Hey! This is Mat, Jen's husband guest-posting today.

This beet salad was inspired by the beet salad served at Lincoln Restaurant in Washington, DC. - one of the best salads we've ever had. Jen was so excited about this salad, but unfortunately we live in NYC & couldn't go back again to have it. So, I thought, why not make something similar for her? You can also try this recipe, since it turned out pretty good Here we go.

Ingredients:

Raw beets, mixed colors
Sea salt
Micro-greens or sprouts
Radishes
Nicoise olives, drained
Ginger
Honey
Red wine vinegar
Olive Oil
Ahi tuna - sushi grade
Soy sauce or
Sesame seeds

If you can find baby beets, they work best but you can just as easily cut bigger ones. In a pot of boiling water, add 1/2 tsp salt and boil the beets whole until tender - about 25-30 mins for smaller ones, 45 for larger. When finished, drop into an ice bath to cool them. The outer skin should peel off easily. If larger, cut the beets into bite-sized chunks.

Finely grate some peeled ginger until you have about 1/2 tsp of mash. In a bowl, mix that with 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 C honey, 1/4 C vinegar and 1/3 C olive oil. Finely chop or grate the nicoise olives into a crumb. Slice very thin slices of radish.

In a large bowl, roughly toss the beets, radishes and greens in the dressing and then place a batch into a serving bowl, spreading about 1 tsp of the olive crumb on top.

Heat a skillet with a smeared layer of olive oil. When very hot, gently place the tuna into the pan, sear for 45 seconds on one side, flip and do the same on the other. Remove from the heat and let rest.

In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbs soy sauce with 1 tsp honey. Slice the tuna into 1/4" slices and plate, then drizzle with the soy mix. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

The original recipe calls for sunflower sprouts for the micro-greens but you can substitute with any hearty stemmed green such as daikon sprouts or snow pea shoots. Traditionally beet salads are served with mache, which is also a good green but more difficult to find and a bit delicate.

images by jen ramos

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-perfect-beet-salad.html

Hey MBG readers!  It’s Caren here. Am I getting old, or is this year really going by at lightening speed?

This past weekend marked the start of the holiday season for me, as it’s Canadian Thanksgiving.  Then we will celebrate the US version real soon, then onto the Christmas holidays.  The next few months will no doubt be filled with way too many opportunities to over indulge.

Whether I’m entertaining, or I’ve offered to bring a dish to a party, this appetizer never fails to hit a home run.  Not only does Tofu Chevre put any baked brie to shame, it’s also super low fat and high in protein.  Served warm with some crackers and fruit preserves, it doesn’t get much better than this.

         They're also fabulous served cold on salads.

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce container of extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons of French mustard
• 2 tablespoons of miso paste
• 1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce
• 3 cloves fresh garlic

1. Press tofu for 15 minutes under a weighted plate to extract any excess liquid.
2. Mix ingredients in a food processor until it becomes a well formed ball.
3. Portion chevre into disks or a long roll (much like a goat cheese log would look like)
4. Feel free to use sesame seeds, dried basil or any other seasoning to dress the cheese
5. Place chevre in the freezer for 20 minutes until well formed.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Serve warm & enjoy!

-Images and post by caren Magil 



https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/11/food-baked-tofu-chevre.html

Hey MBG'ers!  It's Caren here, dishing up an awesome idea for a clean snack that tastes out of this world!  

If I could only eat one ethnic cuisine my entire life, it would have to be Mediterranean. Even Japanese would take a back seat, and that’s saying a LOT! Baba Ganoush is one of my all time favorites as it’s an easy, low fat, low carb way to sneak your veggies in, and it’s delicious.

Now, according to tradition, you’re supposed to roast your eggplant over an open flame instead of roasting it in the oven. This gives it a real smoky flavor, and I have to admit, it does make a difference. However, if you’re lazy (like me) or you have an electric stove, then a little bit of liquid smoke is going to fix you right up.

But because I like to razzle dazzle you guys, I thought I’d go-for-pro on the open flame. Once your eggplant looks like it’s starting to resemble Joan Rivers before her third facelift (that’s about 5 minutes for the eggplant, and 50 years for Joan), then you’re ready to pop it in a pot and cook it for about another 15 minutes until it’s soft all the way through. The rest is just a matter of blending and adding the remaining ingredients until you get to the right consistency and flavor for your palette.

I also tossed in some leftover roasted asparagus, which added a great twist to the flavor. It was AWESOME, but I think roasted tomatoes, onions or even a little sautéed spinach would have been great additions too. Work with what you’ve got and enjoy with pita slices or fresh veggies on the side.

It’s a great snack to keep in the fridge for those moments where you feel a need to munch, or serve it a healthy party dip.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tablespoon of Tahini (use creamy peanut butter as an alternative)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of Tamari (use soy sauce as an alternative)
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
• 1 tablespoon of Gomasio (use sesame seeds as an alternative)
• 1 teaspoons of garlic powder (or 2 fresh cloves)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame or olive oil
• liquid smoke to taste (optional) 

Directions

1. Roast eggplant over open flame on all sides (for about 5 minutes)
2. Add to a pot and cover.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes, turning once.
3. Remove eggplant from heat and cool.
4. Once cooled, scrap out the meat of the eggplant and discard the skin.  Add eggplant (and it's juices) to a food processor or blender along with remaining ingredients.
5. Blend well, adding more flavorings if desired.
6. Serve warm or cold.

-images & post caren magill

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/10/food-grilled-veggie-baba-ganoush.html

Hey MBG readers, it's Monday morning!  This is Caren from Inspired Coast.  I'm in the midst of a food crush with kale.  Weird, I know, but kale is actually a pretty trendy veggie right now.  This salad is super easy, stands up for a long time and tastes out of this world!  

A friend of mine recently made this salad for a party and it blew my mind.  She made a small, non-dairy version for me, but her larger salad sported a heavy dose of parmesan cheese.  You can add that in if you’re a cheese lover, but I prefer the lean protein and texture of baked tofu.  It just feels heartier to me. 

Kale is a super food and a powerhouse of nutrition, but can inhibit the body’s absorption of calcium, so all the more reason to stick with the tofu and bypass the dairy for this dish.  Unlike most leafy salads, kale is a really hardy leafy green and won’t start wilting the minute you add your dressing to it, so it’s also a great dish to bring to potlucks or just any dinner where you think there might be a shortage of healthy choices!

I heart it :)

Tofu + Kale Salad - Serves 2 to 4


Ingredients:

• One or two heads of kale (a mix of dinosaur and curly is best)
• 1/2 or 1 full pkg of sprouted baked tofu 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• ½ shallot finely chopped
• 1/4 avocado, cut into small peices
• 1 tablespoon of pre-toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Chop kale very finely, to smaller than bite size pieces and add to a large bowl - this is really important!.
• In a smaller bowl, add chopped shallot, minced garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Mix well.
• Cut avocado and tofu into very small, bite-sized pieces and add to kale
• Pour dressing mixture over chopped kale and tofu and mix well with your hands
• Add toasted sesame seeds and more salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

-post and images by caren

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/08/food-kale-tofu-salad.html

Hi there! This is Caren from Inspired Coast bringing you some inspirational eating from my own kitchen.  Right now, I’m training for a bikini competition, so the focus is on creative & easy ways to amp up lean protein without comprising on taste of course!

 

I made these edemame cakes on a whim last weekend and I’ve been munching on them all week.  They’re a great snack on the go, or paired with a salad for lunch.  The wheat berries give them a great chewy texture which I adore! 

Japanese inspired edemame cakes:

• 1 cup of frozen shelled edemame
• 1 cup cooked wheat berries
• 1 tablespoon of tamari (or soy sauce)
• ½ tablespoon of ponzu sauce (optional)
• ½ tablespoon of wasabi (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (you can also use sesame or olive oil)
• 2 eggs or egg replacer (skip one of the yolks if you’re using real eggs)
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook wheat berries per their instructions (usually the ratio is 1 cup wheat berry to 2.5 cups water)

Add frozen edememe to boiling water and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Cool the edemane under running water after boiling.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not completely pureed.

With a spoon or ice cream scoop, spoon out approximately 2 ounce portions of the mixture and create a patty with your hands.  The mixture will make between 8 and 12 patties depending on size.

Lightly spray a non-stick pan with cooking oil.  Over medium heat, cook patties for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until browned.

Enjoy these babies on their own, or with a sauce of your choice.  I had mine today with a dollop of hummus for extra protein.

Enjoy!




-post by caren magill

https://sexygirlspic79.blogspot.com/2012/07/food-japanese-inspired-edemame-cakes.html