"Ingredients"

This documentary celebrates the "slow food" movement and shows viewers how they can invest in quality food that is produced locally and sustainably while supporting local farmers and their own neighborhoods! I love the interview with Alice Waters and her passion for farm to table, quality food! Directed by Robert Bates this film also highlights restaurants that are helping this movement along and the farms that refuse to become part of America's antiquated, over producing, and environmentally destructive agricultural system.

Enjoy!
Kendra

My Favorite Summer Breakfast (or snack!)

Summer is the season of berries! And boy do I relish in making anything I can with them! I love to mix them with everything from pancakes, muffins, jams, or just alone! They make me so very happy, and since I only get to eat them fresh a couple months out of the year (the first strawberry of the year is the best!), I always eat this in the morning or for a light snack! It is simple, keeps you full, is low in calories, high in calcium and just so delicious! The beauty of this dish is not only its simplicity, but you can make so many variations with any berry, add fresh herbs like mint or basil, get a little spicy with some chili powder in place of the cinnamon...the options are endless, but the taste will never let you down!

Yogurt and Fruit

• 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh organic strawberries (ps..you should ALWAYS buy these organic!)
• 1 tsp honey
• sprinkle of cinnamon

That's it. Trust me, sometimes the simplest things are the tastiest!



Enjoy!
Kendra

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I love finding different ways to make chicken! Sometimes it can be the most bland meat there is...unless you brine, barbeque, or in this case, boil in a delicious balsamic vinegar based sauce!! I wanted something tangy, healthy and delicious! And this is it! The chicken itself is less than 150 calories per serving (about 1/2 a cup) and you can decide on what bread to put it on! Its really easy to make and packs a flavor punch that will impress all!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Serves 4-6

• 3 4-6oz boneless and skinless chicken breasts (natural, farm raised is best!)
• 1-2 cup water
• 2 shallots minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbs Worcestershire 
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar cup
• 4 tbs honey
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 4-6 french rolls
• salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken and place in a deep sauce pan. Add shallots, garlic and water just enough to cover the chicken. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil chicken for about 15 minutes, remove from pot and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Pull apart with two forks and set aside. Continue to cook sauce for about 10 more minutes until water begins to evaporate and sauce thickens. Add chicken back to sauce and heat through. Fill rolls with pulled chicken and serve with a summery salad!

Happy Eating!
Enjoy
Kendra

Mushroom Risotto with Lemon Asparagus

I think mushrooms are an amazing food. They have a fantastic flavor that's earthy and rich and they taste so good when they are freshly picked! I found these mushrooms on my Sunday excursion to the farmer's market and just had to make them for dinner! My lovely friend Demi came over to enjoy the sweltering summer heat, a delicious dinner and some sparkling white wine. This dish is very easy to make, tastes delightful when paired with the citrus of the asparagus, and is chock full of vitamins selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin D!

• 3 cups water
  
• 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 6-7 cups chicken high quality chicken or veggie stock
• 3 tbs butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs fresh cremini mushrooms chopped
• 1/4 cup crushed pine nuts
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbs dried basil
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated fresh parmesan
• 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbs olive oil
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and cook asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until risotto is almost ready.

Pour stock into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. You will also need a ladle so that you can add the stock to the risotto in batches of 1 cup at a time.

In a separate large sauce pan, melt 1 tbs butter on low medium heat and saute garlic for about 1 minute until aromatic. Add mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has been released (about 5-7 minutes). Pour out mushrooms with juice into a bowl and place in fridge.

In same pot, melt remaining butter on low medium heat. Add risotto, pine nuts, basil and pepper flakes. Saute risotto until it becomes slightly golden. Add vermouth and saute for a couple minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add mushrooms with all their delicious juices and continue to stir until the liquid has been absorbed. Pour your first cup of stock into risotto and stir until liquid is absorbed. Repeat this last step until the risotto is soft and slightly firm. Add parmesan cheese and sour cream and stir until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat olive oil in frying pan and saute asparagus, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and the lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes until bread crumbs are crispy.

Fill 4 bowls with risotto and top with asparagus mixture. Garnish with fresh basil and pair with your favorite white wine.

Enjoy!
Happy Eating!
Kendra

My Cherry Amore

And its another beautiful Sunday here in Chicago, and the perfect day for the Farmer's Market! This morning, I headed down to Logan Square and perused the aisle of fresh breads, jams, and veggies! I love the summer months because the food is so abundant! All last week I had a craving for some home made jam but didn't really know which fruit to choose. I already had some blueberry preserves from Bonne Maman in my fridge, and its just not the right time for strawberries here in the Midwest. Then I spotted them! Glorious and bright red, shining in the sunlight and calling my name! Sour Cherries! These are so great because I love tart and sweet jams (my favorite is cranberry sauce in the winter...but you cannot find cranberries in the summer here!) so...I picked up two pounds of these babies with my heart set on making them into a jam today!

The brighter the better

It is my first attempt at making a jam, and I wasn't sure if I needed pectin. After researching a bit, you can actually make a tasty jam WITHOUT pectin by adding lemon juice and its zest to the mix! This naturally adds pectin to the cherries and allows it to congeal on its own. I was elated! This was pretty easy to make and took a total of 2 hours. Pitting the cherries took about 30 minutes though. You can cut the time in half and save yourself the pruney fingers by purchasing a cherry-pitter. 

• 2 pounds sour cherries (rinsed, pitted and chopped roughly..keep about a third whole though for some texture). This will yield about 2.5 cups of jam.
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• juice and zest of 1 large lemon

Place a glass plate in the freezer. You will use this to test whether your jam is ready

Add cherries to a deep sauce pan (non-reactive like enameled cast iron or stainless steel works best and use a wooden spoon). Cook until it begins to boil and bubble on low-medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. The cherries should be soft and the juices should start to bubble. Add juice and zest of the lemon (you can substitute oranges or clementines too). Continue to cook until the cherries are very soft. Turn off heat.

Add sugar in batches of 1/4 cup and stir until it is dissolved. Then add the next batch. Continue to do so until all the sugar has been added and is dissolved into the cherries. Place back on low-medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly! Once the juice starts to coat your spoon, turn off heat and place a small spoonful onto your plate that is in the freezer. Put back in freezer for about 3 minutes. When you take the plate out of the freezer, the juice should wrinkle..this will let you know that you it's ready. If it does not wrinkle, return mixture to heat and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until your jam is ready. DO NOT OVERCOOK as the you do not want the sugar to caramelize..this will make for a hard, sticky, and no good jam.

Pour into a sterilized jar, cover, and allow to cool at room temp. Place in refrigerator and cool over night (although I ate some 2 hours later!). Will last about 3-4 weeks. Smother your favorite breads, ice creams, yogurts or just plain oatmeal! It is delicious on everything!! Next time though, I want to add some cloves and currants to make a cherry chutney! I cannot wait!

Happy Eating

Kendra

Miso Tilapia with Mango Fried Rice

I haven't made fried rice since I was in college, and forgot how easy and how tasty it is! I made the dressing for a salad I made last week and decided to finish it off and marinade the fish in it. This dish was fun to prepare and pretty easy to cook. I remember learning how to make fried rice in home economics in the 8th grade. (My first introduction to the stove top, thank you!) And it really is as good as I remember it! Plus, you can control the level of calories and fat you want in your fried rice (restaurant fried rice can reach up to 300 calories per serving...just the rice...)

Miso Tilapia with Mango Fried Rice

Miso Marinade

• 1/4 cup miso paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs minced shallots
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mango Fried Rice

• 1 cup brown jasmine rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 3 tbs fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tbs canola oil
• 1/2 tbs sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped red peppers
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 small lime
• 1/2 cup mango chopped into small cubes
• 2 eggs scrambled in 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs hot sauce (I used sriracha)
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper  

(Serves 4)


Whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour over 4 Tilapia fillets in a large freezer bag. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To cook rice, follow instructions. Place cilantro and carrots in with dry rice and simmer until rice is done. Set aside.

In large deep skillet, heat canola and sesame oil on medium heat. Add garlic and red peppers and saute until fragrant. Add green onions and cook for one minute, stirring occasionally. Add rice, peas, hot sauce, soy sauce, ground pepper and juice of one lime and stir until combined. Cook for 3 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Add mango and eggs and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.


Place marinated Tilapia on a broiling tray(pour remaining marinade onto fish) and broil for 8 minutes or until flesh is flaky. 

Scoop rice onto place and place Tilapia on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and pair with a great white wine!


Enjoy!
Kendra