January 24, 2017

Green curry fish stew

January 24, 2017/ Rebecca Davis

Guys, Friday happened. I'm still in denial and I can't have wine for 6 MORE DAYS. Why did I do a Whole 30 now? I'm talking about the inauguration of DJT, obviously. A more thoughtful post is in the works, but I couldn't write about food without mentioning the thing that has occupied my brain for the past week.

For me, one of the things I like about having a child is that his needs are so immediate that caring for him forces me to be in the moment much more than I ever was pre-parenthood. That required compartmentalizing has gotten me through the past few days. I feel this way about cooking too. It's an activity that forces me to pay attention and helps me to block out the worry that can sometimes drag me into its vortex.

So, it'll be an active four years in my kitchen.

No doubt, I'll be making this Thai green curry fish stew A LOT. It's a very delicious vehicle for vegetables and while not technically "hiding" them, the vegetables become part of a whole and don't taste like themselves necessarily. When M was a baby, one of his favorite purees from Baby Foode was chicken, carrots, mango, and Thai red curry paste, so he's always liked these flavors.

This version of Thai curry is not at all traditional and is also technically more of a soup than a stew because there's a lot of sauce. But to me, that's the best part, so I'm not complaining. If you're doing a Whole 30 or are just curious about what's in your food, check your labels because not all Thai curry pastes are created equal. Thai Kitchen brand is definitely Whole 30 compliant.

And don't be scared of kohlrabi. If you can't find it, cabbage or broccoli stalks are the closest substitutes and also the closest in taste. You can eat kohlrabi raw, sauteed, boiled, or roasted and it's available in most grocery stores and farmer's markets. Here is a great description of what kohlrabi is and some suggestions about what to do with it.

A note about stock: Read carefully because we've only found one brand that is Whole 30 compliant. We could make it ourselves, but stock is one food prep area where I get REALLY lazy, largely because we have a store around the corner that makes homemade stock that is cheap, Whole 30 compliant, and really really good. And then I don't have to handle a whole raw chicken again. Bully for me.

Green curry fish stew

½ large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cup fish stock (or chicken/vegetable stock or water if you can't find a Whole 30 compliant stock)
1 can full-fat coconut milk
5 Tbsp Thai green curry paste (or just go ahead and use the entire little bottle)
1 pint mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch baby broccoli (if using regular broccoli, use 6 oz or about 2 cups)
1 medium kohlrabi bulb, chopped
2 cups raw baby spinach (1 cup frozen)
1 lb white fish (thawed, if frozen)
2 Tbsp fish sauce
Cilantro for garnish

Heat oil over a medium flame and add onion and garlic, cooking until the onions are opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they start to wilt a bit, about 5 more minutes. Add the baby broccoli and cook for one minute. (I removed the long stems because they didn’t fit into my pot, but you can absolutely leave them on or cut them up into chunks.)

Add the coconut milk and the fish stock and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, kohlrabi, and fish and bring back to a boil (this only takes a minute). Push the fish down to make sure it's covered by the cooking liquid.

When the pot is back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer until the fish is flaky. I had extremely thin slices of cod, so this only took about 8 minutes, but if your fish is thicker, it will take longer. When the fish is cooked, stir in the fish sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Makes 7-8 cups, which was about 4 adult servings and 2 toddler servings

January 17, 2017

Buffalo chicken and cauliflower burgers

January 17, 2017/ Rebecca Davis

Buffalo chicken burger | Me & The Moose. This burger is perfect for lunch or dinner or game day snacks. Throw an egg on top and it could also be breakfast. #meandthemoose #Glutenfree #burgers #easydinner #quickdinner #dinnerrecipes #lunch #lunchrecipes #gamedaysnacks #buffalochickenburger

These burgers have all the familiar flavors of a buffalo wing, but with a little extra nutrition from the cauliflower, ground almonds, and ground chicken.

Take me to the recipe!

Frank’s Red Hot and butter do a lot of the heavy lifting, flavor-wise. But these patties are so easy to throw together and taste so good. Using pre-riced cauliflower saves a step. For the rest, you just throw the ingredients together in a bowl, mix with your hands, and sear a couple of burgers in a hot skillet while basting with a mixture of the melted butter and hot sauce.

If you’re worrying that the cauliflower ruins an otherwise good burger, fear not. You can’t actually taste the cauliflower at all.

I also use almond meal or flour (either is fine- use whatever you have) as a binder with an egg, but since these are burgers and not a meatloaf or meatball, the binding is less important. Lots of burgers are simply meat and spices mixed together, so you can leave out the almond meal if you have an allergy or don’t have any.

These burgers are also really versatile if you want to make them into sliders or meatballs as a game day snack. You can also make extras and freeze a batch for the future. I like throwing a fried egg on top and calling these breakfast or tossing them into a salad with some crumbled blue cheese for lunch or a light dinner.

Buffalo chicken burgers

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 burgers

1 lb ground chicken
1 cup riced cauliflower
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
½ cup almond meal
1 egg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp butter
4-6 Tbsp Frank’s hot sauce

Add chicken, cauliflower, onion, garlic, almond meal, and egg to a large bowl and combine using your hands or a spatula. Form into 6 equal patties using a 1/3 cup measure.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the hot sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter and heat over a medium low flame. When hot, add chicken patties and turn up the flame to medium.

While the first side is browning, sprinkle some of the butter/hot sauce mixture onto each patty being careful not to touch the raw meat with your brush or spoon. When the first side has a good sear, flip the burgers over and coat the other side with butter/hot sauce.

After 2-3 minutes, check the sear. If brown enough for your liking, turn the flame down to medium-low, cover, and let cook for another 5-6 minutes. When meat thermometer has reached 165, your burgers are done.

January 13, 2017

Citrus salad with shrimp and fennel

January 13, 2017/ Rebecca Davis

Celebrate peak citrus season with grapefruit, blood orange, cara cara orange, pomelo, and Meyer lemon which are paired with creamy avocado, cumin-scented shrimp, and crunchy fennel for a quick, filling, seasonal salad.

Jump to the recipe!

The bleak, blech, boring days of winter are here. So I’m combating my seasonal affective disorder with the brightest foods I can find. I’m also not immune to the whole, “new year, new me” fervor that overtakes everyone in January. But truly, after a month of eating cookies and cakes and heavy things, it does feel nice to reset a little with some salads.

But I know, I know. Winter doesn’t exactly scream “SALAD SEASON.” But this one is extremely satisfying. It’s also very filling (half an avocado, 2/3 of a pound of shrimp, and a boatload of fruits and vegetables will do that) so you won't have salad for dinner and then the contents of your pantry for dessert.

Citrus salad with shrimp and fennel

Time: about 30 minutes, all active
Yield: Serves 2 adults and two kids* as a main dish, 4-5 adults as a side

1.5 lb raw shrimp
¾ tsp (heaping ½ tsp) cumin
¾ tsp (heaping ½ tsp) coriander
½ tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch winter greens or lettuce such as kale or romaine (about 3-4 cups chopped)
1 pomelo or yellow grapefruit
1 red grapefruit
2 cara cara or navel orange
1 blood oranges
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
1 large avocado, sliced
¼ cup roasted pepitas

For the meyer lemon vinaigrette:
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 ½ meyer lemons or 1 regular lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp kosher salt

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium flame. Add shrimp and sprinkle with cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to coat. Cook until shrimp are uniformly pink and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.

If the pepitas aren’t already roasted, preheat your oven or toaster to 350 and roast the seeds until just beginning to smell nutty and to brown, about 5 minutes, but keep an eye out to prevent burning.

While the shrimp cooks, wash your greens, remove the tough center rib of any kale or collards, and chop. Add to your serving bowl and set aside. Thinly slice the red onion, fennel, and avocado. Set aside.

Remove the skin from your citrus fruits by cutting a slice from the top and bottom and then running your knife along the sides from cut to cut, removing the skin in pieces. Section the fruit by cutting along the thin inner membrane to remove each piece. Set aside.

Make the vinaigrette by combining all ingredients and shaking well to combine.

Add the vinaigrette to the kale and toss.

Top with shrimp, citrus fruits, avocado, fennel, and red onion in whatever presentation you like. Toss (or leave the components separate if serving this to guests or you just want to be fancy) and sprinkle pepitas over the top.

*For my younger kiddo, I sautéed the onions and fennel and served the salad in its components to make it easier for him to eat.

January 10, 2017

Spanish-inspired potato, fennel, and chorizo frittata

January 10, 2017/ Rebecca Davis

Spanish frittata | Me & The Moose. This Whole 30-compliant frittata is another fast and easy Whole 30 recipe that is on the table in minutes, requires only a few ingredients, and is interesting and delicious for the entire family. #meandthemoose #whole30 #whole30recipes #frittata #easydinner #quickdinner #dinnerrecipes #fritattarecipes

This easy frittata is inspired by the perfect Tortilla Espanola, but is a) easier; b) faster, and c) includes more stuff. Oh, and it happens to be dairy and gluten-free.

Take me to the recipe!

I based this recipe on Mario Batali's Tortilla Espanola from Food & Wine. After doing a lot of research on tradition recipes for this dish, I realized that they all required frying the potatoes in several cups of oil and then flipping the entire egg and vegetable structure over and over using a large plate and a cast iron pan while cooking. What?!?! Do Spanish people do this with toddlers underfoot? If so, I salute you, Spanish parents. I wasn't game to take this on, but MB's recipe uses much less oil and forgoes the flipping, proving that it can be done! I cooked this like a frittata, letting the eggs set on the side and then cooking the rest in the oven because, laziness.

Spanish-inspired potato, fennel, and chorizo frittata

Time: 30-45 minutes, half active, half hands-off
Yield: 6 adult servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb potatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch thick pieces or thinner
1 large fennel bulb (about 8 oz), sliced thinly
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 scallions, chopped
2 small links chorizo (4 oz), sliced OR 1 package of soyrizo
8-12 eggs, depending on how large your pan is or how much filling you use

Preheat oven to 350. Heat your oil in a 10-inch cast iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat.

Add the sliced potatoes and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often to prevent browning, until the potatoes are fork tender. Cooking time with vary depending on the thickness of your potatoes, but plan for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, crack 8 eggs and whisk to combine the whites and yolks. Don’t overwhisk! These don’t need to be frothy, just combined.

Once your potatoes and fennel are tender, add the scallions and cook for one minute more.

Add the chorizo and stir just to distribute.

Top with the eggs. If the eggs don’t come up at least 3/4 of the way to to the top of the veggies, crack a few more, whisk, and add to the pan.

Cook on the stovetop until the sides begin to set, about 7-10 minutes. Put into the oven to cook through, about 10-12 minutes. Check the middle with a skewer, chop stick, or popsicle stick to test for doneness.

Serve immediately or let sit out for up to three hours. This is also delicious cold!

January 05, 2017

15-minute chicken

January 05, 2017/ Rebecca Davis

Ooof. This is the part of Whole 30 in which I just want to take a LOOOOOONG nap. I think my intense holiday cookies-for-breakfast habit is making this first week tougher than any of my other rounds. I haven't wanted to cheat...actually, I totally wanted a slice of pizza yesterday. Nevermind. So, I've wanted to cheat, but haven't because I have the vision of how great I'll feel in a few days dancing in my head.

What helps during these tired, saggy days at the beginning is having a few really fast recipes ready. We also bought a pressure cooker last year, which has been incredible during Whole 30 because we don't even have to "set it and forget it." We can literally forget it and then do it when we panic that there's nothing for dinner. Not that we ever do that.

15-minute chicken | Me & The Moose. This Whole 30-compliant chicken is made with an instant pot or other pressure cooker and is ready sooo fast. It’s full of garlic and tomatoes and is incredibly savory and rich, but is also clean and simple. #m…

This recipe is based on a classic from Gourmet that I found via Smitten Kitchen. We've made the original and it is stupidly easy and GLORIOUS. But it requires a few hours of cooking time and I lack the mental energy for that at the moment. Also, we OD'd on red meat at the end of the year, so we decided to try this with a whole chicken in the pressure cooker. You could definitely make this with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, breasts, or a combination of both, but I wouldn't do boneless, skinless anything because the fat from the skin and bones is what gives the sauce its richness. Also, 3-4 lbs of chicken may seem like a lot, but the chicken, like the meat in the original recipe, is slightly more delicious the next day. I do recommend straining the fat after cooking because there's quite a bit of it. Also, don't skimp on the garlic. You may balk at the idea of feeding a head of garlic to a toddler, but leaving the skin means that the cloves get all mellow and buttery without disintegrating in the sauce and making the whole thing taste overwhelmingly garlicky.

We served this with some smashed potatoes that we just chopped, placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and microwaved for 8 minutes until fork tender and then smashed with a few Tbsp of clarified butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

We bought our chicken pre-cut at the grocery store, but you could get your butcher to cut a whole chicken for you or do it yourself at home.

Pressure cooked chicken with garlic and tomatoes

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, about 4 lbs
1 box/large can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes, about 28 oz
1 head of garlic
S/P

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pressure cooker, largest pieces on the bottom. Take apart the bulb of garlic and remove only the flaky outer skin that comes off easily, leaving on the layer of skin around each clove. Add the garlic to the pressure cooker and space out the cloves to avoid any clumps of garlic. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken and garlic and close the pressure cooker. Set to high pressure and poultry, or 15 minutes. Cook. Let the pressure release on its own once cooking is over.

To crisp the chicken skin slightly, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired crispness. The skin won’t get CRISPY since the chicken is already cooked, but it will firm up a bit. If you plan to remove the skin, skip this step and eat immediately.

Yield: 2 hearty meals for a family of 2 adults and a toddler, plus extra sauce to strain and use in other recipes, if desired.