Chicken and Pork Pho

The Ingredients

1 box chicken stock

2 tbsp miso

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 cups water

1 lemon grass stick

3 bay leaves

2 chicken breasts

3 small pork loins

dried chili peppers

Cut the chicken breasts and pork loins into small strips, removing some of the fat. Set this aside. In a pot, mix all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-high heat and then add the meats. Cook slowly for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and lemon grass stick and serve. 

On the side, I added fresh cilantro, lime wedges, bean sprouts, and hot sauce. Yum! 

The simmering broth

Side fixins

PHO-nal product! 

Heart of Palm Topped Portobello Mushrooms

The Ingredients

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup basil

4 hearts of palm

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

salt 

pepper

5 portobello mushrooms 

Combine all ingredients and mix in a food processor so there are chunks and it isn't perfectly smooth- you want some texture! Set aside the mixture- it will be used in a bit.

Please the five portobello mushrooms in a baking pan and cook for seven minutes at 350 degrees. Remove them from the oven and top with the heart of palm mixture. Then, cook for 12 minutes. Enjoy! 

Mixing it up

The mixture

The final product! 

Zucchini Flower Fritters

The Ingredients

Zucchini flowers

1 packet of active dry yeast

1/2 cup chick pea flour

1/2 cup water

salt

pepper

avocado oil

My mother-in-law had some serious zucchini flowers in bloom, so I made sure to take them for a tasty dish. They apparently open up really nicely in the morning, so I picked them off the zucchini (which did not need to be picked and can be eaten later). The recipe found here is what I know from my nonna and mother- the way they are made in Italy. (The right way :P). 

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup warm water with the active dry yeast. Let it activate for 30 minutes and set aside. In another bowl, mix the flour with salt and pepper and coat the zucchini flowers with the mixture. Add the yeast mixture to the zucchini flowers. This will be sticky. 

Coat a skillet with some avocado oil- which does excellent in higher heat. Keep the skillet on med-high heat and drop in the zucchini flower fritters. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden-brown. They make an excellent side dish or appetizer. Wait- these are vegan AND gluten-free. Woohoo!!! Enjoy! 

Frying time

As a side dish to my chicken and swiss chard- recipe to come! 

Falafel

The Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 green onion

2 generous sprigs of parsley

1/2 cup cilantro

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup chickpea flour

cumin

coriander

cayenne

cardamom 

salt

pepper

olive oil

I had a can of garbanzo beans I wanted to use up so I decided to make my own falafel. Chop the parsley, cilantro, green onion, and garlic and add to the food processor along with the chickpeas. Add salt, pepper, and spices to taste. Then, add the chickpea flour so the mixture thickens up and becomes more cohesive. Form small balls- I don't like mine too large because it increases the cooking time. Mine are like golf balls in size which is perfect to add to a salad or small pita. Once the falafel balls are prepped, you can cook them in a skillet on medium heat with some olive oil, making sure to turn them over when needed. This tasty treat is both vegan and gluten-free. I like serving mine with a yogurt sauce, though. 

Pre-cooking

Golden brown and ready to eat! 

Strawberry Basil Chia Pudding

The Ingredients

1/2 cup chia seeds

2 cups almond milk

zest of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup basil

honey to taste

Combine the chia seeds and almond milk into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and let soak for a minimum of four hours. It will have the same consistency of a tapioca or rice pudding- nice and thick! When it is ready to eat, mix in honey to taste. Add strawberries and basil (which I like to chiffonade into small strips) and enjoy. A super healthy treat with lots of flavor. 

Veggie Frittata

The Ingredients

4 eggs

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 green onion

1 tomato on the vine

10 broccoli florets

2 cups kale

5 small sweet bell peppers

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup fontina cheese

salt

pepper

olive oil

I got a new Le Creuset skillet that I was dying to use. Lucky for me, I had four eggs I needed to cook and a ton of produce. The first idea that came in mind was an omelette, but then I realized I could amp it up. 

First, I chopped up the garlic cloves and cut the green onion using kitchen shears. I coated the bottom of my skillet with some olive oil and then threw in the garlic cloves. Then, I added the kale so it would cook down a bit. I knew I needed to bring down the veggie-to-egg ratio by breaking down the kale and cooking it first. I lightly sautéd the kale with garlic and olive oil for a few minutes and set it aside in a bowl. Turn off the skillet. 

Then, chop up the broccoli florets, green onion, and tomato. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This should all be mixed well in a bowl. 

Once the vegetables are seasoned and mixed together, add the 4 eggs and Greek yogurt into another bowl. Add the vegetables. Lightly coat the skillet with olive oil once it has cooled and add the egg and vegetable mixture. Top with sliced fontina cheese (or any other good-melting cheese) and cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

ENJOY!