate.
3. Dredge the avocado slices in flour, then shake off excess and dip in the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip off before dipping in the breadcrumbs.
4. Place breaded avocado slices on a baking sheet.
5. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
6. Make the aioli by combining mayonnaise, yogurt, chipotles, and adobo sauce. Season with salt, to taste.

Generously serves 2 hungry people.

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Notes: Very tasty, but next time try a shallow fry in oil, which will lend tremendous flavor to the breadcrumbs.