The Healthy Kitchen: the grain superfood

 For those of us that are trying to eat healthier there is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out how to make some of your favorite meals in a healthier way. Well, let me introduce you to Quinoa. This little grain packs quite a punch and you can substitute it for some of the grains in your favorite meals or add it to meals for some added nutrition. 

What makes quinoa so healthy?

Quinoa is a whole grain and is high in protein. 1 cup of quinoa provides 8.14g of protein. These proteins also provide a wide range of amino acids that help with muscle development and immunity. This makes quinoa a great option for those on vegetarian and vegan diets. 

Since quinoa is a whole grain, it is high fiber. In 1 cup you will get 5.18g of fiber (15.42% of the daily requirement) This can help reduce the risk of some health conditions and help those of us suffering from certain medical conditions like diabetes. 

1 cup of quinoa also provides 2.76 mg of iron. Adequate iron levels is important for a number of systems including oxygen, energy, muscle metabolism, and etc. 

Quinoa is naturally gluten free, and it has 39.4 g of carbs. Now I know that 39 carbs sound like a lot, but with the high fiber and high protein this actually makes a good substitute for rice, especially white rice, and it is a great way to add some filling to meals like soups. I have really loved adding quinoa to my soups. It makes them more filling and less goes a bit further than it normally would. 

Some tips for cooking with quinoa.

Make sure you rinse it well. 

You can use a rice cooker to cook quinoa perfectly.

It takes on the flavor of what it's cooked in.

A little goes a long way when adding to soups. It will still soak up some of the liquid even after its been cooked so bear that in mind when adding to your recipes. 

Quinoa can be refrigerated and frozen and reheated and holds up fine. 

This is a great alternative if you are looking to eat a bit healthier and would like to get some more nutrition in your system. Quinoa can also be added to things like meatloaf, desserts, etc. It is a very versatile grain, and it is not too expensive. I look forward to using this more and hope you get a chance to try it. 

It is really good in chili in my opinion. 

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mardis Gras is a celebration held to end the pre-lenten time before Ash Wednesday. There are many ways to celebrate but food is a big one! As they say in Louisiana Laissez les bons temps rouler or let the good times roll!

Cajun food is one of my favorite regional foods. I love the spiciness of it and add in the seafood and smoky flavors...Yumm! I have not been to New Orleans yet but plan on going this summer and I can't wait to eat there!

Today, in honor of Mardis Gras, I am going to introduce you to a few of the meals I have made recently that have a cajun flare even if they may not be traditional. Most everyone knows about the popular dishes like jambalaya and gumbo, but those I had made before and wanted to try something new. 

So, to get things started we have my take on red beans and rice but made a bit healthier with quinoa instead of rice. 

The ingredients:

1 package Andouille sausage

1 bay leaf

3 cans of red kidney beans

2 celery ribs chopped.

3 cloves of garlic

1 green bell pepper

2 TBSP of parsley

1 sweet onion

3 C chicken stock

2 TBSP tomato paste

1tsp hot sauce

1 C basmati rice (or quinoa)

1.5 tsp Cajun seasoning

a pinch of salt and pepper

1 TBSP vegetable oil

The recipe:

In a large saucepan cook rice according to instructions and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage in batches to cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned and set aside. 

Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook stirring occasionally until tender. 

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and Cajun seasoning until fragrant.

Stir in the red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf, and sausage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until reduced an additional 15 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, mash the beans until slightly thickened and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with rice or quinoa.

Next, we have a Shrimp and Grits Casserole, I added some Cajun seasoning not called for in the recipe, traditionally I believe this is actually a low country regional recipe but it popular in Cajun cooking as well. 

The ingredients:

2 TBSP butter

1 bunch scallions chopped

1/2 lrg red bell pepper chopped

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 can Rotel drained

2 C chicken broth

2/3 C quick cooking grits not instant

salt and pepper to taste

1lb large shrimp peeled, deveined, and cooked

2 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

1 large egg beaten

1 1/4 C shredded gouda cheese

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375.

Butter baking dish, 8x8 preferred.

Heat butter over med-hi heat in saucepan, add scallion and peppers cook until beginning to soften. 

Stir in garlic, Rotel, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and slowly stir in grits.

Stir continuously until returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-7 min or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in shrimp, bacon, egg, and 1 C cheese and transfer to baking dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until heated through and bubbling. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Next, we have Creole eggs with andouille sausage. Creole cooking is also used a lot in Louisiana and is considered to be a bit more rustic. Funny enough I heard of this recipe when watching NCIS New Orleans and thought I'd find a recipe and it was surprisingly good! This is traditionally served on toast, but I was out of bread, so I used tortillas instead. 

The ingredients:

1 TBSP butter

1/4 C chopped mushrooms 

1 TBSP chopped onion

1TBSP chopped bell pepper

1 C crushed tomatoes (I used Rotel instead)

1 TBSP of capers (I did used thyme instead)

6 large eggs beaten

4 slices of toast

Cut up andouille sausage

The recipe:

Melt butter in a large skillet over med-hi heat. 

Cook and stir mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper until soft. 

Add tomatoes and capers/thyme and bring to a simmer.

Pour beaten eggs over the vegetable mixture. (I added 1tsp of creole seasoning to the eggs)

Cook and stir the eggs until scrambled and no longer runny. 

Spoon mixture over toast. Serve with a side of cooked andouille sausage. 

Next, we have a Cajun pizza. This was kind of made up the only thing I looked up was a sauce. Basically, just a pizza sauce with Cajun seasoning added. 

The ingredients:

Pizza crust

pizza sauce

Cajun Seasoning

Whatever topping you like (I used andouille sausage diced, roasted red peppers, and pepperjack cheese)

The recipe:

Just mix the Cajun seasoning in with your sauce. Then layer your pizza I like a bit of sauce then a bit of cheese, then toppings, then topped with a bit more cheese. I also sprinkled more of the Cajun seasoning then all over the top. 

Bake as directed for your crust. 

And lastly, we have Cajun egg bites, I served these again with the cheese gouda grits with bacon. This is another twist on a classic to give it a Cajun flare.

The ingredients: 

6 Eggs scrambled

andouille sausage diced

gouda or pepperjack cheese shredded

diced peppers

Rotel 

Cajun seasoning

The recipe:

In a muffin pan, sprayed with oil, add the diced andouille, peppers, and a bit of Rotel. I then baked in the oven for about 5 minutes just to get things softened a bit. Then after it cooled a bit, I added the shredded cheese to the top. 

Scramble your eggs and add in a bit of Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper. Top each muffin cup with the egg mixture and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

For the grits, I just made them as instructed on the box but when done added some smoked gouda and crumbled bacon.

I hope these recipes gave you some ideas and also showed you that you can change everyday dishes into a flavor you love with a few changes here and there. 

Introducing out first in person event! Apey's Kitchen Market Days!

 So as most of you know, we have a pretty good farmers market but this past year I did not make it as often as I had hoped so to fix that and make it a bit more fun, I am inviting you all to come with me!

This will be an ongoing monthly event starting in March. This will occur on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We will meet at 9am. The March and April location will be at Union Station and the summer market beginning in May will be on Adams St. between 4th and 5th St. I will post meeting locations later. 

This will be a great time to visit, shop, get our ingredients, and just have a good time! 

This is not only a great time for us but a great way to shop local and support our local businesses and farmers. There are not only plants and produce for sale, but they have other food products like my favorite olive oil and bakeries, and coffee roasters. You never know what you will find. 

Feel free to come as you can or if you want join me each month! I hope to see you all at the market!

The Healthy Kitchen: grocery shopping guide

 When trying to eat healthy, your diet actually begins at the grocery store. You set yourself up for failure if you are constantly buying food that you shouldn't eat. This is a bit more complicated if you are eating different than the rest of your family. Even as a single person, it took me awhile to grasp this concept. I would buy the sweets and the chips and tell myself that I would just eat a few. Next thing I knew, the whole bag would be gone. Am I telling you never to buy those treats? No of course not. But work out a system that works for you and gives you more of a chance for success.  

Grocery Tip #1: Have a base shopping list that you shop from.

I keep a list of foods on my phone that I can eat as part of a healthy diet. I make it a checklist, so when I have bought an item, I can mark it off. Then when I am meal planning, I know what foods I have to work with. This also gives me a blueprint for things that I can eat that are better for me. In my case, I stick to whole grains, high protein, low carb, and no added sugar. Pinterest has loads of suggestions for a base list that you can use for any diet imaginable. 

Grocery Tip #2: Meal plan.

Meal planning can take all type of forms and level of detail. Personally, I don't plan down to the day what I am having on that day. I make a list of meals I would like to make over a couple weeks so I know what ingredients I will need. This works for me because my mood changes and I may not want tacos on Tuesday. Or I may have made some Chili and am eating leftovers. I like the flexibility of this type of meal planning. But if you are someone who likes to plan to the day your meals then by all means, buy yourself a planner and do that. If you do plan that way, I would suggest not being super strict with it. Plan for some days where you will eat out and plan for some leftovers (if you eat them) and plan some flexibility into your plan. I don't use a calendar or anything I just start working on my grocery list a few days ahead and thinking about what I want to eat. When I work on my grocery list, I write down what I plan to eat for the week.

Grocery Tip #3: Shop your pantry first.

Before I think about what I need to get at the store, I check my base grocery list (see tip #1) and check my pantry for what items I already have in stock. This includes the fridge and freezer. This is a double check yes, but I may have forgotten to mark something on the list. This also will prevent you from overspending when you already have an item in the pantry. You also will save on food waste if you already have an item in the fridge. Tip: Make sure the product in the fridge has not gone bad while you are checking. Also, don't forget to check your backstock if you have a backstock area. 

Grocery Tip #4: Make your grocery list.

Now that you have figured out what you need and what you have in stock you can make your list. For me this is a little more in depth than just a simple list. I like to shop around to make sure I am getting the best prices. There are certain places I like to get meat. Certain places that have items that no one else carries. So, my process takes more research and time, but I also get the best prices. Do I do this each time? No, I don't, and it depends on what I need. The best way for me to check prices is to use the store's apps that I like. I use Target, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Aldi, Sams, Walmart, Schnucks, and Harvest Market for my stores. Now, if I find most of what I need at the best price at one store I will usually just get it all there. However, I have found some of the brands and items I want are not available at all stores so I may make a special trip for those items. Honestly, it depends on my mood. 

Grocery Tip #5: Be prepared and use curbside.

What do I mean by being prepared? Well, if you price check your items ahead of time you have a pretty good idea on how much you are spending. You won't be surprised when you get to the checkout lane. If you have shopped your list, you won't have any extra's.  If you are someone who is tempted to buy off list when you shop in the store, use curbside. Most stores now offer curbside pick-up, and you pay online so you don't have to go into the store at all. I buy most of my groceries this way and that way I am not tempted to buy the junk. There are one or two stores that do not offer curbside so though I need to go in the store and stay strong! 

Grocery Tip #6: Treat yourself.

Don't forget that life needs a little sweetness, and this includes in our diets as well. Even if you have diet restrictions there are options out there that you can treat yourself with. Not everyone has a sweet tooth like me. Maybe your treat of choice is a special meal, or a savory snack. Don't deny yourself a special treat on occasion. Plan for these special treats or cheat meals, that way you set yourself up for success instead of falling into a rabbit hole of bad eating.

These are not necessarily tips that will work for everyone. This is just what works for me. Maybe one or two of these tips will work for you. I decided when I needed to eat better and get my sugar under control that I needed to be more mindful about food from the grocery store to when I cook. It has made me look at the grocery shopping experience differently. 

Coming soon will be a new series, the Grocer's Kitchen. In this series I plan on featuring different products that I like, what I like about the item, where you can find them, and the nutritional information. 

The Organized Kitchen: the great purge!

 I love an organized space. I have learned over the last couple years that I feel much calmer and less chaotic when my spaces are organized. Are all of my spaces organized...no. Do I want all my spaces to be organized...yes. For me, the one space I have to have organized is my kitchen. I have very minimal storage space in my kitchen and weird spacings, so I have to be organized to make things work. Does it all make sense to the normal person...probably not. But it is the way things have to be to fit. 

Organization can help you save time when you know where everything is and money when you aren't overbuying on things you already have. When you make your grocery list...shop your pantry first! This is much easier when you can see everything easier.

The steps to organizing are edit, categorize, contain, and maintain.  

Edit:

If you did the Kitchen Cleanout with us last month then you have already edited your kitchen. If not...you have a bit of work to do to start. You need to pull out all of your stuff and edit out what is broken, damaged, or that you no longer use. Also, edit out anything you have in excess. Group like items together so you can see how much space you need. And lastly, edit! Clear out the unused, damaged, or disliked items. A good rule of thumb is 6 months. If you have not used the item is 6 months think really hard why you are hanging on to the item. Personally, I love a good edit. I am always editing my space. Because of this, I usually keep my space pretty edited. Some people are not fans of editing. This could be enjoyable or not, but it is necessary. You will need bags on hand. Designate some for trash, donations, and gifting. Have a plan for your donations. Don't let those bags sit in the garage or car and worse case be brought back into the house! When a bag is full, or you have multiple bags take them to the Good Will. Let someone else appreciate these items. Keep going! Don't give up! If you are worried about motivation, then start small. Do a drawer or cabinet at a time. 

Categorize:

When editing, group like items together. This helps keep things from getting out of hand and makes you see what you have easier. What you had 5 can openers in your drawer? You had chop sticks you never use? You can glance at the sections easier to see what needs edited. Categorizing and editing really go hand in hand. Plus, once you have edited you have already categorized your items so it will be easier to contain it. 

Contain:

Having a specific place for your items and keeping it grouped together helps you stay organized. You can use things you have on hand like mason jars, or you can buy some product to help contain like items. For instance, I have baskets that I keep snack foods and sweets in. Popular product that you can use to contain are lazy susans, door racks, magazine files (I use one to hold my cutting boards), storage baskets with handles, clear bins, and storage tiers. Labeling helps you to know what is in a bin so you and your guests can find things easily. I personally like putting things in clear bins and am working on redoing my space slowly. How do you tell the grits from the cornmeal? Labels are an incredible tool for knowing what you have. Clear storage also will help you know what you are out of easily. For instance, my quinoa bin is empty I can easily see it needs refilled, so it goes on the grocery list. Some people don't like to have a lot of bins and would prefer more general categorization. You can have bins with labels like baking, dinner, breakfast, cooking, condiments, etc. These are generalized and you don't have to empty your items into bins just organize into baskets. I honestly do a combination of both right now. There is no one size fits all. Section your kitchen into zones and get containing/organizing. 

Maintain:

Now that you have edited, categorized, and contained, maintaining should take minimal effort as long as you keep it up. You should have a system set up now that works for you.  If you live with others enlist their help. A good rule of thumb is 80/20. Do not cram your space up. Leave some space to grow in to. Backstock is key to maintaining. When you have backstock you no longer have to make unnecessary trips to the store. Things I have back stocked are paper towels, toilet paper, flour, sugar, baking soda, and vinegar. You don't have to have backstock for everything. I don't have the space for a lot of backstock but if you do you can buy in bulk and save yourself some money as well.

       

Some kitchen organization fundamentals are:

1. storage systems for plates, glasses, and cutlery

2. easy access and smart storage for pots and pans

3. organized system for cooking utensils

4. proper homes for appliances and leftover containers

5. storage for infrequently used cooking and baking items. 

Nice to have kitchen organization ideas:

1. functional stations- I have a cart that I store all my coffee items

2. entertaining space

3. storage for spices and oils

4. command station for household schedules

Some pantry and fridge/freezer fundamentals are:

1. adequate storage on shelves or in bins for all nonperishables

2. dedicated zones in fridge and freezer for like items

3. easy access to foods you eat every day like snacks.

Nice to have pantry/fridge/freezer organization ideas:

1. turntables for bottles, jars, and cans

2. clear canisters (if you plan to maintain it)

3. space for backstock storage

4. drawers or bins dedicated to grab and go snacks

The Home Edit and The Home Edit: Stay Organized used for material for this blog post. 

Some places to find inspiration for organization are:

The Home Edit 

A Beautiful Mess

Tiffani Thiessen