Baked Eggs in Avocado

This is a recipe I've been seeing all over Instagram and I've been wanting to try for awhile. When I tell you it's the most perfect weekday meal, it's literally perfect. It's quick, easy and super versatile. The best part about it, other than being super quick, is that you get to be a little creative and play with the flavors. I love eggs so much, they are like the perfect blank canvas for developing flavors.

You also get a ton of omega 3's out of this dish too!

So here it is!

What You'll Need:

• 1 Small Avocado
• 2 Medium Organic Eggs
• Salt and Pepper
• Other Seasonings of Your Choice (Cayenne or Paprika would be great)
• Herbs of Your Choice, I used Thyme because that's all I had

OR

• Chopped chives or onions would also be awesome!

What to Do:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
• Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit
• Scoop out a little bit of the flesh just to make the hole slightly larger
• Place inside a Ramekin or other baking dish (make sure to spray the bottom in case the egg white drips out)
• Crack the egg inside the avocado, trying to get the yolk in there first
• Top with Salt, Pepper, Herbs and or Onions
• Bake for 15-20 min, the yoke should be a little runny not hard

Enjoy!

That's it! Just a quick blog post tonight to go with my quick dinner!

Oh, and a quick update for anyone who is interested...My new gluten free, dairy free diet has been fantastic! I haven't had a stomach ache in 5 days (must be a record) and I have more energy than I've ever had. Stay tuned for more!

Sorry...I Am Sorry....and Crispy Saffron Rice

First off, I want to apologize for neglecting my blog! I hate to use my wedding as an excuse but it became difficult to find the time to sit down and write out my recipes. Couple that with a less than functioning old laptop and you have a blog that's been sitting idle for 8 months! Yikes!

But now I have no excuse. In fact, I have the most perfect excuse to start writing again. Here's my story..

For the past 10 years I've been struggling with hormonal acne. I've tried countless OTC remedies, visited top rated dermatologists, rubbed prescription lotions on my face and stuffed my mouth with antibiotics that were supposed to "cure" female adult acne. All this proved to do was dry out my skin, burn a hole in my wallet and basically treat the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance not cure it. Now, this post is not about my opinions on western medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. This post is about my decision to finally make a change in my life and treat the root cause of my issues, not just the symptoms. A change that will restore order in my body.

I had heard in the past that acupuncture can help to cure hormonal acne. This past week, I decided to visit a Holistic Doctor and Acupuncturist and find out if this could be the way to get rid of these nasty red bumps on my face. I could go on forever about the interesting things I learned about my body during my appointment but in an effort to keep your attention I'll give you the cliff notes. She found some deficiencies in my hormones. These deficiencies can be cured through a rigorous supplement plan of zinc, calcium and various Chinese herbs.

With that, my diet will have to change......Anyone that knows me knows that I am a self proclaimed foodie. Someone who loves to indulge, eat pasta, cheese and enjoy a cocktail. So when my acupuncturist told me that I needed to eliminate gluten, dairy, sugar and wait for it....alcohol...from my diet during the healing process, I was a little nervous. How was I going to survive 6-8 weeks without wine and cheese?!

However, when I sat down to digest what I needed to do, I realized how worth it this would be. How, if this new regime works, my hormones would be balanced and my skin would be clear. I would have restored balance and peace to my body from the inside out. And I would have done it without any harmful prescription drugs. This is exactly what I want. This was enough to make me steer clear of what my acupuncturist called inflammatory foods while my body is healing. And this doesn't mean I'll never enjoy a glass of wine or a Roquefort cheese ever again. But I will live a life of moderation, prioritizing the foods that restore health to my body.

So, with all of that said, I'm going to be exploring a lot of new recipes in the coming weeks. It's a really exciting opportunity for me to challenge myself in the kitchen and come up with creative new ways to add flavor to my cooking. And when I really think about, there is an abundance of options for delicious gluten free and dairy free food. In fact, I had already planned to make the recipe I'm about to share with you before I visited the acupuncturist and it's both gluten and dairy free!

Okay, I'll stop rambling and give you what you've been waiting for. My first recipe post on my new food journey!

Crispy Saffron Rice with Scallop Skewers

What You'll Need for the Rice:

• 1.5 cups of whole wheat basmati rice
• 2 tbsp. coconut butter or oil
• 6 or so saffron threads

What To Do:

• Boil 3 quarts of water
• Salt the water
• Add the rice and cook for about 30 mins or until tender
• While the rice is boiling, melt the coconut butter
• Grind the saffron
• Add the saffron to the butter and whisk until the butter takes on a red hue
• Drain the rice well
• Coat the bottom of the pot with about HALF of the butter mixture, making sure it goes up about an inch onto the sides
• Add the rice back to the pot creating a pyramid shape so that the rice only touches the bottom of the pot, not the sides
• Cover the pot with a few layers of paper towels and the lid and let simmer on medium low for about 20 mins
• Remove the rice and put into a separate bowl, do not take the bottom layer of the rice out yet (it should be stuck to the bottom and starting to crisp
• Let this crust crisp for a couple more minutes
• Meanwhile, add the rest of the butter to the cooked rice and stir until evenly coated
• When the crust is crisp but not burnt, remove from the heat
• Fill your sink with cold water and dip the bottom of the pot in the water (this should detach the crust from the bottom of the pot)
• Turn the pot over on top of the cooked rice and the crust should fall on top

What You'll Need for the Skewers:

• 1 lb scallops
• 1 zucchini
• 1/2 Red Onion
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme

What to do (I suggest you start this process while the rice is cooking in the saffron butter):

• Chop the zucchini and onions and coat in a little olive oil and salt and pepper
• Coat the scallops with a little olive oil and salt and pepper
• Assemble your skewers, alternating scallop, zucchini and onion. There should be about 4 scallops on each skewer.
• Top this with a little fresh thyme
• Heat a grill pan over medium low heat
• Spray the pan with non cook cooking spray
• Grill the skewers until the scallops are cooked through but still tender, about 5 mins on each side

For the Dish:

Pile some rice on a plate, making sure to get some of the crust on there and top with 1 skewer. Serve with a little extra thyme on top and lemon.

Summer Time Mediterranean Salad

Hey Everybody! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...this summer has already been so busy with trying to get out to enjoy the weather as well as wedding planning. I've still been cooking a lot but just haven't found the time to post. I promise to be better the next few weeks!
So I decided to post about one my favorite recipes from the past few weeks. I was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa recipe from her cookbook "How Easy was That." Added a few of my own little twists to make it even healthier and that was it! It's my favorite because it's absolutely delicious but also incredibly quick and easy. 
It's essentially chopped up veggies with simple lemon garlic dressing and homemade pita chips. I made a batch today to have for lunch throughout the week and I'm super excited about it.
So here it goes!

For the salad, combine all of the below ingredients in a large bowl and toss together.

• 1 can of chic peas, drained
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1 package of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
• 12 kalamata olives, halved
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped basil
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 1/2 a cup of good feta

For the dressing, combine all of the below ingredients and whisk together. 

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the pita chips, cut 4 pitas into triangles. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook at 375 degrees for 10 mins. You could brush the pita with olive oil but I've found that it's not necessary. You still get that awesome crunch without the extra fat.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Top with feta cheese and serve with the pita chips!

And that's pretty much it!!

Healthy Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is my new obsession. A dessert that's sweet, delicious and actually truly good for you! And it's so easy to make. Chia seeds are an amazing sources of omega 3's as well as fiber. Combine that with a cup of Greek yogurt and you have a low calorie, high protein and filling dessert!
Here's what you need:

1/4 cup of chia seeds
1 cup of almond or soy milk
1 cup of vanilla greek yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
A little bit of cinnamon (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Now for my favorite part...the toppings. You can put just about anything you  want on top of the pudding. My personal favorite is blueberries and shredded coconut. Mango, some fat free whip cream and chopped nuts is also fantastic. Get creative with the toppings and enjoy!

Homemade Guacamole

Guacamole...so simple yet so amazing. It's the perfect dip for a lazy warm Sunday night. I've been making guacamole with a few years now and I've been followed tons of different recipes. However, I've always struggled with the appropriate balance of citrus, spice and salt. Tonight I had a break through and I think I've finally discovered the perfect balance...at least for me! 
So here it is :

4 ripe avocados
1/2 ripe tomato, seeded
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Generous helping of salt- for me it was about a full teaspoon 
Pinch of Pepper

Combine all ingredients and mash together.
For me, I love the taste of lime in my guacamole so I was super happy with the 2 limes and the red onion adds the perfect amount of spice.

Rainbow Farro Bowl with Homemade Hummus

1 cab ride, 2 airplanes, 1 bus, 3 trains and 10 hours later, I finally made it back to my apartment in queens. I spent the past 3 days in New Orleans with my most favorite girls/bridesmaids and we had such an amazing time. 

3 full days of oysters, beignets, po' boys and bloody marys, I'm feeling equal parts satisfied and bloated.

I knew that I needed to make a dish tonight that would help me start my week off right so I decided to make a Rainbow Farro Bowl with Homemade Hummus and it was delicious!

Here's what you need.

Bowl:

1/2 Cup of Cooked Farro

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Green Pepper

20 Cherry Tomatoes

1 small eggplant

15 Pistachios (tossed with salt and pepper on the stove for 5 mins)

Hummus:

1 Can Chick Peas

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp parsley

Salt and Pepper

For the salad, toss all of the vegetables with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for about 30 minutes.

For the hummus, combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

Put the farro and veggies in a bowl, top with hummus and a little more lemon salt and pepper. It's light and healthy but still delicious. And it's a great dish to have for left overs during the week.

Enjoy!

Mixed Green Salad with Farro, Beets and Raspberries

My body has grown accustomed to having fresh fruits and veggies every day and I notice such a difference in my energy level when I'm not eating as well. After a relaxing and indulgent weekend in Montauk, full of oysters and lobster mac and brie, I knew I needed something healthy...but still tasty.

I was actually inspired by a salad we ordered at Coast, our favorite restaurant in Montauk.

It was a simple mixed green salad with beets, raspberries, farro, deep fried blue cheese and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Such easy ingredients and I knew I could put my own healthier twist on it. I also had some left over parsley and feta vinaigrette that was inspired by a recipe provided by my lovely boss, Leigh. I knew this dressing was the perfect topping to my simple salad.

So here's what you'll need:

Salad:

1 package of organic mixed green salad

2 Cooked Beets

20 organic raspberries

Pecans (toasted on low heat for about 5 minutes)

1/4 cup of cooked farro

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
3/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 tbsp of oregano
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup of reduced fat feta
Salt and pepper 

For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. As you begin to blend the ingredients, slowly add the olive oil until it becomes thick. 

Note: You don't need to use all of the dressing on this salad. You can save it for about a week and use it on other salads you make. You'll need about a half a cup for this salad. 

For the salad, combine all of the ingredients together and toss with the dressing. I added the farro when it was still warm because I like when the greens wilt a little but you can wait until it cools down.

This was absolutely delicious and so healthy. Farro is relatively new to me and I'm just finding out a lot about its benefits. It packs 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per serving! It's also a complex carb, meaning that it keeps your energy levels stable so you don't crash. Combine that with the cleansing effects of beets and you have the perfect salad to help get you back on track after an indulgent weekend.

Enjoy!