Mushroom Burgers

In the spirit of summer foods, I've been trying to find a veggie burger recipe that's healthy but still packs a ton of hearty and savory flavors. This recipe is "semi-healthy" but extremely delicious. I added my own little twists to make it healthier, like reducing the amount of olive oil, but overall it's a great option for a vegetarian!

Here's what you need:

3 8oz packages of organic mushrooms (it's nice to get all different kinds, shitake, baby bella etc so that you get a whole range of flavors)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2/3 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded parmesan


Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and add mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Let the mixture cook down until the mushrooms release their juices and much of it evaporates. This should take about 10 minutes. If not all of the juice evaporates, it's okay just use a strainer to remove the excess. 
Place the mushrooms on a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Put in a large bowl.
Mix in bread crumbs and oats, then stir in the parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and a little more salt and pepper. Lastly, stir in the eggs. 
Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
Roll the mushroom mixture into normal burger size patties.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan.
Cook until brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

I served mine with delicious whole wheat kaiser rolls smeared with just a little bit of spicy mayo (recipe to come) You could use a wrap or a sandwich thin for a low carb option.
I also made homemade sweet potato wedges which were delicious and so easy.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into wedges
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix all ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet.
Let cook about 10 minutes and then stir. Let cook about 10 more minutes until brown.

Happy Barbecuing!!

PS- this was obviously Daniel's portion, not mine :)

Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

Now that the weather is finally warming up I'm starting to crave traditional summer foods, like burgers and watermelon. I love to eat watermelon just by itself, but there's so much you can do to it to enhance the flavors even more. I've also been reading up on the health benefits of watermelon because how can something that tastes so good be healthy? But it's really truly healthy! It turns out that watermelon packs a ton of lycopene which assists with cardiovascular and bone health. It also helps reduce body fat, supports kidney function, has tons of antioxidants and supports eye health. It has a lot of other benefits too. Check out the link below for more!

http://livelovefruit.com/2013/07/8-amazing-health-benefits-of-watermelon/ 

So here's what you need to make the delicious Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint.

1/2 a large watermelon (or the whole if you're making for a large group. This is a great recipe to take to a picnic. Just double the ingredients I list below)
8 oz of reduced fat feta
About 8 mint leaves, chopped
2 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Homemade Granola

It's my goal to be posting at least 3 recipes a week, however this week has been crazy and I didn't have an opportunity to post as much as I would like to. Thankfully because of the long weekend, I'm able to play catch up today so I'm going to be posting 3 recipes!

Let's start with the breakfast I made yesterday. I've literally been eating yogurt and granola everyday for breakfast for the past 4 years and I've never gotten sick of it. It's a great source of fiber that always keeps me full until lunch time and helps me avoid unnecessary snacking. However, the store bought kind packs tons of extra sugars and oils that end up defeating the purpose of being a "healthy choice." So I decided to give homemade granola a shot and you guys...it seriously couldn't be more easy. It took me 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook! I found a basic recipe on the internet and then made it my own.

So, here's what you need:

2 cups organic rolled oats

1/2 cup raw organic walnuts

1/4 cup of flax seeds

1/4 cup of raw coconut

2 tbsp of organic agave nectar

2 tbsp of coconut oil (or other healthy cooking oil just not olive oil because the flavor is too strong)

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

A little bit of salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to mix until the coconut oil and agave have coated all of the oats (messy but fun!). Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You might want to open up the oven half way through and mix the granola around to avoid burning.

That's it!

I'm never going back to the store bought kind!

Healthy Banana Bread

Banana Bread is a completely new venture for me. My mom used to make it all the time growing up but I've just never attempted it. When I woke up this morning and saw the extra ripe bananas sitting on my counter, I decided to give it a shot. It's actually quite easy.

I looked up a recipe for basic banana bread and then altered the ingredients to have a little Holly twist and be just a little healthier (8 tbsp of butter is just too much).

So here  we go!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 tbsp agave nectar

4 tbsp of coconut oil

1 large egg + 2 egg whites

3 ripe bananas

1 tbsp milk (I used almond milk)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Sprinkle of shredded coconut

Sprinkle of flax seed

Dash of good whiskey (because...why not)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray your pan (I used 9x13 because that's all I have available right now) but you should really use a 9X5X3 pan

**note you'll have to change your cooking time depending on the pan size**

Cream sugar, agave and coconut oil until smooth. Add the eggs and combine.

In a separate bowl, mash the banana together with the milk, whiskey (optional), cinnamon, flax seed and coconut.

In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix the banana mixture into the creamed mixture and then add the dry ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are combined.

Put in your pan and bake for up to an hour. I only had to bake for 40 minutes because of the pan size. The top should be a nice golden brown.

You can also make delicious french toast out of the bread as well!

Juice for Life

This post is super important to me because it gets to the root of why I wanted to start sharing my cooking to begin with. For some people, food is just a necessary source of energy. Something they must do throughout the day in order to sustain life. For others of us, myself included, food is something to be enjoyed, appreciated and celebrated. 
I've always been one to celebrate my food. And at one point in my life, my appreciation for food stepped over the line into obsession. It was around 9 years ago, when I first moved to NY that this obsession really started. I'm not sure if it was simply a way to control the "out of control" feeling I felt of being removed from my comfort zone, or because I wasn't motivated to take care of my body in the absence of authority. I'm sure this is a feeling most have felt which often leads to a little phenomenon known as the freshman 15. 
Many would say that's normal. A young girl moves out of her home and all of a sudden there's a ton of freedom to do whatever she wants with her body. Of course she's going to start eating french fries for dinner and peanut butter by the jarful! 
However, for those of us who gained the freshman 15 or have gone through any sort of weight fluctuation, we know the shame we felt when we first stepped on the scale or when our skinny jeans no longer buttoned. It's humiliating. 
Anyways, it wasn't until recently, after struggling with ups and downs in my weight for so long, that I finally made a change. And the reason for that change came when I finally truly realized that my body is a vessel. Something to be cared for, respected and cherished. 
About a little over a year ago, I went to the emergency room with severe stomach pain. Long story short, I had appendicitis and I needed to have emergency surgery that night. When I read about the causes of appendicitis, I attributed my case to years of poor eating, lack of digestive health and just overall lifestyle. That's when I started to change my life. Something switched in me that day and I realized that I've had it wrong this whole time. I didn't need to lose weight. I simply needed to start respecting my body.
So I made a change.
I found ways to motivate myself to go to the gym at least 3 days a week. Cut back on coffee, sugar, alcohol and over-indulging. I actually started to see doctors, which is a huge deal for me. And most importantly, I started juicing. 
My mom actually hooked me on juicing. She bought me a juicer for my birthday and it's definitely served me well. Juicing, for me, was what brought on the real change in my life. It was so refreshing to my body and even my mind. I just felt healthier. And unbeknownst to me, I had lost weight. Without constantly counting calories, running 3 miles a day or obsessively weighing myself, I lost weight. Who would've thought it could be done! I had stopped focusing on the way my body looked and started focusing on the way my body felt. I felt great and I would do anything to keep it that way.
Now I know what works for me. How to stay healthy, feel good about myself and still enjoy the food that I put in my body. I mean let's face it, I still love food!
So now that I've rambled on my life story, I just want to encourage anyone who reads this to first of all find what works for them, it might not be juicing. It might be something else you have to discover through trial and error. And to begin to see your body as a vessel, something to be kept healthy and to be respected, not just skinny.
With all of that said, here are some of my favorite juices:

Carrot Apple Celery Ginger
For better eye sight, glowing skin, and digestive health
3 Large Carrots
1 Apple
4 Celery Stalks
2 Inches of ginger ( I add more than that because I love it spicy)


Beet, Cucumber, Apple, Lemon
For cleansing your body and energy
2 Large Beets
1 Apple
1 Cucumber 
1 Lemon

Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Apple, Ginger
Hydration, glowing skin. Add lemon and this is a great hangover cure 
2 Cucumbers
3 Celery Stalks
1 bunch of spinach
1 Apple
2 Inches of ginger

Shrimp Enchiladas with Mango Peach Salsa

It's Sunday! My favorite day of the week to cook! I love making a ton of food on Sundays so that I have left overs to take to work all week. A few weeks ago, I found a recipe for veggie enchiladas and they were AMAZING. I wanted to make them again but add in a few little twists like shrimp for protein and mango salsa just because it's just so good.
I woke up early this morning to make the marinade and let the shrimp and veggies really soak up the flavor. I made the mango salsa a little later in the day but still made sure to give it enough time to let all of the flavors combine. 
So here it is! Shrimp Enchiladas with Mango Peach Salsa:

What you'll Need:

Enchiladas:
1lb uncooked shrimp
8oz mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
Cilantro
2 cups of Mexican Cheese
6-8 Whole Wheat Tortillas

Marinade:
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 limes, juice of both and zest of one half
2 inches of Ginger (give or take depending how much you like ginger), shaved 
3 cloves of Garlic, crushed
Salt & Pepper to season

Salsa:
1 Mango, seeded and chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Peach, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1/2 a  lemon
A few jalapenos, depending on how spicy you want it
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
A  dab off Hot Sauce (I actually used Siracha)
Salt & Pepper to season
A dash of Cayenne 

First, you'll need to make the marinade. Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.
Put all of the shrimp and veggies in a large, preferably glass, bowl. Pour the marinade over the top and use your hands to mix until all of the shrimp and the veggies are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

To make the salsa, combine all of the above mentioned ingredients, cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. You want the salsa to be room temperature so it doesn't cool down the enchiladas when you top them.

Now to assemble the enchiladas. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray. 
This is where you have 2 options. I prefer to cook the enchiladas on their own without the salsa so that the tortilla gets crispy. Then I will top them off with the salsa. The more traditional route is to cook the enchiladas in the salsa. It's really up to you!
Fill the tortillas with just enough veggies and shrimp so that you are still able to roll them and then sprinkle with a little cheese. Roll them and dab a little sour cream at the closure to ensure they stay shut. Line them up side by side in the pan. Brush the tops with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Cook for about 20 minutes.
Remove and top with mango peach salsa and little bit of sour cream.
Serve with a glass of red wine. We had Chilean Root Cabernet Sauvignon.
Yum!!

Lazy Saturday Night In

It's not often that I choose to stay in on a Saturday night, but after a crazy day of running errands, nothing sounded more appealing to me than cooking a healthy dinner and snuggling up on the couch to watch some mindless TV with Daniel.
After enjoying a delicious everything bagel this morning from our favorite spot, Brooklyn Bagel, I knew we needed something healthy. A salad usually satisfies that need but I didn't want one of my usual raw green salads. I wanted something really hearty and flavorful. So I decided to try a warm salad that uses all of my favorite hearty vegetables. Asparagus, brussel sprouts, red onion and some cherry tomatoes for a little pop of color. Last week I had some leftover basil and I made my reduced-fat pesto which I knew would be delicious as a dressing for my warm salad.
So with nothing on the agenda on a rainy Saturday night, I decided to get to work on Warm Vegetable Salad with Pesto Dressing and Homemade Croutons.

What you Need:

Pesto (I make mine with less olive oil, a healthier nut and 1/2 the cheese):
1 bunch of basil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pecorino 
**This pesto is going to be a little more dry than the pesto you may be used to, but trust me the flavor is still there**

Salad:
1 bunch of asparagus, about 20 stalks, chopped into 2 inch pieces
12 brussel sprouts cut in half
20 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 Red Onion
Package of mixed greens, spinach or kale salad (whatever lettuce you prefer)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Lemon (optional)

Homemade Croutons:
Day old baguette
Olive Oil
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
Any Italian Seasonings


First let's start with the pesto so the flavors have time to combine. I made mine a week before and had it in the freezer. 

Instructions:
Put all pesto ingredients in a food processor and combine.
Really, that's it. You can add the juice of 1/2 a lemon too if you're into it.
Set aside (do not put in the refrigerator because it will cool down the warm salad too much when you combine)

Next is the salad. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop asparagus, brussel sprouts, red onion and cherry tomatoes and combine in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (not too much otherwise it defeats the purpose of being healthy) salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat the veggies evenly. Next transfer to an oven safe dish and let roast for approximately 20 minutes or until the brussel sprouts start to crisp. (Check periodically to ensure the veggies don't over cook)

While the veggies are cooking, you can work on the croutons. Croutons are super easy and I don't know why I don't make them myself more often! Cut up the bread into small cubes. They don't have to be perfect. Drizzle with a little olive oil and the seasonings. Use your hands to mix. Transfer to a baking sheet and let cook in the oven about 5 mins. Open the oven and turn them over. Let cook another 2-3 minutes and then remove. They should be golden and crunchy.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and pour into a serving bowl. Now begin to add the lettuce of your choosing, stirring until it starts to wilt. Add the pesto and continue stirring until all veggies are evenly coated.
Serve with lemon wedges, croutons and a little bit more pecorino if you want (yum). 

Enjoy!

Inaugural Post

I haven't always known that I enjoy cooking. In fact, a few years ago the very thought of going to the grocery store, buying ingredients and assembling them in a way that you can only hope may be edible used to give me so much anxiety that I would choose a take out menu over a challenge. 

In recent years, I've discovered my passion for not only food, but actually the process of making it. I'm not sure whether it's living in New York, surrounded by amazing culinary abundance, or having a fiance who's constantly praising my abilities, but I now find myself actually enjoying cooking.

I started off small about 5 years ago, making pizza. It's actually much easier than you could imagine!

So in my first post, I'm going to show you how you can take the below 5 ingredients + water  and any toppings your heart desires and turn it into a delicious pizza.

Dough

2.5 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tsp Salt

2 Packages Yeast

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Water (more if needed)

Instructions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil and warm water and mix together until all the ingredients form. You may need to add a little more warm water until it all forms together. Knead the dough for approximately 1 minute. Coat a clean bowl with a little bit of olive oil and put the dough inside. Cover and let sit for up to 3 hours or until it's doubled in size.

Sauce (optional):

You don't have to make your sauce homemade but I prefer it and it's also quite easy!

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 gloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 pinch of pepper

1 pinch of cayenne

5 leaves basil 

1 tbsp sugar

Splash of red wine (optional)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil over low heat, add garlic and let simmer for about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and paste. Add all remaining ingredients plus whatever seasonings you feel like and let simmer for about a half hour, stirring occasionally. I actually like to make the sauce the night before the pizza so all of the flavors really mix together.

Holly's Margarita Pizza Toppings:

Homemade Sauce

1 16 oz package of fresh mozzarella

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

 Basil for garnish 

Pizza Assembly:

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Pizza stones are obviously ideal, but you can also use a metal baking sheet if that is all you have available. Coat the stone or sheet with olive oil. Spread the dough out thin over the stone/baking sheet so it slightly hangs over the edge. Turn the edges in to make a crust. 

Cover the dough with sauce and cheese (don't add onions yet!). 

Put in the oven for about 18 minutes. After 18 minutes, open the oven. The cheese should just be starting to brown. Throw on the red onions and put the pizza back in the oven. Turn the oven on broil for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!