My Own Spanikopita

Combining my Italian roots with my husband's Greek, I make my own healthy version of Spanikopita, while paying homage to my neighbor, Sarah.

Here's what I do:

Heat olive oil in pan, cook 1 chopped yellow onion with some salt until translucent. Then add 1/2 box of tofu (squeeze the H2O out over the sink, then crumble in the pan). Add chopped spinach and a bunch of fresh basil, oregano, and thyme.

Set that aside and then grate some mozzarella cheese and get your feta and organic whole grain filo dough ready.

Follow filo instructions on package, and then fill with a bit of veggie/tofu mix, a little feta, and a little grated cheese.

I use olive oil (not butter) and these turn out really good.

My Greek hubby loves them, and so does my little sweet pea.

She eats them all up!

Fruit Smoothie (AKA "Special Treat")

It's no secret that we don't eat a lot of sugar around here, but my daughter certainly knows what a "special treat" is. To suffice her sweet tooth, I began making her the simplest smoothie that is astonishingly delicious and delightful.

There are only 3 ingredients (all organic):

1/2 cup of soy milk, plain

1/4 cup of frozen cherries

1/4 cup of frozen blueberries

Put ingredients in a blender, with the milk as the first thing in. Blend until you reach your desired consistency. (Amounts may vary depending on your preference). If I ask Mylah if she'd like a frozen yogurt or a fruit smoothie, she chooses the smoothie every time!

"I want to make a Pocket!"

Mylah was watching an Elmo cooking movie from the library the other day, and she learned that some cultures eat "Pockets." From that day forth, she asked to make pockets. I searched high and low for an outer to a pocket that was healthy, and I finally found one at Whole Foods.

Essentially, we made summer rolls.

Ingredients:

tofu, cubed

Teryaki sauce

Rice noodles (thin, vermicelli-type)

Rice paper

carrots, julienne

Cucumber, julienne

Fresh Mint, chopped

Sauce:

Peanut Butter

Tamari

Honey

First, make the tofu by cooking it in a nonstick pan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Then, flip it a few times. When all of the liquid has been cooked off, remove from heat and add Teriaky sauce.

Next, cook the rice noodles per instructions and set aside to cool.

Then make the dipping sauce by mixing the ingredients together to desired taste and consistency. (Or buy some from the store).

Now you're ready to make the summer rolls!

Follow the directions of the rice paper by placing one sheet at a time in warm water for about 5 seconds until it is soft.

Put it on a plate and add your goodies.

We start with the noodles.

Then we add the tofu.

Then the veggies; and lastly we add the mint. Roll like you're making a burrito.

Dip in your sauce and enjoy!

Mylah actually did not like these, but it was sure fun to make...and Stephen and I loved them!

Father's Day Treat

While Mylah napped this afternoon, I decided to make the zucchini-carrot muffins that I want to serve at Father's Day Brunch tomorrow. I took out my fresh-from-the-farmer's-market veggies and grated them in my food processor. The next thing I knew, Mylah awoke from her nap and I had a little helper.

First she helped me mix the dry into the wet.

Then she helped me stir in the raisins and walnuts.

And she even helped me to put the mixture in the muffin cups. To think that I was trying to hurry through this so she wouldn't make a mess...it was so much more fun with my girl helping to make this special Father's Day Treat.

Ingredients:

3 cups zucchini, grated

1 cup carrots, grated

3 1/2 cups whole grain Spelt flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

2 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp grated ginger

4 eggs

1/2 sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground flax

1/2 oil

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 walnuts, chopped

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Then mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Alternating zucchini and dry ingredients, incorporate everything into the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Then add raisins and walnuts.

Cook at 350 for about 25 min (at altitude). If you use a loaf pan instead of muffin tins, you will need to cook it for about 50 minutes.

Healthy, delicious, and made with fresh local produce.

Vegan Sushi

I love Sushi, but I do not love raw fish. I love the ritual of getting the perfect ratio of wasabi, ginger, and Tamari. I love the crunch of the raw veggies, and I love the seaweed. More than anything, I love that Sushi is something that you have to sit down and eat slowly, savoring every scrumptious bite.

I make Sushi at home a lot during the Spring and Summer, when cucumbers and avocados are ripe and plentiful.

When making my Sushi rolls, I start by rinsing 2 cups of sushi rice (brown rice is not sticky enough for good rolls). I soak my rice for 30 min, and then put it in my rice cooker. When it's done let it cool until room temperature (or at least 30 min).

While that's cooking, I slice tofu in long rectangles and cook them in a nonstick skillet (without any oil) over med heat. Cook the tofu for about 8 min, flipping it a few times. Then remove from heat and drizzle about 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce over it. Set that aside, and then slice carrots, cucumber, and avocado into long, thin pieces.

When my rice is cooked and cooled, I lay out my seaweed on my roller.

The trick is to put the rice in a thin layer; I spread and smoosh and the same time, leaving about an inch without rice on the part of the seaweed closest to me (where all of the filling is going to be placed.)

Then lengthwise on my seaweed/rice I put the prepared avocado, carrots, cucumber and tofu. Get the seaweed around the filling once really good, and then slide your hand over the roller to make sure it's rolled tightly, and then finish rolling the sushi. It's important that there isn't too much filling and rice inside.

Slice the Sushi in half, and then slice each half into three pieces, making 6 pieces from each roll. I make 2 T of wasabi, put out a bunch of pickled ginger, and use wheat-free tamari instead of soy sauce.

Fresh, healthy, and filling, with all 4 of the food groups present in each roll. Enjoy!

One Bun Pizza

"What is a One Bun?' This was my reaction when my dad mailed me a package from Sacramento after raving about its' deliciousness. Luckily, after falling in love with the One Bun, our Boulder Whole Foods newly expanded started carrying them.

Since we are not a family that orders out for pizza (and it can take hours to make home-made pizza), I started using the one bun as pizza crust for a super quick, easy pizza that we all love.

Here's what I do:

First, I place some fresh broccoli in a pan with about 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of garlic salt (no oil). I cook the broccoli covered for a few minutes, then let it sit while I prepare the other toppings.

Next, I open the One Buns and brush them with olive oil, garlic powder, and dried Italian seasoning (a mixture that I make quickly in a little bowl).

Then I squeeze out a half a block of tofu over the sink, allowing it to crumble and releasing most of it's moisture, and I crumble the tofu on the One Buns.

Then I put the cooked broccoli on, grated cheese, and I place in a preheated oven at 350 for 10 min. Then I increase the heat to 400 and cook for another 5 min.

As easy as an English Muffin pizza, but tastier and healthier.

Salmon Cakes

If you're looking for something delicious, easy, and healthy to make for dinner tonight, try this recipe. I've been meaning to post this recipe for some time. The first time I made it, my husband said, "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me right now?" (i.e. this is more delicious than I ever imagined). Then when my dad was here the other week I made them for him, and when we spoke about the recipe a few days ago his mouth watered.

I figured it was time to share it with you. Please know that I do not measure anything, and I have not taken any pictures. The next time I make these salmon cakes I will remedy both of these situations.

Salmon Cakes:

I start with 2 cans of wild Salmon. Read the ingredients to make sure there are no colors, preservatives, or additives in your can. Drain the cans, put the salmon in a big mixing bowl, and separate with a fork.

Then I add about 1/2 cup of frozen peas, 1/2 cup of chopped red onion, 1/2 cup of grated carrots, 1 T of Veganaise, 1/2 T of Dijon Mustard, and 1/4 cup of whole grain spelt four. I also add some garlic powder and salt. Mix everything together.

Then heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, form your patties and cook them up. Try to only flip them once, when the first side is crispy.

Serve with a delicious salad and enjoy!