Chicken Cordon Bleu

Gypsy Slow Down

      I have always wanted to make this. I don't know why I never did before. Hearing the name makes me feel a little bitter sweet. I see myself standing on the corner of Rue de L'Abbe Gregoire staring ahead at a tall grey stone building that blended into the rest of the street lined with meat shops, an Asian restaurant and a bakery with galette de rois parading in the window, in honor of the French holiday (whoever finds the little plastic king in the cake wins). I had on my black trench coat and my tall black boots and a turquoise scarf around my neck. I didn't stand out but my heart in my chest was trying to. I had my resume in my hand and a desperate need for some kind of definitive future. I wanted to stay in Paris; to go to cooking school and to become a chef. Most of all though, I just wanted a plan. The school was L'Ecole Ferrandi, a smaller school than Le Cordon Bleu with a really good international program in English. I remember dropping off my papers and feeling like I'd thrown out a line. Would they bite? With every stop on the Metro, I wondered. A few weeks later I did receive a nibble. I was invited to join the bread and pastry school and urged to register for my program right away. I had applied to the full program and after a phone call I was told it was a mistake and I was actually accepted to general cuisine. I still have the original letter inviting me to learn how to make bread. Life can be entertaining (if you saw my poor burned bread machine you would know I should have taken the first invite). Even so, there is still an ultimate plan. My ultimate was not cooking school in Paris (thank you declining economy). But I have to admit I'm glad. So many things would be different if I had stayed in France. I probably would never have finished my bachelors or worked at a fine dining restaurant that showed me that's not the business I really want. I might never have met the guy who thinks my cooking is pretty darn good as it is. Who knows. But even so, here is Chicken Cordon Blue, in honor of cooking schools everywhere. The future is still out there. No dreams are ever burned to a crisp.

Chicken Cordon Blue along with Mashed New Potatoes with Peas and Lemon

This is adapted from Tyler Florence's Cordon Blue recipe. I used different cheese and flour and did my own thing preparing the chicken.

Ingredients:

4 thin chicken breast (or pound the chicken yourself)
4 slices prosciutto
1/2 pound Gouda cheese, grated
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
Salt and Pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried thyme (or fresh if you have it)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lay the chicken breast on a sheet of wax paper. Put a slice of prosciutto on each breast and top with grated cheese. Gently roll up chicken breast, being careful not let the cheese fall out. Stick a toothpick in the chicken breast if they look like they will unravel.

Gypsy Slow Down

In a bowl mix together the flour, bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, garlic and butter. The mixture should not be wet, just sticky in places. Beat eggs in another bowl. Gently coat each chicken piece in egg and then flour mix. You may have to scoop up some of the mix and pat it onto the chicken.

Gypsy Slow Down

Grease a baking pan with olive oil and place chicken rounds onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through. Cut into pin wheels or leave in a log and serve with potatoes.

Gypsy Slow Down

Mashed New Potatoes with Peas and Lemon

Oh oh oh these were so good. I strayed a lot from the recipe (oops) but the end result was to. die. for.

Ingredients:

3 red potatoes, cut into fours
2 leeks, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups frozen green peas
1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes until you can easily stick a fork in them. Saute leeks in butter until brown. Add frozen peas, cream and garlic and salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the cream mixture. Chop up the other half of the lemon and add to mixture. Simmer for five minutes.

Gypsy Slow Down

Remove the lemon pieces. In mixer, beat the potatoes (leave the skin on) at low speed until mashed. Add the peas and cream mixture and beat at low speed until incorporated. Serve.

Seven-Layer Tortilla Pie

Last night I came home from my new job (yes, my new job!) and was greeted by the smell of cheesy, wonderful, food cooking. I had left bright and early for work, leaving Witt with a handwritten note on how to make Seven Layer Tortilla Pie when he got off work, a dish my Mom found from Cooking Light years ago and that I'd asked for on my birthday since the age of 12. I'm no longer twelve, but it's still the best dish, birthday or not. Seven Layer Tortilla Pie is not complicated. Simmer the beans, grate the cheese, season with some lime, layer the soft tortilla's and bake. Witt not only followed my recipe, he modified it. A man after my own heart. It even involved a trip to the grocery store to obtain scallions and mushrooms. Might I just say that I may work late more often. I could get used to this....

Gypsy Slow Down

Seven Layer Tortilla Pie with Mushrooms

                                                   

1 onion, chopped

1 8 oz package baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 oz can black beans

1 15 oz can northern beans (white beans)

1 cup salsa, divided

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 green pepper, chopped

Juice of one lime

1/2 sliced pickled banana peppers

6 soft whole wheat tortillas

3 tablespoons chopped scallions

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Saute onion. garlic and mushrooms until soft and golden. Divide mixture in half between two pots on stove. Drain both cans of beans. Add black beans to one pot and northern beans to the other. Add half cup salsa to each and let simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Divide the chopped green pepper and add to the two pans, simmer for about five minutes. Tear off two long strips of foil (to be folded over the entire pie) and lay in bottom of 9 inch pie plate, crossing each other with the ends hanging over the sides. Grease foil and lay one tortilla in the bottom of the pie plate. Cover tortilla with black beans, about 1/4 cup. Squeeze lime juice over the beans and sprinkle with some of the cheese and scallions. Place another tortilla over top and repeat process with white beans. Lay a tortilla on top and repeat process until both beans and cheese is used. End by sprinkling banana peppers over last layer of beans and top with a tortilla. Fold ends of foil up so the tortilla pie is completely encased. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Power Lunch

I love tuna salad. There are a lot of variations on this classic lunch time fare. I like my recipe because it uses one of my favorite foods, avocado. I would probably put avocado on just about anything (have you ever had it in a smoothie? yum) but I think it's especially delicious in tuna salad. With a squeeze of lemon juice, the average ingredients in your tuna salad get taken to the next level; a fresh and satisfying pick-me-up in the middle of the day that's, bonus, really good for you. Tuna has B vitamins, omega-3 and magnesium, plus protein. Avocados have fiber, potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid (and if you never were that crazy about tuna, I really think the citrus flavor plays down the fish. Just saying). Since I have an interview today I need all those good things. Now that lunch is over, I am ready to answer whatever question is thrown my way, even what my goals and dreams are. Mostly they are about the lasagna I am making tonight but I'll try to shoot for long term.

Gypsy Slow Down

Tuna Salad with Citrus and Avocado

1 10-ounce can chunk white tuna, drained
1 tablespoon mayo or miracle whip (use more if you like it creamier, I like less)
2 tablespoons sweet relish
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 avocado, diced in small pieces
1 tablespoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pepper and salt to taste

Mix everything together, except avocado. Add avocado last, mixing gently. If your avocado is very soft be careful not to mash it with the other ingredients.

I like mine on a bed of lettuce. Some like it with toasted bread.

Gypsy Slow Down

Oh Sweet Pudding

I haven't given you any recipes for sweet things yet. That's because I'm still learning, years later, how to make sweet things I can eat. Sometimes it seems like a lot of trouble. I'd rather just have a square of dark chocolate than figure out how to make a successful cupcake that's sugar free and, I admit, I'd want it to be whole wheat too (am I asking for too much?). When I find cookbooks like this, I rejoice. However, sometimes I don't have all those ingredients on hand. When that happens I usually go for something simple, like pudding.

    Today I spent the afternoon with my mom. If we are together for more than a few hours, chocolate is bound to appear. And, like normal, by the afternoon the mixer was whirling. We enjoyed a simple chocolate cheesecake pudding that is easy to make and so decadent. The recipe is from my Aunt Dawn and I don't know where she got it. But it's genius. And so are these photographs, taken by my sister Cate. I only wish I had half her talent.

Cate Photography

Isn't my mother beautiful?

Cate Photography

Cate Photography

Chocolate Cheesecake Pudding:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup splenda, stevia or agave nectar or to taste (or sugar)

Beat cream cheese in mixer until smooth. Melt the chocolate on the stove and add the sweetener and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture to the cream cheese and mix. Fold in whipped cream. Serve in a cute little dish with a dollop of whipped cream.

Variations: Leave out the chocolate for a vanilla pudding. To vanilla pudding add cinnamon, chocolate shavings, grated lemon peel or whatever else you fancy.

Cate Photography

Cate Photography

Cate Photography

Cate Photography

Cheers to chocolate.

A Little Rebellion

Apparently its complicated to simplify. I tried to get rid of my smart phone yesterday.

  I'm starting to feel that having super fast internet all the time is not really necessary. I think probably for some it is, but as I look back over what I use my phone for it's not saving my life. Sometimes I feel a bit claustrophobic being so connected. The last time I was unreachable was on my honeymoon because I accidently left my phone at the church (it really was an accident, I promise). I felt kind of rebellious in the best way. No one could get in touch with me, even if they wanted to. There's a certain amount of feel-good freedom in that. And I really don't need to be entertained all the time. I remember when people watching was entertaining. What if I did that while I sit in the car and wait for Witt to return a redbox? Even if I can't get out of my data plan I should probably put the phone down. I don't think I need to feel guilty for sitting still, not doing anything. And books don't have to be reserved for long car trips. On that note, I have been reading a really good book called "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," by Carson McCullers.

 What I like about this book is the simplicity of the way she writes. At times I'll read a sentence and go back and read it again because I liked it so much. She can say something about life in just a few words. It reminds me of this quote:

"All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they really happened and after you are finished reading one you feel that it all happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you: the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. If you can get that so that you can give that to people, than you are a writer."

- Ernest Hemingway

I do believe simple is better. Just try a handful of raw almonds. Sweet, like a nutty cherry. I am hooked. 

Gypsy Slow Down

Happy Birthday Adam

Yesterday was our friend Adam's birthday. He came over for spaghetti and meatballs, always a festive dish.

 I am learning about meatballs.

Gypsy Slow Down

Last time I made them I cooked the meatballs in the sauce which made them very tender and soft which was perfect. It made the sauce too rich though, due to the grease. So I cooked these in the oven but they were not soft at all which was disappointing. Maybe I needed to cut down on the cooking time.

Next time if I make them ahead of time I might try cooking them in the crock pot, to help keep them moist and then I can drain them. They are so simple to make, I went with my mom's recipe of 1 pound of ground beef, 1/2 cup grated parm, 1 egg, 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs, and then spices from there (rosemary, thyme, basil). My mom doesn't put the breadcrumbs in (just use more parm) and it turns out just as well too. When my herbs were alive it made a huge difference to have fresh basil in the recipe. Yum.

And everybody needs a funfetti cake every now and then. 

Gypsy Slow Down

Birthday boy:

Gypsy Slow Down

Witt, documenting with our new camera, a graduation present:

Gypsy Slow Down

. 

Witt's Cabbage

Today is cloudy with a chance of rain. I am sitting here about to jump into filling out more job applications. If there was a contest for doing so I think I would win. I've had enough practice. My suits are sitting in the closet, waiting for an interview. As am I. In the meantime, I have to do certain things to keep my chin up. Such as celebrate eating butter again after the detox. And the best way to do so? With cabbage.

  Cabbage may not sound like comfort food, but I think it can be. It's one of my favorite vegetables to cook in the winter. Witt is actually the cabbage chef in this house.  I was hooked when he first made the dish that follows and I like to eat it this way every time. Sausage and peppers and onions, polish style, is always good to go along side. Really simple week night dish I think. Witt's cabbage recipe is as follows. If you give it a try you won't be disappointed. Lightly buttery, tangy, sweet and savory all in one. 

Gypsy Slow Down

Witt's Cabbage

1 large onion, diced

1 small head of cabbage, chopped into strips

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons or more sweet Dijon mustard (the spicy kind if you like)

Salt and Pepper

Saute onions in large soup pan with butter until they start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add cabbage and saute for 5-10 minutes until some of the cabbage is starting to brown. (This is when it starts to smell really, really good). Add chicken broth and mustard and cover pot with lid. Let simmer 5-10 minutes or longer until cabbage is cooked and soft. (If there is still a lot of broth in the pan, simmer the cabbage without the lid for another minute or two to cook some of it off). Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Note: If you do not have sweet Dijon mustard on hand, I have substituted regular mustard and a tablespoon of honey in a pinch and it turns out fine.

Day Twelve- A Little Wine

The Finale of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Hurray. The end is now. To celebrate, a little wine. And for dinner, salmon and roasted egg plant. It's been strange documenting everything I've eaten these past weeks but fun, too. This blog is for me mostly, so I can look back and keep track of my recipes. Documenting life, too, with food. This has represented a new beginning for me, graduating from college, finding new jobs, washing someone else's laundry with mine. Life is good. Here's to the future...however up in the air the present might be, there will always be a tomorrow. Cheers.

Gypsy Slow Down

This salmon was marinated in my mom's marinade which is delicious and easy, equal amounts of soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Then I squeezed some orange juice over it in the pan and added the juiced orange slices. I roasted the eggplant in olive oil with onions and used whole wheat orzo.

Day Eleven- Flowers

Day Eleven of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Gypsy Slow Down

Today I bought myself flowers. Why not? I miss the rose garden and my sunflowers, I especially miss them being in the house. There's something about flowers. Plus I think I needed them.

I didn't feel like cooking tonight. I've loved every dish I've experimented with these past few weeks but theres a point where I just want to sit on the couch and watched the Tudors with Witt. Tonight is that night. The detox will end tomorrow, can you believe it? The weekend seems like a great time to celebrate twelve days of eating super healthy. I feel great about it. And I'd like some cream in my coffee...

Day Eleven:

Breakfast: Yogurt with Raspberrys

Lunch: Leftover Shrimp Scampi

Dinner: Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bun

Another picture of my flowers because they are so lovely.

Gypsy Slow Down

Day Ten- Shrimp Scampi with Leeks and Tomatoes

Day Ten of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Do you think about tomorrow? What you will eat tomorrow? I'm guilty of that. But sometimes, focusing too much on what will happen makes you stop looking at whats happening right now. So many times its about finishing something up or waiting for something to start. It's only when I look back that I realize how many things I really have finished. Like ten days of this detox. I haven't truly celebrated whats already taken place because I'm always so worried about whats going to happen next. I guess it's called contentment. I'm not really talking about food here. Witt has written some really lovely songs, but this one he wrote for me one night randomly on the guitar (most likely during one of my moments...) is my favorite. I have it written down and hanging in the kitchen because its a good reminder:

Tomorrow

You worry so much about tomorrow, 

When you aint even done with today

You always try to manipulate the outcome, 

When you know its gonna have its own way

You worry so much about tomorrow,

You might not make it through today 

I can promise you one thing baby

The sun will rise again the day after tomorrow

You're gonna make it through another day

 And if God knows what the birds are going to eat, I guess he knows what will happen to me. So, speaking of nothing thats related, let's talk about shrimp. Shrimp Scampi but without the butter, and its really really good.

Gypsy Slow Down

Day Ten:

Breakfast: Two Clementines and Coffee with Rice Milk

Lunch: Green Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, Olives and Roasted Potatoes

Dinner: Shrimp Scampi with Leeks and Tomatoes 

Shrimp Scampi with Leeks and Tomatoes

2 leeks, chopped

1 half sweet onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 to 1 pound shrimp

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon white truffle oil (optional)

Angel hair pasta, cooked

Saute leeks and onion until golden. Add wine and tomatoes and cook until wine is almost all the way cooked out. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toss with truffle oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta and serve (if not on a detox, sprinkle with parmesan cheese).

I accidentally used tomatoes with chilies and it gave the pasta a lot of heat, but in a good away. If you are feeling it, use a can with chilies or just add a few green chilies to the pan.

Day Nine: Hump Day!

Day Nine of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

     Wednesday is hump day, that much closer to the weekend and the end of this detox! Tuesday I spent the afternoon with a friend and we ended the day getting Thai food at a new Burlington restaurant with Witt called "Simply Thai." We got three dishes to share. I had a good cashew chicken dish. I still like our little hole in the wall Thai place, but this was good too. I love Thai food (as you know) and I think the more I eat real Thai food, the more I'll learn about the flavors. This is what I tell myself, but it sounds good, right?

Day Nine:

Breakfast: Cheerios with Rice Milk

Lunch: Leftover Chicken and Pepper Fajitas

Dinner: Thai Stir Fry Chicken with Veggies and Cashews. 

Day Eight- Rice Milk

Day Eight of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Gypsy Slow Down

     The hardest thing to give up since starting this detox, I've decided, has been dairy. (I really want to say wine, but that makes me sound like I have a problem...) It's especially been missing in my cup of coffee as I mentioned before. That's what gets me out of bed in the morning and I've noticed the void it leaves. I still get out of bed, but I'm truly not as excited. Well, today was better, thanks to rice milk, something I always knew was there but never thought to try. One of my little sisters had severe food allergies when she was younger and couldn't drink milk. There was always a bottle of rice milk in the fridge growing up which I never tried. The thought didn't occur to me and it was also more expensive than milk so I don't think I was allowed. When I had to find a substitute last week, I thought almond milk would be better. It sounds creamier, doesn't it, and I love almonds. I bought a carton when we started the detox and told Witt to eat it in his cereal instead of milk. He did it once but never again. I don't blame him, the texture was a bit slimy, not something you want in milk, something that makes you feel like maybe the milks gone bad. It's very sweet, but also has a bitter nutty taste which I never loved. I've stuck with it but I've had enough. Last night I bought a carton of rice milk, labeled vanilla, and to my surprise with no added sugar. I ate some in my cereal this morning and friends, the verdict is in. Rice milk is creamy, but not slimy. Sweet, but not fake. I like it. I will indeed survive the rest of this week and I will get out of bed tomorrow, maybe even with a little more enthusiasm.

Day Eight:

Breakfast: Cheerios with Rice Milk

Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches with Avocado on a Toasted Whole Wheat Baguette 
I really do try to aim for diversity, but I like what I like and I liked the sandwich idea with the eggplant and avocado. Instead of eggplant I used turkey (the grilled onions and hummus are still there) and it was delicious.

Gypsy Slow Down

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas with Sauteed Orange and Green Peppers, Salsa, Avocado, Olives and Lettuce with Whole Wheat Tortillas

Day Seven- Pan Seared Cod with Ginger Relish

Day Seven of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

The holidays felt officially over this weekend. For the first time in a while, there was nowhere we had to be, no function or party to attend. It was nice. We still managed to fill it up though; between a museum visit, going out with friends, cleaning, and getting haircuts, I was tired tonight. I didn't feel like cooking and I didn't know what to make. I was planning on salmon but it hadn't defrosted enough in the fridge. Normally I would probably make grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup or spaghetti, something easy, but this detox was limiting me. Fish was on my brain I guess because I got out some cod and decided to do something with an Asian flare. I made up a kind of relish with ginger, garlic, lemon, leeks and cilantro. Sweet and tangy, and the cod absorbs the flavor nicely. Just be careful not to get a mouthful of ginger, because that will put some hair on your back.

Day Seven:

Breakfast: French Toast made with Almond Milk

Lunch: Italian Vegetable Soup with Trisket Crackers (Leftover rotis chicken, shredded, with a can of tomato sauce and potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas).

Dinner:  Pan Seared Cod with Ginger Relish and Simple Salad with Olives

Gypsy Slow Down

Pan Seared Cod with Ginger Relish

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, cut into 1 inch strips

1 onion, cut into strips

1 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice from half of a lemon

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/3 cup white wine

3 cod fillets

2 cups cooked brown rice

salt and pepper

Saute leeks and onion in olive oil until tender and onions start to brown. Add the fresh ginger, lemon juice, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds, garlic, fresh cilantro, brown sugar and white wine. Let simmer for 3 minutes, until most of the wine cooks off. Transfer relish to a bowl. Heat the pan that the relish was in on high and sear the cod fillets on each side. Put relish back into the pan with the cod. If the relish does not have much juice, add 1/3 cup water to pan. Cover and let cod steam for about five minutes. Check to make sure the fish is done, it should be opaque and flake easily. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over a bed of rice, pouring the juice from the pan on the rice as well. Garnish with a fresh sprig of cilantro. 

Day Six- Shrimp Cocktail and Green Salad with Champagne Dressing

Day Six of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Breakfast: Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (Do you see how I've managed to get my chocolate in each day??)

Combine 1 cup organic plain yogurt with 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon stevia in blender until smooth. I keep my yogurt in the freezer so it makes thick smoothies. Otherwise, add a banana (you can freeze that too!) for extra thickness.

Lunch: Leftover Thai Peanut Soup and Hummus with Celery Sticks

Snack: White Russian No Sugar Added Yogurt from TCBY

Dinner: Shrimp Cocktail and Green Salad with Champagne Vinagrette Dressing and Sauteed Squash

Dinner tonight was kind of a smorgasbord. We cooked shrimp and then let them cool in the fridge for a shrimp cocktail. Witt made up a cocktail sauce with ketchup and horseradish. I love to eat shrimp this way. I think because it makes me feel like I'm at a party, but also because the shrimp tastes so fresh with the cocktail sauce. I made a simple green salad, just romaine lettuce, and tossed it with a champagne vinaigrette dressing (Girads). Then I cut up a squash and sauteed it in olive oil with some onions. I also drizzled the squash with white truffle oil (mmm). We had some fresh whole wheat bread to go with everything. A lovely Saturday night dinner in. Only thing missing is a nice glass of Chardonnay, but we must remain positive. We are halfway there!

Gypsy Slow Down

Day Five- Peanut Thai Soup with Chicken

Day Five of Gypy's Two Week Detox:

Gypsy Slow Down

       Today I saw a can of coconut milk in the cabinet today and thought it might be nice to shake this detox up a bit. Witt loves Thai food and since he's been really good sticking with me so far I thought I'd try to recreate a dish he likes. There is a small Thai restaurant in downtown Burlington called Anna Thai's. They have a creamy coconut soup with mushrooms thats delicious. I looked it up but all the recipes I found online called for ingredients I'd have to go to an Asian store to get. So I disregarded them. Turns out they are there for a reason.

My ingredients began with lemon and lime peel, lime and lemon juice, coconut milk, cilantro, green chilies, shitaki mushrooms, clam juice, shredded chicken and garlic. Not even close. I was so discouraged. What was I missing?! I called the expert over and he tasted it and added hot sauce. That gave it the right heat but it still wasn't right. By this point I'd been standing over the stove for at least half an hour and my blood sugar was dropping. Mr. Thai added more cilantro and a lot more green chilies. It helped but I felt like the broth was weak, even with the coconut milk. So was my tolerance. I was about to give up when Witt said something about Thai being hard to cook. Yes, but the best Thai dish I've ever made was Thai chicken with peanut sauce. So I grabbed the jar of peanut butter and added a big spoonful. What did we have to lose at this point? That did it, adding the richness that I hadn't been able to recreate. Then I sliced up some celery and added celery salt to give the soup some crunch and more flavor.

Witt said after eating two bowls he would be happy to get this in a restaurant. I actually thought it was pretty good myself. Maybe we were just really hungry, but if you are feeling adventurous, give it a try. I call this the "I didn't go to the Asian store" soup. But really, the Asian store is there for a reason. And so are those ingredients.

Day Five:

Breakfast: One Clementine and Coffee with Almond Milk

Lunch: Two Fried Eggs with Caramelized Onions

Dinner: Peanut Thai Soup with Chicken

Peanut Thai Soup with Chicken

3 cups chicken broth
Grated peel of two limes
Grated peel of one lemon
Juice from two limes and one half lemon
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons green chilies

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup clam juice
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or more, to taste)
2 cups chopped shitaki mushrooms
13 ounce can whole coconut milk
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup peanut butter (or less, to taste)
salt and pepper
   

Combine first twelve ingredients (until mushrooms) in large pot and let simmer for ten minutes. Saute mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Add to broth. Add chicken, coconut milk and peanut butter. Simmer for five minutes until ingredients are creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh cilantro.

Gypsy Slow Down

Day Four- Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches with Truffle Oil

Day Four of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

Oh my word. Lunch today was so unexpectedly good.

Gypsy Slow Down

  

Grilled eggplant sandwiches on whole wheat bread with garden hummus spread, advocado slices and grilled onions....with truffle oil. Sounds time consuming but since we aren't truly grilling it took about 10 minutes. I used my griddle and I love it because the food still gets those deep brown grill stripes...and flavor.

I toasted the bread, spread the hummus, put two eggplant slices on each piece of bread and topped with avocado slices and "grilled" (sauteed) onions. I thought eggplant would make a good sandwich since we aren't eating cheese or ham or roast beef, normal sandwich items. Sauteed onions make everything delicious so they went into the mix too. And then I saw this sitting on my counter:

Gypsy Slow Down

I don't know if you've ever used truffle oil before (I hadn't) but my lovely mother-in-law gave me a bottle for Christmas and I had yet to try it. I drizzled some on the eggplant while they were grilling. The minute the aroma hit my nose I quickly leaned down and smelled again. Magical, like a hint of garlic but with an indescribable depth. 

I think the truffle oil is what made the sandwiches. I didn't miss the cheese or meat at all.

Gypsy Slow Down

Day Four:

Breakfast: One Clementine and Coffee with Almond Milk and a Square of Dark Chocolate (70%)

Lunch: Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches on Whole Wheat Bread with Garden Hummus Spread, Avocado Slices, Grilled Onions and Truffle Oil.

Snack: Handful of Cashews

Dinner: Roasted Chicken with Asparagus and Carrots

Normally for roasted chicken I would stick cubes of butter underneath the skin (Julia Child would be proud of me even if the USDA would not). But since butter is not on the menu a chat with my mom gave me the idea of rubbing the chicken with olive oil and then seasoning with rosemary and thyme. I also put slits all over the chicken and stuffed them with garlic. Then I stuffed the cavity with asparagus, carrots and a lemon, halved, with another lemon squeezed all over before it went in the oven for two hours (flipped over halfway) at 300 to 350. Yummy. And I have chicken leftover for soup tomorrow...

Until then....happy detoxing.

Day Three- Clementines

Day Three of Gypsy's Two Week Detox:

I have a confession to make. I've been snacking. On these:

Gypsy Slow Down

Clementines. I'm not a big fruit person. If I want something sweet anything other than chocolate seems like a waste of time. However these may have almost won me over. I forgot how delicious they are and how satisfying it is to peel them so easily and then break apart each little juicy section...mmm. 

On day three I will confess something else. I miss the cream in my coffee. Almond milk is just not cutting it. I don't think I'll become an all black drinker (If that makes me weak <sigh> I'll accept it...).

But on a good note, even in three days my body is starting to feel better. The holiday bloat is gone and I'm less hungry. I guess I'm giving my body what it needs. Now if it will just cure my cold...

Breakfast: Two Clementines and Coffee with Almond Milk

Lunch:  Leftover Magic Leek Soup and Whole Wheat Toast with Garden Hummus Spread and Avocado Slices

Dinner: Leftover White Bean Soup with Whole Wheat Bread and Square of Dark Chocolate (70%)

Day Two- White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken

Day 2 of Gypsy's Two Week Detox...With Good Food.

January 4th, 2010

Breakfast: Cheerios with Almond Milk (Unsweetened)

Lunch: Magic Leek Soup with Handful of Cashews and One Square Dark Chocolate (70%)

Dinner: White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken and Whole Grain Bread.

Magic Leek Soup is also from Mireille Guliano's cookbook and is really tasty. In her cookbook you boil cut up leeks in water to make a brothy soup. Eating just this over the weekend can give get rid of water retention and give your body a break after rich foods. Because I wasn't using the soup as a detox but as part of my detox I sauted the leeks first in a little olive oil before adding the water. Really yummy.

Gypsy Slow Down

For dinner I used the same White Bean and Kale soup recipe I came up with before (my first post on this blog). Instead of using a roasted chicken I used a chicken breast and put all the ingredients in the crock pot before I left for the afternoon to make the chicken extra tender. The simplified recipe is as follows:

White Bean, Chicken and Kale Soup:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch of kale, washed and leaves removed from stem
2 15.8 ounce cans Northern White Beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 large chicken breast, diced
Salt and Pepper

In large pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent and slightly golden, about five minutes. Shred kale and add to pot. Saute for five minutes. Add chicken broth beans and chicken. Transfer to crock pot. Put on low setting and let cook for at least two hours. Season with salt and pepper.

Gypsy Slow Down

I have to admit, the first recipe is much richer. This is lighter though and refreshing. Even without the chicken drippings it was still buttery and sweet. And with a slice of whole grain bread to dip....is this really a detox? Yum.

Gypsy's Two Week Detox...with Good Food.

Gypsy Slow Down

I had a wonderful (white!) Christmas. I also had more glasses of champagne than I can count. And I sampled every rich and savory dish at the party. (Miraculously I didn't gain weight, but this is all thanks to "the shred" workout and not my metabolism).The holidays are over and now I'm lacking energy and pep. Plus, the late nights and interacting with lots of people (germs) have given me a cold.

So I have been inspired to participate in a detox. To gain back energy and give my body a break, a chance to rejuvenate. There are many detoxes out there, but I'm not interested in drinking just green juice for the month of January nor some kind of colon attack. My detox is inspired by BonAppetit. They call their detox "A Food Lover's Cleanse." For them, this means making dishes that taste yummy but are devoid of some rich ingredients and full of whole foods with lots of vitamins.

I need to put a spin on their detox, so mine will be different. I can't cook dishes like beet soup and expect that to be all I eat at a meal (Ok, I can't expect Witt to be happy just eating beet soup and that's all at a meal...) and I won't stick with it for more than a week if everything is bland. So I've gotten some ideas from various cook books I received over the holidays (Cheers to Tyler Florence and Mireille Guiliano) and I'm putting my own spin on them and including some dishes from my own repertoire.

I hope to share these recipes every day after I've made them on this blog. Maybe you want to include them in your January diet and experience a semi-cleanse...or go all out with me.

And so...here is the first day of Gypsy's Two-Week Detox:

January 3rd, 2011


Avoid: Alcohol, Red Meat, Dairy (except yogurt), White Flour and Sugar.


Breakfast: Frozen berries smoothie with plain organic yogurt and a teaspoon of vanilla and Stevia.

Lunch: Roasted Veggies (any veggies will do, I used broccoli and an onion roasted in a bit of olive oil and garlic) on a bed of lettuce with cashews and champagne vinaigrette (I like Girard's brand) and a half a lime squeezed over the salad.

Dinner: Salmon With Leeks and Asparagus En Papillote and Green Beans with Garlic and Soy Sauce

Gypsy Slow Down

Green Beans with Garlic and Soy Sauce:

1 pound fresh snap green beans
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Snap ends off of green beans. In large saute pan, saute green beans with garlic and sesame oil until tender, about 7-10 mins. Add soy sauce to taste. (Tip: To avoid garlic getting too brown, add after green beans have been cooking about 7 minutes).

Salmon with Leeks and Asparagus (adapted from"The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook" by Mireille Guiliano):

Mireille Guiliano's recipes are amazing and very french; simple and flavorful. I mixed up some of the flavors and herbs but the technique is hers and I think the parchment paper is a brilliant way to seal in all the moisture and deliciousness of this citrisy dish.


Serves two:

2 clementines
1 lime
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 leek, white parts only
8 asparagus stalks, cut in half
2 (5-to 6-ounce) salmon steaks
Salt and Pepper
2 stalks leafy fresh cilantro
small bunch fresh dill

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cook rice according to directions and set aside.

Peel clementines and place in small pot of water. Boil for three to five minutes. Drain and keep juice. Peel the tough parts of the membrane from the clementine slices and add to juice, mashing slightly. Add sesame oil and boil for another minute or two.

Gypsy Slow Down

Place 2 large rectangles of parchment paper on surface area. Brush both sheets with some sesame oil. Cut tough ends off of asparagus. Cut leeks length-wise and then in half. Place half asparagus on the parchment paper and top with half of the grated carrots. Place half of the leeks on top of carrots and end with a salmon steak. Top with one stalk cilantro (mostly the leaves) and a small amount of dill. Squeeze half the lime over the salmon, saving some for the other one. Pour half the juice (If most of the juice cooked out, add water to clementine mixture. Pour at least half a cup of liquid over each salmon) with clementines over the steak and quickly fold up parchment paper. . Repeat with other parchment paper. (Tip: To keep parchment closed tight, fold ends under the salmon so the weight keeps the paper flat).

Gypsy Slow Down

Bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Serve immediately over a bed of rice on each plate. Gently open parchment paper and slide salmon and veggies off the paper and onto the rice, making sure all the juice gets on the rice as well.

Gypsy Slow Down

Happy New Year!