Sheperd's Pie

This recipe was a pleasant surprise, mostly because I was expecting the healthier alternative to lack in the flavor and heartiness of a traditional Sheperd's Pie.  Alas, it did not!  Most of the Sheperd's Pies I have tried in the past contained ground beef or lamb, and the mashed potatoes most definitely contained butter and cream.  However, I found that this recipe really doesn't force you to make a sacrifice.

Time: 50 minutes (including 25 minutes prep)
Servings: 8
Calories: 290
Ingredients:
     8 medium uncooked red potatoes, peeled and quartered
     2 t EVOO
     1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
     3/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
     1 T EVOO
     1/2 cup chopped onions
     12 oz ground turkey breast
     2 cups chopped zucchini
     14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
     6 oz can tomato paste

Directions:
     1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Coat 8x11 baking dish with cooking spray.
     2.  Place potatoes in large pot and fill with enough water to just cover potatoes.  Boil until potatoes are tender.  Drain potatoes and place back in pot.  Add 2 t EVOO, evaporated milk, 1/4 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mash until fluffy.
     3.  Meanwhile, heat large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add remaining EVOO.  Add onion and turkey, and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Stir in squash, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper to taste.
     4.  Spoon turkey mixture into baking dish.  Spread potatoes over top of turkey mixture, covering completely.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top of potatoes.  Bake until cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before enjoying!

Wilder Ranch State Park and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

  Amanda and I had an entire Sunday with nothing planned, so we decided to make a date out of it.  And what's better at the end of January than a day at the beach?  I've realized that there are many things about the Bay Area that I like, and today highlighted pretty much all of them.  The first thing: the weather.  This past week, it has been near 70 and sunny almost everyday, and today was no different.  So, decked out in flippy-floppys and a Michigan t-shirt for good measure, Amanda and I made the 40 minute drive through the Santa Cruz Mountains to Wilder Ranch State Park.  Which brings me to the second thing I love: the ocean.

  Wilder Ranch State Park is actually a huge brussel sprout farm that happens to lie right along the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean.  Bike trails sprawl along the edge of the cliffs, offering fantastic views of the beaches and caves at the base.  The park is packed with wildlife: one of the beaches is a preserve for endangered plover birds ("plover" like "clover", or "plover" like "lover"? We don't know), and we saw a little patch of rocks that seals were using to sunbathe.

  

  We finally came across a beach that was easily accessible.  It was even equipped with a little cave!  The ferns had grown so long that they touched our heads when we went in to explore.

                                                                       
The third thing I love: the nature.

  Amanda was exploring the inside of the fern cave.  Even though it's hard to tell, the picture below is of seals sunbathing on the rocks.







  After Wilder Ranch, we drove up the coast toward San Francisco.  The drive was amazing, with the ocean on our left and mountains and forests on our right.  I wish I had taken pictures, but you'll have to take my word for it.  We stopped at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve about 15 miles outside of San Francisco.  The whole beach was one big tide pool area.  Wildlife galore!  Even though we were there at high tide (slight fail on our part), there was a lot to see (and touch!).

 





  Amanda, playing with the sea anemones.

 

 



  They would contract every time we touched them.  This guy was particularly large.

 


To the left, Crabby McCrabberson!  And below, more seals resting on the beach.  We will definitely be making this trip again, and we'll be sure to check the tide times!

  

  The fourth, and last (at least for this post), thing I love: San Francisco.  After a day of fun in the sun, Amanda and I continued our drive up the coast to SF.  We ate at a little restaurant that served fresh, locally grown food before we headed back home.  All in all, a great day!

Peruvian Style Chicken with Sweet Onions

My Mom sent a care package a week ago, an inside were some amazing recipes for Kayla and I to try! The last post was our first attempt, and this post was what I made for dinner tonight! I have to say, it may be a little spicy for Kayla's sensitive pallet. Not to mention, she hates peppers. So I opted to try this one out while she was working.

I really liked it! I could definitely tinker with the spices and get a few different flavors going. Perhaps switching up the veggies and a spice would make an entire different meal! My favorite part was using my hands to mix the spice paste with the onions and rub on the chicken... my finger-painting kindergarten self was quite content.

Time: 10 minutes to prep, 45 to cook

Calories: 250

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

  1 sliced lemon

  1.5 tsp oil

  1.5 Tbs paprika

  1 T cumin

  1.5 tsp sea salt

  1.25 tsp black pepper

  1 red pepper, 1 orange pepper, chunked

  5 cloves finely chopped garlic

  2.5 Tbs white wine vinegar

  1 large sweet onion, sliced thick

  2 chicken breasts

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425. Combine paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl.

2) Place onions in a bowl and toss with 2 Tbs of the paste. Rub the chicken with the remaining paste.

3) Place chicken in an oiled roasting pan. Cover with onions and peppers and lemon.

4) Cook for 45 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chinese Fish Packets

Compliments of Mommy :)

Time: 30 min

Calories: 200

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  2 green onions

  1 head baby bok choy

  1 inch piece fresh ginger

  1 clove ginger

2T soy sauce

  4 tilapia fillets

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400. Chop green onions and place in a bowl. Trim and discard the ends of the baby bok choy. Chop the stems and leaves and add to bowl. Peel and mince ginger and garlic and add to the bowl, mix in soy sauce too.

2) Place each fillet on a large piece of tin foil. Top each piece of fish with the well stirred bok choy mixture.  Fold foil over fish and tightly fold the edges. Place packets on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Very light and easy way to cook fish. The entire apartment smelled like we ordered chinese food, but this was much cheaper... always a good thing.

Joe Man the Camera Whore

This post is long overdue...I mean, he's the namesake of this blog fergodsake! As per usual, Joe Man was enjoying the sunshine this morning, so I decided to test out my new camera (thanks Mem and Papa!).  Even though he's a bit socially awkward, he seemed to take to the lens immediately. Since I don't want to seem like a crazy cat lady, I'll limit the photos to three. 

My family rescued Joe Man from a shelter in New Jersey when he was a baby about 3 years ago.  Since he liked me the most, my mom let me steal him when I moved to California.  I packed him into his crate in the backseat of my Beetle and we made the 5 day trek to Cali.  He hardly ever complained (seriously- he quieted down the second we left New Jersey...I wonder what that means), and he has definitely taken to being the only pet in the apartment.

Those eyes.  We love him.

Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry

So, I sort of took a lot of creative liberty with the recipe I read. I lacked certain ingredients, added extra of what I liked, and also took short cuts. What resulted was yummy, but more or less my own creation.

Time: 30 minutes (although you should put the tofu in the fridge, so if you can start a little earlier for extra fridge time, cool. ...can't say I did =P)
Servings: 3
Calories: about 350+50, depending on how much you eat, what veggies you use, etc.
Ingredients:
  Stir-Fry veggies (I used a frozen medly bag, and added extra water chestnuts because I love them oh so much. But really you can use whatever you'd like, including fresh things!)
  1 14oz package of extra firm tofu
  Sesame seed oil
  Sesame seeds
  Soy sauce
  Grated ginger
  Minced garlic
Directions:
1) Dry the tofu to the best of your abilities. I used paper towel. Cut it into 1-inch cubes.
2) In a bowl, combine about 1/2Tbs sesame oil, 1/2Tbs soy sauce. Pour this mixture over the tofu, and make sure to coat them all. If you need more, add a little more of each.
3) Add ginger and garlic to taste (I did a few dashes of ginger, and about two cloves of garlic). You can also add a spicier chili-garlic sauce, or perhaps something tangy like pineapple juice. Mix the tofu so all of the cubes are covered in the oils/spices. Place the tofu in the fridge.
4) If you're like me, take out your frozen veggie bag and follow the directions! I had mine in a skillet for about ten minutes, and also added my extra water chestnuts. I recommend bamboo shoots too! I think my veggie mix had broccoli, baby corn, peppers... all the good stuff.
5) In a separate skillet, heat another 1/2Tbs of sesame oil (or EVOO if you'd like) on high. Take the tofu out of the fridge and pour it in! Lots of sizzling should occur. Shake some sesame seeds on top to coat the tofu. Stir pretty consistently for about 5 minutes on high, to make the tofu crispy. Then turn the
heat to medium to cook for another 5.
6) Transfer the tofu to the "vegetable skillet" and cook them all together for a little bit so the flavors blend.

I think it is very obvious that instead of copying a professional recipe, I completely made this up. Don't judge the ridiculous directions please...

Also, no, no Kayla doesn't like tofu. I won't make her try this concoction.

Couscous Paella Soup

Don't be intimidated by the word paella in this one...it's super easy and pretty fast to cook.  I halved the recipe, but now I wish I had made the full batch. It is that yummy.  Good for a quick weeknight meal or even just a snack, this soup is light and healthy!


Makes: 4 servings
Time: about 30 minutes
Ingredients:
     1 T EVOO
     1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
     1/3 cup finely diced Spanish chorizo or pepperoni
     2 cloves garlic, minced
     8 oz chicken tenders, diced
     4 cups chicken broth
     1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
     pinch of saffron (to give it a nice yellow color...we didn't use this, hence the lack of yellow color)
     salt and pepper, to taste
     1 cup water
     2/3 cup whole wheat couscous
     fresh cilantro (optional...again, we didn't use this)

Directions:
     1.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.  Add bell pepper, onion, pepperoni, and garlic and cook, stirring until veggies begin to soften (about 2 minutes).  Add chicken, broth, peas, saffron, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until veggies are tender (about 8-10 minutes).
     2.  Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in couscous and cover.  Set aside from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
     3.  To serve, mound about 1/2 cup in each bowl.  Ladle soup around couscous and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.  Enjoy!

Sicilian Olive Chicken

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
Calories: about 210
Ingredients:
  1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes (optional: flavored with garlic or other seasonings)
  1.5 cups frozen chopped spinach (we used fresh spinach, guesstimating an amount that looked good)
  1/3 cup halved Sicillian or other green olives (we used black olives, more than 1/3 cup!)
  1 Tbs capers (...we didn't use this)
  1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
  4 4-oz chicken cutlets (we cut two massive chicken breasts in half)
  1/4 tsp ground pepper
  1 Tbs EVOO
Directions:
1) Combine tomatoes, spinach, oives, capers, and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with pepper.
2) Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on one side (2-4 minutes). Turn over; top with tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking until cooked through (3-5 minutes, or until white).

This recipe was ridiculously easy, not to mention you can have some creativity with it! Fima and I definitely did something similar to this in college with tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and a meat. It would be delicious to serve with pasta as well! It was surprisingly flavorful with just the few ingredients it called for.

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

In order to take advantage of my day off, I decided to explore the Santa Cruz mountains a bit. The mountains are a mere 20-45 minutes from our apartment and are chock full of beautiful redwoods and waterfalls. On the docket today was the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.


The Forest of Nisene Marks was at one point a massive untouched redwood forest, but in the 1880s, a logging and railroad company destroyed most of the trees. What is left today is a forest in recovery, although you wouldn't know it at first glance. The redwoods here are just as daunting as the virgin redwoods in the park's sister site, Big Basin Redwoods State Park (another favorite of ours), and all that remains of the railroad and logging company are a few historical markers and a raised pathway that has conveniently been transformed into a trail.


The loop I took was about 10 miles round trip with a pretty little waterfall at the end (or half-way point, I guess). While the trail had its steep grades at times, only a few were actually butt-kickers, and I made it out relatively unscathed!

This was the sign that greeted me at the beginning of the trail. I particularly like the "avoid hiking alone" bit (I was alone).

This raised grade is the only evidence that remains of the 1880's railroad.

Even though the forest is still recovering from the logging industry, the redwoods seemed pretty big to me.

Big chunks of the trail were along the sides of mountains, creating a somewhat treacherous trek. A picture doesn't really do it justice.

This little guy kept me company for a lot of my hike. The sound of the creek made up for the (somewhat unnerving) silence of the forest.

Grawp was playing Lincoln Logs.

This 30 foot waterfall was about a mile after the "formal trail" ended.

Pretty trees!

A grove of baby redwoods doing what they do best.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Chutney

This recipe is compliments of my wonderful sister, Jayme Smith. It was amazingly easy to make, and has a zing of flavor. Basically, isn't avocado delicious?

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: about 160 per servings
Ingredients:
  Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper
  2 boneless chicken breasts
  2 Tbs EVOO
  1 med red onion, diced
  2 Tbs lime juice
  1 avocado, cut into chunks

Directions:
1. Halve chicken breasts (butterfly). Combine 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or some equivalent ratio) and rub all over chicken.
2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add chicken. Brown the chicken, about 8 to 10 minutes per side (make sure it is white throughout).
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine onion and lime juice. Just before servings, fold in avocado to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Evenly divide the mixture on the 4 pieces of chicken

Green Soup with Yam and Sage

I spent a really large chunk of today making this soup. Of course, by "really large," I mean a couple hours. Kayla was at work, and the quantity of chopping for this recipe was more extensive than previously acknowledged. However, I REALLY like it. Although, I am quite partial to this sort of soup. It is very smooth, and light. It makes A LOT of soup, however, it is quite low in calories, so you can eat a lot. Not to mention, keep it in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Makes: 8 servings (1.5 cups each)
Calories per serving: 125
Time: 2 hours total
Ingredients:  
  3 Tbs EVOO
  2 large onions, chopped

  1 tsp salt

  4 cups water

  4 sliced garlic cloves

  1/2 tsp thyme

  1 large bunch of kale

  2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1.25lbs)

  12oz spinach

  1 tsp sage

  4 cups vegetable broth

  1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:

1) Heat Tbs EVOO in large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1.4tsp salt; cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 Tbs water, garlic, thyme, and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cols down, then occasionally (always recovering pan) until they have a deep caramel color (about 30 minutes).

2) Meanwhile, remove stems and ribs from Kale and stems from spinach. Chop kale and spinach (do not combine them!). Peel and dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Put the spinach aside.

3) Add 4 cups water and some salt into a big soup pot. Add kale, potato, and sage. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to summer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

4) Stir in spinach, return to a simmer and cover and cook for 10 minutes (stirring once in the middle). When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering soup liquid into them. Add them to the soup. Add broth to the soup. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook for additional 5 minutes.

5) Puree the soup with a blender in batches (blends really easily, don't worry!). Return blended mixture back to pot, and add cayenne, some pepper, and the lemon juice. If it is too sweet, add more lemon juice. Basically add anything you'd like to taste!

Halibut Packets w/ Mushrooms and Polenta & Zu-canoes

Amanda and I were feeling particularly ambitious yesterday and decided to try two new recipes. It turned out to be a solid choice. Both recipes are ridiculously easy and delicious. The zu-canoes are essentially bruschetta with zucchini instead of bread...a light and healthy substitute. First things first, the appetizer:

Zu-canoes

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1 T EVOO

1 T white-wine vinegar

1 T minced shallot

1 cup quartered grape tomatoes

1/2 cup diced mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Trim both ends off zucchini; cut in half lengthwise. Cut a thin slice off back so each half sits flat (yay presentation!). Scoop out the pulp. Finely chop the pulp and set aside.

2. Place the zucchini halves in microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and microwave on high until tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot, and remaining salt and pepper in medium bowl. Add tomatoes, cheese, basil, zucchini pulp; toss to combine.

4. Divide the filling among the zucchini canoes and enjoy!

And now, the main course!

Halibut Packets with Mushrooms and Polenta

*a small side note: we decided to use cod instead of halibut due to how ridiculously expensive halibut was at the store. Also, we weren't feeling adventurous enough to actually use the polenta (and I didn't even know where to look for it at the store), so we completely nixed the polenta, and it turned out fine.

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 45 minutes (15 cooking)

Ingredients:

1 T EVOO

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup sliced red onion

4 cloves minced garlic

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup white wine, preferably pinot grigio

*1 14-18 oz tube prepared polenta, sliced into 8 rounds

4 5-oz halibut or cod fillets, skinned

salt

pepper

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450. Tear off 4 sheets of parchment paper or foil.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until starting to brown. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown (4-7 minutes). Add wine and scrape up any browned bits. Remove from heat.

3. To make packets, place 2 slices of polenta (if you so desire) on sheet. Place fillet on top of polenta and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide the mushroom mixture among the packets. Fold packets up and seal with small, tight folds.

4. Place packets on baking sheet and bake until fish is cooked through (~14 minutes).

5. Sprinkle finished product with fresh basil and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew

Amanda and I tried out a new recipe yesterday...our first attempt at using a slow-cooker and an overall success! This chicken stew was nice and hearty, but not too heavy. It definitely helped to keep us warm in this cold California weather (today it was only 68...brrr!).

Makes: 8 servings

Time: 45 minutes prep, 4-8 hours cooking

Ingredients:

6 T, 1/2 cup flour

1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper (both to taste)

2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 t EVOO

3 pieces of bacon, chopped (we used turkey bacon- just as yummy)

1 2/3 cups Guinness beer (or other stout)

1 pound whole baby carrots or large carrots chopped

8 oz package of cremini or button mushrooms, halved

2 cups chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 t dried thyme

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed

Directions:

1. Combine 6 T flour with 1/2 t each salt and pepper. Dredge chicken thighs in mixture to coat completely; transfer to a plate.

2. Heat 2 t EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until well browned (2-4) minutes per side; transfer to slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and repeat with remaining 2 t EVOO and chicken thighs. Arrange the chicken in an even layer in the slow cooker.

3. Add bacon to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle remaining flour over bacon, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add stout and use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Add carrots, mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme, spreading in an even layer over the chicken. Pour broth over the tope.

4. Cover and cook until the chicken is falling apart, 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.

5. Stir in peas, cover and cook until peas are heated through (~5 minutes).

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy! One serving is about 1 1/3 cup.

Turkey, Corn, and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps

This afternoon Kayla made this yummy recipe, our first of many to come hopefully! Amanda took advantage of the left-overs when she got home from work. They seem very easy and fast to make, but are quite tasty. 


Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
Calories: between 300 and 350
Ingredients: 1 cup corn kernels
                  1/2 cup fresh tomato
                  1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomato
                  2 tbs canola oil
                  1 tbs red wine vinegar
                  8 slices deli turkey
                  4 whole grain tortillas
                  2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Directions: Combine corn, tomato, sun-dried tomato, oil, and vinegar in a bowl. Divide turkey among the tortillas, and top with equal amounts of the mixture, along with the lettuce.

Mission Peak

Today we hiked to the top of Mission Peak Regional Preserve. What is that you ask? Well here is the description:


Level: Strenuous
Total distance: 6.6 miles round-trip
Elevation change: 2,000 ft
Description: Some of the grades are quite steep, and with its shadeless slopes, the peak can bake in summer. The trail has a reputation for being a butt-kicker.


It was definitely a beautiful hike. It had amazing views of the South Bay, the northern Santa Cruz Mountains, the Peninsula, San Francisco, and the summits of the Sierra Nevada. It took us about 3 hours to hike to the peak, and then 1.5 hours to return to our car. We split it up into small goals along the way, and took plenty of breaks for water.

There were also other cool things to see, in addition to the views. Crazy people were running or biking the path. Others brought their adorable dogs. Some were hang-gliding from the top. Also, you can't forget the cows...

Honestly, we did not believe we would make it to the top when we set out. On our descent, Kayla kept singing the "we did it!"-diddy used in this epic youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYi0P7VFWkY. Amanda only fell 5 times on the way down, and successfully avoided twisting an ankle (did hurt her hand a bit though).

Yes, our knees, butts, thighs, and ankles are sore, but it was quite the accomplishment for us!