The Effortless (AND CHEAP!) Gourmet

My boyfriend, bless his heart, is determined to find allergen-free recipes for foods that are typically allergen-laden.  I think it's his goal to find how to make me egg-free eggs (I can't have tofu, so it's harder than you'd think).  I don't know if he'll figure it out, but he certainly got two things down perfectly: eggless Hollandaise sauce and egg-free, soy-free mayo.  I cannot take credit for these recipes...he found them, tried them, adjusted them, and then fed me them all on his own.  But they're fucking incredible, so with his permission, I'm sharing them with you:

EGG-FREE, SOY-FREE MAYO

1 cup water
2 tbsp corn starch
1.2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil 

Combine the corn starch, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.  Whisk them together, or better yet, put them in a tupperware, put on the lid, and shake until well combined.  Then pour the water into small saucepan.  Whisk in dry ingredients, place over medium heat, and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.  STIR CONSTANTLY.  Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the lemon juice, honey, and olive oil.  Whisk together for about a minute, and then pour into an air-tight container.  It will take about 2 hours to fully cool in the fridge, and can be used/stored for up to 2 weeks.

As for the Hollandaise, that was absolutely divine over steamed asparagus.  We paired it with a light pasta dish.  Now, for those of use who are on a tight budget, let me let you in on a little secret: grocery store "manager specials"!!!!  Seriously, we've found gourmet ingredients on serious discount at our local Kroger...just look for the bright orange sticker.  Our find for this meal was shredded asaigo cheese (normally $4) marked down to $1.39.  WIN.

SIMPLE SHRIMP PASTA WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND FRESH BASIL (SERVES 3)

1 box quinoa pasta, boiled and strained
15-20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 box cherry tomatoes, halved
6 cloves minced garlic
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
6 large leaves fresh basil, chopped
Grated parmesan, asiago, or romano cheese for on top (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste (may also add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian dry herbs, etc)

First things you want to do are to get the water for the pasta boiling and the shrimp ready to go.  Throw some salt and pepper on those shrimp before you cook them, and then toss them in a hot frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil for about a minute on each side.  Once the shrimp are opaque and pink, pull them out and set them aside.  Then put your measured olive oil in the frying pan, heat it, and toss in the garlic.  Only allow the garlic to cook for about a minute, then throw in your tomatoes.  As they simmer, add in the balsamic vinegar and spices.  Use the olive oil and vinegar to taste...you can always add more if you want, but you can't take extra out!

When the pasta is cooked and strained, throw it back into the empty pot and toss in the tomato mixture.  Then add the shrimp and basil, tossing until the pasta is coated.  If you need more olive oil or vinegar, now's the time to add it in.  Finally top with your choice of cheese and enjoy!

It's a super simple recipe...it's flavorful and a little sweet, and it's actually really healthy!  Shrimp and other shellfish have a TON of protein, and olive oil has essential fats.  But if you can't find shrimp on sale, you could make a similar dish with chicken...OR try adding some cannelini beans for protein instead.



STEAMED ASPARAGUS WITH EGGLESS HOLLANDAISE

1 bunch asparagus, steamed
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 tsp corn starch
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter OR Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste


Put all the ingredients in your trusty blender EXCEPT the butter, garlic and cornstarch.  While pulsing to mix it evenly, microwave the butter and garlic until melted.  Then add the melted butter and garlic to the blender and blend until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in the cornstarch and make sure its completely dissolved.  Then, transfer the mix to a small sauce pot and heat to a simmer, stirring gently.  Once the sauce thickens, remove from heat to complete thickening process.  You can continue to heat and cool it to both keep it warm AND the right consistency.  Pour over steamed and strained asparagus and eat ASAP...Hollandaise will cool really quickly.



Those dishes in a restaurant would probably be about $20 a plate, and closer to $25 with the shrimp.  We added up the costs and we estimate $5 a plate (for 3 people) for us to make it at home (remember, we got a bunch of things super on-sale).  Delicious, healthy, allergen-free, and cost effective.  Now that's what I call guiltless gourmet ;)

Breakfast Smoothies - the perfect fuel

I recently took up running again after about a year-long hiatus.  I got a stress fracture in my foot from trail running last spring, and although it still bothers me from time to time, I've decided that it can no longer be an excuse for me to avoid the gym.  I'm feeling excellent about my progress, especially since I have the opportunity during the summer to really devote mental time and energy toward improving my fitness.

Although I'm eating completely allergen-free, I found that the exercise was NOT helping my digestive tract.  My boyfriend suggested that I start drinking breakfast smoothies, and it has been an absolute revelation!  Greek yogurt and skim milk for protein (a lot of store-bought smoothies or shake powders are loaded with allergens and harmful additives...steer clear of those if you can), fresh summer fruit for healthy carbs, oatmeal for fiber, and local honey to help with my seasonal allergies.  I have never felt so good!

I have always been reluctant to become a smoothie drinker because they can be very high in calories and sugar.  Jamba Juice regularly comes up on "Eat this, not that!" as having some of the worst drinks in America.  However, when you're putting smoothies together yourself and you know what's going in them, it can be delicious, healthy, and waistline-conscious.

OLIVIA'S OATMEAL SMOOTHIE

1/2  6 oz. cup Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
1/4  cup skim milk
3/4 - 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit - Just eyeball this.  I often use frozen berries because they aid in the texture of the smoothie, but I also add in fresh bananas, nectarines, peaches, and plums.  Use whatever you have and like.
1-2  tsp local honey
1/3  cup whole oats/uncooked oatmeal

My blender is a pain in the ass, so I add the ingredients one or two at a time to ensure even blending.  If you have the same problem, add the liquidy ingredients and non-frozen fruit first...add the frozen fruit and oats last.  The texture is a bit lumpy I'll admit, but the flavor is divine and I seriously am astounded at how I feel throughout the day.  I skipped a couple days here and there in lieu of toast or just a yogurt, and there is a major difference in my energy level.  AND when I eat my morning smoothie, I stay full until after my afternoon workout, meaning I'm not going to the gym with a belly full of lunch or snacks.  It's not bad at all in calories, contrary to popular belief...all those ingredients add up to between 200 and 300 calories depending upon what fruit you add. Oh, and if you're vegan, you can substitute any alternate yogurts/milks (rice, almond, soy, coconut) OR use peanut butter instead for protein.  It's simple, delicious, and an efficient way to start your day :)

Try it out...hope it gives you the same outstanding results!

Inexpensive, Quick Summer Meals

I just moved to Indiana to return to school, and when I heard there was a weekly summer farmer's market, I made it a priority to go my first week here.  Not only do you find top quality produce and support your local farmers, but you usually get some insane deals.  I got all kinds of delicious fruits and veggies, including farm-fresh tomatoes and raspberries...some of my favorites!  And while I'm sure I could develop a billion fancy feasts with my fully-stocked fridge, neither my boyfriend or I had the energy to cook a real meal on a 90-degree day.  We ended up making something super tasty and fairly quick to throw together, which sometime seems impossible on those endlessly hot days in July and August.  Here's the menu:

EASY MICROWAVE QUESADILLAS

2 corn tortillas (per quesadilla...we each had 2 quesadillas)
1 handful shredded cheese (store-bought will save you time and washing a grater, but its more $)
1 cooked chicken tenderloin (see below)
1 tsp chopped red onion 
1 wedge fresh lime
any other veggies or condiments you might want to include, such as salsa, cilantro, corn, etc.  

The first thing to tackle would be the chicken.  If you want an even quicker meal, you can use canned beans for protein instead of meat.  But we had a whole bag of frozen chicken tenderloins, so we figured we'd better use them.  Make sure to at least salt and pepper each tenderloin before cooking them...this seals in and enhances the flavor of the meat.  We also added a little garlic powder and cayenne pepper for zest.  I'd add seasoning to beans before adding them too, otherwise they'll probably be a little bland.  Then assemble the ingredients between the tortillas (except the lime) and microwave until the cheese is melted.  That's pretty much it!

RASPBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

3 torn romaine lettuce leaves (approx)
1 handful red raspberries
2 tsp chopped red onion
1 oz. goat cheese
choice of dressing to taste (see below for my lemon honey mustard vinaigrette)

It's a salad...you know what to do!  Although, those of us who suffer from soy allergies have a tough time with bottled salad dressing.  This recipe is my favorite...give it a try!

LEMON HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
1/2 fresh lemon
2 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey (I used local honey I got from the Farmer's Market!  NOTE that local honey can help combat seasonal allergies!) 
Salt and pepper to taste

ENJOY!!!!