[Food Series] Easy Peasy Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is kind of like an ancient tradition in my family. I grew up on it and so folklore dictates, my family, too will grow up on it. Luckily, it's one of my family's favorite soups. Not only is it so incredibly easy to make, it's also deeeee-licious and packed with tons of nutrition! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 pound bag of dried Green Split Peas
1 large Spanish Onion
1 cup of chopped Ham
2 Bay Leaves
2 tablespoons of Ground Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Chop the ham and onion. Throw all of your ingredients into a deep soup pot. Fill the pot to about 2 inches below the top. Bring it to a boil, then turn the burner down to medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour, or until the peas are cooked to a mushy consistency. For a heartier soup, throw in a few chopped potatoes or even serve over rice! Enjoy!

[Food Series] Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Ok, so in an effort to be more mindful of what I put in my body, I decided to give buckwheat (soba) noodles a try. Buckwheat isn't derived from a grain, it's actually a seed that is hulled in the same manner as wheat, then milled into flour to make soba noddles. Not only does it have way more protein than plain old pasta, it also sits very low on the glycemic index, which keeps your sugar levels more even and it's packed full of unique amino acids, minerals and vitamins. So, needles to say, saying goodbye to traditional pasta was a no-brainer for me! This pasta salad takes a flat 10 minutes to make, is chocked full of nutrition and keeps in the fridge for days! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 8oz package of 100% Buckwheat Soba Noodles

1 cup raw Shredded Carrots

2 cups raw Sugar Snap Peas

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

Juice of 2 Limes

1/4 cup of freshly chopped Cilantro

Salt & Pepper

Watch how easy this is....cook the soba noodles per the directions on the package. Drain them and rinse them very gently in cold water until they are cool to the touch. Gently toss the soba noodles in a bowl with the shredded carrots, sugar snap peas, sesame oil, lime juice, cilantro and a dash of salt and pepper. Enjoy it all week! That's IT!

[Food Series] Hearty & Healthy Potato Leek Soup

In the hopes of coaxing Madame Fall over to The City of Angles, yesterday I decided to honor her by making a pot of Potato Leek soup! You see, here in the San Fernando Valley, we have been smack dab in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures soaring over 100 degrees pretty much every day for the last two weeks! So, when I didn't wake up this morning sweating (temperatures hovered around the mid 80s), I said to myself, "Yay! Fall is HERE!" Um... Ok. Not really. Yet! But, I'm hopeful she will be here soon! Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 Lbs of Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 medium Shallot
3 Green Onions
2 large Leeks
2 cloves of Garlic
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of Ground Mustard
3 tablespoons chopped Fresh Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
1 Lemon
Salt & Pepper
Water

Let's begin by preparing all of our various onion friends! Dice up the shallot, green onions and garlic. Making sure you have rinsed your leeks well to remove any sandy residue, slice them 1/2 an inch thick. Pour your 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a deep pot and add your shallots and green onions. Allow them to cook on medium-low heat for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for another minute, then add the leeks and bay leaves. I like to ensure a good caramelization on this base to add a nice depth of flavor, so I let this simmer, covered on low heat for another 10 minutes or so, then add your potatoes, salt, pepper, fresh thyme & ground mustard. Finally, add water to about 3 inches above the potatoes. Cover your pot with a tight-closing lid and let it simmer on medium heat for about 40 minutes. Ladle into a bowl and Enjoy!

[Food Series] A Summer Picnic at The Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is a beloved LA landmark whose cultural and musical history has been delicately woven into the very fabric of our lives for over a decade. It will be featured in an upcoming MommyHiker.com article, but today I wanted to showcase a few quick, easy and nutritious summer picnic ideas, perfect for mad-dashing out to a concert or just to the neighborhood park!

Caprese
1 Heirloom Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil
Red Onion
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Thinly slice the tomatoes, mozzarella and red onions then lay them on a plate, alternating tomato, mozzarella, basil leaf. Once you have used up all of the sliced ingredients, sprinkle red onions on top, lightly salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar!

Roasted Broccoli & Fennel
2 heads of Broccoli
1 Fennel Bulb
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Cut the heads of broccoli into florets and slice the fennel. Toss everything lightly in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Fruit Salad
2 Large Apples
1 small container of Blueberries
3 Persian Cucumbers
1/4 pound of Grapes

Core and slice 2 apples. Remove grapes from stem. Peel and chop cucumbers. Toss everything into a bowl and serve!

[Food Series] Bon Femme (Good Lady Apples) with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

I rarely make dessert, we're just not a dessert kind of family, but when I saw Jacques Pépin whip up this super simple dessert, I just knew I had to try it! I loved the fact that it was only baked whole fruit and 3 additional whole food ingredients! I must admit that butter is not an ingredient which is generally in our fridge due to the fact that when it is, we devour it excessively, but exceptions were made, rules were broken and these Bon Femme were exquisite! Enjoy!!

Bon Femme (Good Lady Apples)

Ingredients:
6 large apples
1/3 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup light maple syrup
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 teaspoon Confectioner's Sugar
2 dashes of Cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut a 1/4 inch off the top and bottom of all 6 apples. Make sure the cut you make on the bottom of the apple is pretty level so that the apple can easily sit upright while baking. Carefully core and then score their skins making 3 1/8 of an inch deep lines going down from top to about midway down, spacing them equal distance around its circumference. The scoring allows the skin to expand as the apple bakes, ensuring that you won't have an exploded appley-apricoty mess to clean up in your oven! Mix the apricot jam and maple syrup in a bowl, place the apples in a baking dish and evenly pour the mixture on top of the apples. Cut the 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter into 6 equal pieces and place 1 piece in the cored hole of each apple. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, baste, then bake for another 30 minutes.

To make the whipped cream, take a mixing bowl and the mixing blades (or a whisk if you're not using a mixer) and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Ensuring that everything is very cold when you whip the cream will give you the best results! So after your bowl and utensils are chilled, pour the heavy whipping cream into your cold mixing bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and whip on medium until you can create high stiff peaks (about 2 minutes). Make sure you don't over-whip it, otherwise it will fall and become creamy).

Dab a dollop of Cinnamon Whipped Cream on top of your Bon Femme and devour!!

[Food Series] Crimini Mushroom and Mint Stuffed Zucchini

I would say that 95% of the meals I prepare daily for our family are in-the-moment compositions. I am generally not one to set weekly menus, we just buy what looks great and I get to have fun exercising my improvisational skills. I concocted this recipe by mingling 3 different ideas; drawing on my memory of making Turkish Dolma, seeing the hundreds of Zucchini Boat pics on Pinterest (Ha!) and using the fresh ingredients that were already in my fridge, writing down measurements for you guys as I went along! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Crimini Mushroom and Mint Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients
4 medium size zucchinis
1 large clove of garlic
1 cup of crimini mushrooms
2 green onions
1 medium size tomato
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Scoop out the seeds and inner pulp of the zucchini, leaving the sides and ends intact. Give a rough chop to all of the veggies (except the tomato) and herbs, toss them together (including the innards of the zucchini) with the spices in a mixing bowl, then throw everything into the food processor for about a minute while slowly adding the olive oil. Carefully scoop the mixture into the zucchini shells and top with thinly sliced tomato. Place stuffed zucchinis into a baking dish filled with 1/4 inch of water, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Voila! A healthy and yummy light summer dinner!

[Food Series] Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls

I've been itching to try my hand at Shrimp Spring Rolls for months now and I finally motivated myself to do it! Why did I wait so long?? It's the perfect delicious and nutritious summer finger food and SO fast and easy to prepare! I can tell you it has already become a new family favorite!

Fresh Shrimp Spring Roll

Ingredients

1 package of Rice Paper Wrappers

1 cucumber

1 carrot

1 bunch of Radish

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch of thai basil

1/2 pound of cooked Shrimp

1 tablespoon freshly-grated Ginger

1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon of Rice Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Julienne all of the veggies, thinly slice the radish and cut your shrimp in half length-wise, then toss everything in the rice vinegar, freshly-grated ginger, salt and pepper. To prepare the Rice Paper Wrappers simply soak them in water for about a minute until they become pliable. Place a small handful of the mixture in the center of the rice paper (I double up the rice paper per roll so they are a bit more sturdy in the hand), fold in the two sides at the ends, then roll up and devour! SO easy, SO yummy, SO healthy! Enjoy!

Side Note: The great thing about Spring Rolls is that the rice paper wrapper can be a conduit for anything you want to stuff it with, so feel free to get creative! Experiment with different herbs, veggies and proteins and I can't wait to hear how yours turn out!

And One Little Reminder: We will be on vacation next week, totally unplugged, camping and hiking, exploring and discovering in Sequoia National Park, but we'll be back Monday, July 22nd excited to tell you all about our trip!!

[Food Series] An Easy and Nontraditional Eggplant Caponata

Our family loves eggplant! I was raised by a mom who is not a big fan, but after falling in love and marrying a Mediterranean man, I quickly discovered its creamy deliciousness! Caponata is an easy and tasty way to get even picky eaters to give it a try! I must admit though, my Caponata is a hybrid mixing the traditional Sicilian flavors with some of my favorite Turkish flavors and my own Southern Girl twist! Enjoy!

Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients
4 medium size eggplants
1/2 of a spanish onion
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of chopped olives
1 cup of shiitake mushrooms (I told you it was nontraditional!)
1/4 cup freshly minced dill
1/4 cup freshly minced flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/3 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Turkish or Mediterranean style tomato paste (trust me, there is a big taste difference between these and the American version!)
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of beef stock (low sodium)
1/4 cup of chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup of water
salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop the eggplant (I peel it around per quarter to leave a little skin on all sides), onion, tomato, olives, mushrooms and mince the garlic, dill and parsley. In a deep pot, saute the onions in a tablespoons of olive oil for about a minute, then add the garlic and saute for another minute. Then, I literally throw everything else in together, bring it up to a simmer and keep on low heat covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. That's IT! So easy and so yummy!! I usually serve this with rice and plain yogurt.

[Food Series] Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

I was introduced to this flavor-packed beet salad many, many years ago by a dear friend and it has become a star dish in my repertoire. Throughout the years, this easy and nutritious beet salad has turned even the most avid beet haters into beet believers, including my husband! It is such a versatile dish that you can serve it at a fancy dinner party or bring it along on a camping trip (both of which I have done numerous times!)

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Beets (any color, but red are sweetest)

1/3 cup of Gorgonzola Cheese

1/3 cup of raw Walnuts

Arugula

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cracked Black Pepper

Remove the skin from your cooled, roasted beets, chop into 1/2 inch cubes and place into a bowl. Add the crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese, chopped walnuts, Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil and finish off with a touch of cracked black pepper. Toss and serve over a bed of arugula! It literally takes 5 minutes!

Beet Preparation:

Roasted: For roasted beets, I preheat my oven to 400 degrees, individually wrap my medium-sized beets in aluminum foil and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally until they are nice and tender. Check by sticking a fork easily through your beet. I use a paper towel to remove the skin. This is definitely my preferred method of cooking beets because it really highlights its rich, sweet flavor while holding all of its nutrition!

Boiled: You can also boil your beets. Stick them in a pot of boiling water, cover and cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until they are tender enough to stick a fork easily through. When cool, use a paper towel to remove the skin.

Pre-made: If you don't have time to cook beets and you live near a Trader Joe's, they sell plain, boiled beets in their refrigerated section! I've done this when in a rush! Just open the package, rinse and cut!

[Food Series] Green Beans in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye)

The Turkish cuisine has so many fresh, healthy summertime dishes and there's nothing like chilled green beans in olive oil (Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye) to remind me of the warm breezes of the Mediterranean. This dish is so incredibly easy to make ahead and nibble on throughout the week! It's the perfect side dish or can shine as the star of the meal.

Green Beans in Olive Oil (Zeytinagli Taze Fasulye)

Ingredients:
1 pound of green beans
1 tomato
1 clove of garlic
4 green onions
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare your green beans by trimming their tips. Finely chop the green onions (tender green tops included) and toss them into your pot with half of the olive oil and some salt and pepper for two minutes. Add the finely minced garlic to the pot and saute for another minute. Add the finely diced tomato to your pot and let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Finally add the green beans, the rest of the olive oil, a touch more salt and pepper and the water to the pot and stir. Turn the flame down to medium low, cover and go have a glass of wine! It should take about 20 minutes to cook. Don't stir too often, but a couple of times throughout is fine. This dish best served chilled and is really yummy with Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (Cacık)! A great way to stay cool in the summer!

[Food Series] Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (Cacık)

This is, hands down, my favorite Turkish soup and a staple in our house, especially in the summer months. Since I have been asked by so many friends for the recipe, I figured you guys might enjoy it too! It takes less than 15 minutes to make, not to mention it's really low cal and nutritious! My two year old devours this by the gallon. Win, Win, Win!

Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (Cacık)

Ingredients:
6 Cups of Plain Yogurt
2 Cloves of Garlic
4 Persian Cucumbers
1 Cup of Water

Into a large bowl, grate the peeled cucumbers and use a zester or microplane to add the garlic. Dump the yogurt and water in and blend until it is smooth. I usually use a fork because it easily breaks up all of the lumps, but doesn't aerate the yogurt. Chill and serve! That's it, literally!

In our house, we usually prefer it on the thicker side, but feel free to add more water, in very small increments, to get it to the consistency that works for you. This dish is also delicious with finely chopped mint or dill, a drizzle of olive oil or served as a side dish with any yummy protein!

[Food Series] Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Summer is HERE in Southern California and in honor of the fact that it will be 95 degrees today, I made Gazpacho! I had every intention of doing an Asiago cheese crostini on the side, but we were so hungry that I just tore off a piece of rustic bread and called it a day! HA! This recipe is SO easy, there's no reason you can't have this staple in a pitcher in your fridge all summer long! Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes
4 celery stalks
4 small persian cucumbers, peeled

1/4 red bell pepper

1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp red onion
1 avocado
1/3 cup of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Finely dice the first 6 ingredients and toss them into the food processor and top it off with the juice of 1 lime and a bit of salt and pepper. Pulse the processor just a few times while adding olive oil. Chill, then serve with a garnish of sliced avocado (and feel free to add any fresh herbs you have on hand! Cilantro or Basil are two of our favs!) Voila! That is literally it! 10 Minutes, TOPS! Enjoy with a great Sauvignon Blanc!

A few side notes:
I prefer my gazpacho chunky, so I truly only pulse my processor for about 5 - 10 seconds, but if you like a creamier consistency, feel free to puree it, then you can add a variety of chunky garnishes on top!

Also, I know many gazpacho recipes call for some sort of heat, whether it's jalapenos or tabasco, but my hubby does not do well with spicy food, so we leave that part out. Feel free to add heat to your liking!

A great variation on this recipe that we love is roasting the tomatoes and red bell peppers! It adds a smokier flavor to the soup. If you want to try this way, I would recommend adding a tablespoon or two of sherry vinegar to balance the heightened sugars from roasting.

[Food Series] A Cloud of Deliciousness - Leeks in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Pırasa)

The Turkish Cuisine is full of healthy, simple and fresh dishes. Zeytinyağlı Pırasa was one of the first "olive oil" dishes I was introduced to by my Mother-in-law, over a decade ago on my first visit to my husband's homeland. I LOVE leeks and I LOVE olive oil. It was a match made in heaven! This dish is traditionally served cold, so it's perfect for a picnic on a hot summer day and it's loaded with nutrition Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium and Omegas!

Leeks in Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Pırasa)

Ingredients:

4 Medium-sized Leeks

1 Small Carrot

1/2 Small Onion

1 Teaspoon of Rice

1/2 Teaspoon of Sugar

1/3 Cup of Olive Oil

1/2 Cup of Water

1/2 Lemon

Trim and clean your leeks, then chop them on the bias about 2 inches thick. Peel and cut the carrot on the bias about 1/4 of an inch thick and finely dice your onion.

In a deep pot, saute the onions for a minute, then toss in the carrots for 3 minutes, then add your leeks, rice and sugar and allow them to cook covered, in their own juices, on a medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Add the water and stir. Bring it back up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a slow simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. (Make sure not to stir the pot so the leeks will hold their shape!) When the timer goes off, allow it to cool in the pot so all of the flavors can continue to blend. Once cooled, squeeze some lemon over the top and enjoy! 

Side Note: This dish is good in the fridge for up to 3 days and is definitely tastier by the second day!

[Food Series] Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Last month we took the baby to Underwood Family Farms and came back with a bounty of bok choy, so I went online in search of a new recipe and stumbled upon a 10 minute soup recipe that is bursting with flavor and loaded with nutrition! I took some creative cooking liberties by adding fresh cilantro and cutting down on the stock by half. I have to say that it is now one of my top 5 favorite soups of all time!! Enjoy!

2 cups of sodium free chicken stock

2 cups of beef stock

4 cups of water

6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 10 large), stemmed, caps sliced

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1/3 cup of fresh cilantro (de-stemmed)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon chili oil

3 cups roughly chopped bok choy

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 chopped green onions

In a large pot, bring broth, water, mushrooms and ginger to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Add fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil and simmer 2 minutes.

Add bok choy and simmer until bok choy is tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in rice vinegar.

Ladle soup into bowls.

Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro and devour!

[Food Series] Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cashews!

I'm all about roasting things lately. There's less clean up and less time baby-sitting food on the stove! This is a  super easy dinner packed with nutrition and flavor!

Ingredients

1 lb of organic Brussel Sprouts (de-stemmed & halved)

2 cups of organic grape tomatoes (halved)

4 organic green onions (whites & greens chopped)

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup raw organic cashews

1/2 a bag of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend

2 cups of Sodium Free, Free-Range Organic Chicken Stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss first five ingredients into a bowl and mix together, then pour the mixture out onto a baking sheet, making sure to spread it out in an even layer. Place baking sheet in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, give the veggies a stir and sprinkle in the cashews, set the timer for another 10 minutes.

At this point, in a sauce pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil, then toss in the grains. Once it comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Fluff & serve grains with veggies! We had this last night for dinner and our two-year-old devoured it! Enjoy!

[Food Series] Easy & Healthy Homemade Chicken & Mushroom Calzones

I am always trying to come up with quick, easy and healthy ideas for a toddler on the go! One that can be thrown in the bag and eaten on the trail. As I was perusing the Trader Joe's refrigerated section a few weeks ago, I came across their homemade whole wheat pizza dough and it hit me! I could make calzones stuffed with anything! Freeze them and pop them in the oven whenever I didn't feel like cooking! Of course, you could make your own pizza dough, if you're good at that kind of thing, but I don't have the patience for it. Ha! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped Onions

1/2 cup steamed Lentils

1/2 cup roasted Chicken

1/2 cup steamed Broccoli

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 ready-made Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Take the whole wheat pizza dough and roll it out, then cut it into evenly-shaped rectangles. In a pan, saute the onions, lentils, chicken, mushrooms and broccoli in the olive oil. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the center of each rectangle. Fold the dough over and sealed the edges with a fork. To freeze them, place the calzones on a plate, making sure they don't touch, and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag! Then, whenever you feel the desire, pull one out and place in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes! Quick. Easy. Healthy Food. Enjoy!